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• The experimental research of 2-FTE and 6-FTE were developed. • The effect of the number of fins, the angle of the fins and the way the fins are connected to the tube on the performance of the fin evaporator has been studied. • The influence of different fin structures on the cooling capacity per unit mass is analyzed. • The influences of different fin structures on heat transfer coefficient and fin efficiency were analyzed. Tube evaporators are widely used in cold storage, the single-tube two-fin tube evaporator (2-FTE) has the problems of poor heat transfer performance and low tube utilization. In this paper, a numerical simulation method is used to optimize the structure of 2-FTE, and a single-tube six-fin tube evaporator (6-FTE) structure is designed to achieve an increase in the cooling capacity per unit mass of the tube and heat transfer efficiency. Based on this, the heat transfer performance test bench of the tube evaporator is constructed, and the heat transfer performance of 2-FTE and 6-FTE is compared and tested according to the evaluation indices of cooling capacity, fin efficiency and cooling rate in the test environment from −32 °C to −6 °C. The results show that 6-FTE saves between 10.6 and 17.1% of tube consumption compared to 2-FTE for the same cooling capacity. The cooling capacity per unit tube length of 6-FTE increased by 43.9–64.7%, the cooling rate increased by 28–41%, the overall fin efficiency increased by 3.5%, and the heat transfer performance was better than that of 2-FTE, which was consistent with the simulation conclusions and in line with optimization goals. Therefore, the 6 FTE structure proposed in this paper can be an effective solution to save the manufacturing costs of refrigeration equipment for cold storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A numerical investigation of an evaporator of a diffusion-absorption-refrigeration system using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). • The CFD modelling is conducted by CONVERGE CFD software and was experimentally validated. • The study provides a deeper understanding of the evaporation process in DAR systems. • The study examined also the impact of ammonia presence at the hydrogen inlet on temperature distribution and overall, the accuracy of the CFD model. • The present study emphasizes the significance of utilizing CFD simulation to analyse and improve numerous processes, thus boosting the overall performance of the DAR system. The evaporation process has a considerable impact on the operation of a diffusion absorption refrigeration system (DAR). However, there have been few studies that have focused on this specific issue. In this paper, a numerical investigation of the evaporator region in a DAR system was conducted using CONVERGE CFD software and the RANS approach. The aim of this study is to validate an accurate CFD model by analysing the flow behaviour and thermal parameters within the evaporator. The computational results show high agreement with the experimental data, with slight deviations often remaining under 3 %. The current study additionally investigated the effect of ammonia presence at the hydrogen inlet, specifically at 5 % and 10 % ratios. The results demonstrate that the average deviation is less than 1 % when using 5 % ammonia. This study sheds light on the evaporation process, which is important for enhancing the design and operational efficiency of DAR systems. For this purpose, the validated numerical model will be of great use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar desalination using hydrogel evaporators is an eco‐friendly, highly efficient means with natural sunlight for sustainable freshwater production. However, it remains challenging to develop a cost‐effective and scalable method to prepare salt‐resistant hydrogel evaporators for stable desalination. Here, inspired by tree transpiration and hierarchical porous structure, a 3D‐printed bionic hydrogel evaporator (3DP‐BHE) is designed for long‐term solar desalination. Commercialized activated carbon (AC) is introduced into biomass starch skeleton as a solar light absorber to build 3DP‐BHE in a cost‐effective fashion ($10.14 m−2 of total materials cost). The bionic tree leaf layer for 94.01% light absorption and timely vapor diffusion. The bionic tree trunk layer with 3D printed bimodal porous structure for water transfer, thermal isolation, and salt ions convection and diffusion. With the unique bionic structure, the 3DP‐BHE achieves a stable evaporation rate of 2.13 kg m−2 h−1 at ≈90.5% energy efficiency under one sun (1 kW m−2). During the 7‐day desalination of 10 wt.% brine, a steady evaporation rate of 1.98 kg m−2 h−1 is maintained with a record‐high cost‐effectiveness (195.3 g h−1 $−1) manner. This 3DP‐BHE will open significant opportunities for affordable solar desalination systems on multiple scales, from individual households to off‐grid communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi-porous evaporator for heat pipes has been studied to replace conventional mono-porous evaporators with lower thermal capacity. The thermal superiority of bi-porous evaporator is a direct function of phase separation phenomenon in small and large-pore zones. However, due to the microscale nature of the system the hidden microscopic phenomenon associated with thermal superiority has not been well established experimentally. In addition, only a few numerical studies have addressed this phenomenon using limited information. In this paper, a two-dimensional numerical simulation is conducted which accurately predicts the thermal performance of a bi-porous evaporator. Additionally, for the first time, several microscopic phenomena such as phase separation, vapor blanket formation, and liquid film formation are numerically reproduced. Thus, the thermal performance of bi-porous evaporator is successfully quantified. The effects of various design parameters are also studied and their effect on thermal performance is also quantified. For comparison, a mono-porous evaporator is also simulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Getting distilled water through solar energy is a green and sustainable way to purify water. The reduction of the evaporation enthalpy by hydrogels greatly improves the efficiency of water purification. However, the lack of heat localization functionality leads to low energy utilization efficiency, which seriously affects the performance of hydrogel-based evaporators. Herein, inspired by the hierarchical porous channel and thin structure of cormorant wings, a hydrogel thin film with interconnected micrometer macro-pores channels is proposed for simultaneous sufficient heat localization at the evaporation interface and adequate water supply. Benefiting from the macro-porous thin film structure, a device prepared from the hydrogel film can reduce the heat loss by 88% by reducing the heat transfer cross-sectional area and achieve a sustained water evaporation rate of 4.14 kg m−2 h−1 with 98% energy efficiency under 1 sun after shape optimization. Remarkably, the low raw material usage of thin film makes the cost as low as $0.87 m−2. Furthermore, the synthesis method of this macro-porous thin film structure can be generalized to a range of hydrogels, thus serving as a universal technology for improving heat localization. This work demonstrates the application of macro-porous hydrogel thin film evaporators in green and sustainable water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bilayer photothermal paper-based 3D cone flowing evaporator with high solar light absorption, low water evaporation enthalpy and excellent salt-rejecting performance is fabricated using multilayered MXene, ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires, and hydrophilic polymers. The 3D cone flowing evaporator cooperates with a siphon effect-driven unidirectional fluid transportation unit to guide concentrated saline flows out from the evaporating surface, leading to high water evaporation rate and salt-rejecting stable seawater desalination performance. [Display omitted] • A bilayer photothermal paper-based cone flowing water evaporator is reported. • The evaporator exhibits excellent properties for solar seawater desalination. • The evaporator exhibits much higher water evaporation rate than most reported values. • The evaporator can effectively prevent salt accumulation on the evaporating surface. Solar energy-driven water evaporation technology is a promising, low-cost and sustainable approach to alleviate the global clean water shortage, but usually suffers from low water evaporation rate and severe salt deposition on the water evaporation surface. In this work, a hydrophilic bilayer photothermal paper-based three-dimensional (3D) cone flowing evaporator was designed and prepared for stable high-performance seawater