3D printing comb-tooth-shaped mist collection / storage device and surface modification method

Abstract

The invention discloses a surface-modified 3D printing three-dimensional rain and fog collection comb tooth water collection and storage device and a modification solution preparation method, and belongs to the technical field of atmospheric water resource development and fog collection. The device comprises an integrated base, a plurality of conical comb teeth and spherical protrusions distributed on the surfaces of the conical teeth. A plurality of comb teeth are arranged on the base according to a set interval array to form a three-dimensional structure, so that the fog drop capturing area is increased, and directional gathering of fog drops is facilitated. The conical tooth structure is subjected to wet chemical modification treatment, a hydrophilic and hydrophobic gradient area is constructed on the surface, and rapid condensation and transportation of fog drops are achieved. All the components are integrally formed through the 3D printing technology, the structure parameters are adjustable, the preparation efficiency is high, and adaptability is high. The integrated water storage device is further arranged and communicated with the comb tooth structure, and continuous collection and storage of fog water can be achieved. Systematic experimental data further verifies the water collection performance superiority and evaporation inhibition capability of the proposed structure under different design parameter conditions. Compared with the prior art, the fog collecting device has the advantages of being high in fog collecting efficiency, high in anti-blocking performance, light in structure, easy and convenient to manufacture, long in service life and the like, and is suitable for efficient fog water collection application in arid areas or outdoor environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of atmospheric water resource development and utilization, and particularly relates to a bionic three-dimensional water collection comb for collecting fog droplets in the air and its supporting water storage device. The invention is closely related to application scenarios such as obtaining atmospheric drinking water, designing fog collectors, and developing green resources. Background Art

[0002] Water resource shortage has become one of the major challenges faced globally. According to statistics, only about 1% of the water bodies on the earth are directly utilisable fresh water, and about two-thirds of the world's population is suffering from varying degrees of water shortage. In arid and semi-arid regions with scarce precipitation, the cloud and fog moisture in the atmosphere becomes an important potential water source, and thus fog collection technology has received attention. Fog collection refers to the process of capturing tiny fog droplets from the air using specific devices and collecting them. It has been proven that fresh water can be efficiently obtained in foggy areas. This technology is simple to operate, has extremely low energy consumption, and the obtained fog water generally meets the drinking water quality standard and can be used for human and livestock drinking and vegetation irrigation. Currently, fog water collection projects have been applied and verified in areas with frequent thick fog such as South America and Africa, providing a sustainable water supply approach for water-scarce areas.

[0003] Among the existing fog water collection devices, the most widely used is the two-dimensional planar net-like fog net, such as the Raschel net. The Raschel net is usually made of polypropylene or polyethylene materials. Its fiber band is about 1 mm wide and about 0.1 mm thick, and is woven in a triangular pattern to form a grid structure, with a single-layer light shielding rate of about 35%. In actual engineering, a double-layer Raschel net is often superimposed to increase the fog interception density and facilitate the confluence of fog droplets. The fog net is vertically erected in the windward direction. When the humid fog airflow passes through, the suspended fog droplets are intercepted by the grid, gradually condense and increase, and slide down along the wire under the action of gravity into the water collection tank. The typical size of a large fog net collector is about 4 m×10 m, with a double-layer Raschel net fixed on the frame, and the cost of a single device is about several thousand US dollars. Under ideal foggy climate conditions, the average daily water collection of a large fog net can reach about 3–10 L / m^2. Thus, it can be seen that the two-dimensional fog net can alleviate the water use difficulties in arid regions to a certain extent.

