Electrically powered artificial black body for low-voltage high-speed interfacial evaporation

Abstract

Interfacial steam generation based on micro- or nano-interfaces of porous materials is a game-changing technology that can address the challenges of the global climate and energy utilization. However, the technology based on photothermal evaporation faces the problem that the evaporation rate cannot be greatly increased, and it is difficult to achieve compactness, which severely limits its application. Herein, a low-cost, robust device with a high record-breaking vapor generation rate (98.7 kg m⁻² h⁻¹, an order of magnitude higher than the best result reported) has been achieved with a conductive bulk porous carbon material, assisted by low-voltage electrical power. This work is state of the art and a key step toward the industrialization of high-speed evaporation using off-line non-grid green energy, completely unlike traditional heating evaporation technology. A modular model has been designed and tested, demonstrating the industrial potential and new off-grid solutions utilizing the renewable energy harvested by solar cells, wind and tidal power stations.