High-performance Chinese ink flower-shaped evaporator: Intensified heat through light concentration to achieve water-energy balance

Abstract

Maintaining a water-energy balance is crucial for maximizing efficiency in 3D interfacial solar-driven evaporation. Regrettably, the inherent flaw of 3D evaporators results in insufficient water supply capacity. Herein, taking inspiration from metals that can reflect light, aluminum foil (AF) was utilized to create a light-collecting device with internal reflection capabilities. A 3D sola flower (SF) evaporator with Chinese ink absorption coating and PDA surface hydrophilic treatment (IPSF) was designed. The experimental and simulated results show that by applying surface hydrophilic treatment and using a light-collecting device, a notable increase in temperature on the side of the 3D evaporator is visible, indicating the successful implementation of the spotlight effect. Therefore, it is possible to achieve a water-energy balance and attain a high evaporation rate. The evaporation rate of IPSF was 2.31 kg m−2 h−1 before concentrating light under one sun and 3.5 wt% brine. Comparably, it rose to 3.95 kg m−2 h−1 after concentrating (IPSFCL), marking a 71 % enhancement. This innovative light-collecting device and water-energy balance engineering provides a novel strategy and technique for designing 3D evaporators and can be applied in different environmental conditions.