desalination with excellent salt-rejecting ability. The as-prepared bilayer photothermal paper consisted of MXene (Ti 3 C 2 T x) and HAA (ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires, poly(acrylic acid), and poly(acrylic acid-2-hydroxyethyl ester)). The accordion-like multilayered MXene acted as the efficient solar light absorber, and ultralong hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanowires served as the thermally insulating and supporting skeleton with a porous networked structure. A siphon effect-driven unidirectional fluid transportation unit in the 3D cone flowing evaporator could guide the concentrated saline flowing away from the evaporating surface to prevent salt deposition on the evaporation surface, avoiding severe deterioration of the performance in solar water evaporation. Furthermore, combining high solar light absorption and high photothermal conversion efficiencies, low water evaporation enthalpy (1838 ± 11 J g−1), and additional energy taken from the ambient environment, the as-prepared cone flowing evaporator exhibited a high water evaporation rate of 3.22 ± 0.20 kg m−2 h−1 for real seawater under one sun illumination (1 kW m−2), which was significantly higher than many values reported in the literature. This study provides an effective approach for designing high-performance solar energy-driven water evaporators for sustainable seawater desalination and wastewater purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the characteristics of variable operating conditions and high exhaust temperature of the refrigeration system of the refrigerator truck, the change of the superheat at the outlet of the evaporator is adjusted by a new electronic expansion valve, and a performance test-bed using the R404A refrigerant is built to study the influence of the superheat at the outlet of the evaporator on the performance of the refrigeration system of the refrigerator truck. The results show that in the process of increasing the superheat at the outlet of the evaporator, the outlet temperature of the evaporator increases and the evaporation temperature decrease, the cooling capacity of the system is reduced by 8.4%, and the COP of the system increases first and then decreases; At this time, the optimal superheat at the evaporator outlet is 6 °C, and the system COP reaches the optimal value of 2.856. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scarcity of fresh water is a pressing issue globally, and solar water evaporation technology has emerged as a leading method for producing fresh water. However, the preparation of solar evaporators is hindered by high costs, complexity, and environmental concerns. In this work, a solar evaporator with hierarchical porous structure is prepared using a simple, low‐cost, and environmentally friendly dissolution manufacturing strategy. Excellent photothermal conversion capability and salt drainage performance are found owing to its hierarchical porous structure. The prepared sample exhibits a water evaporation rate of 2.19 kg m−2 h−1 and achieves evaporation efficiency of 84.3% under one sun. Furthermore, the evaporation rates of the samples in seawater and methylene blue are 2.04, and 1.98 kg m−2 h−1, respectively. The evaporation rate remains stable after ten evaporation cycles. The strategy also overcomes the dimensional limitations of traditional methods, as large‐size samples prepared by this strategy are successfully evaluated for evaporation experiments with natural seawater under sunny weather, and the quantity of water collected is ≈170 g in 6 h. The proposed strategy will offer not only sustainable water purification technologies, but also new routes for solar water evaporation, solar steam generation, and photothermal drive fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Bi-doping enhanced the surface plasmonic effect of CoTe nanoparticles. • The optimization of morphology enhanced surface plasmonic effect. • The surface plasmonic effect can be translated into heat for desalination. • 5 % Bi-doping (Bi/CoTe@CG) exhibited an excellent water flux of 2.38 kg m−2 h−1. • The Bi/CoTe@CG showed a solar efficiency of 96.7 %. Solar-driven desalination is considered an alternative to the conventional desalination due to its nearly zero carbon footprint and ease of operating in remote areas. Water can be purified wherever sunlight is available, providing a viable solution to water shortage. Metal chalcogenide-based materials are revolutionary for solar evaporators due to their excellent photothermal conversion efficiency, facile synthesis methods, stability, and low cost. Herein we present a prototype Bi-doped CoTe nano-solar evaporator embedded on leno weave cotton gauze (Bi/CoTe@CG) using the sonication process. The nano-solar evaporator was synthesized using a simple hydrothermal approach to provide an opportunity to scale up. The as designed solar evaporator consisting of 5 % Bi/CoTe@CG showed an excellent water flux of 2.38 kg m−2 h−1 upon one sun radiation (1 kW m−2), considered among the highest literature-reported values. The introduced solar evaporator showed excellent solar efficiency of 96.7 %, good stability, and reusability for five cycles of one hour. The best doping ratio of Bi in CoTe was obtained as Bi 0.5 Co 9.5 Te with a contact angle of 11.9° in powder form. The hydrophilic nature of the designed solar-evaporator increased the water interaction with the embedded nano-solar evaporator, which helps the transfer of the heat to nearby water molecules, break their hydrogen bonding and increase the evaporation rate. The ion concentration, of the desalinated pure water collected using Bi/CoTe@CG, decreased by many orders of magnitude and it is far below the limit of WHO standards for Na+ and K+. Thus, a self-floating Bi-doped CoTe nano-solar evaporator deposited on cotton gauze (CG) is an excellent solar evaporator for seawater desalination. The proposed solar evaporator is another step towards introducing environmentally friendly desalination methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Solar-driven desalination is an environmentally sustainable method to alleviate the problems of freshwater scarcity and the energy crisis. However, how to improve the synergy between the photothermal material and the evaporator to achieve high photothermal conversion efficiency simultaneously, excellent thermal management system and good salt resistance remains a challenge. Here, a mushroom-shaped solar evaporation device is designed and fabricated with iron diselenide/carbon black (FeSe 2 /CB) coated cellulose acetate (CA) film as mushroom surface and cotton swab as mushroom handle, which presented high solar-driven evaporation and excellent salt resistance. Thanks to the unique photothermal effect and the synergistic effect, the FeSe 2 /CB composites enabled a promising photothermal conversion efficiency of up to 65.8 °C after 180 s. The mushroom-shaped evaporation device effectively overcomes water transport and steam spillage channel blockage caused by salt crystallization through its unique vertical transport water channels and conical air–water interface. When exposed to real sunlight, the solar evaporation rate of the steam generation structure reached as high as 2.03 kg m−2 h−1, which is more than 13 times higher than natural evaporation. This study offered new insights into the higher solar-driven evaporation rate and salt-blocking resistance of the FeSe 2 /CB mushroom-shaped solar evaporation device for solar-powered water production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel aerogel (SAS) was prepared by graft copolymerization and the SAS aerogels exhibit excellent ion removal performance in desalination processes and excellent salt resistance in high-salt solutions. [Display omitted] The utilization of solar interface evaporation technology (SIET) for freshwater production from seawater and sewage is a sustainable, green, viable, and promising approach. However, the absorption rate of sunlight, evaporation rates, and high costs still pose large-scale solar steam generation. In this paper, a novel aerogel (named SAS) was prepared by graft copolymerization with sodium alginate (SA), acrylic acid (AA) and sodium humate (SH) in aqueous solution, using N, N′-Methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as crosslinker and ammonium persulfate (APS) as initiator, which has high light absorption (90 %), high porosity (87.96 %), superhydrophilicity (35 ms), low thermal conductivity (0.23 W m−1 k−1). The evaporation rate of SAS aerogel can reach up to 1.66 kg m-2h−1 under 1 kW m−2 light intensity, and the reusability and reliability of SAS aerogel are verified by 10 cycles of experiments. The utilization of this SAS aerogel holds significant implications for the design and fabrication of cost-effective, high-performance solar steam evaporation systems, thereby offering