A new solar evaporator (SE) structure invented by a team from the Sun Yat-sen University breaks the limitation of solar-to-vapor efficiency of conventional SEs.
"With the novel structure employed, an evaporation flux of 2.25 kg m−2 h−1, and apparent solar-to-vapor efficiency of 136.7% are achieved under 1 sun illumination."
Paper:
News story:
面对人们日益增长的用水需求和水资源短缺的全球性挑战，太阳能驱动海水淡化技术被广泛认为是解决此类问题的关键途径之一。强化热局部化和促进盐循环是提高太阳能驱动蒸发器蒸发效率的重要手段。然而，强化蒸发器的热局部化不可避免会导致盐结晶，而强化蒸发器的盐循环不可避免会加速热流失。热局部化和盐循环之间的权衡效应普遍存在于现有的太阳能驱动蒸发器，严重阻碍了它的实际应用。
研究人员假设能够打破这一权衡效应的理想蒸发器必须同时具备强化热局部化的隔热结构和促进盐循环的高效输水通道。然而，遗憾的是，如此复杂结构的构筑仍然是一个巨大的挑战。
最新研究中，研究人员通过连续定向冷冻铸造技术制备了一种自站立和自漂浮的3D太阳能驱动蒸发器。这种新型蒸发器由有序的水通道和隔热的泡沫珠粒组成。得益于有序水通道的快速水输送和泡沫珠粒的隔热作用，该太阳能驱动蒸发器实现了在不影响供水的前提下切断光热转换区的热量向海水传递的热过程，打破了传统蒸发器长期存在的盐循环和热局部化之间的权衡效应。
此外，有序输水通道的毛细作用和泡沫珠粒提供的浮力赋予了自漂浮太阳驱动蒸发器较大的暴露高度。大的暴露高度有利于增大蒸发器的界面蒸发面积并赋予其收集环境能量的能力，使蒸发器的solar-to-vapor转换效率突破100%的理论限制。相比于传统蒸发器，所开发的新型蒸发器能够显著提高海水的蒸发效率并保障长期脱盐的稳定性。
该研究提出一种全新的太阳能驱动蒸发器结构及其构筑方法，也为下一代高效耐盐蒸发器的结构设计提供了一种关键的见解。（来源：中国科学报 朱汉斌）
"With the novel structure employed, an evaporation flux of 2.25 kg m−2 h−1, and apparent solar-to-vapor efficiency of 136.7% are achieved under 1 sun illumination."
Paper:
Bioinspired Self-Standing, Self-Floating 3D Solar Evaporators Breaking the Trade-Off between Salt Cycle and Heat Localization for Continuous Seawater Desalination
Abstract
Facing the global water shortage challenge, solar-driven desalination is considered a sustainable technology to obtain freshwater from seawater. However, the trade-off between the salt cycle and heat localization of existing solar evaporators (SE) hinders its further practical applications. Here, inspired by water hyacinth, a self-standing and self-floating 3D SE with adiabatic foam particles and aligned water channels is built through a continuous directional freeze-casting technique. With the help of the heat insulation effect of foam particles and the efficient water transport of aligned water channels, this new SE can cut off the heat transfer from the top photothermal area to the bulk water without affecting the water supply, breaking the long-standing trade-off between salt cycle and heat localization of traditional SEs. Additionally, its self-standing and self-floating features can reduce human maintenance. Its large exposure height can increase evaporation area and collect environmental energy, breaking the long-standing limitation of solar-to-vapor efficiency of conventional SEs. With the novel structure employed, an evaporation flux of 2.25 kg m−2 h−1, and apparent solar-to-vapor efficiency of 136.7% are achieved under 1 sun illumination. This work demonstrates a new evaporator structure, and also provides a key insight into the structural design of next-generation salt-tolerant and high-efficiency SEs.News story:
中山大学研制出新型太阳能驱动蒸发器
近日，中山大学材料科学与工程学院教授翟文涛团队在国家自然科学基金的支持下，通过连续定向冷冻铸造技术制备了一种自站立和自漂浮的3D太阳能驱动蒸发器。相关研究论文发表于Advanced Materials。面对人们日益增长的用水需求和水资源短缺的全球性挑战，太阳能驱动海水淡化技术被广泛认为是解决此类问题的关键途径之一。强化热局部化和促进盐循环是提高太阳能驱动蒸发器蒸发效率的重要手段。然而，强化蒸发器的热局部化不可避免会导致盐结晶，而强化蒸发器的盐循环不可避免会加速热流失。热局部化和盐循环之间的权衡效应普遍存在于现有的太阳能驱动蒸发器，严重阻碍了它的实际应用。
研究人员假设能够打破这一权衡效应的理想蒸发器必须同时具备强化热局部化的隔热结构和促进盐循环的高效输水通道。然而，遗憾的是，如此复杂结构的构筑仍然是一个巨大的挑战。
最新研究中，研究人员通过连续定向冷冻铸造技术制备了一种自站立和自漂浮的3D太阳能驱动蒸发器。这种新型蒸发器由有序的水通道和隔热的泡沫珠粒组成。得益于有序水通道的快速水输送和泡沫珠粒的隔热作用，该太阳能驱动蒸发器实现了在不影响供水的前提下切断光热转换区的热量向海水传递的热过程，打破了传统蒸发器长期存在的盐循环和热局部化之间的权衡效应。
此外，有序输水通道的毛细作用和泡沫珠粒提供的浮力赋予了自漂浮太阳驱动蒸发器较大的暴露高度。大的暴露高度有利于增大蒸发器的界面蒸发面积并赋予其收集环境能量的能力，使蒸发器的solar-to-vapor转换效率突破100%的理论限制。相比于传统蒸发器，所开发的新型蒸发器能够显著提高海水的蒸发效率并保障长期脱盐的稳定性。
该研究提出一种全新的太阳能驱动蒸发器结构及其构筑方法，也为下一代高效耐盐蒸发器的结构设计提供了一种关键的见解。（来源：中国科学报 朱汉斌）
) are about as intelligent as a pile of dogshit. Sure, they don't actually do any thinking but for now LLMs seem like they produce a simulation of this ability we consider innate to humans (at least some humans). Since we currently don't have conclusive understanding of our own intelligence and consciousness, who's to say there is actually much (if any at all) difference between the nature of human intelligence and that of a LLM? I don't personally believe so but every long journey begins with a single step and even if humans aren't able to produce even the components which eventually make up an AGI, we'll at least get many useful tools out of it. Industrial and narrow AI are one example. Chatbots are in their infancy and already can be used to revolutionise entire industries, starting with education. Humans are now able to make ourselves smarter using a tool we developed that has absolute zero real intelligence or ability to "think". Appreciate the possibilities.