High Harvest Rates Research Articles

Современное производство и особенности хранения томатов в России

Abstract. Tomato is a widely grown crop in Russia both in open and protected ground, has high gross harvest and yield capacity rates. During storage, being a climacteric culture, it matures quickly, which leads to accelerated breathing and evaporation of moisture, loss of the presentation of the product. The process of maturation and aging of tomatoes is associated with the peculiarity of biochemical processes inside the fruit during storage, while the content of biologically valuable substances decreases, the quality of stored products and organoleptic indicators deteriorate. The accelerated aging process is facilitated by the development of diseases caused by both the vital activity of pathogenic microorganisms (fungal, bacterial, viral) and those arising from non-infectious exposure (temperature, relative humidity, mechanical damage, etc.). In this regard, in order to preserve the quality and increase the duration of storage, it is relevant to search for domestic and foreign sources characterizing the features of tomato fruits as an object of storage, for further research and development in the field of storage technologies that reduce the rate of biochemical processes, prevent or reduce the intensity of fruit damage during storage. In the article the structural features of tomato fruits were studied, tomato varieties were described, and also data on production volume were provided. It is noted that over the past few years there has been an increase in gross harvest and yield capacity with a simultaneous decrease in acreage, the biochemical composition of tomato fruits and its changes occurring during maturation and storage are described, infectious (caused by pathogenic microorganisms) and non-communicable diseases that contribute to the rapid maturation and spoilage of tomato fruits during storage are described. Key words: tomato, classification, production, structure, storage biochemical processes, diseases

Performance Analysis and Operation Parameter Optimization of Shaker-Type Harvesting for Camellia Fruits

This study aims to address the challenges of achieving a high harvesting rate and low flower bud damage rate during the harvesting of camellia fruits. To this end, a dynamic model of the camellia osmantha tree and a self-developed shaker-type harvesting machine were used as research subjects. The first 24 natural frequencies and mode shapes of the camellia tree were solved using the finite element method, and the effects of vibration frequency, excitation position, and vibration duration on the harvesting rate and flower bud damage rate were quantitatively analyzed through an orthogonal experiment. The numerical analysis results indicate that the camellia tree exhibits good response characteristics at vibration frequencies of 10–15.5 Hz and 38.5 Hz. The three-factors orthogonal experiment figured out that the optimal operational parameters for shaker-type harvesting were determined to be a vibration duration of 30 s, a motor output frequency of 12.5 Hz, and a gripping position height of 50 to 60 cm above the ground. Meanwhile, under these operational parameters, the harvesting efficiency reached 96.97%, while the flower bud damage rate was only 6%.

Magnetically Driven Cactus Spinelike Superhydrophobic Fe3O4 Vertical Array for High-Performance Fog Harvesting.

Cactus spinelike materials have attracted much attention due to high fog harvesting efficiency, but great challenges in structure fabrication and structural controllability still remain. In this study, we proposed a magnetically driven spray-coating method to fabricate a cactus spinelike superhydrophobic Fe3O4 vertical array on nonwoven cotton fabric. This method is simple and controllable; a mixture containing magnetic Fe3O4 particles and organosilicon resin was atomized into tiny droplets and arranged along the magnetic field lines. Different from the traditional method to prepare a cactus spinelike structure via liquid flow under magnet, which is usually accompanied with a big structure size and an unobvious structure feature due to the high viscosity of magnetic liquid. However, if the magnetic liquid is transformed into tiny magnetic droplets by a spraying method, it is promising to prepare micrometer-scale conical structures, and the reduction degree of bionic structures is high. When the fabricated structure is used for fog harvesting, it shows an extremely high efficiency of approximately 6.33 g cm-2 h-1, which is superior to most state-of-the-art fog harvesting materials. Considering the advantages of simplicity, structure controllability, and high fog harvesting rate, the reported strategy provides an avenue to build up high-performance fog harvesting materials.