promising solutions to address global freshwater shortages and enhance wastewater treatment efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Characteristics of plate evaporator under low heat flux conditions are investigated. • Orifice diameter is the most sensitive to performance compared to orientation and pitch. • Distribution is categorized two profiles and improved at d o = 0.6 mm and φ = -45°. • Superheat oscillation shows high relevant to distribution and performance. • Flow coefficient for distribution pipe design is considered as a constant value of 1.15. Refrigerant distribution among channels plays an important role on performance of plate evaporator, especially under low heat flux conditions. Behaviors of plate evaporator under low heat flux condition are comprehensively and experimentally investigated based on distribution pipe solution in this paper. Influences of orifice diameter d o , orifice pitch d p and injection orientation φ are figured out on overall heat transfer coefficient (HTC), refrigerant distribution, and superheat oscillation. Results show that d o significantly affects evaporator performance compared to d p and φ. The HTC can be improved by 30 % with d o deceasing from 1.0 mm to 0.6 mm. φ obviously influences distribution when d o ≥ 0.7 mm and such effect is diluted at small orifice diameter. Two categories of distribution profiles are observed: rear flooded – front starved shape for the orientation of -45° and rear starved -front flooded shape for -90°. Refrigerant distribution is dramatically improved when d o = 0.6 mm and φ = -45°. Superheat oscillation shows strongly relevant to refrigerant distribution and affects plate evaporator performance distinguishedly. Pressure drop over the orifice is absolutely dominant in total pressure drop of plate evaporator. Flow coefficient of distribution pipe, α is defined and α can be considered as a constant value of 1.15×10−3 for predicting pressure drop and guiding distribution pipe design. The upper and lower deviations between calculated values and test data are within ±8.7 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the wastewater treatment units in the Tehran Research Nuclear Reactor (TRNR) is an evaporator unit, which consists of a semi-batch single-stage kettle-type evaporator with heating coils and auxiliary equipment. The concentrate of this unit is immobilized in cement. So, the precipitate specie, concentrate composition, and its amount are important parameters for further waste treatment steps. In this research, a new bulk mathematical model is developed based on the total mass balance, the partial mass balance of ions in the concentrate and precipitates, as well as the energy balance to investigate the performance of the Tehran Research Nuclear Reactor evaporator. The resulting ordinary differential equations are solved numerically with a proposed algorithm. In this simulation, Pitzer equations are used to calculate the activity coefficient of water and ions, density, and solubility of salts. The temperature and pressure dependence of the developed model parameters are also considered. Moreover, the effect of precipitate formation on the overall heat transfer coefficient with time dependence correlation is also taken into account. Results show a good agreement between the experimental data and the developed model, and the relative error of different parameters is reported between 2% and 13%. • New model developed to estimate performance of Tehran Nuclear Reactor evaporator. • Conservation of ions mass as well as the energy are considered in this model. • New algorithm proposed to solve the ordinary differential equations. • Thermophysical properties of ions and concentrate are derived from pitzer equation. • Mathematical model predict the experimental data by the relative error of 2 - 13%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Solar-driven interfacial evaporation technology has attracted significant attention for water purification. However, design and fabrication of solar-driven evaporator with cost-effective, excellent capability and large-scale production remains challenging. In this study, inspired by plant transpiration, a tri-layered hierarchical nanofibrous photothermal membrane (HNPM) with a unidirectional water transport effect was designed and prepared via electrospinning for efficient solar-driven interfacial evaporation. The synergistic effect of the hierarchical hydrophilic-hydrophobic structure and the self-pumping effect endowed the HNPM with unidirectional water transport properties. The HNPM could unidirectionally drive water from the hydrophobic layer to the hydrophilic layer within 2.5 s and prevent reverse water penetration. With this unique property, the HNPM was coupled with a water supply component and thermal insulator to assemble a self-floating evaporator for water desalination. Under 1 sun illumination, the water evaporation rates of the designed evaporator with HNPM in pure water and dyed wastewater reached 1.44 and 1.78 kg·m−2·h−1, respectively. The evaporator could achieve evaporation of 11.04 kg·m−2 in 10 h under outdoor solar conditions. Moreover, the tri-layered HNPM exhibited outstanding flexibility and recyclability. Our bionic hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic structure endowed the solar-driven evaporator with capillary wicking and transpiration effects, which provides a rational design and optimization for efficient solar-driven applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrification of process industries is one of the main challenges when building a low-carbon society since they consume huge amounts of fossil fuels, generating different emissions. Heat pumps are some of the key players in the industrial sector of the carbon-neutral market. This study proposes an approach to improve the economic feasibility of heat pumps within process plants. Initial energy targeting with grand composite curves was used and supplemented with the detailed design of an evaporator and a compressor for different condensation and evaporation pressures. The trade-off between the capital cost of the heat pump and the electricity cost was investigated, and optimal configurations were selected. This case study investigates the gas fractioning unit of a polymer plant, where three heat pumps are integrated into distillation columns. The results demonstrate that the heat recovery is 174 MW and requires an additional 37.9 MW of electricity to reduce the hot utility by 212 MW. The selection of the evaporation and condensation pressures of heat pumps allows 21.5 M EUR/y to be saved for 7 years of plant operation. The emission-saving potential is estimated at 1.89 ktCO2/y. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional heat pipes with one evaporator and one condenser are used to cool only one heat source at a time. In electronics and space applications, where a large number of heat sources are to be cooled with limited space available, a multi branch heat pipe could be the solution. In the present study, a heat pipe (T-shape) with three branches was developed with 20 number of axial grooves in which two branches worked as evaporators and one branch as a condenser. Experimental study was performed by considering four novel types of orientations i.e. (a) horizontal orientation (HO) (b) gravity assisted orientation (GAO) (c) anti-gravity orientation (AGO) and (d) compound orientation (CO). The results are analyzed in terms of start-up characteristics and total heat transfer coefficient at different heat loads. Evaporator and condenser thermal resistances are calculated and analyzed for better understanding. It was found that horizontal orientation resulted in the highest overall heat transfer coefficient (2.72 kW/m2 ℃ at 240 W) and comparatively lower evaporator temperatures (less than 100 ℃ at 240 W) which is suitable condition for electronics cooling. Maximum effective thermal conductivity of 31.82 kW/m ℃ was achieved in horizontal orientation. It also resulted in lowest evaporator resistance (0.157 ℃/W) and lowest condenser resistance (0.114 ℃/W). Phenomena of temperature jump was observed and elaborated for compound orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the reported optimizations of micro-channel evaporators focus on specific variables, their priority has not been revealed. In the present study, a numerical model for a louvered micro-channel evaporator is established. The operating patterns under different cases are first revealed. Then, sensitivity analysis of operational and structural parameters is analyzed; sensitivity coefficients are additionally revealed to enumerate the priority. The results indicate that the influence mechanism and sensibility of different operating factors are distinct. The log-mean temperature difference (LMTD) increases first and then decreases with the air speed while the overall heat