Seawater evaporator with double functions of real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of seawater evaporators, and discloses a real-time light following and salinity monitoring dual-function seawater evaporator and a preparation method thereof.A photo-thermal layer is made of tencel cloth subjected to polypyrrole loading and asymmetric oxidation modification of an APS solution, so that the photo-thermal layer can generate voltage in a humid environment; and the voltage signal is in negative correlation with the concentration of the surface salt solution. The system continuously monitors the voltage value, and when the voltage is lower than a set threshold (indicating that the salinity concentration is too high), the controller instructs the stepping motor to drive the blades to rotate, so that the whole evaporator is temporarily immersed into the water body below. Through the scouring effect of water flow, accumulated salt crystals are effectively removed, and then the device recovers the working posture. The process realizes full-automatic salt cleaning as required, and thoroughly gets rid of the traditional manual maintenance, thereby not only ensuring the continuous and stable high-performance output of the evaporator, but also greatly improving the use convenience and the long-term reliability of the system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of seawater evaporators, and particularly relates to a dual-function seawater evaporator with real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring, and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Freshwater scarcity is one of the major challenges facing the world today. More than 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, but the vast majority of it is seawater that cannot be directly used. Therefore, developing efficient and low-energy-consumption seawater desalination technologies is of great significance for solving the global water crisis. Against this backdrop, solar energy, due to its abundant reserves, wide distribution, and clean, pollution-free nature, is considered an ideal energy source for driving the seawater desalination process.

[0003] Solar-driven seawater desalination technology is mainly divided into indirect and direct methods. Indirect methods (such as multi-stage flash evaporation and reverse osmosis) typically require converting solar energy into heat or electricity before using this energy for desalination. This process is complex, the system is large, and the cost is high. Direct methods, namely interfacial photothermal evaporation technology, are a highly efficient and low-cost solution that has emerged in recent years. This technology uses a localized heating strategy, placing photothermal materials at the water-air interface to heat only the surface water, thereby greatly reducing heat loss and significantly improving the utilization efficiency of solar energy. As the core device of this technology, the photothermal seawater evaporator typically has two functions: photothermal conversion (absorbing light energy and converting it into heat energy) and water supply (transporting water to the heating area). It exhibits significant advantages such as simple structure, ease of miniaturization, and flexible deployment, and has broad application prospects in remote areas and off-grid scenarios.

[0004] Despite the promising prospects of interfacial photothermal evaporation technology, its practical application still faces a series of specific technical bottlenecks. The existing technology closely related to the improvements of this invention mainly lies in three aspects: evaporator structure, light tracing, and salt management.

[0005] Inherent Defects in Structural Optics Efficiency: Most evaporators currently studied are two-dimensional planar structures. This structure has two major inherent defects: First, its spatial orientation is fixed, making it unable to track the moving sun, resulting in excessively large incident angles of light for most of the day, causing significant "cosine loss" and low effective light absorption. Second, and more fundamentally, planar structures only have one opportunity to absorb incident light, with some scattered and reflected light being directly lost into the environment.

[0006] Lack of adaptive light-tracking capability: Most evaporators currently under extensive research are static structures. Once these structures are fabricated, their spatial orientation and angle of light reception remain fixed. However, the sun's position in the sky changes constantly over time. Fixed structures mean that the evaporator cannot be perpendicularly aligned with sunlight for most of the day, resulting in low solar energy capture efficiency and limiting the average evaporation performance throughout the day.

[0007] To overcome the shortcomings of fixed structures, some studies have attempted to rotate the entire evaporator unit using external mechanical devices (such as large solar tracking brackets). However, such solutions are typically complex, energy-intensive, and expensive, and are not conducive to the miniaturization and integration of evaporators, making practical application difficult. An adaptive solar tracking technology that can be integrated into the evaporator itself, has a simple structure, and low power consumption is urgently needed in this field.

[0008] Salt Accumulation and Maintenance Challenges: During continuous evaporation, salt from seawater crystallizes and precipitates on the surface of the photothermal layer. The resulting salt crust severely hinders light absorption and water transport, leading to a sharp decline in the evaporation rate. Existing strategies mainly fall into two categories: one is designing superhydrophilic surface structures to diffuse salt back into the water body using the Marangoni effect, but this method has limited effectiveness in high-concentration brine; the other is intermittent manual or externally powered cleaning (such as spraying or soaking), but this not only increases maintenance costs and operational complexity but also interrupts the evaporation process, affecting continuous water production capacity. Therefore, developing a mechanism that can detect salt accumulation in real time and trigger autonomous, non-destructive cleaning is crucial to ensuring the long-term stable operation of the evaporator.

[0009] Related existing technologies:

[0010] 1. CN 115925022A: A three-dimensional seawater desalination evaporator with a sunflower-inspired biomimetic structure and its preparation technology

[0011] The patent discloses a three-dimensional evaporator based on a biomimetic "sunflower" structure, which has the characteristics of shape memory, omnidirectional light tracking, self-healing and photothermal response.