[0004] However, traditional two-dimensional fog nets have exposed many deficiencies and limitations during long-term operation. First of all, their fog collection efficiency is relatively low. It is reported that a standard Raschel fog net can only collect about 2% of the cloud and fog water passing through its mesh surface. A large number of fog droplets are not intercepted and pass through with the airflow. Moreover, as the fog droplets coalesce and grow on the net and are blown away by the wind again, the actual effective collection efficiency further decreases. Secondly, the fog net structure is prone to clogging problems. When the fog volume is large or the operation time is long, the water droplets attached to the mesh holes will form water bridges to block the pores. Adding impurities such as dust particles in the air, the ventilation of the net body is blocked. After the mesh holes are blocked, not only can the subsequent fog droplets not pass through, but also the local airflow field will be changed, resulting in a significant decline in the fog collection performance. Thirdly, two-dimensional fog nets often need to rely on surface coatings to improve the wetting characteristics to enhance the performance. For example, applying a superhydrophobic coating or infiltrating lubricant on the mesh wires can reduce the adhesion force and residence time of fog droplets, thus promoting the rolling and drainage of water droplets. However, such special coatings are often costly, and their durability in the high-humidity field environment is also worrying - the thin hydrophobic coating is prone to failure after long-term fog erosion, and the lubricant coating has the risk of gradual loss of oil agent, performance decay and possible pollution of the collected water. Therefore, the existing two-dimensional fog nets still have obvious deficiencies in fog collection efficiency, anti-clogging and durability, which limit the wider application of fog collection technology.

[0005] In response to the need to improve fog collection efficiency and reliability, new ideas of bionic structures and three-dimensional configuration designs have emerged in recent years. Organisms living in arid and water-scarce environments in nature exhibit efficient fog collection and water extraction abilities, providing examples for bionic reference. For example, spider silk actively coalesces water droplets from humid air through the micro-nano structure of "spinning beads into strings". The synergistic effect of its periodic "shuttle knot - segment" structure and wetting gradient realizes the efficient capture and directional transport of water droplets. Another example is that the thorns of cacti have a tapered structure, and the surface is covered with fine barbs. When fog droplets adhere, they will self-drive and converge along the thorns towards the base, which is the result of the joint drive of the wetting gradient and Laplace pressure difference on the thorn surface. Another example is that the back hard shell surface of desert beetles (such as the Namib Desert beetle) is distributed with a hydrophobic-hydrophilic alternating micro-protrusion array, which can condense fog droplets on the surface and converge into large droplets and slide towards the mouth, thus efficiently collecting water from the morning fog. Inspired by these organisms, people have developed a variety of bionic fog collection surfaces and structures, such as gradient wetting fibers imitating spider silk, tapered column arrays imitating cactus spines, and heterogeneous wetting patterns imitating beetle elytra, etc., to improve the performance of artificial fog collection devices.

[0006] Although bionic fog collection designs have shown significant advantages, most of the existing bionic structures are still limited to planar (two-dimensional) forms or have difficulties in manufacturing. The preparation of many bionic structures requires complex micro-nano processing techniques, which are difficult to replicate on a large scale, making these designs difficult to apply on a large scale in actual engineering. In addition, although some designs introduce three-dimensional elements, it is still challenging to achieve the coordination of fine structures and macroscopic sizes at the same time. For example, integrating bio-inspired fine structures into large-scale three-dimensional fog collection devices requires consideration of multiple factors such as materials, processes and costs. In this context, how to break through the manufacturing bottleneck and construct a three-dimensional fog collection structure that has both efficient fog capture performance and practical feasibility has become an urgent problem to be solved in this field.

[0007] Based on the above background, the present invention proposes a three-dimensional water-collecting comb tooth structure that can be prepared by 3D printing and a surface coating treatment method thereof. The three-dimensional comb-tooth structure utilizes the spatial layout of three-dimensional multiple teeth to increase the interception area of fog droplets. The gaps between the comb teeth are conducive to the passage of airflow and the discharge of water droplets, which can effectively alleviate the blockage problem of traditional fog nets; at the same time, by constructing a special wetting coating or coating material on the surface of the comb teeth, the active guidance and rapid convergence of fog droplets can be achieved, avoiding dependence on expensive and easily ineffective coatings. In summary, the three-dimensional water-collecting comb tooth structure is expected to improve fog capture efficiency, reduce maintenance costs, and provide a more reliable and efficient solution in the field of fog water collection, laying the foundation for the realization of subsequent invention contents. Summary of the invention

