Development of mixed wettability surface for high yield solar desalination

This project focuses on developing a mixed wettability surface to improve the freshwater yield of a solar thermal desalination system. The solar desalination system that will be used for this project is the solar still system. The objective is to find the optimized ratio of high wettability to low wettability area on a polymeric surface that gives the highest freshwater yield for the solar still system. A mixed wettability surface is developed by introducing different wettability ratio on the polymeric surface. Laser micro machining is used to fabricate a high wettability area on the surface. The fabricated surface will be used as the cover of the solar still and will be placed on the inner side of the solar still to promote condensation and freshwater collection. The intern will use the ultrafast laser at the University of Ottawa to texture and thus controls the wettability of the solar still, and will set-up an experiment to test the solar still desalination potential.

Faculty Supervisor:

Arnaud Weck

Student:

Partner:

University of Malaya

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Sustainability & the Environment; Water; Clean Technology

University:

University of Ottawa

Program: