In 2014, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scientific research team successfully developed a graphene / carbon "sponge" that can efficiently turn water into water vapor under the sunlight. After many years of improvement, the MIT team has created a device that can produce superheated steam on this basis. It can be used for disinfection and other functions of medical equipment in remote areas.
The original idea of ​​the prototype of the device was to float a "sponge" on the surface of the water, and make it quickly turn the water into steam by absorbing the energy of sunlight. However, in actual testing, it was found that the sponge absorbed contaminants in the water, causing the material to degrade. In order to solve this problem, the new prototype floats the sponge on the water surface without actual contact. The size and thickness of the sponge is close to that of a common e-reader. It consists of three interlayers: a cermet composite material on the top, a porous carbon foam in the middle, and a material that effectively emits infrared heat at the bottom.
The top layer absorbs short-wave solar energy from sunlight, causing the entire device to heat up. This heat is emitted from the bottom layer in the form of longer-wavelength infrared radiation, and water is more easily absorbed than sunlight. As a result, the water is heated to 100ºC (212ºF), generating steam. The steam rises back into the device, and the middle layer of sunlight-heated carbon foam further heats the steam. The superheated steam is output through the pipes in the equipment and then used for tasks such as sterilization, cooking or cleaning.
Subsequently, the research team conducted a test on the roof of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was able to produce 146ºC (295ºF) steam in 3.5 hours in a sunny environment. It is placed in a polymer shell to help prevent heat from escaping, and there is also a curved mirror that gathers sunlight on its surface.
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