Separation Efficiency of Thin-film Evaporators

The recovery of contaminants and useful substances from liquid wastes, thepurification of production effluents and the separation of thermally instable mixtures are some ofthe multivarious applications of thin-film distillers in many processes of the chemical and alliedindustries and of the food industries. In a study carried out in pilot plants with distillation testsystems there was found a good agreement between the experimental separation results and thoseobtained by computing with a theorectical model; the latter is based on the assumption of phaseequilibrium between the vapour formed on an infinitely small element of area in a liquid film of anygiven concentric periphery of the vertically arranged evaporator. These tests were perfomed undervarious phase loads.

Numerical Simulation of Flow Field and Flow State Division in Thin-Film Evaporators

The flow field and flow state of thin-film evaporators are complex,and it is significant to effectively divide and quantify the flow field and flow state,as well as to study the internal flow field distribution and material mixing characteristics to improve the efficiency of thin-film evaporators.By using computational fluid dynamics(CFD)numerical simulation,the distribution pattern of the high-viscosity fluid flow field in the thin-film evaporators was obtained.It was found that the staggered interrupted blades could greatly promote material mixing and transportation,and impact the film formation of high-viscosity materials on the evaporator wall.Furthermore,a flow field state recognition method based on radial volume fraction statistics was proposed,and could quantitatively describe the internal flow field of thin-film evaporators.The method divides the high-viscosity materials in the thin-film evaporators into three flow states,the liquid film state,the exchange state and the liquid mass state.The three states of materials could be quantitatively described.The results show that the materials in the exchange state can connect the liquid film and the liquid mass,complete the material mixing and exchange,renew the liquid film,and maintain continuous and efficient liquid film evaporation.

Chemical Scissors Tailored Nano‑Tellurium with High‑Entropy Morphology for Efficient Foam‑Hydrogel‑Based Solar Photothermal Evaporators

The development of tellurium(Te)-based semiconductor nanomaterials for efficient light-to-heat conversion may offer an effective means of harvesting sunlight to address global energy concerns.However,the nanosized Te(nano-Te)materials reported to date suffer from a series of drawbacks,including limited light absorption and a lack of surface structures.Herein,we report the preparation of nano-Te by electrochemical exfoliation using an electrolyzable room-temperature ionic liquid.Anions,cations,and their corresponding electrolytic products acting as chemical scissors can precisely intercalate and functionalize bulk Te.The resulting nano-Te has high morphological entropy,rich surface functional groups,and broad light absorption.We also constructed foam hydrogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol)/nano-Te,which achieved an evaporation rate and energy efficiency of 4.11 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)and 128%,respectively,under 1 sun irradiation.Furthermore,the evaporation rate was maintained in the range 2.5-3.0 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)outdoors under 0.5-1.0 sun,providing highly efficient evaporation under low light conditions.

Highly efficient three-dimensional solar evaporator for zero liquid discharge desalination of high-salinity brine

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is a promising technology for freshwater production from seawater,but salt accumulation on the evaporator surface hinders its performance and sustainability.In this study,we report a simple and green strategy to fabricate a three-dimensional porous graphene spiral roll(3GSR)that enables highly efficient solar evaporation,salt collection,and water production from near-saturated brine with zero liquid discharge(ZLD).The 3GSR design facilitates energy recovery,radial brine transport,and directional salt crystallization,thereby resulting in an ultrahigh evaporation rate of 9.05 kg m^(-2) h^(-1)6 in 25 wt%brine under 1-sun illumina-tion for 48 h continuously.Remarkably,the directional salt crystallization on its outer surface not only enlarges the evaporation area but also achieves an ultrahigh salt collection rate of 2.92 kg m^(-2) h^(-1),thus enabling ZLD desalination.Additionally,3GSR exhibits a record-high water production rate of 3.14 kg m^(-2) h^(-1) in an outdoor test.This innovative solution offers a highly efficient and continuous solar desalination method for water production and ZLD brine treatment,which has great implications for addressing global water scarcity and environmental issues arising from brine disposal.

