3D cylindrical solar evaporator with radial channels for continuous steam generation and top edge-directional salt deposition

The 3D structure design as an available pathway is sufficiently demonstrated to improve the evaporation performance of solar evaporators. However, the evaporator with a 3D structure exhibiting high evaporation performance results in an increased rate of salt precipitation, which places a higher demand on salt resistance. Therefore, it remains a great challenge to overcome the salt accumulation at the evaporator surface, especially for a 3D cylindrical evaporator. Here, a novel 3D evaporator is developed that integrates an air-laid paper stick and chitosan/CNT (CSC) aerogel, featuring unique water transport channels designed to facilitate the radial transport of salt solution and directional precipitation towards the top edge. It is proved that increasing the height of the evaporator effectively improves the evaporation performance through experiments and thermodynamic calculations. In addition, the effect of relative humidity on the evaporation performance of the 3D interfacial evaporator was systematically studied. On this basis, the effects of including material properties, solution properties, and working environment on the salt deposition behavior are further investigated, which can guide researchers to rationally design according to specific conditions to achieve edge-directed salt deposition.