For fabrication of 3D printed ceramic structures in portable solar desalination equipment

On May 18, 2021, Researchers from the National University of Singapore published the paper Fabrication of 3D-Printed Ceramic Structures for Portable Solar in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Desalination Devices research paper, reports the first fabrication process for a fully 3D printed ceramic core structure ina portable solar desalination device, which is optimized to address water scarcity from an energy and sustainability perspective.

The original link: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c04209





Introduction to the Study

In this study, an all-ceramic structure integrated with solar absorbers/heat insulators/water transporters was fabricated based on a two-layer structure of modified graphene on silica (MG@Silica) and porous silica structure using 3D printing technology. 3D printing technology has demonstrated its flexibility in the design of custom structures, incorporating nanopores and microchannels that exhibit uniform water transport delivery and thermal insulation. A 3D-printed portable solar-powered desalination device could be used immediately to collect fresh drinking water without the need to install additional components. Its water evaporation rate is 2.4 kg/m2/h, and its drinking water production capacity is 0.5 L/m2/h. The new device shows excellent ion exclusion and the collected water meets the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for drinking water.



Figure 1: Requirements of solar ceramic desalination device and its 2D working schematic diagram.





Figure 2: MG@Silica Ceramic solar absorber



Figure 3: High insulation with efficient water conversion design





Research Conclusions

A new portable solar-powered ceramic device for seawater desalination has been successfully fabricated using 3D printing technology. Optimizing and fine-tuning the porous microstructure of silica allows for more efficient solar-powered seawater desalination, with a solar-steam conversion efficiency of about 98%. Further 3D structural design enhancements allow for increased surface area (from the sidewalls) that can be used for actual water evaporation with high steam generation efficiency.

Future evaporator designs and studies will prove useful in enhancing the commercial value of solar steam generators. The modified graphene composite silica has also been shown to have antibacterial properties. The collected water meets the standards for drinking water in terms of chemical impurities. With these properties, an efficient 3D printed ceramic solar desalination device with a robust, durable, non-toxic, anti-fouling concept can open the door to a more sustainable and greener clean water production in the future.