Dual‐Interface Solar Evaporator with Highly‐Efficient Thermal Regulation via Suspended Multilayer Design

Abstract

AbstractFacing the increasing global shortage of freshwater resources, this study presents a suspended multilayer evaporator (SMLE), designed to tackle the principal issues plaguing current solar‐driven interfacial evaporation technologies, specifically, substantial thermal losses and limited water production. This approach, through the implementation of a multilayer structural design, enables superior thermal regulation throughout the evaporation process. This evaporator consists of a radiation damping layer, a photothermal conversion layer, and a bottom layer that leverages radiation, wherein the bottom layer exhibits a notable infrared emissivity. The distinctive feature of the design effectively reduces radiative heat loss and facilitates dual‐interface evaporation by heating the water surface through mid‐infrared radiation. The refined design leads to a notable evaporation rate of 2.83 kg m−2 h−1. Numerical simulations and practical performance evaluations validate the effectiveness of the multilayer evaporator in actual use scenarios. This energy‐recycling and dual‐interface evaporation multilayered approach propels the design of high‐efficiency solar‐driven interfacial evaporators forward, presenting new insights into developing effective water‐energy transformation systems.