A system of water supply, desalination and mineral salt retrieval includes a solar concentrating tower, the tower includes a pressure vessel that includes a layer of woven or non-woven carbon-nanotubes defining a thermal interface and providing a super heated surface for spray application of seawater or brine.

The present disclosure discloses a system and a method for solar-driven photothermal seawater desalination and ion electroosmosis power generation. In the system, a first reservoir is provided with a first electrode immersed in seawater; a second reservoir is connected to the first reservoir via a cation selective nanofilm; a third reservoir is provided with a second electrode immersed in seawater, and the third reservoir is connected to the second reservoir via an anion selective nanofilm; and an adjustable sun-visor shields the cation selective nanofilm to form a first preset part of solar illumination and shields the anion selective nanofilm to form a second preset part of the solar illumination. Therefore, the cation selective nanofilm and the anion selective nanofilm are each under an asymmetric illumination to generate a temperature gradient.

A water desalinator that employs the use of solar concentration, evaporation and humidification, mimicking the natural hydrological cycle in a closed, modular vessel to produce freshwater from salt, brackish, brines and seawater, and a concentrate stream for further processing. Feed water is received and stored in a basin. Surface humidity is generated by the evaporation of basin water. A lens is used to focus sunlight, tracked the suns path based on biomimicry of a sunflower, on a thermal conductor. The thermal conductor has a rounded side-profile and generates a variable temperature across its radius. Water is pumped from the basin to a sprinkler head to be dripped or sprayed on the thermal conductor to generate water vapour. This water vapour consequently mixes with the air in the reaction vessel to increase system humidity. Humid air is removed from the reaction vessel and condensed in a condenser. Accordingly, the salinity concentration of input water is reduced from the output of the reaction vessel. Multiple reaction vessels or concentrators may be used in tandem to achieve improved performance.

A seawater distillation system for distilling seawater and brine and removing salt. The seawater distillation system includes an apparatus having at least a vessel, a separation assembly, and at least one mist eliminator. The vessel may be adapted to hold a volume of seawater comprising a volume of salt, wherein vessel is one of externally heated and internally heated to evaporate the volume of seawater to a volume of steam and to precipitate the volume of salt. The separation assembly may be operably engaged with the vessel, wherein the separation assembly is configured to separate the volume of salt from the volume of seawater inside of the vessel. The at least one mist eliminator may be operably engaged with the vessel and positioned vertically above the separation assembly, wherein the at least one mist eliminator is configured to eliminate water droplets and salt from the volume of steam.

A cooling and desalination system includes a humidification-dehumidification (HDH) system and an ejector cooling cycle (ECC) system. The HDH system includes a heater for heating saline water, a humidifier for humidifying a carrier gas using the saline water, and a dehumidifier for dehumidifying the carrier gas to obtain desalinated water. The ECC system includes a generator for generating a primary flow of a refrigerant, an evaporator for cooling and providing a secondary flow of the refrigerant, an ejector for the primary flow and the secondary flow to pass through to obtain a super-heated stream, and a condenser. The heater and the generator are configured to connect to a heat source. The ECC system and the HDH system are connected at the condenser for heat exchange between the super-heated stream and the saline water to pre-heat the saline water.

A multimode system for cooling and desalination includes a humidification-dehumidification (HDH) system, an ejector cooling cycle (ECC) system and valves. The HDH system includes a heater, a humidifier and a dehumidifier. The ECC system includes a generator, an evaporator, an ejector and a condenser. The valves are configured to connect to inlets and outlets of the heater, the generator and a heat source so that by selectively opening and closing the valves, the heat source is connected to the heater while disconnected from the generator, or connected to the generator while disconnected from the heater, or connected to both the heater and the generator, or disconnected from both the heater and the generator. The ECC system and the HDH system are connected at the condenser for heat exchange.

A photothermal seawater desalination material with a multi-stage structure and a preparation method and application thereof. The photothermal seawater desalination material includes a light-absorbing material having a C/WO3-x heterogeneous junction, which is obtained by depositing a nano-C material on a porous metal foam material using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and then synthesizing WO3-x with plasma resonance effect by a solvothermal reaction.

A solar-powered distillation process converts saline water into potable water and useful solid residues. A solid material is heated by solar energy, and the solid material is brought into direct contact with saline water. Some of the water becomes steam and vapor, which can be condensed to produce potable water. The water-soluble salts within the saline water are precipitated separately, and collected for commercial use. Scale formed on the solid material can be removed, and the solid material reheated by solar energy, and the reheated solid material can again be used to heat incoming saline water in a continuous process.

An apparatus, system and method to remove purified vapor from a contaminated fluid using solar energy is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an inlet wherein contaminated fluid flows in the apparatus through the inlet; at least two outlets wherein a first outlet exits purified vapor and a second outlet wherein contaminated fluid with a portion removed as purified vapor exits the apparatus; an energy source that causes the contaminated fluid to heat to a temperature wherein at least a portion of the contaminated fluid is converted to purified vapor; at least two different flow paths from at least one inlet to the first outlet and second outlet, the first and second flow paths flow through at least a portion of the apparatus wherein differences causes the lighter purified vapor to take a different path than the contaminated fluid exiting the second outlet.

Solar thermal devices are formed from a block of wood, where the natural cell lumens of the wood form an interconnected network that transports fluid or material therein. The block of wood can be modified to increase absorption of solar radiation. Combining the solar absorption effects with the natural transport network can be used for various applications. In some embodiments, heating of the modified block of wood by insolation can be used to evaporate a fluid, for example, evaporating water for extraction, distillation, or desalination. In other embodiments, heating of the modified block of wood by insolation can be used to change transport properties of a material to allow it to be transported in the interconnected network, for example, heating crude oil to adsorb the oil within the block of wood.