Development of a Bionic Picking Device for High Harvest and Low Loss Rate Pod Pepper Harvesting and Related Working Parameter Optimization Details

Addressing the issues of low harvesting efficiency and high losses in current pod pepper harvesters, this study presents the design of a bionic comb finger pod pepper picking device and an inclined double-spiral bell pepper harvester to improve the harvest rate and reduce loss rate. Through the utilization of discrete element simulation software EDEM, a discrete element model for pod peppers is established. Additionally, a simulation platform for ground drop loss during pod pepper picking is developed, enabling exploration of the movement trajectory and velocity changes of the pod pepper elements. The study also conducts an analysis on the impact of the speed of the picking rollers X1, the feeding speed of pod peppers X2, and the spacing between the two picking rollers X3 on ground drop losses. Based on the results of the single-factor test, the Box–Behnken response surface test was used to optimize the working parameters of the picking device, which resulted in the optimal combination of the working parameters of the picking device: the speed of the picking rollers was 680.41 rpm, the feeding speed of the pod peppers was 0.5 m/s, and the spacing between the two picking rollers was 12 mm, which resulted in the loss rate of pod peppers on the floor of the ground being 3.526%.

Novel mushroom-like cotton-based evaporator for simultaneous freshwater production and salt harvesting via edge-preferential crystallization

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) has emerged as a promising technology to alleviate the global freshwater scarcity. However, the simultaneous collection of water and salt as resources while maintaining stable evaporation rate without salt contamination at the evaporation interface remains a huge challenge. Herein, we report a novel mushroom-like cotton-based evaporator, inspired by the vertical stem and inclined caps of mushrooms, for simultaneous freshwater production and salt harvesting. By depositing polyaniline (PANI) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) onto the cotton fabric (CF), an evaporation rate of 1.88 kg m−2h−1 and a high solar evaporation efficiency of 99.4 % can be achieved in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution under one solar irradiation. Furthermore, a significant water collection efficiency of 70.2 % and a high salt harvesting rate of 42.1 g m−2h−1 can be derived. Even exposed to high-concentration (15 wt%) brine, our design still effectively prevents salt contamination. The distinctive edge-preferential crystallization not only avoids the salt contamination but also promotes the salt harvesting, due to the capillary force, the criss-cross water channels from the nature of cotton cloth, as well as the gravity-assisted water transport of the “mushroom cap” during evaporation. In addition, the low thermal conductivity (0.163 W m−1 K−1) of the photothermal layer with the integration of PANI and CNTs, as well as the vertical water upward transport via the “mushroom stem” effectively reduce the heat loss. This research holds great potential for seawater desalination applications with the comprehensive utilization of seawater resources.

Achieving Ultrahigh Voltage Over 100 V and Remarkable Freshwater Harvesting Based on Thermodiffusion Enhanced Hydrovoltaic Generator

AbstractEvaporative hydrovoltaic generators hold significant potential for alleviating water‐energy crisis, but low output voltage configurations due to the slow phase transition rate of water molecules and the intricate nature of integration limit their applications. Herein, a lotus‐inspired interfacial evaporation‐driven hydrovoltaic generators (IEHVG) is developed for efficient generation of water vapor and electricity from seawater instead of freshwater and achieves an ultrahigh voltage output higher than 100‐volt level through forested IEHVG integration. The biomimetic hydrogel is developed with specific liquid transport channels, graphene quantum dots/MXene nanocomposites, and gradient hydrophobic interface for highly enhanced photothermal evaporation and electricity generation by mimicking the transpiration process of a “stems‐leaves of lotus”. The synergistic thermodiffusion effect leads to the output power density of IEHVG reaches up to 45.6 µW cm−2 and can power electronic devices or charge commercial supercapacitors. The freshwater‐electricity cogeneration integrated system consisting of 192 IEHVG units can harvest a record‐breaking voltage reaching 105 V and a high freshwater harvesting rate up to 2.0 L m−2 h−1 from seawater in a well‐lit outdoor area. This work demonstrates that IEHVG offers a novel concept for modular freshwater and high‐voltage power sources access on offshore work platforms.

Adaptive Data Transmission Protocols for Energy Harvesting WSNs Used in Agriculture

Energy consumption is a major concern in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) as it affects the lifespan of sensor nodes. Battery-based WSNs have a short operating period, which makes them impractical for real-time applications, for instance in agriculture. Energy harvesting and suitable medium access control (MAC) protocols have been used to extend the lifetime of nodes. Receiver-initiated protocols have been proved to be the best solution for energy harvesting WSNs. However, they suffer from a key disadvantage, i.e. an increase in collision rate. These collisions need to be reduced using a multi-layer protocol structure. In such a context, a new solar-based hybrid MAC (SHMAC) protocol relying on receiver-initiation and characterized by a multi-layer structure is proposed. It is an adaptive protocol capable of adapting to changing weather conditions. The nodes with a high energy harvesting rate have a higher level of residual energy and are active for longer time periods compared with those with low energy harvesting characteristics. The proposed work has shown improvements in two major MAC layer parameters, i.e. collision rate and energy neutrality operation ratio (ENO).