Influence of liquid film shape on evaporation performance of agitated thin film evaporator

The agitated thin film evaporator(ATFE),which is known for its high efficiency,force the material to form a film through the scraping process of a scraper,followed by evaporation and purification.The complex shape of the liquid film inside the evaporator can significantly affect its evaporation capability.This work explores how change in shape of the liquid films affect the evaporation of the materials with non-Newtonian characteristics,achieved by changing the structure of the scraper.Examining the distribution of circumferential temperature,viscosity,and mass transfer of the flat liquid film shows that the film evaporates rapidly in shear-thinning region.Various wavy liquid films are developed by using shear-thinning theory,emphasizing the flow condition in the thinning area and the factors contributing to the exceptional evaporation capability.Further exploration is conducted on the spread patterns of the wavy liquid film and flat liquid film on the evaporation wall throughout the process.It is noted that breaking the wavy liquid film on the evaporating wall during evaporation is challenging due to its film-forming condition.For which the fundamental causes are demonstrated by acquiring the data regarding the flow rate and temperature of the liquid film.The definitive findings of the analysis reveal a significant improvement in the evaporation capability of the wavy liquid film.This enhancement is attributed to increasing the shear-thinning areas and maintaining the overall shape of the film throughout the entire evaporation process.

A Biomass-Based Hydrogel Evaporator Modified Through Dynamic Regulation of Water Molecules:Highly Efficient and Cost-Effective

Solar-driven hydrogel evaporator used for water purification demonstrates great potential in seawater desalination and domestic sewage treatment.However,much uncertainty still exists about the most efficient design to obtain cost-effective drinkable water.In this paper,a natural rich biomass Nicandra physalodes(Linn.)Gaertn.polysaccharide was introduced into the polyvinyl alcohol network to control the water distribution during evaporation and build a low-cost hybrid hydrogel solar evaporator with a total material cost of$7.95 m^(−2).The mixed evaporator works stably in a long-span acid–base range(pH 1–14)and salinity range(0–320 g kg^(−1)).Its daily water purification capacity can reach 24.4 kg m^(−2)with a water purification capacity of 3.51 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)under sunlight.This paper provides a new possibility for a highly efficient and cost-effective water desalination system with guaranteed water quality by focusing on the dynamic regulation of water molecules at the evaporation interface.

Ionization Engineering of Hydrogels Enables Highly Efficient Salt‑Impeded Solar Evaporation and Night‑Time Electricity Harvesting

Interfacial solar evaporation holds immense potential for brine desalination with low carbon footprints and high energy utilization.Hydrogels,as a tunable material platform from the molecular level to the macroscopic scale,have been considered the most promising candidate for solar evaporation.However,the simultaneous achievement of high evaporation efficiency and satisfactory tolerance to salt ions in brine remains a challenging scientific bottleneck,restricting the widespread application.Herein,we report ionization engineering,which endows polymer chains of hydrogels with electronegativity for impeding salt ions and activating water molecules,fundamentally overcoming the hydrogel salt-impeded challenge and dramatically expediting water evaporating in brine.The sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate-modified carbon black is chosen as the solar absorbers.The hydrogel reaches a ground-breaking evaporation rate of 2.9 kg m−2 h−1 in 20 wt%brine with 95.6%efficiency under one sun irradiation,surpassing most of the reported literature.More notably,such a hydrogel-based evaporator enables extracting clean water from oversaturated salt solutions and maintains durability under different high-strength deformation or a 15-day continuous operation.Meantime,on the basis of the cation selectivity induced by the electronegativity,we first propose an all-day system that evaporates during the day and generates salinity-gradient electricity using waste-evaporated brine at night,anticipating pioneer a new opportunity for all-day resource-generating systems in fields of freshwater and electricity.

Effect of an Internal Heat Exchanger on the Performances of a Double Evaporator Ejector Refrigeration Cycle

A theoretical investigation is presented about a double evaporator ejector refrigeration cycle(DEERC).Special attention is paid to take into account the influence of the sub-cooling and superheating effects induced by an internal heat exchanger(IHX).The ejector is introduced into the baseline cycle in order to mitigate the throttling process losses and increase the compressor suction pressure.Moreover,the IHX has the structure of a concentric counter-flow type heat exchanger and is intentionally used to ensure that the fluid at the compressor inlet is vapor.To assess accurately the influence of the IHX on the DEERC performance,a mathematical model is derived in the frame of the dominant one-dimensional theory for ejectors.The model also accounts for the friction effect in the ejector mixing section.The equations of this model are solved using an Engineering Equation Solver(EES)for different fluids.These are:R134a as baseline fluid and other environment friendly refrigerants used for comparison,namely,R1234yf,R1234ze,R600,R600a,R290,R717 and R1270.The simulation results show that the DEERC with an IHX can achieve COP(the coefficient of performance)improvements from 5.2 until 10%.