[0008] In view of the shortcomings of existing fog water collection devices such as low efficiency and fixed structure, the present invention aims to provide a 3D printed three-dimensional water collection comb and its water storage device, which improves the fog water collection efficiency and enhances the field adaptability of the device by combining rapid manufacturing of three-dimensional structure design and surface wettability regulation. To achieve the above purpose, the present invention proposes the following three interrelated technical solutions: (1) Three-dimensional water collection comb structure design: As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, a three-dimensional water-collecting comb structure is provided, which is integrally formed by 3D printing and includes a plurality of comb teeth units arranged in the vertical direction and a base connecting the comb teeth units. The comb teeth units are in the shape of slender columns and have sharp tips, and the bases are fixedly connected to the base. The plurality of comb teeth units are arranged on the base at a predetermined interval and with different inclination angles to form a three-dimensional water-collecting array structure, which can efficiently intercept tiny water droplets in the air from multiple directions. The surfaces of the comb teeth units have fine textures or roughness, which is beneficial to the condensation and adhesion of water vapor and the aggregation into droplets. The condensed water droplets slide down along the surfaces of the comb teeth units under the action of gravity and converge to the bases of the comb teeth. By using 3D printing technology to prepare this comb structure, complex three-dimensional shapes that are difficult to process by traditional processes can be realized, and the components are integrally connected with precise dimensions, thus ensuring a firm structure and a large specific surface area, and significantly improving the fog water capture efficiency and water collection capacity.

[0009] Surface coating and wettability regulation method (HL-SiO2 / HB-SiO2): As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, this technical solution provides a method for regulating the surface coating and wettability of a comb structure for functionalizing the above comb structure. This method uses two different wettability silica nanocoatings to partition and coat the comb surface: namely, the hydrophilic HL-SiO2 coating and the hydrophobic HB-SiO2 coating. Through a selective coating process, a hydrophobic / hydrophilic alternating wettability pattern is formed on the comb surface. For example, the HL-SiO2 hydrophilic coating is locally applied to the tip or windward surface of the comb to form a hydrophilic region, while the HB-SiO2 hydrophobic coating is applied to the side walls and the rest of the comb to form a hydrophobic region. The surfaces with wettability differences can simulate the characteristics of biological water-collecting surfaces, enabling tiny fog droplets in the air to preferentially adhere and condense in the hydrophilic region; when the water droplets grow to a certain size, they quickly slide down under the action of gravity and with the guidance of the hydrophobic region. Through the above coating and wettability regulation method, the fog droplets can aggregate more efficiently on the comb structure and flow directionally to its bottom, thereby improving the water collection efficiency. This surface coating process is compatible with the surfaces of complex 3D printing structures, with uniform coating adhesion and good weather resistance, ensuring the long-term stable operation of the device in the field environment.

[0010] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A method for preparing a surface-modified solution, Step 1: Prepare a Glymo solution: Mix pure water and maleic acid in a ratio of (500~700):(1~4), and dissolve them as reserve ①. Then, mix absolute ethanol and Glymo in a ratio of (3~5:2~5) and use it as reserve ②. Drop reserve ① into reserve ②, and then stir with a magnetic stirrer for more than 5 hours to prepare a Glymo solution; Step 2: Configure the Teos solution: Take Teos g and absolute ethanol and mix them in a ratio of (1 - 1.5: 2 - 2.5), stir for more than 30 minutes and set aside as standby ①. Then take HCl (37%) and H2O and mix them in a ratio of (0.5 - 1):(10 - 15), stir for more than 30 minutes and set aside as standby ②. Then pour standby ② into standby ①, and then use a magnetic stirrer to stir for more than 5 hours to prepare the Teos solution; Step 3: Prepare the hydrophilic (hydrophobic) SiO2 solution: Take absolute ethanol and SiO2 in a ratio of (20 - 30):(1.5 - 2), dissolve, and stir for more than 30 minutes to prepare the hydrophilic (hydrophobic) SiO2 solution.

