The development of tellurium(Te)-based semiconductor nanomaterials for efficient light-to-heat conversion may offer an effective means of harvesting sunlight to address global energy concerns.However,the nanosized Te(...The development of tellurium(Te)-based semiconductor nanomaterials for efficient light-to-heat conversion may offer an effective means of harvesting sunlight to address global energy concerns.However,the nanosized Te(nano-Te)materials reported to date suffer from a series of drawbacks,including limited light absorption and a lack of surface structures.Herein,we report the preparation of nano-Te by electrochemical exfoliation using an electrolyzable room-temperature ionic liquid.Anions,cations,and their corresponding electrolytic products acting as chemical scissors can precisely intercalate and functionalize bulk Te.The resulting nano-Te has high morphological entropy,rich surface functional groups,and broad light absorption.We also constructed foam hydrogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol)/nano-Te,which achieved an evaporation rate and energy efficiency of 4.11 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)and 128%,respectively,under 1 sun irradiation.Furthermore,the evaporation rate was maintained in the range 2.5-3.0 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)outdoors under 0.5-1.0 sun,providing highly efficient evaporation under low light conditions.展开更多
Multiple loop heat pipes which have two evaporators and two condensers in one loop are a kind of active heat transfer device. Since they have two evaporators and two condensers, the operating mode also becomes multipl...Multiple loop heat pipes which have two evaporators and two condensers in one loop are a kind of active heat transfer device. Since they have two evaporators and two condensers, the operating mode also becomes multiple. This work discusses the cases that multiple loop heat pipes were operated with one condenser at high temperature and the other at low temperature. To avoid the high temperature returning liquid and keep the multiple loop heat pipes work properly, the flow regulator which was made of polyethylene was designed, fabricated and applied in this test. The effect of flow regulator was confirmed and analyzed. In the test that large temperature difference existed between two sinks, it can be found according to the result that the flow regulator worked effectively and prevented the high temperature vapor to enter the inlet of common liquid line, which can keep the evaporators and returning liquid to operate at low temperature. With the increment of heat loads and the temperature difference between two sinks, the pressure difference between two condensers became larger and larger. When the pressure difference was larger than the flow regulator’s capillary force, the flow regulator could not work properly because the high temperature vapor began to flow through the flow regulator. According to the test data, the flow regulator can work properly within the sinks’ temperature 0°C/60°C and the two evaporators’ heat load 30/30 W.展开更多
This paper presents fabrication and testing of a multiple-evaporator and multiple-condenser loop heat pipe (MLHP) with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) porous media as wicks. The MLHP has two evaporators and two condens...This paper presents fabrication and testing of a multiple-evaporator and multiple-condenser loop heat pipe (MLHP) with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) porous media as wicks. The MLHP has two evaporators and two condensers in a loop heat pipe in order to adapt to various changes of thermal condition in spacecraft. The PTFE porous media was used as the primary wicks to reduce heat leak from evaporators to compensation chambers. The tests were conducted under an atmospheric condition. In the tests that heat loads are applied to both evaporators, the MLHP was stably operated as with a LHP with a single evaporator and a single condenser. The relation between the sink temperature and the thermal resistance was experimentally evaluated. In the test with the heat load to one evaporator, the heat transfer from the heated evaporator to the unheated evaporator was confirmed. In the heat load switching test, in which the heat load is switched from one evaporator to another evaporator repeatedly, the MLHP could be stably operated. The loop operation with the large temperature difference between the heat sinks was also tested. From this result, the stable operation of the MLHP in the various conditions was demonstrated. It was also found that a flow regulator which prevents the uncondensed vapor from the condensers is required at the inlet of the common liquid line when one condenser has higher temperature and cannot condense the vapor in it.展开更多
Objective To prevent the maldistribution of two phase refrigerant in dry expansion evaporators composed of parallel coils, a distributor is needed to supply refrigerant into the coils. Methods A simplified model of dr...Objective To prevent the maldistribution of two phase refrigerant in dry expansion evaporators composed of parallel coils, a distributor is needed to supply refrigerant into the coils. Methods A simplified model of dry expansion evaporator was proposed. The flow and heat transfer in distributing pipes and evaporator coils were simulated with a numerical method. Results The heat flow rate decreases while the refrigerant is distributed unequally to evaporator coils. Conclusion In order to maintain the heat flow rate, larger heat transfer area should be arranged to make up the effect of maldistribution. The larger the discrepancy of mass flow rate is, the more heat transfer area is needed.展开更多
