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AssigneeKansas State University Research Foundation
InventorsAmy Betz, Melanie Derby
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Inventive surfaces, and methods of using the same, are provided that exhibit improved water collection and frost formation properties over prior art surfaces. The inventive surfaces have a plurality of nanosized recessed areas formed therein. The geometries and patterns of the recessed areas are particularly designed to discourage water droplet coalescence on the surfaces. Due to these designs, the surfaces are capable of forming and maintaining smaller, as well as asymmetrical, droplets on the surfaces. As a result, a greater surface area of the inventive surfaces can be covered by water droplets, thereby increasing water recovery. In addition, the smaller, asymmetrical droplets lead to desirable frost layer characteristics under non-cryogenic freezing conditions.
A surface for enhancing the condensation of a vapor and/or accelerating freezing of a liquid on said surface, said surface comprising:
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A method of recovering water from a humid vapor comprising contacting said humid vapor with a surface having a surface temperature less than the dew point of said humid vapor, thereby causing one or more water droplets to form on said surface, said surface comprising a plurality of recessed areas having an average longest lateral dimension of about 100 nm to about 10 μm and an average depth of about 150 nm to about 30 μm.
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A method of forming frost on a surface comprising:
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.