Heterojunction-engineered carrier transport in elevated-metal metal-oxide thin-film transistors

This study investigates the carrier transport of heterojunction channel in oxide semiconductor thin-film transistor(TFT)using the elevated-metal metal-oxide(EMMO)architecture and indium−zinc oxide(InZnO).The heterojunction band diagram of InZnO bilayer was modified by the cation composition to form the two-dimensional electron gas(2DEG)at the interface quantum well,as verified using a metal−insulator−semiconductor(MIS)device.Although the 2DEG indeed contributes to a higher mobility than the monolayer channel,the competition and cooperation between the gate field and the built-in field strongly affect such mobility-boosting effect,originating from the carrier inelastic collision at the heterojunction interface and the gate field-induced suppression of quantum well.Benefited from the proper energy-band engineering,a high mobility of 84.3 cm2·V^(−1)·s^(−1),a decent threshold voltage(V_(th))of−6.5 V,and a steep subthreshold swing(SS)of 0.29 V/dec were obtained in InZnO-based heterojunction TFT.

Solar-driven salt-free deposition evaporation for simultaneous desalination and electricity generation based on tip-effect and siphon-effect

Solar-driven desalination is a promising way to alleviate the freshwater shortage,while is facing challenges posed by low evaporation rates and severe salt accumulation.Herein,a high-performance twodimensional(2D) solar absorber with Co_(3)O_(4) nanoneedle arrays(Co_(3)O_(4)-NN) grown on the surface of reduced graphene oxide-coated pyrolyzed silk cloth(Co_(3)O_(4)-NN/rGO/PSC) was prepared,and a salt-free evaporator system was assembled based on the composite material and siphonage-the flowing water delivery.It is revealed that the evaporation enthalpy of water can be reduced over the 2D solar absorber grown with Co_(3)O_(4)-NN_T enabling an evaporation rate of up to 2.35 kg m^(-2) h^(-1) in DI water under one solar irradiation.The desalination process can be carried out continuously even with salt concentration up to 20 wt%,due to the timely removal of concentrated brine from the interface with the assistance of directed flowing water.Moreover,the 2D structure and the flowing water also provide an opportunity to convert waste solar heat into electricity in the evaporator based on the seebeck effect,ensuring simultaneous freshwater production and power generation.It is believed that this work provides insights into designing hybrid systems with high evaporation rate,salt resistance,and electricity generation.

Indispensable gutter layers in thin-film composite membranes for carbon capture

Industrial thin-film composite(TFC)membranes achieve superior gas separation properties from high-performance selective layer materials,while the success of membrane technology relies on high-performance gutter layers to achieve production scalability and low-cost manufacturing.However,the current literature predominantly focuses on the design of polymer architectures to obtain high permeability and selectivity,while the art of fabricating gutter layers is usually safeguarded by industrial manufacturers and appears lackluster to academic researchers.This is the first report aiming to provide a comprehensive and critical review of state-of-the-art gutter layer materials and their design and modification to enable TFC membranes with superior separation performance.We first elucidate the importance of the gutter layer on membrane performance through modeling and experimental results.Then various gutter layer materials used to obtain high-performance composite membranes are critically reviewed,and the strategies to improve their compatibility with the selective layer are highlighted,such as oxygen plasma treatment,polydopamine deposition,and surface grafting.Finally,we present the opportunities of the gutter layer design for practical applications.