[0011] Step 4: Prepare the Glymo and Teos mixed solution: Mix the prepared Glymo solution and Teos solution according to the mass ratio of (2 - 5: 3 - 4), and stir for more than 30 minutes after mixing to prepare the Glymo and Teos mixed solution; Step 5: Prepare the hydrophilic (hydrophobic) modified coating solution: Pour (40 - 60) ml of the Glymo and Teos mixed solution into the prepared SiO2 solution, and then stir for more than 30 minutes to prepare the hydrophilic modified coating solution.

[0012] Integrated water collection and storage device (adjustable wind direction, with water storage function): As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, this technical solution provides an integrated fog water collection and storage device for combining the above comb-shaped water collection structure with a water storage unit to form a complete system. The device includes a 3D-printed support frame, an installation mechanism with adjustable wind direction, and a water storage unit. A three-dimensional water collection comb structure treated with the above wettability coating is fixedly installed on the support frame as a fog capture component. The support frame is equipped with a connection mechanism with adjustable orientation (such as a rotating base or a wind vane) so that the comb structure can freely rotate or be manually adjusted and positioned according to the on-site wind direction, always facing the incoming wind direction to improve the fog droplet capture rate. A water storage unit is provided at the lower part of the device, which is connected to the water collection area of the comb structure and is used to collect and store the water droplets converged by the comb structure. The water storage unit may include a water collection funnel and a water storage container, which are connected by a pipeline or a channel to centrally introduce the water dripping from the comb structure into the container for storage. The entire water collection and storage device realizes the integrated design of fog water collection and storage. All components can be manufactured by 3D printing. The device structure is light and easy to disassemble and assemble, can be modularly expanded as needed, and can be conveniently transported and deployed in the field environment to meet the use requirements of long-term autonomous water collection.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, a method for modifying the surface of a fog water collection structure by using a surface modification solution is as follows: S1: Place the mist water collection structure to be modified into a beaker, pour anhydrous ethanol into the beaker to completely immerse the mist water collection structure, and then ultrasonically clean it in an ultrasonic cleaner for 10 minutes; S2: After cleaning, the mist water collection structure is blown dry again until the anhydrous ethanol on the surface of the mist water collection structure is blown dry; S3: Put the prepared modified solution into the cell disruptor, turn on the ultrasound for 1 second, turn off for 1 second, and take it out after working for 2 minutes at 60% power; S3: Soak the mist water collection structure in the modified solution, take out the mist water collection structure after about 10 seconds, and then blow dry the surface modified solution, repeat the soaking step again after drying, and then repeat the drying, soaking, and drying for about ten times, until the surface coating is evenly wrapped on the surface of the mist water collection structure; S4: placing the mist water collecting structure after soaking and drying in a vacuum drying oven to dry the mist water collecting structure. After drying, the surface modification step is completed.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. Significantly improved water collection efficiency: The three-dimensional conical comb structure proposed in the present invention combined with the spherical protrusion design on the surface greatly improves the droplet interception ability per unit volume and area, forming a multi-scale heterogeneous fog collection surface. Compared with the traditional planar mesh fog collector, it has a higher droplet capture rate, and the droplets are easier to condense, aggregate and guide the convergence, effectively improving the water collection efficiency per unit time.

[0015] 2. Possessing directional transport capability: The conical structure naturally forms a surface energy gradient and capillary guidance effect from the tip to the base, and combined with the hydrophilic and hydrophobic gradient distribution design, it can realize the "active guidance + rapid rolling" combined transport mechanism of droplets, prevent water droplet retention and anti-evaporation, and improve the integrity of droplet collection.