Interfacial solar steam generation holds great promise in water desalination thanks to its high energy efficiency by heating only the top layer of water for evaporation.While three‐dimensional(3D)evaporators have bee...Interfacial solar steam generation holds great promise in water desalination thanks to its high energy efficiency by heating only the top layer of water for evaporation.While three‐dimensional(3D)evaporators have been proven to increase the evaporation rate by harnessing the energy from the surroundings,further development is still required in terms of convenient fabrication with potential scalability.Herein,we propose to overcome this challenge by using a high internal phase emulsion(HIPE)to template the synthesis of 3D hierarchically porous evaporators.The HIPE‐templated synthesis combined with a molding process can efficiently fabricate the desired 3D shape without wasting any materials and generate a hierarchically porous internal structure for continuous water supply.Engineering the overall shape and internal pores produces a 3D evaporator that can suppress conduction heat loss and efficiently collect thermal energy from its surroundings,boosting the evaporation rate to 2.82 kg/(m2 h)under 1‐sun illumination,which is significantly higher than conventional 2D evaporators.HIPE‐templating synthesis is an easy but effective way to produce various porous polymers,promising for a wide range of applications where easy production,excellent shape control,and potential scalability are critical.展开更多
Interfacial solar evaporation holds immense potential for brine desalination with low carbon footprints and high energy utilization.Hydrogels,as a tunable material platform from the molecular level to the macroscopic ...Interfacial solar evaporation holds immense potential for brine desalination with low carbon footprints and high energy utilization.Hydrogels,as a tunable material platform from the molecular level to the macroscopic scale,have been considered the most promising candidate for solar evaporation.However,the simultaneous achievement of high evaporation efficiency and satisfactory tolerance to salt ions in brine remains a challenging scientific bottleneck,restricting the widespread application.Herein,we report ionization engineering,which endows polymer chains of hydrogels with electronegativity for impeding salt ions and activating water molecules,fundamentally overcoming the hydrogel salt-impeded challenge and dramatically expediting water evaporating in brine.The sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate-modified carbon black is chosen as the solar absorbers.The hydrogel reaches a ground-breaking evaporation rate of 2.9 kg m−2 h−1 in 20 wt%brine with 95.6%efficiency under one sun irradiation,surpassing most of the reported literature.More notably,such a hydrogel-based evaporator enables extracting clean water from oversaturated salt solutions and maintains durability under different high-strength deformation or a 15-day continuous operation.Meantime,on the basis of the cation selectivity induced by the electronegativity,we first propose an all-day system that evaporates during the day and generates salinity-gradient electricity using waste-evaporated brine at night,anticipating pioneer a new opportunity for all-day resource-generating systems in fields of freshwater and electricity.展开更多
基金the Science and Technology Innovation Council of Shenzhen(Grant Nos.JCYJ20200109105212568,KQTD20170810105439418,JCYJ20200109114237902,20200812203318002,and 20200810103814002)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.12274197)the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(Grant Nos.2023A1515030240,2019A1515010790,2021A0505110015).
文摘The development of tellurium(Te)-based semiconductor nanomaterials for efficient light-to-heat conversion may offer an effective means of harvesting sunlight to address global energy concerns.However,the nanosized Te(nano-Te)materials reported to date suffer from a series of drawbacks,including limited light absorption and a lack of surface structures.Herein,we report the preparation of nano-Te by electrochemical exfoliation using an electrolyzable room-temperature ionic liquid.Anions,cations,and their corresponding electrolytic products acting as chemical scissors can precisely intercalate and functionalize bulk Te.The resulting nano-Te has high morphological entropy,rich surface functional groups,and broad light absorption.We also constructed foam hydrogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol)/nano-Te,which achieved an evaporation rate and energy efficiency of 4.11 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)and 128%,respectively,under 1 sun irradiation.Furthermore,the evaporation rate was maintained in the range 2.5-3.0 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)outdoors under 0.5-1.0 sun,providing highly efficient evaporation under low light conditions.
文摘Multiple loop heat pipes which have two evaporators and two condensers in one loop are a kind of active heat transfer device. Since they have two evaporators and two condensers, the operating mode also becomes multiple. This work discusses the cases that multiple loop heat pipes were operated with one condenser at high temperature and the other at low temperature. To avoid the high temperature returning liquid and keep the multiple loop heat pipes work properly, the flow regulator which was made of polyethylene was designed, fabricated and applied in this test. The effect of flow regulator was confirmed and analyzed. In the test that large temperature difference existed between two sinks, it can be found according to the result that the flow regulator worked effectively and prevented the high temperature vapor to enter the inlet of common liquid line, which can keep the evaporators and returning liquid to operate at low temperature. With the increment of heat loads and the temperature difference between two sinks, the pressure difference between two condensers became larger and larger. When the pressure difference was larger than the flow regulator’s capillary force, the flow regulator could not work properly because the high temperature vapor began to flow through the flow regulator. According to the test data, the flow regulator can work properly within the sinks’ temperature 0°C/60°C and the two evaporators’ heat load 30/30 W.