Comparison of preparation methods of rat kidney single-cell suspensions

Preparation of kidney tissue single-cell suspensions is the basis of single-cell sequencing, flow cytometry and primary cell culture, but it is difficult to prepare high quality whole kidney single-cell suspensions because of the complex structure of the kidney. We explored a technique called stepwise enzymatic digestion (StE) method for preparing a single-cell suspension of rat whole kidney tissue which contained three main steps. The first step is to cut the kidney into a homogenate. The second step is the digestion of renal tubules using Multi Tissue Dissociation Kit 2 and the last step is the digestion of glomeruli using type IV collagenase. We also compared it with two previous techniques, mechanical grinding method and simple enzymatic digestion method. The StE method had the advantages of high intrinsic glomerular cells and immune cells harvest rate, high singlets rate and high cell viability compared with the other two techniques. In conclusion, the StE method is feasible, highly efficient, and worthy of further research and development.

Climate-mediated population dynamics for the world’s most endangered sea turtle species

Restricted range, and subsequently small population size, render Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) the most globally endangered sea turtle species. For at least two decades preceding conservation, high egg harvest rates reduced annual cohort recruitment. Despite > 50 years of dedicated conservation, annual nest counts remain well below a landmark 1947 level. Prior studies attribute less robust than anticipated nest count rebound to multiple contemporary concerns; however, analyses herein convey optimistic interpretation. In objective 1, improved analysis of the ratio of hatchlings to nests since 1966 suggested age structure stabilization as a more likely basis for nest count trends after 2005 than density-dependent effects. In objective 2, multiple regression revealed a lagged (≤ 13 years prior) climate influence on nests (adj. r2 = 0.82) and hatchlings per nest (adj. r2 = 0.94) during 2006–2022. In objectives 3 and 4, a simulator modeled population response to changes in a suite of demographic rates including survival. Across 32 models, high survival and dynamic cohort sex ratio, sexual maturity age, and the ratio of clutch frequency to remigration interval best explained nesting trends during 1966–2022. These novel findings provide alternative perspective for evaluating species recovery criteria and in turn refine future nest trend expectations.

Thirteen‐year stover harvest and tillage effects on soil compaction in Iowa

AbstractCorn (Zea mays L.) stover is an abundant biomass source with multiple end‐uses including cellulosic biofuel production. However, stover removal may increase soil compaction by reducing organic matter inputs and increasing vehicle loads during harvest. While numerous studies have reported stover removal impacts on soil physical quality, few have assessed the role played by traffic compaction. Our objective was to quantify subsurface soil compaction after 13 years of chisel plow versus no‐till management and no, moderate (3.5 ± 1.1 Mg ha−1 year−1), or high (5.0 ± 1.7 Mg ha−1 year−1) stover harvest rates. Penetration resistance was measured in most‐ and least‐trafficked interrow spaces. Chisel plowed plots with moderate and high levels of stover removal had higher penetration resistance in trafficked areas relative to least‐trafficked areas, whereas there was no evidence of traffic compaction when stover was retained. Traffic compaction did not negatively impact yields, which were greater with high levels of stover removal compared to no removal. The no‐till practice led to very small increases in penetration resistance with wheel traffic and had no evidence of increased compaction with residue removal. This lack of traffic compaction indicated soils under no‐till practice have a higher load‐bearing capacity than soils under chisel plow practice. Overall, there were no yield‐limiting effects of tillage practice or stover removal, and no evidence of soil compaction below the plow layer, suggesting stover removal with both tillage practices can be effectively employed without detrimental effects on plant or soil health.

Porous structure with stable superhydrophobic surface for high-performance atmospheric fog harvesting

Multifunctional surface that is favorable for both fog capture and removal is highly desirable for atmospheric fog harvesting application, but still remain a great challenge. Herein, a porous structure with liquid-repellent surface via chemical corrosion and low surface energy modification method is reported for high-performance fog harvesting. Benefiting from the structural confinement effect, flapping tiny fogs can not only contact the limited external surface of materials, but also enter the internal space, thus greatly enhancing the capture probability after kinetic energy loss of fog, rather than easily bounding back and escape from material surface. Accompanying with the liquid-repellent property of surface, nucleation enhancement without compromising liquid transport can be achieved, and resulting in a high fog harvesting rate approximately 3.15 g cm−2 h−1, outperforming most related fog harvesting systems. With the high efficiency, controllability and simplicity, we believe that the proposed strategy to develop porous structure with liquid-repellent surface can provide a new avenue for high-performance fog harvesting materials design.

