Material-to-system tailored multilayer-cyclic strategy toward practical atmospheric water harvesting

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Solar-driven atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) offers a sustainable method for freshwater generation using only sunlight.
• Challenges include diurnal moisture fluctuations and variable sunlight intensity, impacting system efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integrated AWH system that synergistically enhances moisture capture and solar energy utilization.
• To overcome limitations of current AWH technologies through a system-wide approach.

Main Methods:

• Utilized hierarchical pore structures in biomass gel sheets for improved sorbent regeneration.
• Implemented a multilayered device with a kinetics-matched, continuously multicyclic operation protocol.
• Incorporated thermoresponsive hydrogels and optimized thermal/mass flow management for enhanced solar energy use.

Main Results:

• Achieved a water production rate of up to 235.09 mL d⁻¹.
• Demonstrated a high energy efficiency of 26.4% (excluding solar panel power).
• The system effectively addresses diurnal moisture variations and optimizes solar energy capture.

Conclusions:

• The integrated AWH system showcases significant improvements in water production and energy efficiency.
• This work provides insights for developing energy-, material-, and space-efficient AWH systems.
• Cross-scale understanding of sorbent properties, device engineering, and operation protocols is crucial for AWH advancement.