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Solar steam generation by heat localization

Author

Listed:
  • Hadi Ghasemi

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • George Ni

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Amy Marie Marconnet

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 585 Purdue Mall)

  • James Loomis

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Selcuk Yerci

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Micro and Nanotechnology Programme, Middle East Technical University)

  • Nenad Miljkovic

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Gang Chen

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Currently, steam generation using solar energy is based on heating bulk liquid to high temperatures. This approach requires either costly high optical concentrations leading to heat loss by the hot bulk liquid and heated surfaces or vacuum. New solar receiver concepts such as porous volumetric receivers or nanofluids have been proposed to decrease these losses. Here we report development of an approach and corresponding material structure for solar steam generation while maintaining low optical concentration and keeping the bulk liquid at low temperature with no vacuum. We achieve solar thermal efficiency up to 85% at only 10 kW m−2. This high performance results from four structure characteristics: absorbing in the solar spectrum, thermally insulating, hydrophilic and interconnected pores. The structure concentrates thermal energy and fluid flow where needed for phase change and minimizes dissipated energy. This new structure provides a novel approach to harvesting solar energy for a broad range of phase-change applications.

Suggested Citation

  • Hadi Ghasemi & George Ni & Amy Marie Marconnet & James Loomis & Selcuk Yerci & Nenad Miljkovic & Gang Chen, 2014. "Solar steam generation by heat localization," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms5449
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5449
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