Hunting and environmental influences on survival of male wild turkeys in Virginia and West Virginia

AbstractKnowledge of the effects of hunting and environmental influences on survival of eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) is critical to managers setting fall and spring hunting seasons. Research has shown improper season frameworks can result in unsustainably high harvest rates of adult males, affect male age structure, and result in lower hunter satisfaction. Our objectives were to estimate survival rates of males, identify causes of mortality, and relate hunting and environmental influences to male turkey survival. We captured and radio‐tagged male wild turkeys in Virginia (n = 204) and West Virginia (n = 197), USA, during 2004–2007. We used staggered entry Kaplan‐Meier models to estimate survival and Cox Proportional Hazards Models to estimate effects of predictor variables on survival. Survival was estimated for 3 distinct periods of interest: annual, fall hunting (October–January), and spring hunting (April–May). The leading causes of mortalities (209 turkeys) were legal spring harvest (42%), predation (25%), and poaching (17%). Only 8 turkeys (4%) were taken during fall hunting seasons. Confidence intervals for annual survival of 2 year‐old and 3+ year‐old turkeys overlapped; therefore, we combined adult ages into a single category (2+). Adult (2+) annual survival was 0.63 (95% CI = 0.58–0.69) and the harvest rate was 25% (95% CI = 20–29%) for the combined states. Annual survival rates for adults (2+) were greater than in most other published studies, whereas adult (2+) spring harvest rates were lower. For juvenile males, annual survival was 0.74 (95% CI = 0.68–0.79) and spring harvest rate was 7% (95% CI = 3–11%). High juvenile and adult (2+) survival may have been related to low harvest rates. Adult turkeys (2+) had 46% greater risk of dying than one‐year‐old birds and were 3.7 times more likely to be harvested than juveniles. Age, a relative phenology index (RPI; spring green‐up), and white oak (Quercus alba) acorn production were included in the top models for annual survival, spring season survival, and spring harvest risk. Increasing RPI (more foliage) decreased mortality risk and greater white oak (Quercus alba) acorn abundance increased mortality risk. Across 4 regions in the 2 states, fall survival was high (0.90, 95% CI = 0.87–0.93). The impact of fall hunting on males in Virginia was low (5% harvest rate, 95% CI = 0–9%). Overall, spring harvest had the greatest effect on male survival, although those effects were moderated by the previous fall white oak crop and the onset of green‐up in the spring.

The economic tradeoffs and ecological impacts associated with a potential mesopelagic fishery in the California Current.

The ocean's mesopelagic zone (200–1000 m) remains one of the most understudied parts of the ocean despite knowledge that mesopelagic fishes are highly abundant. Apex predators from the surface waters are known to consume these fishes, constituting an important ecological interaction. Some countries have begun exploring the potential harvest of mesopelagic fishes to supply fishmeal and fish oil markets due to the high fish abundance in the mesopelagic zone compared with overfished surface waters. This study explored the economic and ecological implications of a moratorium on the harvest of mesopelagic fishes such as lanternfish off the US West Coast, one of the few areas where such resources are managed. We adapted a bioeconomic decision model to examine the tradeoffs between the values gained from a hypothetical mesopelagic fishery with the potential values lost from declines in predators of mesopelagic fishes facing a reduced prey resource. The economic rationale for a moratorium on harvesting mesopelagics was sensitive both to ecological relationships and the scale of the nonmarket values attributed to noncommercial predators. Using a California Current‐based ecological simulation model, we found that most modeled predators of mesopelagic fishes increased in biomass even under high mesopelagic harvest rates, but the changes (either increases or decreases) were small, with relatively few predators responding with more than a 10% change in their biomass. While the ecological simulations implied that a commercial mesopelagic fishery might not have large biomass impacts for many species in the California Current system, there is still a need to further explore the various roles of the mesopelagic zone in the ocean.