[0016] 3. Excellent anti-clogging performance of the structure: The three-dimensional arranged conical tooth array structure adopted forms an open network with good permeability, which can effectively avoid the problem of liquid bridge blockage caused by traditional mesh fog net under high humidity or dust conditions, and improve the stability of long-term continuous operation.

[0017] 4. Flexible and efficient preparation method: The water collection structure, spherical protrusions and base are integrally formed in the present invention, all of which are completed through 3D printing. It has the advantages of rapid prototyping, batch replication, fine structure, and adjustable parameters. It breaks through the difficulties of complex processing and cumbersome assembly of traditional mist collection structures, and is easy to promote, apply and customize.

[0018] 5. Stable coating and controllable modification: The wet chemical mask coating method adopted can accurately control the distribution of hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions and form a dense and uniform nano-coating on the surface of the structure, solving the problems of poor durability and complex processes of traditional hydrophilic / hydrophobic coatings, and improving the overall service life and performance stability.

[0019] 6. Strong practicality of the integrated system: The present invention further constructs a water storage device linked with the three-dimensional comb structure, which not only realizes efficient fog droplet capture and water body diversion and storage, but also has outdoor adaptability functions such as adjustable wind direction and anti-evaporation structure. The system is compact and highly portable, and is particularly suitable for the actual application needs in arid and remote areas. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of the three-dimensional water collection comb structure in the embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is Figure 1 an overall assembled three-dimensional schematic diagram of the three-dimensional water collection comb structure shown in the integrated device; Figure 3 is a side view structure schematic diagram of the water collection device of the present invention; Figure 4 is Figure 3 a sectional view structure schematic diagram of the water collection device shown; Figure 5 is a three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of the water storage module; Figure 6 is a separate structure sectional view of the water storage module; Figure 7 is a three-dimensional diagram of the rectangular frame structure for assembling the FHC module; Figure 8 is a three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of the linkage drive plate assembly; Figure 9 is Figure 4 a partial enlarged sectional view of the micro-perforated water collection funnel assembly in; Figure 10 is a water collection test result diagram of the three-dimensional water collection comb structure and a water storage experiment result diagram of the integrated device in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] In the figure: 1. Three-dimensional water collection comb base; 2. Conical comb unit; 3. Spherical convex structure; 4. Comb tooth array arrangement area; 5. Module installation connection shaft; 6. FHC module (Fog-Harvesting Comb); 7. Adjustable support rotating shaft (drive connection part); 8. Water collection frame; 9. Micro-perforated diversion funnel plate; 10. Water storage tank body (water collection cavity); 11. Water outlet channel (inclined conduit); 12. Support connection slot (sliding type); 13. Device shell; 14. Assembly rectangular frame; 15. Fixed buckle / card slot (frame mounting part); 16. Linkage drive plate; 17. Drainage hole; a. Water collection experiment results with different tapers; b. Water collection experiment results with different surface wettabilities; c. Water collection experiment results with different numbers of convex balls; d. Water collection rates with different tapers; e. Water collection rates with different surface wettabilities; f. Water collection rates with different numbers of convex balls; g. Water storage evaporation experiment result diagram of the integrated device; h. Water collection rates of the integrated device with different windward swing directions. Detailed implementation mode

