Issue 40, 2022

Freshwater–electricity co-generation in solar-driven water desalination: an effective approach toward the water–energy nexus

Abstract

It is urgent to exploit the ability of water–energy co-generation technologies to address the challenges and opportunities for the water–energy nexus. This report presents a cuboid-shaped interfacial solar steam generator made of a selective solar absorber-coated aluminum sheet with filter paper strips attached to its four outer walls as the evaporating surfaces and water-conducting paths for simultaneous freshwater and electricity generation from saltwater (3.5 wt% of NaCl). Connecting all four strips in series, a device with an illumination area of only 1.5 × 1.5 cm2 can generate an open-circuit voltage of 2.7 V with sufficient power to continuously glow an LED during evaporation, without any energy storage devices, in addition to an evaporation efficiency of 88%. For the first time, we could generate sufficient electricity from a single evaporator in a continuous manner to realize practical applications without scaling up, even in the dark. Our device promotes interface solar steam generation as a promising alternative to the solar-driven water–energy nexus.

Graphical abstract: Freshwater–electricity co-generation in solar-driven water desalination: an effective approach toward the water–energy nexus

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
28 Jul 2022
Accepted
26 Sep 2022
First published
26 Sep 2022

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022,10, 21273-21278

Freshwater–electricity co-generation in solar-driven water desalination: an effective approach toward the water–energy nexus

T. A. Wani, P. Garg, P. Kaith and A. Bera, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022, 10, 21273 DOI: 10.1039/D2TA05998C

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