Potato plants micropropagated and grown from mini tubers: nutritional efficiency to phosphorus

One of the main concerns for the establishment of sustainable agriculture is the development of cultivars that absorb and use phosphorus (P) better. It is possible to produce quality seed potatoes from sprouts, microtubers, minitubers and minicuttings in closed off-soil growing systems. However, little is known if the origin of the propagating material interferes with the nutritional efficiency of phosphorus (P) by plants. Thus, the objective of this work was to compare the nutritional efficiency of P between plants produced from minitubers and micropropagation. For this, two experiments were carried out, one with plants produced from mini-tubers and the other from plants from micropropagation. Both experiments were carried out in a greenhouse and in a growing system without soil, using clones Asterix, Atlantic, SMIC 148-A and SMINIA 793101-3 and two levels of P in the nutrient solution (2.32 and 23. 2mg P L-1). The propagative origin of potato plants changes with the biomass ratio between root and shoot and plants from minitubers have a higher harvest rate, higher utilization efficiency and a higher P response rate in P biomass production than plants from micropropagation. Therefore, we recommend that selection of PUE clones should occur with plants from mini-tubers, since the responses to PUE by plants from micropropagation are not representative, under the conditions tested in this work

The accuracy of dry surgical field sublabial biopsy in the diagnosis of sicca syndrome

Sublabial gland biopsy is the 'gold standard' in establishing the diagnosis of primary Sjögren's syndrome. Bleeding and nerve damage are complications. Our centre has adopted the use of the chalazion clamp to provide a dry surgical field to address these challenges. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of minor salivary gland harvest rate using this technique. A retrospective review of all minor salivary gland biopsies was carried out in a single tertiary referral centre over a five-year period. Forty-one biopsy patients were identified, with a mean age of 56.1 years. There was 100 per cent accuracy in harvest rate in our series. Twelve patients (29 per cent) were positive for primary Sjögren's syndrome. No patients had a complication immediately or at one month follow up. Dry surgical field sublabial gland biopsy is a safe and highly effective technique in the diagnosis of primary Sjögren's syndrome. Initial results indicate it may provide a higher harvest rate with fewer complications than traditional non-ischaemic techniques.

Hatchery-Origin Stray Rates and Total Run Characteristics for Pink Salmon and Chum Salmon Returning to Prince William Sound, Alaska, in 2013–2015

Abstract Pacific salmon hatcheries support important commercial fisheries for Pink Salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha and Chum Salmon O. keta in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska. State policy mandates that hatchery-produced fish must not negatively impact natural populations, which can occur during mixed fisheries and via ecological and genetic interactions. Therefore, we quantified the spatial and temporal overlap of natural- and hatchery-origin salmon (1) as they migrated into PWS and (2) in PWS spawning streams. Intensive sampling during 2013–2015, combined with ancillary agency harvest and hatchery composition data, also allowed us to estimate the hatchery, natural, and total run sizes. Estimated annual proportions (SE in parentheses) of hatchery fish in the preharvest run ranged from 0.55 (0.01) to 0.86 (0.03) for Pink Salmon and from 0.51 (0.03) to 0.73 (0.02) for Chum Salmon. Proportions of hatchery fish across all sampled PWS spawning streams were much lower, ranging from 0.05 (0.03) to 0.15 (0.07) for Pink Salmon and from 0.03 (0.03) to 0.09 (0.03) for Chum Salmon. In both species, relatively high instream proportions of hatchery fish tended to be geographically localized, while many streams exhibited low proportions. The estimated total PWS runs were 50–142 million Pink Salmon and 2.3–5.4 million Chum Salmon. Commercial fisheries harvested 94–99% of hatchery-origin fish of both species, 27–50% of natural-origin Pink Salmon, and 17–20% of natural-origin Chum Salmon. Despite very high harvest rates on hatchery-produced fish, an estimated 0.8–4.5 million hatchery Pink Salmon and 30,000–90,000 hatchery Chum Salmon strayed into PWS spawning streams. Our findings provide context for further research on the relative productivity of hatchery- and natural-origin salmon spawning in streams, density-dependent survival, improvements in fidelity to hatchery release sites, the influence of hatchery production on escapement management and policy, and refinements in harvest management precision in PWS.

Fisheries management as a Stackelberg Evolutionary Game: Finding an evolutionarily enlightened strategy.