transfer coefficient increases first and then decreases with the inlet dryness. In other cases, the LMTD, heat transfer rate, entropy generation, and overall heat transfer coefficient display positive or negative variation trends with the operating factors. On the whole, the air speed, initial air temperature, and mass flow rate of the refrigerant play positive roles while the cross-sectional size and inlet dryness play opposite roles in determining the heat transfer performance. Of which, the heat transfer rate is positively determined by the initial air temperature with the maximum value of 0.85 while negatively determined by the inlet dryness with the value of −0.23; the overall heat transfer coefficient is positively determined by the air speed with the value of 0.83 while negatively determined by the cross-sectional size with the maximum value of −0.41. The mass flow rate of the refrigerant makes no difference in determining the heat transfer performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A vapor-liquid adjustment evaporator is pioneered to heat pump water heater. • Serials experiments are conducted for performance comparisons. • Current vapor-liquid adjustment evaporator cannot ensure its superiority for each period. • A 6.35 % higher COP and 16.18 %−63.37 % lower evaporator pressure drops are found. Adjusting vapor and liquid in the evaporator could lead to heat transfer enhancement and pressure drop reduction simultaneously. Its benefits in the steady system, such as air conditioning and heat pump, have been confirmed extensively, but its effectiveness in the dynamic system is not explored yet. In this paper, a vapor-liquid adjustment evaporator is implemented to heat pump water heater (HPWH-AE) featured by a dynamic water heating process. Comprehensive comparisons to the heat pump water heater with a conventional evaporator (HPWH CE) are experimentally investigated and discussed. Firstly, the matching test reveals that the optimized HPWH-AE has a 6.35 % higher COP than HPWH CE. Secondly, the detailed comparisons indicate that HPWH-AE has less evaporator pressure drop, smaller compressor ratio, higher refrigerant mass flowrate and decreased power consumption than HPWH CE. Thirdly, the divided tests are carried out with an increment of half hour. The results suggest that HPWH-AE outperforms HPWH CE in terms of heating capacity and COP at the first one and half hours, which becomes inferior afterwards. However, HPWH-AE has always lower power consumption relative to HPWH CE. The images from FLIR camera show that the vapor-liquid adjustment evaporator is featured by effectively utilizing heat transfer area, resulting from more evenly distributed temperatures. Finally, the feasibility is examined at various operating conditions. HPWH-AE could have higher heating capacity and lower power consumption than HPWH CE simultaneously when ambient temperature is between 18 °C and 26.5 °C. HPWH-AE always has higher COP of 4.92–6.35 % than HPWH CE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar‐driven interfacial evaporation is an environmentally friendly and sustainable freshwater‐production technology with substantial market potential. Nonetheless, it encounters significant challenges related to energy‐conversion efficiency and resistance to salt crystallization. Thus, a towel‐inspired fabric‐based evaporator (TFE) containing various functional layers using carbon and cotton‐polyester‐blended fibers is designed and woven. The surface of the TFE is woven into a towel‐ring structure, which affords a high sunlight‐contact area and a superior sunlight absorption rate of 96.2%. In contrast, the hydrophilic layer at the bottom of the TFE delivers superior water‐molecule storage and conduction due to its multilayer corner‐interlocking fabric structure. Compared to commercial fabric‐based evaporators, the loop structure of the towel fabric enables water molecules to flow rapidly under the influence of wind, which effectively enhances the evaporation rate of the TFE. The optimal TFE can reach a high water‐evaporation rate of 3.72 kg m−2 h−1 under 1 kW m−2 sunlight and a wind speed of 2 m s−1, which is ascribable to sunlight/wind synergy. No precipitated salt is detected on the TFE surface after continuously evaporating a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution for 8 h. These exceptional attributes position the TFE as a highly suitable candidate for diverse seawater desalination applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar seawater evaporation is a sustainable seawater desalination technology. However, how to convert low‐cost waste general plastics into highly efficient photothermal materials remains a challenge. By using the idea of "near‐infrared laser‐induced carbonization" at room temperature and in air atmosphere, polystyrene (PS) can be easily converted into graphene. Bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) catalyst is proven to efficiently convert laser energy into thermal energy and transmit it to the surrounding PS matrix, promoting carbonization. On this basis, by adjusting the catalyst content and the laser energy density per unit area, laser‐induced graphene (LIG) materials with high specific surface area, fast water transport, and high solar energy absorption efficiency can be obtained. Furthermore, the LIG materials are coated on the surface of natural bamboo with a capillary structure. This bilayer evaporation device has an evaporation rate of 1.51 kg m−2 h−1 and an energy conversion efficiency of 87.1% under irradiation of 1 sun. This work not only reveals the possibility of preparing high‐value‐added graphene materials from waste general‐purpose plastics, but also proves the application prospects of LIG materials in the field of solar seawater evaporation. This will provide a feasible approach for promoting the development of carbonization of waste general plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient dehumidification has been one of the technical problems to restrict the high-quality development of the greenhouse industry in China. It is a high demand to dehumidify and recover the heat energy in the process of dehumidification during winter. Among them, the airside heat and moisture transfer properties of finned-tube evaporators have had direct impacts on the performance of the entire dehumidification system in the greenhouse. In this study, the heat transfer models were established for the evaporators under both low temperatures and high relative humidity. Four hydrophilic finned-tube evaporators were taken with the plain fin, the plain fin with vortex generator, wavy fin, and slit fin. The numerical simulation was verified to compare the experimental data. The heat and moisture transfer properties of four evaporators were assessed for the refrigeration dehumidification systems in the greenhouse using various parameters, including the heat transfer capacity, Nusselt number, friction factor, dehumidification capacity per area, and the enhanced heat-transfer factor. The results showed that average relative errors of less than 3% were achieved in the Nusselt number and friction factor of the models for the grid system. There were the higher Nusselt number, heat transfer capacity, friction factor of the air side in the plain fin with vortex generator, the wavy fin, and the slit fin, compared with the plain fin. The largest heat-transfer capacity and friction factor of the slit fin were achieved under the same inlet air velocity and relative humidity conditions. The friction factor also decreased significantly with the increase of inlet air velocity, with an average decrease of 26.06%, 24.87%, 21.10%, and 29.06%, respectively. By contrast, there was a relatively small effect of the relative humidity on the friction factor. The slit fin exhibited the highest heat transfer capacity and friction factor, whereas, the plain fin displayed the lowest under the same conditions. The other three types of fins improved the convection heat transfer on the air side of the evaporator, due to their unique structure. The dehumidification capacity was augmented with the rise in the inlet air velocity and relative humidity. The wavy fin shared the greatest average increase in the dehumidification capacity per area, with 8.68% and 7.60%, respectively, at inlet air velocity and relative humidity. The wavy fin-tube evaporator presented the highest average enhanced heat transfer factor of 1.084 and 1.041, respectively, under the conditions of inlet air velocity and relative humidity, indicating the most favorable heat and moisture transfer properties. Hence, the wavy fin-tube evaporator was recommended for dehumidification at low temperatures and high relative humidity in the winter of cold regions, when the inlet air velocity exceeded 2 m/s and the relative humidity was over 80% in the greenhouse environment. The findings can