Performance Evaluation of an Evaporative Cooling Pad for Humidification-Dehumidification Desalination

The perfect combination of renewable energy and desalination technologies is the key to meeting water demands in a cost-effective,efficient and environmentally friendly way.The desalination technique by humidificationdehumidification is non-conventional approach suitable for areas with low infrastructure(such as rural and decentralized regions)since it does not require permanent maintenance.In this study,this technology is implemented by using solar energy as a source of thermal power.A seawater desalination unit is considered,which consists of a chamber with two evaporators(humidifiers),a wetted porous material made of a corrugated cellulose cardboard and a condenser(dehumidifier).The evaporation system is tested with dry bulb temperature and relative air humidity data.The results of numerical simulations indicate that higher inlet air velocities(from 0.75 to 3 m/s)lead to a decrease in theΔT,ΔRH,and effectiveness.With the air remaining within the evaporator for 30 cm,the temperature differential increases to 5.7°C,accompanied by a 39%rise in relative humidity contrast.These changes result in a significant enhancement in humidification efficiency,achieving a remarkable efficiency level of 78%.However,a wettability value of 630 m^(2)/m^(3)leads to a smaller reduction of these parameters.Increasing the pad thickness,particularly to 0.3 m,improves performance by boostingΔT,ΔRH,and effectiveness,especially for pads with a wettability of 630 m^(2)/m^(3),for which superior performances are predicted by the numerical tests.

Implementation of sub-100 nm vertical channel-all-around(CAA) thin-film transistor using thermal atomic layer deposited IGZO channel

In-Ga-Zn-O(IGZO) channel based thin-film transistors(TFT), which exhibit high on-off current ratio and relatively high mobility, has been widely researched due to its back end of line(BEOL)-compatible potential for the next generation dynamic random access memory(DRAM) application. In this work, thermal atomic layer deposition(TALD) indium gallium zinc oxide(IGZO) technology was explored. It was found that the atomic composition and the physical properties of the IGZO films can be modulated by changing the sub-cycles number during atomic layer deposition(ALD) process. In addition, thin-film transistors(TFTs) with vertical channel-all-around(CAA) structure were realized to explore the influence of different IGZO films as channel layers on the performance of transistors. Our research demonstrates that TALD is crucial for high density integration technology, and the proposed vertical IGZO CAA-TFT provides a feasible path to break through the technical problems for the continuous scale of electronic equipment.

Tree‑Inspired Structurally Graded Aerogel with Synergistic Water,Salt,and Thermal Transport for High‑Salinity Solar‑Powered Evaporation

Solar-powered interfacial evaporation is an energy-efficient solution for water scarcity.It requires solar absorbers to facilitate upward water transport and limit the heat to the surface for efficient evaporation.Furthermore,downward salt ion transport is also desired to prevent salt accumulation.However,achieving simultaneously fast water uptake,downward salt transport,and heat localization is challenging due to highly coupled water,mass,and thermal transport.Here,we develop a structurally graded aerogel inspired by tree transport systems to collectively optimize water,salt,and thermal transport.The arched aerogel features root-like,fan-shaped microchannels for rapid water uptake and downward salt diffusion,and horizontally aligned pores near the surface for heat localization through maximizing solar absorption and minimizing conductive heat loss.These structural characteristics gave rise to consistent evaporation rates of 2.09 kg m^(-2) h^(-1) under one-sun illumination in a 3.5 wt%NaCl solution for 7 days without degradation.Even in a high-salinity solution of 20 wt%NaCl,the evaporation rates maintained stable at 1.94 kg m^(-2) h^(-1) for 8 h without salt crystal formation.This work offers a novel microstructural design to address the complex interplay of water,salt,and thermal transport.

Rebuilding the theory of isotope fractionation for evaporation of silicate melts under vacuum condition