Fish populations subject to heavy exploitation are expected to evolve over time smaller average body sizes. We introduce Stackelberg evolutionary game theory to show how fisheries management should be adjusted to mitigate the potential negative effects of such evolutionary changes. We present the game of a fisheries manager versus a fish population, where the former adjusts the harvesting rate and the net size to maximize profit, while the latter responds by evolving the size at maturation to maximize the fitness. We analyze three strategies: i) ecologically enlightened (leading to a Nash equilibrium in game-theoretic terms); ii) evolutionarily enlightened (leading to a Stackelberg equilibrium) and iii) domestication (leading to team optimum) and the corresponding outcomes for both the fisheries manager and the fish. Domestication results in the largest size for the fish and the highest profit for the manager. With the Nash approach the manager tends to adopt a high harvesting rate and a small net size that eventually leads to smaller fish. With the Stackelberg approach the manager selects a bigger net size and scales back the harvesting rate, which lead to a bigger fish size and a higher profit. Overall, our results encourage managers to take the fish evolutionary dynamics into account. Moreover, we advocate for the use of Stackelberg evolutionary game theory as a tool for providing insights into the eco-evolutionary consequences of exploiting evolving resources.

Modeling how to achieve localized areas of reduced white-tailed deer density

Localized management of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) involves the removal of matriarchal family units with the intent to create areas of reduced deer density. However, application of this approach has not always been successful, possibly because of female dispersal and high deer densities. We developed a spatially explicit, agent-based model to investigate the intensity of deer removal required to locally reduce deer density depending on the surrounding deer density, dispersal behavior, and size and shape of the area of localized reduction. Application of this model is illustrated using the example of abundant deer populations in Pennsylvania, USA. Most scenarios required at least 5 years before substantial deer density reductions occurred. Our model indicated that a localized reduction was successful for scenarios in which the surrounding deer density was lowest (30 deer/mi²), localized antlerless harvest rates were ≥ 30%, and the removal area was ≥ 5 mi² . When the size of the removal area was < 5 mi2, end population density was highly variable and, in some scenarios, exceeded the initial density. The shape of the area of localized reduction had less influence on the ability to reduce deer density than the size. There were no differences in mean deer density in the same size circle or square removal areas. Similarly, increasing the ratio of sides (length: width) in rectangular removal areas had little influence on the ability to locally reduce deer densities. Situations in which deer density was higher (40 or 50 deer/mi2) required antlerless removal rates to exceed 30% and took more than 5 years to considerably reduce density in the localized area regardless of its size. These results indicate that the size of the removal area, surrounding deer density, and antlerless harvest rate are the most influential factors in locally reducing deer density. Therefore, localized management likely can be an effective strategy for lower density herds, especially in larger removal areas. For high density herds, the success of this strategy would depend most on the ability of resource managers to achieve consistently high antlerless harvest rates.

Excellent fog harvesting performance of liquid-infused nano-textured 3D frame

Inspired by the superwettability peculiarities of cactus spines and pitcher plants, a unique three-dimensional (3D) superhydrophobic liquid-infused (SHBL) frame is designed by both etching nanospines and infusing liquid lubricant into the nanotextures. On the SHBL frame, the liquid-infused interface could effectively capture the tiny droplet and then accelerate the growth, coalescence and transport of the droplet. Moreover, the presence of the nanospines increases the capillary force, which can effectively lock the lubricant on the SHBL frame. Hence, the 3D SHBL frame achieves the high fog harvesting rate (ε) of 15.2 g cm-3h−1 and efficiency (η) of 25.3%, and exhibits the excellent cycling stability of the fog harvesting. This study opens up a way to design the novel materials that would be expended into some application realms, e.g., fog/water harvesting engineering in industry, forest, etc.

Elastic Microstaggered Porous Superhydrophilic Framework as a Robust Fogwater Harvester.

A robust fogwater harvester with an elastic microstaggered porous superhydrophilic framework (EMSF) has been designed. The EMSF can be fabricated by using polydimethylsiloxane and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) via an etching method of sugar crystals pile-up cube as a template. The EMSF possesses a high porosity of 76%, of which the saturated fogwater-capturing capacity is 4 times higher than its weight, achieving a high fogwater harvesting rate (ε) of 62.7 g/cm3·h. It is attributed to the strong hydrogen bond (H-bond) interaction between hydroxyl groups (-OH) in PVA and water molecules for rapidly harvesting water and storing water in a staggered porous structure by means of a capillary force. The elasticity of EMSF allows to achieve a higher fogwater harvesting rate (ε) of 73.2 g/cm3·h via releasing the as-stored water in the EMSF under periodic external pressing. In addition, a durable corrosion resistance is demonstrated on the EMSF. This study offers a way to design novel materials that would further be extended into applications, for example, fog engineering in industry, agriculture, forest, and so forth.