Hydrophilic reentrant SLIPS enabled flow separation for rapid water harvesting

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Thermodynamics
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Decentralized water supply requires efficient atmospheric water harvesting.
• Accumulated condensed water droplets act as thermal barriers, hindering further condensation.
• Novel surface designs are needed to maintain droplet-free nucleation sites.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a surface promoting continuous droplet removal for enhanced condensation water harvesting.
• To investigate a flow-separation condensation mode on hydrophilic reentrant SLIPS.
• To quantify the water harvesting rate improvement using this novel approach.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of hydrophilic reentrant slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS).
• Investigated droplet removal dynamics using high-speed imaging and frequency analysis.
• Quantified water harvesting rates under controlled condensation conditions.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a flow-separation condensation mode on hydrophilic reentrant SLIPS.
• Achieved rapid removal of condensed droplets (>50 μm) with a frequency of 130 Hz/mm².
• Observed a 110% increase in water harvesting rate compared to hydrophilic flat SLIPS due to sustainable flow separation.

Conclusions:

• The developed hydrophilic reentrant SLIPS effectively facilitates continuous droplet removal.
• This flow-separation condensation approach significantly enhances atmospheric water harvesting efficiency.
• The study presents a promising strategy for decentralized water supply solutions.