Isotope eff ects are pivotal in understanding silicate melt evaporation and planetary accretion processes.Based on the Hertz-Knudsen equation,the current theory often fails to predict observed isotope fractionations of laboratory experiments due to its oversimplified assumptions.Here,we point out that the Hertz-Knudsen-equation-based theory is incomplete for silicate melt evaporation cases and can only be used for situations where the vaporized species is identical to the one in the melt.We propose a new model designed for silicate melt evaporation under vacuum.Our model considers multiple steps including mass transfer,chemical reaction,and nucleation.Our derivations reveal a kinetic isotopic fractionation factor(KIFF orα)αour model=[m(^(1)species)/m(^(2)species)]^(0.5),where m(species)is the mass of the reactant of reaction/nucleation-limiting step or species of diffusion-limiting step and superscript 1 and 2 represent light and heavy isotopes,respectively.This model can eff ectively reproduce most reported KIFFs of laboratory experiments for various elements,i.e.,Mg,Si,K,Rb,Fe,Ca,and Ti.And,the KIFF-mixing model referring that an overall rate of evaporation can be determined by two steps jointly can account for the eff ects of low P_(H2)pressure,composition,and temperature.In addition,we find that chemical reactions,diffusion,and nucleation can control the overall rate of evaporation of silicate melts by using the fitting slope in ln(−ln f)versus ln(t).Notably,our model allows for the theoretical calculations of parameters like activation energy(E_(a)),providing a novel approach to studying compositional and environmental eff ects on evaporation processes,and shedding light on the formation and evolution of the proto-solar and Earth-Moon systems.

Nitrogen-doped microporous graphite-enhanced copper plasmonic effect for solar evaporation

Water scarcity is a global challenge,and solar evaporation technology offers a promising and eco-friendly solution for freshwater production.Photothermal conversion materials(PCMs)are crucial for solar evaporation.Improving photothermal conversion efficiency and reducing water evaporation enthalpy are the two key strategies for the designing of PCMs.The desired PCMs that combine both of these properties remain a challenging task,even with the latest advancements in the field.Herein,we developed copper nanoparticles(NPs)with different conjugated nitrogen-doped microporous carbon coatings(Cu@C–N)as PCMs.The microporous carbon enveloping layer provides a highly efficient pathway for water transport and a nanoconfined environment that protects Cu NPs and facilitates the evaporation of water clusters,reducing the enthalpy of water evaporation.Meanwhile,the conjugated nitrogen nodes form strong metal-organic coordination bonds with the surface of copper NPs,acting as an energy bridge to achieve rapid energy transfer and provide high solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency.The Cu@C–N exhibited up to 89.4%solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency and an evaporation rate of 1.94 kgm^(−2) h^(−1) under one sun irradiation,outperforming conventional PCMs,including carbon-based materials and semiconductor materials.These findings offer an efficient design scheme for high-performance PCMs essential for solar evaporators to address global water scarcity.

Harnessing overlapped temperature-salinity gradient in solar-driven interfacial seawater evaporation for efficient steam and electricity generation

Solar-driven interfacial water evaporation(SIWE)offers a superb way to leverage concentrated solar heat to minimize energy dissipation during seawater desalination.It also engenders overlapped temperaturesalinity gradient(TSG)between water-air interface and adjacent seawater,affording opportunities of harnessing electricity.However,the efficiency of conventional SIWE technologies is limited by significant challenges,including salt passivation to hinder evaporation and difficulties in exploiting overlapped TSG simultaneously.Herein,we report self-sustaining hybrid SIWE for not only sustainable seawater desalination but also efficient electricity generation from TSG.It enables spontaneous circulation of salt flux upon seawater evaporation,inducing a self-cleaning evaporative interface without salt passivation for stable steam generation.Meanwhile,this design enables spatial separation and simultaneous utilization of overlapped TSG to enhance electricity generation.These benefits render a remarkable efficiency of90.8%in solar energy utilization,manifesting in co-generation of solar steam at a fast rate of 2.01 kg m^(-2)-h^(-1)and electricity power of 1.91 W m^(-2)with high voltage.Directly interfacing the hybrid SIWE with seawater electrolyzer constructs a system for water-electricity-hydrogen co-generation without external electricity supply.It produces hydrogen at a rapid rate of 1.29 L h^(-1)m^(-2)and freshwater with 22 times lower Na+concentration than the World Health Organization(WHO)threshold.

