Solar interfacial evaporation for fast drying of water with a high concentration of solid

Speeding up evaporation of water is essential for reducing the volume of tailings from mining industry, shortening the time required for land reclamation, and eliminating greenhouse gas emission from degradation of organic materials in wet deposits. Solar interfacial evaporation is an emerging technology that harvests solar energy and converts it to latent heat for water evaporation. The energy conversion is localized at the interface between water and air from the top of a layer of photothermal materials. The evaporative surface is spatially separated from the water source to avoid heat loss from convection or conduction. The challenges for fast drying of tailings by solar interfacial evaporation are the effects from solid contents and organic compounds on the stability and durability of the evaporator. In this project, we aim to understand and control solar interfacial evaporation from water source containing high solid contents. Solid particles and organic residues in water will be excluded from the evaporator by tailoring the structural and wetting properties of the support surface and the top layer of the evaporator. The salt crystals will be limited in certain areas while the evaporative surface area can be maintained.

Faculty Supervisor:

Xuehua Zhang

Student:

Partner:

BC Research Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Clean Technology; Sustainability & the Environment; Nanotechnology

University:

University of Alberta

Program: