A new design for solar steam generators could enable more efficient saltwater desalination — an option for freshwater security that has long been hindered by its high cost and energy usage.
The design is inspired by nature and consists of a printed bed of tree-shaped microstructures to absorb light and facilitate the evaporation of seawater. The design is self-cleaning, with seawater movement driven by capillary action dissolving the dried salts that would otherwise accumulate on the steam generator surface and reduce its efficiency.
To make these tiny forests, the researchers used Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), a three-dimensional printing technique never before used to make solar steam generators (SSGs).
“The biomimetic SSGs produced by MJF printing have excellent seawater desalination capabilities and can operate efficiently over extended periods,” says Kun Zhou, a professor of mechanical engineering at Nanyang...
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