Fabric-based all-weather-available photo-electro-thermal steam generator with high evaporation rate and salt resistance

Solar-driven steam generation is a practical strategy to harness solar energy for desalination and production of clean water with a minimized carbon footprint. However, this strategy suffers from a low evaporation rate under weak illumination on cloudy days or at night. Herein, we present a fabric-based all-weather-available photo-electrothermal steam generator (P/ET-SG) capable of regulating the surface temperature and evaporation rate by the coupling effect of photo-thermal and electro-thermal heating depending on the light conditions. An unprecedented high surface temperature of 52 degrees C in the wet state and an evaporation rate of 2.61 kg m(-2) h(-1) were achieved by the P/ET-SG under 1 sun with only 1 V input voltage owing to the uniform heat distribution and the coupled electro-thermal source. The oneway fluidic design of the P/ET-SG effectively prevented salt precipitation during continuous desalination in 24 h and was able to remove salt granules from the evaporation surface. Furthermore, the P/ET-SG demonstrated a high evaporation rate of 2.58 kg m(-2) h(-1) in the purification of concentrated saline water and dye-contaminated water with high efficiency (>99.9%). This study offers new thoughts for the design of all-weather-available solar steam generators with high efficiency and makes a step forward towards fast purification of concentrated saline water and wastewater.

Automated summary

This study presents a fabric-based all-weather-available photo-electrothermal steam generator capable of regulating the surface temperature and evaporation rate. It achieves high evaporation efficiency and prevents salt precipitation, making it suitable for desalination and wastewater purification.