A method for fabricating a heat exchange construct is provided.

A porphyrine organic framework (“POF”) material is introduced with a one-pot method for photothermal material fabrication. The POF material may be deposited on a support scaffold by reacting a pyrrole by acid-catalyzed dehydration forming a plurality of porphyrin-based covalent organic frameworks particles on the support scaffold.

A solar collector is provided. The collector comprises a monolithic flow control component to direct a flow of the heat transfer fluid between an inlet and outlet; and a solar absorber supported by the monolithic flow control component. The monolithic flow control component is able to support the solar absorber without any additional structural components to lend mechanical strength to the monolithic flow control component.

The present invention provides a solar absorber incorporated bilayer foam solar evaporator for seawater and wastewater purification including a plurality of solar absorbers partially incorporated into a porous polymer framework and partially forming a thermal insulation layer proximal to solar irradiation. In particular, low-cost commercially available B.sub.4C powders are embedded into a porous polymer foam in a one-pot method to form a scaffold of boron carbide bilayer foam (BCBF) with good hydrophilic wettability, heat-shielding, and solar-thermal conversion. The boron carbide bilayer foam (BCBF) of the present invention enables a high cost-performance seawater desalination and wastewater purification at a high evaporation rate of 2.8 kg/m.sup.2/h with 93% solar evaporation efficiency under 1 sun illumination (or 1 kW/m.sup.2). The present invention thereby provides an excellent and cost-effective solar evaporator tool for industrial-level water purification. Following the present method to prepare the BCBF solar evaporator, the fabrication cost can be as low as 3.6 $/m.sup.2.

A passive thermal regulation system includes a substrate and a coating. The coating is positioned to encapsulate at least a portion of the substrate. The coating includes a first hydrogel layer and a second hydrogel layer. The first hydrogel layer has a plurality of carbon materials configured to absorb a solar radiation. The second hydrogel layer includes a hydrogel that is different from the first hydrogel layer. The coating, at a first temperature, causes the passive thermal regulation system to passively switch from a solar reflective state to solar absorber state to permit the plurality of carbon materials to absorb the solar radiation. At a second temperature, the coating causes the system to passively switch from the solar absorber state to the solar reflective state where the hydrogel of the second hydrogel layer inhibits the solar radiation from absorption. The second temperature is greater than the first temperature.

The present invention provides a solar absorber incorporated bilayer foam solar evaporator for seawater and wastewater purification including a plurality of solar absorbers partially incorporated into a porous polymer framework and partially forming a thermal insulation layer proximal to solar irradiation. In particular, low-cost commercially available B.sub.4C powders are embedded into a porous polymer foam in a one-pot method to form a scaffold of boron carbide bilayer foam (BCBF) with good hydrophilic wettability, heat-shielding, and solar-thermal conversion. The boron carbide bilayer foam (BCBF) of the present invention enables a high cost-performance seawater desalination and wastewater purification at a high evaporation rate of 2.8 kg/m.sup.2/h with 93% solar evaporation efficiency under 1 sun illumination (or 1 kW/m.sup.2). The present invention thereby provides an excellent and cost-effective solar evaporator tool for industrial-level water purification. Following the present method to prepare the BCBF solar evaporator, the fabrication cost can be as low as 3.6 $/m.sup.2.

A porphyrine organic framework (POF) material is introduced with a one-pot method for photothermal material fabrication. The POF material may be deposited on a porous substrate, such as for solar steam generation.

Disclosed is a multilayer body, comprising a base (2) and a carbon material layer (1) on the base (2), wherein the base (2) is water-permeable, and the carbon material comprises one or more of the following materials: graphite, graphene, graphene oxide, a chemical function group-modified graphene and carbon nanotubes. Further disclosed are a method for preparing the multilayer body, the use of the multilayer body, and a light-absorbing device containing the multilayer body.

Systems and methods are described herein that may be used to form a heliostat. Various reflective surfaces and support structures are described that permit lightweight construction of configurable heliostats.

Disclosed is a multilayer body, comprising a base (2) and a carbon material layer (1) on the base (2), wherein the base (2) is water-permeable, and the carbon material comprises one or more of the following materials: graphite, graphene, graphene oxide, a chemical function group-modified graphene and carbon nanotubes. Further disclosed are a method for preparing the multilayer body, the use of the multilayer body, and a light-absorbing device containing the multilayer body.