provide a strong reference for the design and application of the hydrophilic finned-tube evaporators in the refrigeration dehumidification systems in the greenhouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 booster refrigeration systems have higher energy efficiency and are more environmentally friendly. Therefore, the CO2 booster refrigeration cycle with flooded evaporators and parallel compressors (BFP), BFP with mechanical subcooling (BFP-MSC), and BFP with evaporative cooling (BFP-EVC) are investigated for supermarkets in this study. For the first time in the literature, these systems are analyzed to present which system performs better in terms of energy and environmental performance for Türkiye. According to the results of the investigation, BFP-MSC has a better coefficient of performance (COP) values than BFP, with up to a 16.67% increase at equivalent dry bulb temperatures. Meanwhile, BFP-EVC has the lowest annual energy consumption (AEC) in each city, followed by BFPMSC and then BFP. Annual savings obtained by BFP-EVC over BFP vary between 10.81% to 25.47%. Additionally, BFP-EVC offers more substantial savings in cities with lower humidity levels, as it was analyzed with respect to wet bulb temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentration of milk in falling-film evaporators suffers the risk of fouling formation that reduces the quality of the product and increases financial losses. The literature indicates the importance of this topic in the food industry and the need for further research. This study presents a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis of the fouling formation during milk concentration in ANSYS FLUENT ®. This analysis includes boiling, non-Newtonian flow of the falling-film, and fouling prediction by kinetic models. The proposed system applied the required CFD tests to guarantee suitable results: meshing test, iteration test, and flow regime analysis. The results satisfactorily matched the falling-film thickness and the Reynolds number with experimental data and also contained the oscillation level of the film, temperature distribution, and the risk zones of fouling formation during the descendent flow. The inlet velocity and the overall heat transfer coefficient were changed to determine their influence on the fouling formation, and the inlet velocity was found to be the preponderant factor. The cases demonstrated a low effect of the oscillations and the remarkable influence of the falling-film thickness on the fouling formation. These results indicate the importance of keeping the tube wet during the evaporation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Loop Heat Pipe (LHP) is developed as passive cooling system for Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS). LHPs are more efficient than traditional heat pipes at transferring heat at larger distances, which is essential for keeping the batteries in a safe and efficient temperature range. The Single Evaporator Loop Heat Pipe (SE-LHP) BTMS is tested on a battery module comprising of twelve 18,650 lithium-ion battery cells. The tests are conducted at various charge and discharge rates (1C, 1.5C, and 2C) and ambient temperatures ranging from 30°C to 45°C. The SE-LHP BTMS significantly reduces the maximum cell temperature compared to a module without BTMS. At an ambient temperature of 35°C, the SE-LHP BTMS attains temperature drops of 15%, 16.4%, and 16.29% during battery charge rates of 1C, 1.5C, and 2C, respectively. The SE-LHP BTMS also increases the discharge capacity of the battery module. For the 1.5C discharge rate, the discharge capacity increases from 41% State of Charge (SOC) to 0% SOC with the SE-LHP BTMS, compared to 39% SOC without BTMS. For the 2C discharge rate, the discharge capacity increases from 59% SOC to 0% SOC with the SE-LHP BTMS, compared to 56% SOC without BTMS. The SE-LHP BTMS also helps to keep even temperature spreading among the battery cells. When the module is exposed to ambient temperatures ranging from 30°C to 45°C, the SE-LHP BTMS keeps a temperature difference of less than 2.43°C and 3.38°C among the battery cells for all charge and discharge rates, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An express model for quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the dynamic of heat and mass exchange in flash evaporators that recover low-temperature heat of metallurgical and chemical industries is developed. This model is supposed to be used for computer optimization of the process parameters for providing input data for designing an evaporator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With new low-GWP HFO refrigerants, the heat transfer performances and methods for decreasing system refrigerant inventory are receiving increasing interest. In shell-and-tube heat exchangers, refrigerant distribution via pressurized liquid spray has the potential for high heat transfer performance while reducing refrigerant charge. However, no published studies have investigated LGWP refrigerants with spray evaporation on tube bundles. A test apparatus was constructed to measure the shell-side heat transfer coefficients of R1234ze(E) on bundles of tubes with two different enhanced-surface types and in two different bundle geometries at various refrigerant saturation temperatures. The results showed strong dependence on refrigerant properties, tube heat flux, enhanced-surface type, bundle geometry, and refrigerant inlet subcooling. The bundle heat transfer coefficients of R1234ze(E) were similar to that of R134a in the same test setup, usually within ±15% for similar conditions. In both cases, they first increased with the heat flux until a local maximum value was achieved. A localized dryout of the tubes at the bottom of the bundle penalized the overall bundle heat transfer coefficient at very high heat flux. For the condensing surface, bundle heat transfer coefficients rarely exceeded 10 kW/m2-K, whereas values in excess of 30 kW/m2-K were sometimes seen for the evaporating surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formation of frost on outdoor evaporators poses a significant challenge for air source heat pumps operating in cold climates. It is widely recognized that uneven air-flow across an evaporator can have a negative impact on both the evaporator's performance and the overall efficiency of the heat pump. This study investigates the influence of non-uniform air-flow distribution on a V-shaped outdoor evaporator as a component of an air-source transcritical CO 2 heat pump when subjected to frosting conditions. To this end, we developed and validated against independent experiments a numerical frost-formation model, and used it to study a multi-circuit evaporator of interest under different ambient conditions. It is shown that the uneven air-flow distribution results in varying frost formation patterns across different circuits of the heat exchanger, including differences in the amount of frost accumulated and its distribution among the individual tubes; the circuit with the largest frost weight accumulates 18% more frost compared to the one with the smallest in one hour under the sever frosting condition. Non-uniform frost formation also leads to air-flow distribution changing over time, and the rate at which this change occurs depends on the ambient conditions. For the presently investigated case, frost formation suppresses the non-uniformity of air-flow distribution. Moreover, evaporators with non-uniform and ideal uniform air-flows are compared and it is revealed that the difference in their capacities is more noticeable at the beginning of the frosting period. • Effect of non-uniform airflow on frosting behavior of a V-shape evaporator studied. • Different amounts of frost among circuits due to non-uniform airflow quantified. • Effect of ambient humidity on frost non-uniformity investigated. • Response of air-flow to frost formation over time investigated. • Drop in the evaporator capacity compared to the case of an ideal uniform airflow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Performance Evaluation Criteria (PEC) analysis is presented that explores the influence of the micro-fin tube geometry on the required material volume. The analysis was done using a local flow boiling model, which can quantify the effect of fin parameters and the tube diameter. The PEC was done while requiring that the compared surfaces satisfy the same heat duty and pressure drop. The following tube parameters and ranges were explored: tube diameter (3 mm ≤ D o ≤ 6 mm), fin base thickness (0.12 mm ≤ t bf ≤ 0.29 mm), helix angle (6° ≤ α ≤ 30°), fin apex angle (11° ≤ β ≤ 22°), total number of fins (43 ≤ n f ≤ 70), and the fin height (0.11 mm ≤ e ≤ 0.3 mm). The tube that provided the smallest material requirements within the examined parameter ranges had: D o = 3 mm, t bf = 0.12 mm, α = 6°, β = 11°, n f = 43, and e = 