Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 1, 2026
10:38
Label-free Isolation and Enrichment of Cells Through Contactless Dielectrophoresis
Published on: September 3, 2013
16.7K
Contactless steam generation and superheating under one sun illumination
Thomas A Cooper1,2, Seyed H Zandavi1, George W Ni1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA.
Nature Communications
|December 13, 2018
Summary
Researchers developed a novel solar steam generation method avoiding direct contact between the solar absorber and water. This innovation prevents fouling and achieves superheated steam up to 133°C without pressurization.
Area of Science:
- Sustainable energy technologies
- Photothermal energy conversion
- Water treatment and purification
Background:
- Solar energy is crucial for sustainable desalination, sanitization, and heating.
- Current floating solar evaporators face fouling and limited vapor temperature due to direct water contact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a solar steam generation method that physically separates the solar absorber from water.
- To overcome fouling issues and achieve superheated steam generation.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a structure that absorbs solar radiation and re-radiates infrared photons.
- Employing infrared photon absorption by water within a shallow penetration depth.
- Physically separating the absorber from the water to prevent fouling and thermal pinning.
Main Results:
- Successfully generated steam via solar energy without direct water-structure contact.
- Completely avoided fouling issues.
- Achieved superheated steam at temperatures up to 133°C under one sun illumination in a non-pressurized system.
Conclusions:
- The developed method offers a fouling-free approach to solar steam generation.
- Enables the production of superheated steam at elevated temperatures for various applications.
- Represents a significant advancement in sustainable water and energy technologies.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Vaporization
38.1K
The physical form of a substance changes by changing its temperature. For example, raising the temperature of a liquid causes the liquid to vaporize (convert into vapor). The process is called vaporization—a surface phenomenon. For vaporization to occur, kinetic energy must be greater than the intermolecular forces that keep molecules bonded. The amount of energy needed to vaporize a quantity of liquid at a given pressure and a constant temperature is called the heat of vaporization. When...
38.1K
01:19DC Generator
2.1K
An alternator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy that varies sinusoidally, resulting in AC current. Meanwhile, a DC generator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, which are DC pulses with the same polarity. The construction of a DC generator is similar to that of an alternator, except that the pair of slip rings is replaced by a single split ring, also called a commutator. The commutator functions like a periodic rotary switch; it changes the contacts with the...
2.1K
03:00Next-generation Sequencing
98.5K
The first human genome sequencing project cost $2.7 billion and was declared complete in 2003, after 15 years of international cooperation and collaboration between several research teams and funding agencies. Today, with the advent of next-generation sequencing technologies, the cost and time of sequencing a human genome have dropped over 100 fold.
Next-Generation Sequencing Methods
Although all next-generation methods use different technologies, they all share a set of standard features....
Next-Generation Sequencing Methods
Although all next-generation methods use different technologies, they all share a set of standard features....
98.5K
01:22Generation Time
1.5K
Bacterial generation time, the period required for a bacterial population to double during its exponential growth phase, serves as a critical measure of microbial growth dynamics under optimal conditions. This parameter varies significantly across bacterial species and can be influenced by factors such as temperature, pH, and the availability of nutrients. For example, Escherichia coli can achieve a generation time of approximately 20 minutes, while Mycobacterium tuberculosis exhibits a much...
1.5K
01:25Electric Generator: Alternator
3.4K
Electric generators induce an emf by rotating a coil in a magnetic field. A simple alternator is an AC generator that creates electrical energy that varies sinusoidally with time. A simple alternator consists of a conducting loop that is placed inside a uniform magnetic field. The loop is connected to split rings connected to the external circuit with the help of brushes.
The magnetic flux passing through the coil varies sinusoidally as the loop rotates inside the magnetic field. This...
The magnetic flux passing through the coil varies sinusoidally as the loop rotates inside the magnetic field. This...
3.4K
01:21Generation of Three-Phase Voltage
801
A three-phase AC generator has a rotor with a rotating magnet placed within the stator mounted with the stationary three-phase winding to generate three-phase voltages via mutual induction. These windings are evenly distributed around the inner circumference of the stator and are arranged 120 electrical degrees apart. Three-phase stator windings consist of three separate coils or groups of coils, known as phases, each connected in Y (star) configuration or Delta configuration.
As the rotor...
As the rotor...
801