文摘This paper presents fabrication and testing of a multiple-evaporator and multiple-condenser loop heat pipe (MLHP) with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) porous media as wicks. The MLHP has two evaporators and two condensers in a loop heat pipe in order to adapt to various changes of thermal condition in spacecraft. The PTFE porous media was used as the primary wicks to reduce heat leak from evaporators to compensation chambers. The tests were conducted under an atmospheric condition. In the tests that heat loads are applied to both evaporators, the MLHP was stably operated as with a LHP with a single evaporator and a single condenser. The relation between the sink temperature and the thermal resistance was experimentally evaluated. In the test with the heat load to one evaporator, the heat transfer from the heated evaporator to the unheated evaporator was confirmed. In the heat load switching test, in which the heat load is switched from one evaporator to another evaporator repeatedly, the MLHP could be stably operated. The loop operation with the large temperature difference between the heat sinks was also tested. From this result, the stable operation of the MLHP in the various conditions was demonstrated. It was also found that a flow regulator which prevents the uncondensed vapor from the condensers is required at the inlet of the common liquid line when one condenser has higher temperature and cannot condense the vapor in it.
文摘Objective To prevent the maldistribution of two phase refrigerant in dry expansion evaporators composed of parallel coils, a distributor is needed to supply refrigerant into the coils. Methods A simplified model of dry expansion evaporator was proposed. The flow and heat transfer in distributing pipes and evaporator coils were simulated with a numerical method. Results The heat flow rate decreases while the refrigerant is distributed unequally to evaporator coils. Conclusion In order to maintain the heat flow rate, larger heat transfer area should be arranged to make up the effect of maldistribution. The larger the discrepancy of mass flow rate is, the more heat transfer area is needed.
基金supported by the University of California Riverside and the Korea Institute of Materials Science through the UC‐KIMS Center for Innovation Materials for Energy and EnvironmentJinxing Chen acknowledges the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51901147)the Su‐Zhou Key Laboratory of Functional Nano and Soft Materials,Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology,and the 111 Project.The authors also thank Ms.Jessica Lujia Yin and Mr.Zirui Zhou for their kind assistance.
文摘Interfacial solar steam generation holds great promise in water desalination thanks to its high energy efficiency by heating only the top layer of water for evaporation.While three‐dimensional(3D)evaporators have been proven to increase the evaporation rate by harnessing the energy from the surroundings,further development is still required in terms of convenient fabrication with potential scalability.Herein,we propose to overcome this challenge by using a high internal phase emulsion(HIPE)to template the synthesis of 3D hierarchically porous evaporators.The HIPE‐templated synthesis combined with a molding process can efficiently fabricate the desired 3D shape without wasting any materials and generate a hierarchically porous internal structure for continuous water supply.Engineering the overall shape and internal pores produces a 3D evaporator that can suppress conduction heat loss and efficiently collect thermal energy from its surroundings,boosting the evaporation rate to 2.82 kg/(m2 h)under 1‐sun illumination,which is significantly higher than conventional 2D evaporators.HIPE‐templating synthesis is an easy but effective way to produce various porous polymers,promising for a wide range of applications where easy production,excellent shape control,and potential scalability are critical.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.52076028).
文摘Interfacial solar evaporation holds immense potential for brine desalination with low carbon footprints and high energy utilization.Hydrogels,as a tunable material platform from the molecular level to the macroscopic scale,have been considered the most promising candidate for solar evaporation.However,the simultaneous achievement of high evaporation efficiency and satisfactory tolerance to salt ions in brine remains a challenging scientific bottleneck,restricting the widespread application.Herein,we report ionization engineering,which endows polymer chains of hydrogels with electronegativity for impeding salt ions and activating water molecules,fundamentally overcoming the hydrogel salt-impeded challenge and dramatically expediting water evaporating in brine.The sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate-modified carbon black is chosen as the solar absorbers.The hydrogel reaches a ground-breaking evaporation rate of 2.9 kg m−2 h−1 in 20 wt%brine with 95.6%efficiency under one sun irradiation,surpassing most of the reported literature.More notably,such a hydrogel-based evaporator enables extracting clean water from oversaturated salt solutions and maintains durability under different high-strength deformation or a 15-day continuous operation.Meantime,on the basis of the cation selectivity induced by the electronegativity,we first propose an all-day system that evaporates during the day and generates salinity-gradient electricity using waste-evaporated brine at night,anticipating pioneer a new opportunity for all-day resource-generating systems in fields of freshwater and electricity.
