How to efficiently convert and utilize solar energy is the current research hotspot. Professor Zhu Jia’s research group at Nanjing University opened a brain hole and magically used mushrooms to convert light into steam. The related results were published in the international top journal “Advanced Materials†on May 18th.
Efficient solar energy conversion and utilization are regarded as a major demand for national energy. Among them, photo-thermal conversion is the conversion of light into steam, which shows great application prospects in seawater desalination, water treatment, chemical industry, and sterilization. However, due to the loss of optics and thermals, the efficiency of traditional light-converting steam is less than 40%, which greatly limits its wide application.
Previously, Prof. Jia Jia's research group has conducted a series of studies around the efficient photo-thermal conversion of the interface. Under the condition of optical focusing, the photo-thermal conversion efficiency has been successfully improved to 90%. This time it is a big brain hole, using the structure of natural shiitake mushrooms, to minimize the loss of light and heat in solar energy conversion in practical applications.
“The setting of converting light into heat must have several conditions.†Dr. Xu Ning, Ph.D. student of the research group introduced that it can absorb sunlight well, has a porous structure, and is hydrophilic, capable of absorbing transport moisture, effective steam escape, etc. . About seven or eight months ago, when she liked to eat shiitake mushrooms, she discovered that the mushrooms had exactly these conditions.
“Its cap is dark, porous structure of bacteria, small cross-sectional area and fibrous stipe, can achieve efficient light absorption, effective water supply and steam escape, and at the same time can greatly reduce Heat dissipation." Xu Ning said that the bottom end of the stem of the mushroom is in contact with the water body, limiting the water transmission and heat conduction in this quasi-one-dimensional channel. The cross-sectional area of ​​the channel is less than 1/10 of the light absorption cross-sectional area, and the effective water supply is guaranteed. At the same time, the conduction loss caused by the heat transfer to the water body is greatly suppressed, and the umbrella-shaped arcuate cap provides a larger evaporation area and lowers the operating temperature, thereby effectively controlling the loss of heat convection and heat radiation.
With this inspiration, she began experimenting. After the experiment, the research group found that the photothermal conversion efficiency of the carbonized mushrooms can reach 78% without the need of optical focusing. “If we use this result to design and optimize artificial materials, the conversion efficiency will be very high.†Xu Ning said that before All researches on photothermal conversion use artificially prepared materials, and it is the first time that natural materials like shiitake mushrooms have been used.
Professor Zhu Jia who returned from the United States in 2013, many of the scientific research achievements made people feel very magical. Last year, the successful achievement of a solar thermal conversion efficiency of more than 90% was a ferrous metal with the professional name “plasmonium aluminumâ€. It can float on the surface of water, absorb solar energy, and in the process of seawater desalination, it only heats one layer of molecules on the surface of water, so that the water will remain unchanged during the process of turning into steam. (Reporter Tan Jie)
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