High-yield atmospheric water capture via bioinspired material segregation
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arXiv
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2023
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| _version_ | 1866914984881029120 |
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| author | Gao, Yiwei Ricoy, Santiago Cobb, Addison Phung, Ryan Lewis, Areianna Sahm, Aaron Ortiz, Nathan Rao, Sameer Cho, H. Jeremy |
| author_facet | Gao, Yiwei Ricoy, Santiago Cobb, Addison Phung, Ryan Lewis, Areianna Sahm, Aaron Ortiz, Nathan Rao, Sameer Cho, H. Jeremy |
| contents | Atmospheric water harvesting is urgently needed given increasing global water scarcity. Current sorbent-based devices that cycle between water capture and release have low harvesting rates. We envision a radically different multi-material architecture with segregated and simultaneous capture and release. This way, proven fast-release mechanisms that approach theoretical limits can be incorporated; however, no capture mechanism exists to supply liquid adequately for release. Inspired by tree frogs and airplants, our capture approach transports water through a hydrogel membrane ``skin'' into a liquid desiccant. We report an extraordinarily high capture rate of 5.50 $\text{kg}\,\text{m}^{-2}\,\text{d}^{-1}$ at a low humidity of 35%, limited by the convection of air to the device. At higher humidities, we demonstrate up to 16.9 $\text{kg}\,\text{m}^{-2}\,\text{d}^{-1}$, exceeding theoretical limits for release. Simulated performance of a hypothetical one-square-meter device shows that water could be supplied to two to three people in dry environments. This work is a significant step toward providing new resources to water-scarce regions. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2310_04254 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | High-yield atmospheric water capture via bioinspired material segregation Gao, Yiwei Ricoy, Santiago Cobb, Addison Phung, Ryan Lewis, Areianna Sahm, Aaron Ortiz, Nathan Rao, Sameer Cho, H. Jeremy Fluid Dynamics Soft Condensed Matter Applied Physics Atmospheric water harvesting is urgently needed given increasing global water scarcity. Current sorbent-based devices that cycle between water capture and release have low harvesting rates. We envision a radically different multi-material architecture with segregated and simultaneous capture and release. This way, proven fast-release mechanisms that approach theoretical limits can be incorporated; however, no capture mechanism exists to supply liquid adequately for release. Inspired by tree frogs and airplants, our capture approach transports water through a hydrogel membrane ``skin'' into a liquid desiccant. We report an extraordinarily high capture rate of 5.50 $\text{kg}\,\text{m}^{-2}\,\text{d}^{-1}$ at a low humidity of 35%, limited by the convection of air to the device. At higher humidities, we demonstrate up to 16.9 $\text{kg}\,\text{m}^{-2}\,\text{d}^{-1}$, exceeding theoretical limits for release. Simulated performance of a hypothetical one-square-meter device shows that water could be supplied to two to three people in dry environments. This work is a significant step toward providing new resources to water-scarce regions. |
| title | High-yield atmospheric water capture via bioinspired material segregation |
| topic | Fluid Dynamics Soft Condensed Matter Applied Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.04254 |