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I think the real news here is that the aerogel cleans the water. But the article is very confusing. For example it says the aerogel turns the water into steam
by want2know 7y ago
I think the real news here is that the aerogel cleans the water.
But the article is very confusing. For example it says the aerogel turns the water into steam but later it states the sun does this.
- VygmraMGVl 7y agoThe sun heats the carbon nanotube caps, which turn the water into steam. The CNTs absorb light efficiently because they absorb >99.5% of the visible spectrum and transform water into steam efficiently due to their hydrophobicity and high surface area.
- rbanffy 7y agoI assume the evaporation tubes will be obstructed by impurities very quickly
- the_seraphim 7y agoconsidering trees get upto negative 15atm of pressure theres plenty of force to clear them out
- mannykannot 7y agoI wondered about that, but the only statements about purification say that the contaminants are left behind when the water evaporates (as in any other distillation system.) They have developed a clever mechanism for giving the aerogels an efficient structure for capillary transport, and the nanotubes make an efficient evaporator, but the article does not give any reason why the water needs to be raised before being evaporated (trees do it because they are in a competition for light, and maybe to get away from big herbivores.)