A novel solar-driven interfacial evaporator with multi-stage tunable liquid supply for efficient adaptive evaporation inspired by human thermal sweating
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) systems exhibit excellent localized solar-thermal conversion capabilities but face limitations in liquid supply regulation, posing challenges for achieving efficient evaporation under varying solar intensities. Inspired by the thermal sweating mechanism of human exocrine glands, this study proposes an adaptive solar-driven interfacial evaporator (ASDIE) composed of a SA-g-PNIPAAm thermosensitive hydrogel and a lignocellulose sponge-based evaporator (LSE). By optimizing liquid transfer within each functional module, the ASDIE achieves a balance between liquid transport and evaporation rates under varying solar intensities. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the evaporation performance of the ASDIE. The results demonstrate that variations in the SA concentration within the hydrogel effectively regulate the water content on the evaporation surface at different surface temperatures. Under solar intensities of 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 kW/m2, the evaporation rates of the ASDIE reach 1.04, 2.21, 2.92, and 3.70 kg/m2 h, respectively, representing improvements of 26 %, 48 %, 48 %, and 48 % compared to traditional SDIE (TSDIE). Additionally, the ASDIE reduces the average total heat loss to 14 % through its multi-level supply structure and adaptive liquid transport capabilities, corresponding to a 39 % reduction relative to TSDIE. Finally, the potential advantages of the ASDIE in applications such as seawater desalination and solution purification are explored, leading to the conclusion that the ASDIE is a promising innovative device for achieving efficient evaporation under all-weather conditions.
Date Issued
2025-04-01
Date Acceptance
2025-03-03
Citation
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025, 509
ISSN
1385-8947
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Journal / Book Title
Chemical Engineering Journal
Volume
509
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. This is the author’s accepted manuscript made available under a CC-BY licence in accordance with Imperial’s Research Publications Open Access policy (www.imperial.ac.uk/oa-policy)
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
161249
Date Publish Online
2025-03-04