Anti-clogging and anti-tangling fog harvesting with 3D-printed mesh-harp hybrids

Abstract

Fog harvesting is a promising method for freshwater collection in arid regions, but existing designs are inefficient. Mesh harvesters clog easily, diverting the fog stream, while fog harps suffer from elastocapillary wire tangling, creating large gaps for diminished performance. To practically bypass both the clogging and tangling issues, we develop 3D-printed mesh-harp hybrids that increase the fog harvesting efficiency by a factor of 2–8 compared to a pure mesh or fog harp. The optimal spacing of dilute cross-support features to enable anti-tangling for an untensioned mesh-harp hybrid is rationalized by an elastocapillary model.