Space cooling in buildings is anticipated to rise because of an increasing thermal comfort demand worldwide, and this calls for cost-effective and sustainable cooling technologies. We present a proof-of-concept multistage device, where a net cooling capacity and a temperature difference are demonstrated as long as two water solutions at disparate salinity are maintained. Each stage is made of two hydrophilic layers separated by a hydrophobic membrane. An imbalance in water activity in the two layers naturally causes a non-isothermal vapor flux across the membrane without requiring any mechanical ancillaries. One prototype of the device developed a specific cooling capacity of up to 170 W m−2 at a vanishing temperature difference, considering a 3.1 mol/kg calcium chloride solution. To provide perspective, if successfully up-scaled, this concept may help satisfy at least partially the cooling needs in hot, humid regions with naturally available salinity gradients.
Multistage and passive cooling process driven by salinity difference / Alberghini, Matteo; Morciano, Matteo; Fasano, Matteo; Bertiglia, Fabio; Fernicola, Vito; Asinari, Pietro; Chiavazzo, Eliodoro. - In: SCIENCE ADVANCES. - ISSN 2375-2548. - ELETTRONICO. - 6:11(2020), p. eaax5015. [10.1126/sciadv.aax5015]
Titolo: | Multistage and passive cooling process driven by salinity difference | |
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Data di pubblicazione: | 2020 | |
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Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aax5015 | |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 1.1 Articolo in rivista |
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eaax5015.full.pdf | Articolo principale | 2a Post-print versione editoriale / Version of Record | ![]() | Visibile a tuttiVisualizza/Apri |
aax5015_SM.pdf | Informazioni supplementari | 2a Post-print versione editoriale / Version of Record | ![]() | Visibile a tuttiVisualizza/Apri |
http://hdl.handle.net/11583/2803232