Magnetically driven Janus conical vertical array for all-weather freshwater collection.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Engineering
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Multifunctional structures with tailored surface wettability are crucial for continuous freshwater production.
• Existing research on all-weather freshwater generation technologies remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a novel Janus conical vertical array for simultaneous solar vapor generation and fog collection.
• To evaluate the all-weather freshwater production capabilities of the developed array.

Main Methods:

• A magnetically driven spray-coating method was employed to fabricate the Janus conical vertical array.
• The array's performance was assessed based on solar absorption, fog capture, droplet dynamics, and evaporation efficiency.

Main Results:

• The Janus conical vertical array achieved a daytime water evaporation rate of approximately 2.43 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ under 1 kW m⁻² solar irradiation.
• Nighttime fog collection yielded a water collection rate of approximately 3.536 g cm⁻² h⁻¹.
• Outdoor testing demonstrated reliable daily pure water yields ranging from 19.13 kg m⁻² to 26.09 kg m⁻².

Conclusions:

• The fabricated Janus conical vertical array effectively integrates solar vapor generation and fog collection for all-weather freshwater production.
• This novel fabrication strategy offers significant potential for addressing global freshwater scarcity.