Maximizing the practical performance of a solar vapor generation system by optimizing vapor flow over the evaporation surface

Abstract

Interfacial solar vapor generation (ISVG) has received significant attention as a promising solution to the global water scarcity problem. Various evaporation systems with high performance have been developed over the past few years, and solar energy-to-vapor conversion efficiencies have been enhanced through a variety of strategies. However, most of these studies have primarily focused on improving the performance of individual evaporators. In practical desalination applications, multiple evaporators need to be integrated into a single solar still, where they can influence one another through environmental heat acquisition and vapor convection above the evaporation surfaces. In this study, the inter-evaporator interactions affecting evaporation performance were systematically investigated. For short evaporators, environmental heat acquisition predominantly governs the system performance. In contrast, for taller evaporators, vapor flow between the evaporators plays a more significant role. Both environmental heat acquisition and vapor convection between neighboring evaporators are strongly influenced by the height of the evaporators and the spacing between them. Therefore, careful optimization of both evaporator height and spacing is essential to maximize the overall performance of ISVG systems in practical desalination applications. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.