Variations in evaporation from water surfaces along the margins of the Badain Jaran Desert over nearly 60 years and influencing factors

Based on meteorological data collected over nearly 60 years(1960-2017)from four national meteorological stations along the margins of the Badain Jaran Desert,this study analyzed the spatiotemporal variations in evaporation from water surfaces and identified the dominant controlling factors.Methods used included linear trend analysis,linear tendency estimation,the departure method,the rank correlation coefficient-based method,and Multiple Linear Regression(MLR).Results indicate notable spatiotemporal differences in evaporation distribution and evolution.Spatially,average annual evaporation exhibited a pronounced altitude effect,decreasing at a rate of about 8.23 mm/m from east to west with increasing altitude.Temporally,annual evaporation showed significant upward trends after 1996 at the northeastern(Guaizi Lake)and western(Dingxin)margins,with rates of 132 mm/10a and 105 mm/10a,respectively.Conversely,along the northwestern(Ejina Banner)and southern(Alxa Right Banner)margins of the desert,an evaporation paradox was observed,with annual evaporation trending downward at rates of 162 mm/10a and 187 mm/10a,respectively,especially after 1987.The dominant factors controlling evaporation varied spatially:Average annual temperature and relative humidity influended the western margin(Dingxin),average annual temperature was the key factor for the northeastern margin(Guaizi Lake),and average wind speed was crucial for the northern(Ejina Banner)and southern(Alxa Right Banner)margins.

Systematic study of the synthesis of heavy and superheavy nuclei in 48Ca-induced fusion-evaporation reactions

We systematically studied the evaporation residue cross sections of ^(48)Ca-induced reactions on lanthanide and actinide target nuclei under the Dinuclear System(DNS)model framework to check the reliability and applicability of the model.To produce new proton-rich Fl and Lv isotopes through hot fusion reactions in the superheavy element region with Z≥104,we utilized the reactions ^(48)Ca+^(236,238,239) Pu and ^(48)Ca+^(242,243,244,250) Cm.However,owing to the detection limit of available equipment(0.1 pb),only 283Fl and 287−289Lv,which have the maximum evaporation residue cross section values of 0.149,0.130,9.522,and 0.309 pb,respectively,can be produced.Furthermore,to produce neutron-deficient isotopes of actinides near the proton drip line with Z=93−100,we attempted to generate the new isotopes(224−227Pu,228−232,237Cm)using the reactions ^(48)Ca+180,182,183 W and ^(48)Ca+^(184,186,187,192) Os.The maximum evaporation residue cross section values are 0.07,0.06,0.26,and 0.30 nb for the former set of reactions,and 1.96 pb,5.73 pb,12.16 pb,19.39 pb,54.79 pb,and 6.45 nb for the latter,respectively.These results are expected to provide new information for the future synthesis of unknown neutron-deficient isotopes.

Numerical Study and Optimization of CZTS-Based Thin-Film Solar Cell Structure with Different Novel Buffer-Layer Materials Using SCAPS-1D Software

This study explored the performances of CZTS-based thin-film solar cell with three novel buffer layer materials ZnS, CdS, and CdZnS, as well as with variation in thickness of buffer and absorber-layer, doping concentrations of absorber-layer material and operating temperature. Our aims focused to identify the most optimal thin-film solar cell structure that offers high efficiency and lower toxicity which are desirable for sustainable and eco-friendly energy sources globally. SCAPS-1D, widely used software for modeling and simulating solar cells, has been used and solar cell fundamental performance parameters such as open-circuited voltage (), short-circuited current density (), fill-factor() and efficiency() have been optimized in this study. Based on our simulation results, it was found that CZTS solar cell with Cd0.4Zn0.6S as buffer-layer offers the most optimal combination of high efficiency and lower toxicity in comparison to other structure investigated in our study. Although the efficiency of Cd0.4Zn0.6S, ZnS and CdS are comparable, Cd0.4Zn0.6S is preferable to use as buffer-layer for its non-toxic property. In addition, evaluation of performance as a function of buffer-layer thickness for Cd0.4Zn0.6S, ZnS and CdS showed that optimum buffer-layer thickness for Cd0.4Zn0.6S was in the range from 50 to 150nm while ZnS offered only 50 – 75 nm. Furthermore, the temperature dependence performance parameters evaluation revealed that it is better to operate solar cell at temperature 290K for stable operation with optimum performances. This study would provide valuable insights into design and optimization of nanotechnology-based solar energy technology for minimizing global energy crisis and developing eco-friendly energy sources sustainable and simultaneously.