Airflow-assisted array evaporators achieving ultra-high solar evaporation rates: Experimental and simulation study

Release time:2025-07-14 Hits:

Key Words:WATER; EFFICIENCY; CHANNEL; FIBER

Abstract:Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SIE) as a new technology is considered a promising green and sustainable strategy in the context of global freshwater scarcity. At present stage, high evaporation rate is still the main pursuit. Array evaporators enable high evaporation rates due to their enlarged surface area. However, further enhancement on the performance of array evaporators by airflow remains unexplored. In this study, we developed a 3D evaporator in the form of arrays composed of wooden pillars with carbonized surface. Extra evaporation surface area, derived from the structural design, led to high evaporation rate which was further increased by the introduction of airflow. Simulation results showed that airflow can significantly enhance the diffusion of vapor, reduce the partial pressure of water, minimize the hot zone on the evaporation surface, and therefore promote efficient water evaporation. As a result, the array offered an evaporation rate of 13.2 kg m-2h- 1 under 1.0-sun illumination at an airflow velocity of 3.5 m s- 1 , a 270 % enhancement compared to the value in static conditions. This value is significantly higher than most of the previously reported data. It is anticipated that airflow-assisted arrays as efficient solar evaporators, with the help of compatible strategies for the condensation of vapor and collection of freshwater, will achieve high yield and break the bottleneck that limits the large-scale application of SIE.

Volume:504

Issue:

Translation or Not:no