[0022] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Embodiment

[0023] In this embodiment, a method for preparing a surface modification solution: Step 1: Prepare a Glymo solution: Take 48 g of pure water and 0.4 g of maleic acid, dissolve the two as reserve ①, then take 25 g of absolute ethanol and 30 g of Glymo, mix the two as reserve ②, drop reserve ① into reserve ②, and then stir with a magnetic stirrer for 5 hours to prepare a Glymo solution; Step 2: Prepare a Teos solution: Take 36 g of Teos and 50 g of absolute ethanol, mix and stir for ten minutes as reserve ①, then take 0.8 g of HCl (37%) and 15.7 g of H2O, mix and stir for ten minutes as reserve ②, then pour reserve ② into reserve ①, and then stir with a magnetic stirrer for 5 hours to prepare a Teos solution; Step 3: Prepare a hydrophilic (hydrophobic) SiO2 solution: Take 200 g of absolute ethanol and 3.5 g of SiO2 (hydrophilic), dissolve and stir for 30 minutes to prepare a hydrophilic SiO2 solution, and then take 200 g of absolute ethanol and 3.5 g of SiO2 (hydrophobic), dissolve and stir for 30 minutes to prepare a hydrophobic SiO2 solution; Step 4: Prepare a mixed solution of Glymo and Teos: Mix the prepared Glymo solution and Teos solution according to a mass ratio of 2.5:3, and stir for 30 minutes after mixing to prepare a mixed solution of Glymo and Teos; Step 5: Prepare a hydrophilic (hydrophobic) modified coating solution: Pour 40 ml of the mixed solution of Glymo and Teos into the prepared hydrophilic SiO2 solution, and then stir for 30 minutes to prepare a hydrophilic modified coating solution.

[0024] Pour 40 ml of the mixed solution of Glymo and Teos into the prepared hydrophobic SiO2 solution, and then stir for 30 minutes to prepare a hydrophobic modified coating solution.

[0025] In this embodiment, a method for surface-modifying the surface of a fog water collection structure with a surface-modifying solution S1: Place the fog water collection structure to be modified in a beaker, pour anhydrous ethanol into the beaker that can completely submerge the fog water collection structure, and then ultrasonically clean it in an ultrasonic cleaner for 30 minutes; S2: After cleaning, dry the fog water collection structure until the anhydrous ethanol on the surface of the fog water collection structure is dried; S3: Put the prepared modified solution into a cell crusher, with a power of 50%, ultrasonic on for 2 s, off for 1 s, and take it out after working for 3 minutes; S3: Immerse the fog water collection structure in the modified solution, take out the fog water collection structure after about 30 s, then dry the surface-modifying solution, and repeat the immersion step again after drying, then dry, immerse, and dry about ten times, and it can be found that the surface coating evenly wraps around the surface of the fog water collection structure; S4: Put the fog water collection structure after immersion and drying into a vacuum drying oven to dry the fog water collection structure, and the surface modification step can be completed after drying.

[0026] In this embodiment, as Figures 1 to 4 shown, a 3D-printed three-dimensional water collection comb and its water storage device include components such as an FHC module 6, a water collection frame 8, a micro-perforated diversion funnel plate 9, a water storage tank 10, a water outlet channel 11, a linkage drive plate 16, etc., and all components can be prepared and formed by 3D printing to achieve modular integration and rapid assembly.

[0027] Specifically, as Figure 1 and Figure 6As shown, the FHC module 6 includes a three-dimensional water collection comb tooth base 1 and a plurality of conical comb tooth units 2, and the conical comb tooth units 2 are provided with a plurality of spherical protrusion structures 3 in sequence from top to bottom to form a gradient fog collection surface. A plurality of FHC modules 6 are installed in the supporting connection slot 12 of the water collection frame 8 through the module installation connection shaft 5, and are arranged to form a dense comb tooth array arrangement area 4. The arrangement structure forms a multi-directional droplet capture interface to improve the omnidirectional water collection efficiency.

[0028] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 7 As shown, the FHC module 6 is integrally mounted on an assembled rectangular frame 14, and a plurality of fixing buckles / slots 15 are provided on the outside of the frame 14, which can be quickly assembled and disassembled with the water collection frame 8. The bottom of the water collection frame 8 is connected to a micro-perforated guide funnel plate 9, and a plurality of drainage holes 17 are provided on the surface of the guide plate to collect droplets falling from the FHC comb teeth and guide them into the water storage structure.

[0029] like Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the water storage tank 10 is connected below the guide funnel plate 9. The water storage tank 10 is a closed hollow cavity. The internal structure guides the incoming droplets and discharges them in a directional manner through the water outlet channel 11 on the lower right side. The water outlet channel 11 is provided with a certain inclination angle so that the water can flow out smoothly under unpowered conditions or be combined with the subsequent filtering structure to facilitate water resource recovery and use.

