Refractory Plasmonic Material based Floating Solar Still for Simultaneous Desalination and Electricity Generation

Established desalination technologies such as thermal distillation and reverse osmosis require advanced infrastructure and costly installation limiting their widespread implementation. Floating interfacial solar evaporation devices are considered a land-saving, environmentally friendly, and low infrastructure approach for freshwater production. Addressing issues related to maximum heat localization, prevention of salt accumulation and operating under stressful environmental conditions are some of the major challenges with floating solar desalination. This project presents an experimental demonstration of a plasmonic TiC nanoparticle-based floating solar still that can operate continuously under sunlight to produce clean water while floating on saline water sources. All materials, such as the PVC plastic condensation dome, EVA foam support, cotton wicks, and polyester filter fabric were chosen carefully to maximize the freshwater output of the solar still. The outdoor experiments were conducted in Halifax, Canada, where modest solar insolation of around 6 kW m-2 day-1 led to daily water yields up to 3.67 L m-2. The water can be produced at costs as low as $0.0086 L-1, and the solar still can be easily modified to generate thermoelectricity. This could allow for small onboard devices to test water quality without the need for an external electricity source. The results of this study will contribute to further development of floating solar desalination to provide potable water for water-stressed communities.