Simultaneous Solar Steam and Electricity Generation from Synergistic Salinity‐Temperature Gradient

Abstract

Solar‐driven interfacial evaporation by localization of solar heating at the air–liquid surface has emerged as a cost‐effective desalination technology. The rapid interfacial evaporation induces simultaneous salinity and temperature gradient between evaporation surface and bulk water, which enables electricity generation but is not comprehensively utilized. Herein, the combination of a thermogalvanic cell (TGC) and reverse electrodialysis (RED) in solar‐driven interfacial evaporation is proposed to extract energy from temperature and salinity gradients simultaneously. Because of the synergistic ion transport effect, the coupling of TGC and RED enables mutual power enhancement by orders of magnitude based on the rational spatial layout and the fabrication of composite electrodes. Finally, a steam‐electricity cogeneration system is designed, which achieves the 1.4 kg m−2 h−1 vapor and 1.11 W m−2 electricity simultaneously under one sun illumination. This concept opens a promising avenue towards a solar‐driven water‐energy nexus.

Integrated Water and Thermal Managements in Bioinspired Hierarchical MXene Aerogels for Highly Efficient Solar‐Powered Water Evaporation

“…[2,25,26] Several strategies have been implemented for the effective thermal management by 3D absorbers including heat extraction from bulk water, [27] harvesting energy from air, [28,29] and latent heat recycling, [30] significantly reducing the heat loss to the environment during evaporation. By optimizing the compositions and microstructures of 3D absorbers, [31][32][33][34][35] fast water transport and moderate heat loss have been achieved, leading to high solar-to-vapor energy efficiencies of over 90% under a standard incident light intensity of 1-sun (i.e., 1 kW m −2 ). [4,10,18,36] However, absorbers in practical applications are exposed under the natural sunlight, which typically has a light intensity lower than 1-sun depending on various factors including seasons, weather conditions and locations.…”

A Wave‐Driven Piezoelectric Solar Evaporator for Water Purification

“…[ 5–9 ] ISVG is capable of efficiently using sunlight as an energy source to concentrate thermal energy to drive the evaporation of water at the water–air interface. [ 10–14 ] Therefore, the evaporation efficiency depends on energy management, a result which has been corroborated in various material systems. [ 15–19 ] On one hand, efficient broadband absorption of solar energy and inhibition of heat loss diffused into the environment are conducive to improved evaporation efficiency.…”

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation for water treatment: advanced research progress and challenges

“…[22][23][24][25][26][27] Besides, the functions of the developed PMs are becoming increasingly comprehensive, mainly covering long-term salt resistance, 6,[28][29][30][31][32] self-cleaning [33][34][35][36][37] and collaborative power generation. [38][39][40][41][42][43][44] Collaborative power generation occurs due to the upward ow of water caused by solar-driven PMs, creating concentration and temperature differences between the interface and the water body, thus generating electricity and water vapor simultaneously. Through continuous and in-depth research, SDIE technology has developed rapidly.…”