An efficient and salt tolerant capillary driven seawater desalination system integrated with HCPV technology

Addressing the critical challenge of high energy consumption and low efficiency in seawater desalination, we propose a novel solution based on biomimetic multi-scale non-uniform porous structures for water and salt transport, inspiration from the transpiration mechanism observed in trees. By precisely regulating the dynamic balance between capillary pressure and flow resistance, a significant breakthrough in capillary performance was achieved, reaching 2.46 x 10(-9) kPam(2)-an order of magnitude higher than that of traditional uniform structures. Combined with high-concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) technology, the system achieves a record-breaking evaporation rate of 0.0386 g/(cm(2)s) under extreme conditions when subjected to an intensity equivalent to 1351 suns (CR = 1351). Its unique U-shaped anti-gravity salt absorption mechanism maintains an impressive efficiency of 90 % at a high salt concentration of 15.5 %, while ensuring that the surface remains free from salt at a concentration level of 13 %. Following 200 h of durability testing, the evaporation rate exhibited only a minor decrease of 6.58 % with zero salt crystallization. In terms of thermoelectric performance, our system achieves an efficiency exceeding 50 % when CR > 1000, reaching a peak power output of 442 kW; this effectively integrates low-grade thermal energy with renewable energy sources. This innovative work not only redefines solar desalination performance benchmarks but also presents a scalable, energy-autonomous solution for arid regions, poor and remote areas-significantly advancing global efforts toward achieving sustainable development goals.