A Bioinspired Aerodynamically Enhanced Fog Collector for High-Efficiency Water Collection and Agricultural Irrigation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Fluid Dynamics
• Environmental Engineering

Background:

• Conventional planar fog collectors face challenges with limited aerodynamic capture and slow surface renewal, hindering freshwater scarcity alleviation.
• Passive fog harvesting is crucial for sustainable water resources, especially in arid and fog-rich environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a microchannel-enhanced scallop-inspired origami fog collector (ME-SOFC) for improved water collection efficiency.
• To investigate the synergistic effects of 3D origami geometry and hybrid wettability on fog harvesting performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 3D origami structure with superhydrophilic microchannels on a superhydrophobic surface.
• Utilizing airflow separation and vortices induced by the 3D geometry to enhance droplet-surface collision.
• Employing laser-fabricated microchannels for directional droplet guidance and rapid shedding.

Main Results:

• The ME-SOFC achieved a peak water collection rate of 1797.29 mg·cm⁻²·h⁻¹, a 119% improvement over planar collectors.
• A high surface refresh rate of 38% was maintained, four times that of a pure superhydrophobic planar collector.
• A scalable 0.4 m² ME-SOFC array successfully harvested water for a microirrigation system, demonstrating 100% mung bean sprout germination.

Conclusions:

• The ME-SOFC design synergistically integrates bioinspired 3D geometry and hybrid wettability for high-efficiency fog harvesting.
• This scalable and practical approach offers a promising solution for sustainable agricultural irrigation in water-limited regions.
• The enhanced aerodynamic capture and rapid surface renewal are key to the superior performance of the ME-SOFC.