A water distillation system including a reservoir unit configured to reserve a second liquid of higher concentration than the first liquid; a pipe including a first end communicated with the first liquid and a second end communicated with the second liquid in the reservoir unit; a semipermeable membrane fitted on the pipe to separate the first liquid and the second liquid, so that the first liquid is mixed into the second liquid through the semipermeable membrane and led to the reservoir unit by osmotic action; and a distillation unit configured to distill the second liquid in the reservoir unit by solar energy.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for substrates having an oxide shell layer (e.g., a silica shell layer), methods of making an oxide shell layer, and the like.

The invention relates to a portable, solar-thermal device for the treatment of drinking water from waste water, comprising an evaporation container that accommodates the waste water, a condensation apparatus having a flow connection to the evaporation container, and a separator arranged between the evaporation container and the condensation apparatus for separating and leading away the condensate obtained in the condensation apparatus. According to the invention, the separator has passage openings for the transfer of water vapor into the condensation apparatus, which is arranged on the top side of the device in the operating position of the device, and a drain opening for the condensate arising in the condensation apparatus, which drain opening can be connected to a collecting container, wherein the evaporation container, which is arranged on the bottom side of the separator, is designed as a flexible film bag.

The present application discloses a desalination plant that desalinates ocean water. A water gate of the desalination plant is opened to allow salt water from an ocean to flow into an isolated salt water zone. Once desired amount of salt water enters the desalination plant, the water gate is closed to prevent both further salt water from flowing into and the isolated salt water from flowing out of the isolated salt water zone. An isolation wall prevents the isolated salt water from flowing into a desalted water zone. The isolated salt water in the isolated salt water zone is heated by using sunlight and electric heating elements to be vaporized. The sunlight entering the isolated salt water zone is reflected on multiple reflective surface to further heat the isolated salt water. The vaporized water flows towards the desalted water zone, and subsequently cools down to condense into desalted water. The desalted water in the desalted water zone flows through an exit pipe and is collected at a reservoir.

The solar desalination system is a hybrid system combining a Fresnel solar concentrator with a solar desalination still. The solar still includes an absorber base, at least one sidewall, and a hollow cover. The hollow cover has an inlet port for receiving seawater such that the seawater passes through an interior of the hollow cover and exits through at least one outlet port into an open interior region of the solar still. At least one collection duct is secured to an inner face of the at least one sidewall for collecting pure water condensate. A vacuum pump is in communication with the open interior region of the solar still through a vacuum port for selectively lowering the pressure within the open interior region of the solar still. The solar still is suspended above a linear Fresnel reflector array such that the absorber base is positioned at a focal point thereof.

A method and apparatus for generating water from an atmospheric water source involving (a) collecting a fixed volume of ambient air in a chamber; (b) raising the pressure of the fixed volume of ambient air in the chamber by heating the fixed volume of ambient air with a solar heater thereby increasing the dew point of the fixed volume of ambient air in the chamber; (c) cooling a surface of the chamber with air outside the chamber; (d) condensing the water in the fixed volume of ambient air in the chamber on the cooling surface when the dew point is greater than the temperature of the cooling surface that is in contact with outside air; (d) collecting the resulting dew in a collection basin; and (f) refreshing the air supply within the chamber.

The invention discloses a photothermal evaporation material integrating light absorption and thermal insulation, comprising a heat insulator and a light absorber that covers the external surface of the heat insulator, the light absorber is vertically-oriented graphene, the heat insulator is a graphene foam, and the vertically-oriented graphene and graphene foam are connected by covalent bonds; the light absorber is vertically-oriented graphene whose surface is modified with hydrophilic functional groups. The invention also discloses a method for fabricating the photothermal evaporation material integrating light absorption and thermal insulation. The invention also discloses a solar energy photothermal seawater desalination device and a high-temperature steam sterilization device. The photothermal evaporation material integrating light absorption and thermal insulation overcomes the problem of easy separation between the light absorber and the heat insulator, realizes rapid and efficient photothermal evaporation, and improves the stability and photothermal conversion efficiency of the solar photothermal seawater desalination device and the high-temperature steam sterilization device.

A device for purifying water by solar power is described. The device has bottom and top sections, each being half-cylinders contacting one another along a flat edge to provide an elongated cylinder. The bottom section has an evacuated area with an optically transparent bottom surface that light can pass through to heat a liquid tray in the top section. A side-gutter directs water that condenses on an interior surface of the top section to an output port for collection.

A device for purifying water by solar power is described. The device has bottom and top sections, each being half-cylinders contacting one another along a flat edge to provide an elongated cylinder. The bottom section has an evacuated area with an optically transparent bottom surface that light can pass through to heat a liquid tray in the top section. A side-gutter directs water that condenses on an interior surface of the top section to an output port for collection.

A method and system/device for enabling an efficient and increased rate of evaporation of liquids, which can be used, for example, to separate solutes from solvents, including desalination of salt water. The method and system/device are directed to introducing kinetic energy into an evaporative system to cause movement and agitation of liquid and/or air molecules, and employing a gravity assist, to more efficiently and effectively promote evaporation of the liquid.