A team of researchers from the US Army and the University of Rochester has developed an ultra-efficient, gravity-defying aluminum panel that uses solar power to purify water. This new device holds great potential to provide clean drinking water in regions where the resource is scarce.
When it comes to powering cheap water purifiers, solar power has proven a popular choice. However, the researchers behind this latest system claim it offers an entirely new level of efficiency.
The device consists of a standard aluminum panel, which is treated with ultra-short femtosecond laser pulses to create an open-grooved pitch-black surface. This combination makes the material super-wicking and ultra absorptive, allowing it to collect a thin film of water from a reservoir up onto the metal’s surface, against the forces of gravity.
Meanwhile, the pitch-black material harnesses energy from the sun and can retain almost all of it to heat the water. Then, the structures etched into the wicking surface change the molecular bonds in the water, increasing the efficiency of the evaporation process that clears it of its contaminants.
Chunlei Guo, a professor of optics at the University of Rochester, explained:
These three things together enable the technology to operate better than an ideal device at 100% efficiency. This is a simple, durable, inexpensive way to address the global water crisis, especially in developing nations.
As the team tested the panel’s abilities, they found it could cut down common contaminants such as heavy metals, glycerin, dyes, detergents, and urine, to levels that made the water safe for consumption.
Guo added:
Moreover, because we use an open-grooved surface, it is very easy to clean by simply spraying it. The biggest advantage is that the angle of the panels can be continuously adjusted to directly face the sun as it rises and then moves across the sky before setting – maximizing energy absorption.
The findings are detailed in the journal Nature Sustainability, and an overview of the device is provided in the video below.
