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Pitch

Studying an effect of salt powder seeding used for precipitation enhancement from convective clouds to obtain the optimal salt powder.


Description

Summary

The proposal objectives are the development of techniques to improve the efficiency and predictive capabilities of targeted cloud seeding operations. Water security is an important long-term issue; this proposal will be ongoing to enhance scientific understanding of rain enhancement so that we can make a lasting contribution to the global fight against water scarcity. The experimental and hypothetical investigations of cloud microstructure modification with the ideal salt powder for getting extra precipitation sums from convective clouds are performed. The main objective of proposal to obtain  "optmial salt powder" by studying the main parameters of particles. There are many criteria that must be studied to obtain the appropriate particles. For example, surface and the shape of particles. Although this experiment has been used in many countries but it can be studied in the UAE in order to obtain the optimal salt powder for convective cloud. 

" The results of experiments carried out in the cloud chamber at the conditions corresponding to the formation of convective clouds have shown that the introduction of the salt powder before a cloud medium is formed in the chamber results in the formation on the large-drop “tail” of additional large drops. In this case seeding with the salt powder leads to enlargement of the whole population of cloud drops and to a decrease of their total concentration as compared to the background cloud medium. "

 

 

 


Category of the action

Mitigation/Adaptation, Changing public attitudes about climate change


What actions do you propose?

There are many actions to do in order to access the objectives of proposal. First of all, the experiment used salt powder with the particle sizes that gave the greatest effectiveness. The parameters of particles will be studied in this experiment. In addition, the experiments will carry out in a cloud chamber at the conditions corresponding to the formation of convective clouds. 


Who will take these actions?

The government of UAE will consider these in order to ensure water security. Also, the government can collaborate with science institutes and universities to do more researches and experiments.


Where will these actions be taken?

The action will be done in United Arab Emirates. Firstly, the study will carry out in suitable science laboratory. After finding optimal salt powder it will apply in reality where convective clouds available. Also, it can be consider the east coast of the UAE where the most proper place for convective clouds. 


What are other key benefits?

1- The introduction of the salt powder before a cloud medium is formed results in the formation on the large-drop “tail” and in the broadening of drop size spectrum.

 

2- Seeding with salt powder also leads to the expansion of the total population of cloud droplets and to the decrease of their total concentration compared to the center of the background cloud. This leads to the conversion of cloud water into rain drops.

 

3- Using salt powder in the seeding experiments in the natural atmospheric conditions leads to increase of rainfall from convective clouds when accelerating the coagulation.


What are the proposal’s costs?

Nowadays, we have only two sources of water in the UAE: desalination to get fresh water, and rainwater. As we know cloud seeding is much cheaper than desalination plants. Desalinating one cubic metre of water from the sea costs $60, whereas the same amount of water extracted through cloud seeding costs just $1. The UAE will spend more money in cloud seeding program and also they make collaboration between different research institutions around the world in order to have different studies in rain enhancement methodologies. So, the government will support this proposal which about effect of salt powder seeding and it will consider the benefit of it.


Time line

short term (5-15 years)

For example, there will be study the implementation of the project in the UAE for a short period ranging from two years to four years. Then, the experiments will be conducted before formal application.


Related proposals

There is a lot of affinity between my proposal and that ones.

 


References

Drofa A.S., Ivanov V.N., Rosenfeld D., Shilin A.G., Studying an Effect of Salt Powder Seeding Used for Precipitation Enhancement from Convective Clouds. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 8011-8023, 2010.

 

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/the-cost-of-cloud-seeding-in-uae-670857.html