Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Experimental System of Solar Adsorption Refrigeration with Concentrated Collector
Published on: October 18, 2017
Round-the-clock atmospheric water harvesting via dual-mode radiative cooling and phase-change thermal regulation
Shijin Nie1, Chongting Xia1, Kang Yuan1
1Laboratory of Fundamental Science on Ergonomics and Environmental Control, School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, PR China.
Abstract:
Scalable, passive, and round-the-clock atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) remains challenging due to diurnal energy asymmetry and insufficient nighttime driving force. Here, we report a dual-mode synergistic AWH device integrating hemispherical optical design, passive radiative cooling (RC), and phase-change thermal control (TC) to enable uninterrupted day-night water production. The RC layer provides a persistently low-temperature condensation surface with high solar reflectivity (∼0.95) and atmospheric window emissivity (∼0.98). The TC layer stores solar heat during the day and releases latent heat at night to stabilize internal vapor pressure and dew point. Outdoor experiments show the system achieves a water yield of 0.116 kg·m-2·h-1, 214% higher than a bare hemispherical AWH, with 1.7× nighttime improvement over an RC-only device. The total condensation efficiency reaches 77.3% of the theoretical limit. After 500 h of accelerated UV aging, both layers retain stable optical and thermal properties. This strategy offers a reliable pathway for off-grid, all-weather freshwater production in mid-to-high latitude and water-scarce regions.
Related Concept Videos
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
Heating and Cooling Curves
For instance, the addition of heat raises the temperature of a solid; the amount of heat absorbed depends on the heat capacity of the solid (q = mcsolidΔT). According to thermochemistry, the relation between the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance, q, and its...
The Water Cycle
Mechanisms of Heat Transfer II
Thermosensation
Mechanism of heat transfer
