Structured hydrogel membranes for fresh water harvesting
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorsYe Shi, Julia R. Greer, Harry A. Atwater, Ognjen Ilic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A membrane for water collection may include a sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a plurality of conical structures disposed on the top surface of the sheet, the conical structures comprising a hydrogel material. Each conical structure of the plurality of conical structures may have a height of 1 mm to 50 mm, wherein height is measured from the top surface of the sheet to an apex of a conical structure. Each conical structure of the plurality of conical structures may have an apex angle of 10 to 60 degrees.
Claims19
A method of purifying and collecting water, the method comprising:
- contacting a membrane with fog, wherein the membrane comprises:
- a sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface;
- and
- a plurality of conical structures disposed on the top surface of the sheet, the conical structures comprising a hydrogel material;
- absorbing water from the fog into the membrane via the conical structures;
- collecting the fog-derived water;
- placing the membrane on a surface of an amount of impure water, wherein the impure water is not the fog-derived water;
- covering the membrane with a condensation structure, wherein the condensation structure is at least partially transparent to solar radiation;
- distilling at least a portion of the impure water, wherein the distilling comprises:
- absorbing the impure water into the membrane via the bottom surface of the sheet;
- heating the membrane via solar radiation;
- releasing purified water vapor from the conical structures;
- condensing the purified water vapor on a surface of the condensation structure;
- and
- collecting the condensed purified water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.