0.3 mm. In general, small D o and t bf and large n f and e provided the best performance and work to minimize the required material volume to provide a given heat duty and pressure drop. The helix and the fin-tip apex angles were found to have very little influence on the performance for the examined range of parameters and angles associated with the lowest production cost should be chosen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar seawater evaporation is a sustainable seawater desalination technology. However, how to convert low‐cost waste general plastics into highly efficient photothermal materials remains a challenge. By using the idea of "near‐infrared laser‐induced carbonization" at room temperature and in air atmosphere, polystyrene (PS) can be easily converted into graphene. Bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) catalyst is proven to efficiently convert laser energy into thermal energy and transmit it to the surrounding PS matrix, promoting carbonization. On this basis, by adjusting the catalyst content and the laser energy density per unit area, laser‐induced graphene (LIG) materials with high specific surface area, fast water transport, and high solar energy absorption efficiency can be obtained. Furthermore, the LIG materials are coated on the surface of natural bamboo with a capillary structure. This bilayer evaporation device has an evaporation rate of 1.51 kg m−2 h−1 and an energy conversion efficiency of 87.1% under irradiation of 1 sun. This work not only reveals the possibility of preparing high‐value‐added graphene materials from waste general‐purpose plastics, but also proves the application prospects of LIG materials in the field of solar seawater evaporation. This will provide a feasible approach for promoting the development of carbonization of waste general plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfacial solar steam generation (ISSG) is the main method to get fresh water from seawater or wastewater. The balance between evaporation rate and salt resistance is still a major challenge for ISSG. Herein, a wood aerogel island solar evaporator (WAISE) with tunable surface structure and wettability by synthesizing poly(n‐isopropylacrylamide)‐modified multi‐walled carbon nanotube photothermal layers. Compared to dense surface structure evaporators, interfacial moisture transport, thermal localization, and surface water vapor diffusion of WAISE are greatly promoted, and the evaporation rate of WAISE increased by 87.64%. WAISE allows for record performance of 200 h continuous operation in 20% NaCl solution without salt accumulation. In addition, the photo‐thermal‐electric device is developed based on WAISE with continuous water purification, power generation, and irrigation functions. This work provides a new direction for the development of multifunctional water purification systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid benzylation of carboxylic acids was achieved under vacuum conditions and assisted by a rotary evaporator using p‐toluenesulfonic acid as a catalyst. Unlike the conventional method that utilizes the Dean‐Stark setup, which typically takes several hours or longer, benzylation was completed in 30 minutes without a solvent. Furthermore, this method avoids using BnBr or acyl halide as starting material and generates water as the only byproduct. This protocol is featured by its high yield, high atom economy, fast reaction, broad substrate scope, and easy operation. The rotary evaporator is commonly seen in chemistry labs, and there is great potential for exploring rotavap‐assisted organic synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • In situ synthesized Fe 3 O 4 and polydopamine in wood channels and surfaces exhibited outstanding light absorption. • Achieved evaporation rate of 1.70 kg m-2h−1 and evaporation efficiency of 98.0% under 1 kW m−2 irradiation. • Excellent salt resistance and recycled sustainability. • Efficient purification for multiple types of wastewater sources. Solar interfacial evaporation is a highly promising technology for seawater desalination and wastewater treatment, while the simple preparation processes and efficient production of clean water based on biomass interfacial evaporators still need further exploration and development. Here, we reported a wood-based evaporator (PFDW) loaded with Fe 3 O 4 and polydopamine (PDA) after simple immersion treatment at room temperature for efficient and continuous water purification. The synergistic photothermal effect of PDA coating and Fe 3 O 4 particles enables the evaporator to achieve high photothermal conversion efficiency in the longer wavelength range, while combined with the rapid water transport capacity endowed by the vertically aligned microporous structure of natural wood, it achieved an evaporation rate of 1.70 kg m-2h−1 and an energy efficiency of 98.0% under 1 kW m−2 irradiation. In addition, the prepared PFDW exhibited sustainable desalination stability and excellent removal efficiency for different water sources including organic dye wastewater, heavy metal effluent, oil–water emulsion and river water. This work provides a new avenue for efficient salt-tolerant portable evaporators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient and durable seawater evaporation technologies are vital for expanding access to freshwater and developing novel irrigation systems. Here, a photothermal material termed as Y7, characterized by its fused‐ring, small‐molecule structure, and strong electron‐withdrawing end groups, is combined with an economical wood sponge. This combination is used to create a 3D solar desalination evaporator and to design a self‐circulating evaporative irrigation system. Mirroring the 3D light‐capture porous structure and underwater suspension of diatoms, this hydrophilic evaporator demonstrates efficient light absorption in the range of 300–1100 nm and excellent resistance to salt and photobleaching. With a mass of only 3 mg/3.14 cm2, the Y7‐evaporator realizes a solar‐energy‐to‐vapor conversion efficiency (η) of 91.7% and solar water evaporation rate (ṁ) of 1.62 kg m−2 h−1, marking a new record for purely organic evaporators. After the desalination process, the concentration of primary ions is reduced by five to six orders of magnitude. Based on these findings, an in situ self‐irrigation system is developed using seawater, which efficiently cultivates several plant species. The results present a novel seawater evaporation strategy rooted in enhanced photothermal effects and durability, suggesting potential applications in future self‐sustaining marine cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Precise exfoliation and modification of nano-Tellurium was realized by adopting a room-temperature ionic liquid as the electrolyte. Nano-Tellurium with high-entropy morphology can offer greater solar absorption and more kinds of surface chemical groups, giving rise to superior photothermal properties. Nano-Tellurium-poly(vinyl alcohol)-based photothermal foam hydrogels, with high compressibility, excellent water transport rate and low evaporation enthalpy of water, combined with a new heat-supply model, achieve an evaporation rate of 4.11 kg m−2 h−1 with energy efficiencies up to 128% under 1 sun irradiation, which are the highest values for semiconductor-based nanocomposites reported so far. The development of tellurium (Te)-based semiconductor nanomaterials for efficient light-to-heat conversion may offer an effective means of harvesting sunlight to address global energy concerns. However, the nanosized Te (nano-Te) materials reported to date suffer from a series of drawbacks, including limited light absorption and a lack of surface structures. Herein, we report the preparation of nano-Te by electrochemical exfoliation using an electrolyzable room-temperature ionic liquid. Anions, cations, and their corresponding electrolytic products acting as chemical scissors can precisely intercalate and functionalize bulk Te. The resulting nano-Te has high morphological entropy, rich surface functional groups, and broad light absorption. We also constructed foam hydrogels based on poly (vinyl alcohol)/nano-Te, which achieved an evaporation rate and energy efficiency of 4.11 kg m−2 h−1 and 128%, respectively, under 1 sun irradiation. Furthermore, the evaporation rate was maintained in the range 2.5–3.0 kg m−2 h−1 outdoors under 0.5–1.0 sun, providing highly efficient evaporation under low light conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimizing energy consumption is often a grave challenge in many industrial energy-intensive process units such as Multiple Stage Evaporator (MSE). Integration of Energy Reduction Schemes (ERSs) is a common technique to resume a countable amount of energy. Hence, the present work proposes a hybrid (h-) ERSs integrated MSE placed in the paper industry, used to increase