A team of China and Singapore-based researchers have 3D printed a device that’s capable of utilizing heat harnessed from the sun’s solar rays to make seawater safe to drink.
科学家的小说净化器围绕着完全印刷的陶瓷芯，具有集成的太阳能吸收剂，热绝缘子和水运输蛋白，使其能够收集和脱盐而无需设置。该设备的转化效率为98％，还符合世界卫生组织（WHO）标准，这可能使其成为以可持续和节能的方式解决全球水短缺的理想之选。
Tackling drought via desalination
随着全球人口的不断增长，气候变化开始构成新的挑战，在世界贫困地区，获得安全饮用水的机会越来越稀缺。同时，地球的海洋占了地球表面的70％以上，但只有2.5％的新鲜足以饮用，这使海水净化技术成为解决全球水短缺的潜在解决方案。
尽管目前可以使用一系列逆渗透，蒸馏和基于离子交换的淡化设备，但它们的高成本和能源消耗通常使他们无法获得发展中国家。因此，为了向人们带来净水，较小，分布和节能的技术至关重要，因此，科学家越来越多地将其原型的太阳能设备作为可持续的替代方案。
However, while many of these initial designs have proven the feasibility of using sunlight to purify seawater, they’re often mass-produced with limited control over their structure, lending them poor thermal efficiency. To enable a higher rate of solar-to-vapor energy conversion, the researchers have now adopted 3D printing as a means of producing a more heat-efficient device, that’s capable of evaporating chemicals at a more rapid pace.
Ceramic-based solar absorption
利用Robocasting 3D打印，科学家能够产生多功能的多孔陶瓷网状太阳能吸收器。得益于材料固有的绝缘性能，结果被证明能够充当设备的水运蛋白，绝缘子和整体底座，可以安装石墨烯吸收器以收集太阳能。
By precisely tuning their complex ceramic element, the researchers were also able to provide it with integrated microchannels, allowing it to direct water around the device and maintain its overall rate of steam generation. As a result, the team’s fully-enclosed device ultimately demonstrated the ability to focus solar heat onto its absorber without thermal dissipation, and achieve a rapid cycle of self-sustained solar evaporation.
Interestingly, during initial testing, the scientists found that they could further optimize their device’s performance, by increasing the mesh spacing of its absorber to increase water transfer speeds. Additionally, by positioning the desalinator’s absorber directly on top of the porous base without allowing it to make contact with its water reservoir, the team were able to reduce any heat loss and maintain a high vapor generation rate.
在后来的室外实验中，研究人员的设备以每小时0.5升的速度产生淡水，同时以足够的浓度去除钠，镁和钾，以满足谁的标准。与基于棉花的吸水剂相比，科学家还发现，其陶瓷 - 涂纸溶液蒸发矿物质的速度超过两倍，高达98％，蒸发效率高达两倍。
Ultimately, given the speed and ion-rejection efficacy of their device, the team concluded their overall approach to be a success, and with further development of its evaporator design, they believe that the technology could “prove useful” in enhancing the performance of commercial solar steam generators in future.
科学家在论文中总结道：“在测试期间收集的水就化学杂质符合饮用水标准。”“借助鲁棒性，耐用性，无毒性和反污染的属性，有效的3D印刷陶瓷太阳能脱盐装置的概念可以为更可持续和更绿色的清洁水生产打开大门。”
水净化和3D打印
鉴于设计灵活性和与3D打印相关的低生产成本，该技术越来越多地用于开发创新的净化饮用水的新方法。就在上个月布法罗大学科学家开发了3D印刷水纯石墨烯气凝胶可以在大型废水处理厂进行扩展以供使用。
同样，University of Cambridge旋转蓝色水龙头有3D打印了氯剂剂量，可以将其安装到发展中国家的管道水系统上，以确保其水安全饮用。使用3D打印，社会企业能够简化其新颖的纯化设备的设计，从而更容易为水分流行区域的人安装。
在更工业层面，通用电气的研究has been awarded a $14.3 million达帕开发一个新颖的3D打印设备的合同producing water from thin air. Working as part of a four-year project, the company ultimately aims to create a compact, portable device that yields enough water to supply 150 troops on a daily basis.
The researchers’ findings are detailed in their paper titled “为便携式太阳能脱盐设备的3D打印陶瓷结构制造。”The research was co-authored by Win Jonhson, Xi Xu, Danwei Zhang, Wei Ting Chua, Yong Hao Tan, Ximeng Liu, Cao Guan, Xuan Hao Tan, Yuemeng Li, Tun Seng Herng, James Cho-Hong Goh, John Wang,Hui He和Jun ding。
淡化研究是在上海乔汤大学,National University of Singapore和西北理工大学.
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特色图像显示了科学家3D打印太阳能净化设备的图。通过ACS应用材料和接口期刊图像。