[0030] like Figure 8 As shown, the water collecting frame 8 is connected to the linkage driving plate 16, and the linkage driving plate 16 is hinged and fixed to the device housing 13 through an adjustable supporting rotating shaft 7. The rotating shaft 7 can adjust the angle manually or automatically, so that the water collecting device can change its windward surface according to the ambient wind direction, thereby always maintaining the maximum wind capture direction and improving the efficiency of atmospheric droplet introduction.

[0031] like Figure 9 As shown, the micro-perforated guide funnel plate 9 is provided with a certain slope inside, and the inside of the funnel and the edge of the shell form a gradient water collection chamber structure. Each drainage hole 17 is opened in the upper area of the slope, with fine pore size and uniform distribution, which can effectively inhibit backflow and aerosol backflow, and at the same time guide the droplet to converge at the center, quickly introduce it into the water storage box 10, and reduce the droplet retention time on the surface and the probability of secondary evaporation.

[0032] In this overall structure, the FHC module 6 is the core for fog capture. The comb tooth array 4 and the spherical protrusion structure 3 cooperate to form a multi-stage fog capture platform. The micro-perforated diversion funnel plate 9 and the water storage tank body 10 constitute a three-dimensional diversion and water storage system. The linkage drive plate 16 and the adjustable support rotating shaft 7 constitute an active adjustment mechanism to assist in achieving the maximum water collection effect. Each component is quickly assembled through slots, plug-ins or hinges. The whole set of systems is easy to carry, deploy and maintain, and is suitable for long-term operation in the wild, arid or water-scarce areas.

[0033] To further verify the comprehensive performance of the three-dimensional water collection comb tooth structure and the water collection and storage device described in the present invention, a number of experiments were carried out, including taper angle optimization, surface wettability regulation, number adjustment of spherical protrusions, module installation angle selection, water collection capacity and evaporation suppression performance of the overall integrated device (IFHD), etc. The results are as Figure 10 shown: Figure 10 (a) shows the water collection mass curves of FHT devices with different tapers (2.5°–5°) within 120 minutes, and the 4.5° sample obtains the best collection rate; Figure 10 (b)(e) compare the water collection performance of untreated, hydrophilic (SHL), and hydrophobic (SHB) modified surfaces under the same structure, and the SHL-FHT shows the best performance; Figure 10 (c)(f) show that the more the number of spherical protrusions, the higher the water collection rate per unit area; Figure 10 (h) shows that the IFHD integrated system has the highest water collection rate per unit area (exceeding 1200 mg·cm⁻²·h⁻¹) when installed at a 45° inclination angle; Figure 10 (g) shows that after adding the micro-perforated diversion device, compared with the bare state, the evaporation loss of water body is significantly reduced, and the water storage capacity is improved.

[0034] The experimental results show that the multi-parameter collaborative optimization strategy proposed in the present invention significantly improves the water collection efficiency and system stability, and has good practicability and popularization.

[0035] Finally, it should be noted that the above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, for those skilled in the art, they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A 3D printed three-dimensional water-collecting comb tooth and its water storage device, characterized in that, Comprising: A three-dimensional water-collecting comb-tooth base (1), the base being integrally formed by 3D printing; a plurality of conical comb-tooth units (2), uniformly arranged on the base (1) and arranged in an array to form a comb-tooth array arrangement area (4), and a plurality of spherical convex structures (3) being provided on the surface of each conical comb-tooth unit (2); an FHC module (6), including the three-dimensional fog-catching module composed of the base (1), the conical comb-tooth units (2) and the spherical convex structures (3), and being installed on a water-collecting frame (8) through a module installation connection shaft (5); a water-collecting frame (8), for accommodating and fixing a plurality of FHC modules (6), and a micro-perforated diversion funnel plate (9) being connected to the bottom thereof; a micro-perforated diversion funnel plate (9), being a funnel-shaped structure with diversion holes (17), for guiding liquid droplets into a water storage tank body (10); a water storage tank body (10), arranged below the diversion funnel plate (9), for receiving and storing the collected water liquid; a water outlet channel (11), arranged on one side of the lower part of the water storage tank body (10), for guiding the liquid to be discharged; a linkage drive plate (16), connected to the water-collecting frame (8) and connected to a device housing (13) through an adjustable support rotating shaft (7), for adjusting the overall windward angle of the FHC module (6).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spherical convex structures (3) are arranged at equal intervals and are arranged from the tip to the bottom of the conical comb-tooth unit (2).