the solid content of the black liquor. The h-ERSs Integrated MSE comprises several ERSs such as Thermo-Vapor Compressor, Steam-, Feed-split, and Feed Preheater to improve the energy efficiency significantly, and its energy performance is compared with base (b-) MSE. For this purpose, nonlinear mathematical models have been developed and transformed into a constrained optimization problem to search for the optimum energy efficiency obtained as Steam Economy (SE). A state-of-art metaheuristic approach, Equilibrium Optimizer (EO), along with some well-acquainted solution approaches (Interior Point OPTimizer, Interior Point Method, and Particle Swarm Optimization) has been simulated in different platforms to estimate the maximum SE to check their competitiveness for this industrial optimization problem. It is observed that EO outperformed all the algorithms with a 66 % higher SE for h-MSE than b-MSE. Eventually, the steady state parameters are applied as the initial conditions to analyze the nonlinear enthalpy dynamics of the b-and h-MSE. A neural base solution has been adopted to rigorously study the open-loop process dynamics that meet the desired product quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A steam-gas power plant (SGPP) combines a gas power plant (GPP) and a steam power plant by using the exhaust gas from the GPP to produce steam in the heat steam recovery generator (HRSG). The SGPP, which has a 200 ton/h HRSG capacity, experienced cracks, ruptures, and fatigue at the connection of the low-pressure evaporator pipe. Fatigue is a common failure mechanism in mechanical components due to thermal stress. However, the exact cause of the failure was unknown; therefore, a root cause analysis was conducted. Analysis included the thickness, metallography, chemical composition, tensile testing, thermography, defect testing, and hardness testing. The research showed thermal stresses were the cause of the low-pressure evaporator HRSG pipe failure. In addition, inspection results revealed a decrease in tensile strength, material hardness, and thermal expansion that exceeded the allowed limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of solar‐driven interfacial evaporation and electricity co‐generation is considered a promising approach to simultaneously alleviate freshwater scarcity and the energy crisis. However, affected by intermittent solar irradiation/uncontrollable weather, the overall performance of solar‐driven evaporation in the real world is greatly reduced. Herein, inspired by antifreeze proteins in beetles that survive in extreme climates, all‐weather solar‐driven interfacial evaporators with a sandwich structure are designed. The top and bottom layers composed of MnO2‐modified cotton cloth are used for photothermal conversion and water transport, meanwhile, the middle layer made of a phase change microcapsule/hydrogel composite serves for heat storage and release. Under 1 kW m−2 irradiation, the evaporator exhibits a high evaporation rate of 2.67 kg m−2 h−1 and an efficiency of 89.5%. In the dark, the heat released from the phase change layer supports an evaporation rate of 0.43 kg m−2 h−1, 3.6 times that of pure water. Additionally, assembled with a thermoelectric module, the hybrid device achieves a stable output electricity power of 0.42 W m−2 under 1‐sun illumination and a prolonged output for 30 min in the dark. This work provides a novel approach for full‐time solar‐powered steam‐electricity co‐generation and a proof of concept for biomimetic steam generation/heat management integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed three-dimensional (3D) porous polypyrrole/polydopamine evaporator is all-in-one designed via a simple one-step heating-assisted rapid oxidative polymerization strategy based on Fe3+, pyrrole (PY) and dopamine (DA). The evaporator with high water evaporation rate (2.12 kg m-2h−1) displays great potential for practical water purification towards high-concentration brine, acid-base solutions, simulated seawater, oil–water emulsion, dye wastewater, heavy metal wastewater, as well as reliable pure water yields in an outdoor application. [Display omitted] • 3D PPY/PDA is designed via heating-assisted oxidative polymerization strategy. • PPY/PDA is optimized with excellent water supply and heat management. • The PPY/PDA displays great potential for practical water purification. High-quality solar evaporators with all-in-one design are highly desirable for vapor generation, but relevant research is scarce. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) porous polypyrrole/polydopamine (PPY/PDA) structure was fabricated via a simple heating-assisted rapid oxidative polymerization method. The obtained evaporator has multiple features, and can simultaneously provide rapid water transport channels (average pore sizes ∼ 18.37 nm), low thermal conductivity (0.071 W m−1 K−1), high solar absorbance (97.08%), and good mechanical properties. When it is employed as an evaporator, the calculated water evaporation rate is approximately 2.12 kg m-2h−1, which is comparable to other reported 3D evaporators. Additionally, the evaporator displays great potential for purification toward various nonpotable water, as well as reliable pure water yields in an outdoor application (from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, the evaporator can produce at least 13.95 L of drinkable water for a 1 m2 sample). We believe that the proposed strategy to fabricate all-in-one evaporators has great significance for scientific research and practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To alleviate the severe water crisis, an interfacial solar evaporator provides a promising method to produce freshwater. Although many superior solar evaporators present high evaporation rates by reducing the water evaporation enthalpy, adapting sustainable materials to construct high‐efficiency solar evaporators remains challenging. Herein, inspired by the corncob pith's structure and functional groups, interconnected porous cellulose hydrogel is proposed by crosslinking sustainable hydroxypropyl cellulose. Benefiting from the porous structure and abundant hydroxy group, the corncob pith/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and cellulose hydrogel/CNTs evaporators show a low evaporation enthalpy of 880.5 ± 42.1 and 1280.7 ± 57.8 J g−1 due to the reduced hydrogen bond numbers between water molecules and enable evaporation rates of 3.06 and 2.56 kg m−2 h−1, respectively. Moreover, the evaporators present superior purification performance for seawater and sewage, and show excellent anti‐biological fouling properties under light irradiation. It is anticipated that the bionic strategy would provide an in‐depth understanding of designing next‐generation sustainable solar evaporators in the framework of the dual‐carbon concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The shortage of drinking water has become a global problem, coastal cities can make full use of abundant seawater resources by desalination technology to ease the contradiction between supply and demand. However, fossil energy consumption contradicts the goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Currently, researchers favor interfacial solar desalination devices relying only on clean solar energy. Based on the structure optimization of the evaporator, a kind of device composed of a superhydrophobic BiOI (BiOI-FD) floating layer and CuO polyurethane sponge (CuO sponge) is constructed in this paper, with its design advantages presented in the following two aspects: 1. The novel BiOI-FD photocatalyst in the floating layer reduces the surface tension and realizes the degradation of the enriched pollutants, ensuring the device to achieve solar desalination and inland sewage purification; 2. CuO sponge can inhibit salt crystallization and realize the combination of the water transport and photothermal layers. Particularly, the photothermal evaporation rate of the interface device reached 2.37 kg m−2 h−1.The novel interface evaporator design will bring a new solution for solar desalination, sewage treatment and large-scale application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A flying-wing evaporator (FWE) used in household refrigerator is proposed. • The FWE reduces the annual energy consumption by 4.28%. • The FWE shortens the cooling duration by 0.32 h (9.3%) with a 25% reduction in volume. • The FWE reaches a 13.5% reduction in refrigerant charge. In order to improve the performance of a household refrigerator, a flying-wing evaporator (FWE) is to replace the original finned tube evaporator (FTE). Different from the FTE, the fins of the FWE are formed directly on the tube by shoveling movement. Therefore, the FWE has high efficient heat transfer performance due to no thermal contact resistance between the tubes and the fins. According to different combinations