Grantee Research Project Results
Efficient Solar-Driven Water Desalination based on Nanomaterial Design
EPA Grant Number: SU840163Title: Efficient Solar-Driven Water Desalination based on Nanomaterial Design
Investigators: Zhu, Zhengtao
Institution: South Dakota Schools of Mines and Technology
EPA Project Officer: Spatz, Kyle
Phase: I
Project Period: December 1, 2020 through November 30, 2021 (Extended to November 30, 2022)
Project Amount: $25,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
Objective:
This proposal aims to develop innovative nanomaterials and solar still apparatus for desalination of brackish groundwater. Effective, affordable and portable technologies for water purification are of great importance to provide clean and safe drinking water in small, rural, and tribal communities. Current desalinization and purification technologies including reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, thermal distillation, and membrane distillation are energy demanding, limiting their usage in remote areas. The proposed project will take an innovative approach of solar-driven vapor generation by developing fabrics composed strong solar absorber and microstructures. The material enables highly efficient water evaporation under 1 sun by localized heating and evaporation without additional energy input. A prototype solar still apparatus based on the fabrics will demonstrate a viable and “green” way to supply fresh water in small and remote communities.
Approach:
Solar energy is considered as the most abundant renewable energy source. Conventional solar desalination technology uses the sun light and/or concentrated sun light to heat the bulk liquid for generation of water steam, which has relatively low solar vapor conversion efficiency (30%-50%). New design strategies of materials and structures based on localized energy absorbing and heating can significantly increase the solar vapor conversion efficiency (>90%). The technology has advantages of utilization of renewable solar energy efficiently, no additional energy input needed, material/structural flexibility, and potential low-cost scalable production, showing great potential as an enabling technology for next-generation water purification and desalination for the remote area. In this project, the student team will design and build a portable solar still based on nanomaterials that supplies purified water from brackish ground water for small communities. The project involves preparation of fabrics with functional nanomaterials for photothermal conversion and water transport control, design of a solar still integrated with the functional fabrics, testing of the system with real brackish groundwater, and evaluation of water quality of the purified water. The project requires interdisciplinary collaboration among the students toward the overall goal of P3 program. The project will develop innovative water desalination and purification technologies and train the next generation of scientists, engineering in this multidisciplinary project to solve the environmental and sustainability challenges.
Expected Results:
The major expected outcome of the project is a working solar-driven desalination system without additional energy input. The results of the project will include (i) preparation of fabrics with photothermal absorber and water transport control layer by dip-coating and electrospray, (ii) design of the solar-driven evaporation structure that integrates the fabrics with thermal insulation floating foam to achieve localized heating and evaporation, (iii) design and fabrication of a solar still with the solar-driven evaporation structure and water collection system, and (iv) evaluation of the water supplied from the solar still. These deliverables will be presented in the undergraduate research symposium and design fair on campus. The team will also involve in the outreach activities for the local communities to promote the innovative technologies and research for a sustainable future.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 2 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
solar energy, water purification technologies, drinking waterProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.