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The FHC module (6) is detachably installed in an assembly rectangular frame (14), and the frame (14) is connected to the water-collecting frame (8) through a fixed buckle or a clamping groove (15).

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The micro-perforated diversion funnel plate (9) has an inclined surface structure, and the diversion holes (17) are uniformly distributed along the inclined surface, for forming a gravity-guided liquid droplet flow path.

5. A method for preparing a coating for surface modification of a fog water collection structure, characterized in that, Including the following steps: Step 1: Prepare a Glymo solution, mix 48 g of pure water with 0.4 g of maleic acid to obtain a first solution; Mix 25 g of absolute ethanol with 30 g of 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (Glymo) to obtain a second solution; drop the first solution into the second solution and stir magnetically for 5 hours to obtain a Glymo solution; Step two: Prepare a TEOS solution. Mix 36 g of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) with 50 g of absolute ethanol and stir for 10 minutes to obtain a first solution; mix 0.8 g of concentrated hydrochloric acid (37%) with 15.7 g of deionized water and stir for 10 minutes to obtain a second solution; add the second solution to the first solution and then stir for 5 hours to obtain a TEOS solution; Step three: Prepare a SiO2 dispersion. Add 3.5 g of hydrophilic SiO2 nanoparticles to 200 g of absolute ethanol and stir for 30 minutes to obtain a hydrophilic SiO2 dispersion; separately add 3.5 g of hydrophobic SiO2 nanoparticles to 200 g of absolute ethanol and stir for 30 minutes to obtain a hydrophobic SiO2 dispersion; Step four: Prepare a modified premix. Mix the Glymo solution and the TEOS solution in a mass ratio of 2.5:3 and stir for 30 minutes to obtain a Glymo-TEOS mixture; Step five: Prepare a modified coating solution. Add 40 mL of the Glymo-TEOS mixture to the hydrophilic SiO2 dispersion and the hydrophobic SiO2 dispersion respectively, and stir for 30 minutes to obtain a hydrophilic modified coating solution and a hydrophobic modified coating solution respectively.

6. A method for surface modification of a fog water collection structure using the coating liquid described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: S1: Cleaning and drying. Immerse the fog water collection structure to be modified in absolute ethanol, clean it ultrasonically for 30 minutes, take it out and blow it dry; S2: Treating the modified liquid. Put the hydrophilic modified coating solution or the hydrophobic modified coating solution into a cell disruptor, with a power of 50%, ultrasonic mode on for 2 s and off for 1 s, treat for 3 minutes, take it out and set aside; S3: Multiple dip-coating treatments. Immerse the collection structure in the treated coating solution, soak it for about 30 seconds and then take it out and blow it dry. Repeat the above soaking and blowing steps 10 times until a uniform film is formed on the surface of the structure; S4: Heat treatment for fixation. Put the structure completed with dip-coating into a vacuum drying oven and dry it at a set temperature to complete the curing of the surface coating.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein In the soaking-blowing step, each time of blowing dry is carried out using compressed gas or oil-free air for low-temperature rapid drying.

8. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The temperature range of the heat treatment process is 80 - 120 °C and the time is 30 - 60 minutes.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein The modification method is applicable to the surface of polymers made by three-dimensional printing, especially the spherical convex surface of the fog water collection comb structure.

Images