of fin pitch and number of tube rows, three different structures of FWE are designed and tested in comparison with the original FTE on a double-door household refrigerator. The results show that the FWE shortens the cooling duration by 0.32 h (9.3%) and reduces the annual energy consumption by 4.28% with a 25% reduction in volume and a 13.5% reduction in refrigerant charge. This study proves that applying a FWE into a household refrigerator instead of the traditional FTE is one of the effective ways to decrease the volume of evaporator, reduce the energy consumption of refrigerator and enhance the effect of food preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The research improves the operating efficiency of the refrigeration system. • A new distributor was designed by theoretical analysis and experimental research. • The shunt performance of the distributor is analyzed by using various evaluation indexes. • In the experimental test, the shunt performance of the new distributor is better than other distributors. This study aims to increase the heat exchange performance of finned evaporator at different temperatures. To this end, the influence of the construction design of distributors on the shunt performance of the rectifier nozzle-type critical distributor (RNCD) was analyzed in-depth. The Second-generation rectifier nozzle-type critical distributor (SRNCD) was designed and improved based on the first-generation rectifier nozzle-type critical distributor (FRNCD). The SRNCD further improved the shunt performance by reducing the internal pressure drop. The performance of air coolers installed with the FRNCD, SRNCD, Venturi distributor, and CAL distributor was experimentally examined. Several parameters were analyzed, including refrigerating capacity, overall heat transfer coefficient, unevenness of distributor, and pressure drop. The results indicated that when the temperature of the test chamber was −18 °C, the refrigerating capacity of the finned evaporator of the SRNCD was 28.19% and 23.88% higher than those of CAL and Venturi distributors, respectively. The overall heat transfer coefficient was enhanced by 29.54% and 27.38%, respectively. The critical distributor theory of the rectifying nozzle provided new thoughts for the application and promotion of the new distributor. In short, RNCD has a broad application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study proposes a Q-learning-based metaheuristic algorithm framework for thermal design optimization of a shell-and-tube evaporator operating with different refrigerant mixtures, which is a highly complex real-world design problem and has not been investigated yet, in previous literature approaches before. The proposed method, called QL-HEUR, uses Q-learning as a high-level heuristic to iteratively guide the competitive recently emerged low-level metaheuristic algorithms. QL-HEUR is applied to 32 unconstrained optimization benchmark functions, and results are evaluated in statistical analysis. Moreover, three multidimensional constrained optimization problems will be solved. Respective solutions unravel that QL-HEUR is very effective in finding optimum solutions to constrained and unconstrained optimization problems. QL-HEUR is employed on the design optimization of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger running with different mixture pairs as a challenging real-world benchmark case. For the design case in which R134a–R1234yf (0.8:02) mixture is considered, 8.71% of the total cost is saved compared to the preliminary design of a heat exchanger operated with pure R1234yf refrigerant. For the second design case, the application of QL-HEUR results in a decrease of 8.93% for refrigerant composition R32–R134a (0.6:0.4) in comparison with the configuration running with pure R134a. It is also seen that the heat exchanger configuration running with pure R32 refrigerant yields the lowest total cost compared to the cases accomplished by varying mixture ratios of R290 and R32. It can be concluded that the optimum configuration of the heat exchanger operated with a refrigerant mixture can be conveniently employed for minimum total cost and global warming potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research on wood‐based solar evaporators has made great progress and significant breakthroughs have been made in using lignin as a photothermal material; however, the intensity change mechanism regarding the conjugate structure of lignin is almost never mentioned. This study innovatively proposes a mechanism to explain the changes in conjugate intensity that occur before and after lignin dissolution and fabricates a lignin/wood‐based solar evaporator (LWE) using an all‐wood‐based material that is salt‐tolerant and has long‐term serviceability. Lignin in the evaporator serves not only as a photothermal material for converting light energy into heat energy but also as a reinforcement for the evaporator's structural strength. Adding lignin changes the original structure of balsa wood, increasing the proportion of intermediate water in the LWE, thereby lowering the enthalpy of water evaporation. The optimized LWE with an enhanced desalination capability, dye removal property, and high stability exhibits full‐spectrum solar absorption of about 83.6%, a photothermal conversion efficiency of 91.74%, and an evaporation efficiency of 1.93 kg m−2 h−1, which surpasses most wood‐based evaporators. This study demonstrates that all‐wood‐based materials can be used to prepare evaporators with excellent performance, providing a new approach to address freshwater depletion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar‐driven evaporation process brings exciting opportunities to recover clean water and resources in a sustainable way from diverse sources like seawater and wastewater. Separation membranes, as a vital material in many environmental and energy applications, can contribute significantly to this process owing to their structural features. However, the unique roles of membranes in solar evaporator construction and process design are seldom recognized and not summarized yet from scientific principles and application demands, which forms the motivation of this review. Herein, the roles of membranes in different processes based on solar‐driven evaporation are focused and the design principles of membrane materials and devices to meet the requirements of these applications are discussed. Fabrication strategies for photothermal membranes are introduced primarily, followed by a discussion on how to design membrane materials, devices, and processes to pursue optimal performance and realize advanced functions accompanied by evaporation. Furthermore, the future of this field is forecast with both challenges and opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to achieve the goals of high evaporation rate, eco-friendly and facile preparation with low-cost raw materials, a type of photothermal hydrogel which use tannic acid-iron ion complexes as photothermal material and gelator was successfully synthesized by a facile blending method. The photothermal hydrogel can achieve a high rate of 1.897±0.11 kg·m−2·h−1 and an energy efficiency of 89.7±2.73% under 1 sun irradiation and has been proven to realize efficient sewage treatment and desalination in outdoor condition. [Display omitted] • The tannic acid-Fe3+ complex is used as photothermal material and gelators. • A photothermal hydrogel evaporator is prepared by a blending method. • All the raw materials are eco-friendly and low-cost. • A high evaporation rate of 1.897 ± 0.11 kg·m−2·h−1 under 1 sun irradiation is achieved. The field of solar vapor generation has developed rapidly in recent years, but achieving the goals of a high evaporation rate, eco-friendliness and rapid preparation with low-cost raw materials is still a challenge. In this work, a type of photothermal hydrogel evaporator was prepared by blending eco-friendly poly(vinyl alcohol), agarose, Fe3+ and tannic acid (TA) together, in which the tannic acid-ferric ion (TA*Fe3+) complexes served as photothermal materials and effective gelators. The results indicate that the TA*Fe3+ complex exhibits excellent gelatinization ability and light-absorption performance, which leads to a compressive stress of 0.98 MPa at 80% strain and up to 85% light absorption ratio in the photothermal hydrogel. For interfacial evaporation, a high rate of 1.897 ± 0.11 kg·m−2·h−1 corresponding to an energy efficiency of 89.7 ± 2.73% under 1 sun irradiation is achieved. Moreover, the hydrogel evaporator exhibits high stability in a 12-hour test and a 20-cycle test without a decline in evaporation performance. The outdoor testing results show that the hydrogel evaporator can achieve an evaporation rate of > 0.70 kg/m2 and effectively purify wastewater treatment and seawater desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]