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Multi-functional carbon nanotube paper for solar water evaporation combined with electricity generation and storage
- Source :
- Energy Conversion and Management. 241:114306
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Nowadays, multi-functional systems driven by solar energy have been explored to alleviate the crisis of energy and freshwater scarcity. However, it remains a great challenge to integrate multi-functions into one hybrid system with a monolithic material, which can harvest, convert and store solar energy synergistically. Here, we firstly propose a multi-functional carbon nanotube paper, which starts from a material level to solve these problems. The carbon nanotube paper is fabricated by vacuum filtration. It exhibits high efficiency of solar-thermal conversion. Secondly, three types of energy conversion/storage systems (e.g., solar-thermal evaporation system, solar-thermoelectric generation system, and supercapacitor) are constructed based on the carbon nanotube paper, which extend the research to a device level. The solar-thermal evaporation system shows an evaporation rate of 1.28 kg m-2h−1 under simulated sunlight irradiation of 1 kW m−2. The solar-thermoelectric generation system demonstrates a stable electric power generation with an output voltage of 100 mV under light irradiation of 1 kW m−2. The supercapacitors perform the energy storage function with an areal specific capacitance of 19.6 mF cm−2. These devices and systems can be used in freshwater generation (0.84 kg m-2h−1, sunlight irradiation of 1 kW m−2), water purification/desalination (inorganic ions rejection larger than 99.9%) and portable solar charging system (maximum output voltage of 5 V). Finally, a hybrid energy system is innovatively proposed from the system level to simultaneously produce freshwater, generate and store electric power. Through the synergetic coupling of solar conversion and storage technologies, the hybrid energy system can supply sustainable freshwater and electricity for remote areas in daily life, highlighting the superiority of multi-energy (thermal energy, electrical energy, and electrochemical energy) complementary.
- Subjects :
- Supercapacitor
Materials science
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
business.industry
020209 energy
Energy Engineering and Power Technology
02 engineering and technology
Solar energy
Electrochemical energy conversion
Energy storage
Fuel Technology
Electricity generation
020401 chemical engineering
Nuclear Energy and Engineering
0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering
Energy transformation
Electric power
0204 chemical engineering
business
Process engineering
Thermal energy
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 01968904
- Volume :
- 241
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Energy Conversion and Management
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........7d7d030bd99d68b8b4a1fb905a26a6eb
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2021.114306