Highly efficient three-dimensional solar evaporator for high salinity desalination by localized crystallization

Abstract

Solar-driven water evaporation represents an environmentally benign method of water purification/desalination. However, the efficiency is limited by increased salt concentration and accumulation. Here, we propose an energy reutilizing strategy based on a bio-mimetic 3D structure. The spontaneously formed water film, with thickness inhomogeneity and temperature gradient, fully utilizes the input energy through Marangoni effect and results in localized salt crystallization. Solar-driven water evaporation rate of 2.63 kg m−2 h−1, with energy efficiency of >96% under one sun illumination and under high salinity (25 wt% NaCl), and water collecting rate of 1.72 kg m−2 h−1 are achieved in purifying natural seawater in a closed system. The crystalized salt freely stands on the 3D evaporator and can be easily removed. Additionally, energy efficiency and water evaporation are not influenced by salt accumulation thanks to an expanded water film inside the salt, indicating the potential for sustainable and practical applications.

Artificial Trees Inspired by Monstera for Highly Efficient Solar Steam Generation in Both Normal and Weak Light Environments

“…Multifunctional materials and devices that mimic these special structures in plants and animals have been developed. [1][2][3][4][5][6] Many plants, particularly Monstera and other climbers, exhibit heteroblasty, which means their adult leaves change their shape by fenestration, lobing, or teeth, whereas their juvenile leaves maintain integrity (the changes in leaves of several common plants, between juvenility and adulthood, are shown in Figure S1 in the crystallizing, thus ensuring long-term evaporation. Multilayer and hierarchical structures are designed to enhance the thermal and light management abilities of the evaporators.…”

Solar passive distiller with high productivity and Marangoni effect-driven salt rejection

“…accessible to more people), robust, efficient and stand-alone (where no moving parts are present) desalination technologies able to operate even in emergency conditions have been recently designed and studied in literature. [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] The attention has been mainly focused on the study and design of new nano-structured materials and smart structures able to improve the solar-to-vapour conversion and the energy management. 13,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] In 2018 some of the authors proposed a solar passive and multistage distiller 5 able to achieve performance beyond the thermodynamic limit of a single stage device, by recovering the latent heat of condensation.…”

Continuous 3D printing from one single droplet

“…2a. The self-built 3D printing setup involves a UV projector, a UV-transparent curing interface, and an aluminum supporting plate mounting on a programmable moving platform from bottom to up based on our previous investigations 25,26 . The underside of the supporting plate is in contact with the curing surface through penetration of the center of the resin droplet and can be elevated by the programmable moving platform.…”