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Spontaneous thermal energy transfer and anti-gravitational water pumping using Al 2 O 3 fiber-enhanced flexible nonwoven material as a high-performance and self-floating solar evaporator.

Jiamu DaiHang WangXiaochuan YangLiujia LanSuying LiGuangyu ZhangRuiqing LiDu NieWei Zhang
Published in: Materials horizons (2024)
Solar-driven evaporation is promising to address water scarcity. However, preserving the heat inside evaporators instead of allowing run-off, and synergistically utilizing it to wick water from the bulk, is still underexplored. Herein, a dual-functional bridge of longitudinal orientated channels of Al 2 O 3 fibers (AOFs) embedded in a multi-layered nonwoven evaporator was proposed to create a buffer for spontaneous thermal conduction and anti-gravitational water pumping. As a self-floating system with high porosity and flexibility, benefiting from the strong water transporting ability and high thermal conductivity of the AOFs, a superhigh evaporation rate (2.79 kg m -2 h -1 under 1 sun) can be achieved with great stability and durability. This work highlights the potential of promoting thermal management using a large-scale vapour chamber and mass-producible nonwoven technology to prepare a high-performance evaporator for practical applications.
Keyphrases
  • energy transfer
  • quantum dots
  • reduced graphene oxide