4.3 Article

Assessment of Pyrolytic Biochar as a Solar Absorber Material for Cost-Effective Water Evaporation Enhancement

Journal

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
Volume 38, Issue 12, Pages 1120-1128

Publisher

MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC
DOI: 10.1089/ees.2020.0472

Keywords

photothermal conversion; Pyrolytic biochar; solar absorber; solar desalination

Funding

  1. California Energy Commission [GFO-16-503]
  2. USDA NIFA [2-15-67021-24117]

Ask authors/readers for more resources

The study investigates the potential use of carbon-based biochar as a low-cost solar absorber to enhance water evaporation rates, with promising results for application in low-cost solar stills.
Enhancement of water evaporation using carbon-based solar absorbers has been gaining acceptance for its potential use in solar-driven water desalination. The evaporation rate can be increased by using these materials as either a floating suspension or as particles dispersed in water. Although several materials have been proposed for the purpose of increasing the rate of water evaporation, there is still a need to develop low-cost materials that exhibit strong solar absorbance with the purpose of providing freshwater to rural and low-income communities. Biochar is a carbon-rich material, obtained from the thermochemical conversion of biomass. Although it is mainly used as an organic amendment for soil, in this study, its potential utilization as a low-cost solar absorber is analyzed. Two pyrolytic biochars are investigated, that is, Ponderosa pine from forest waste, and walnut shell from the agricultural sector. Measured solar absorptivity values were >92% at 1 g/L dispersion concentration, whereas the transmittance of light was <1% for a 10 mm path length. Controlled indoor experiments with a solar simulator resulted in evaporation rates between 1 and 1.1 kg/m(2)-h, which are significantly higher than for pure water. Biochar was found to be more economical than some of the other carbon materials analyzed in the literature, thus, opening an opportunity for feasible use in low-cost solar stills.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.3
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available