[0012] 2. "Solar-driven evaporation device for desalination system" (public technology)

[0013] This structure is a floating interface solar evaporation structure, including a heat-insulating floating layer, a water-conducting fiber capillary layer, and a photothermal absorption layer, which is used for local evaporation and separation of concentrated and fresh water on the water surface.

[0014] For example, although CN 115925022A has a biomimetic light-tracking structure, it does not disclose a real-time electrical signal monitoring mechanism for the salt crystallization process, nor does it detail the feedback control strategy during salt accumulation. It lacks an overall control scheme that organically couples "light tracking" with "salt monitoring / regulation".

[0015] In structures like "Solar-driven evaporation devices," a thermal insulation layer combined with water-conducting fibers is often used to balance buoyancy, insulation, and water supply. However, during long-term operation, issues such as heat loss, uneven or blocked capillary water supply, and salt backflow accumulation may arise, which can reduce evaporation efficiency or shorten the structure's lifespan.

[0016] Most of these technologies are fixed structures or passive designs, lacking mechanisms for active adjustment of the evaporation surface (such as biaxial sun tracking or tilt angle adjustment) and salt removal / self-cleaning. Efficiency declines rapidly when salt crystal thickness accumulates continuously or when there are deviations in the illumination angle. Summary of the Invention

[0017] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention provides a dual-function seawater evaporator with real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring, and its preparation method.

[0018] This invention is implemented as follows: a dual-function seawater evaporator for real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring includes:

[0019] Evaporator body and attitude control system;

[0020] The main body of the evaporator is used for real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring of seawater.

[0021] An attitude control system is used to control the attitude of the evaporator body.

[0022] The main body of the evaporator includes a support and deformation structure, a water absorption layer, and a photothermal layer;

[0023] The attitude control system includes a solar orientation recognition module, a voltage acquisition module, and an actuator.

[0024] The seawater evaporator of this invention achieves real-time identification of the sun's position through an attitude control system. The sun position identification module continuously monitors the sun's altitude and azimuth angles and transmits the obtained data to the control core. Based on this data, the actuator drives the support and deformation structure to automatically adjust the tilt angle and direction of the evaporator body, ensuring that the photothermal layer always faces the sunlight, thereby maintaining the optimal incident angle, improving light energy utilization, and ensuring the continuity and efficiency of the evaporation process.

[0025] The evaporator body contains a water-absorbing layer made of porous hydrophilic material, which can uniformly absorb and diffuse externally supplied seawater onto the surface of the photothermal layer. Under the heating effect of sunlight, the seawater adsorbed on the surface of the photothermal layer rapidly heats up and evaporates. The generated water vapor is condensed into fresh water in an external condensation device, thereby achieving seawater desalination.

[0026] As moisture evaporates, residual salt gradually accumulates and crystallizes on the surface of the photothermal layer. The salt coverage causes changes in the surface voltage signal or optical properties of the photothermal layer. The voltage acquisition module collects these changes in real time and compares them with preset thresholds to monitor the salt deposition rate and thickness, thus enabling real-time monitoring of the salt crystallization state.

[0027] When the voltage acquisition module detects excessively rapid salt deposition or changes in illumination conditions, the control system automatically adjusts the evaporator's orientation based on the monitoring signals. For example, it can reduce the incident light intensity by changing the angle of the evaporator body, thus slowing down the salt crystallization rate; or it can improve illumination efficiency by fine-tuning the tracking angle, thereby accelerating seawater evaporation. This adaptive feedback control mechanism effectively balances evaporation efficiency and salt crystallization rate.

[0028] By coordinating the operation of the evaporator body and the attitude control system, this invention not only achieves efficient capture and utilization of solar energy, but also enables real-time monitoring and regulation of the salt deposition process, preventing performance degradation of the photothermal layer due to excessive salt accumulation. This system can maintain stable operation under various climatic and environmental conditions, and boasts advantages such as high energy efficiency, high automation, and wide applicability, making it suitable for various scenarios including island water supply, coastal aquaculture, and ship desalination.

[0029] Furthermore, the support and deformation structure:

[0030] It includes a base (6×6cm bottom, 5cm height), two blades (6×6cm), and a metal pin; the base and blades are connected by a hinge structure, and each of the two blades has a hole for installing a stepper motor on one side;

[0031] The base and blades are made of polylactic acid (PLA) and manufactured using a 3D printer with a nozzle diameter of 0.4 mm, a printing speed of 150 mm / s, and nozzle and platform temperatures of 220°C and 60°C, respectively.

[0032] Furthermore, the absorbent layer:

[0033] It consists of two pieces of hydrophilic Tencel fabric (6×18cm); the two pieces of Tencel fabric run through the above-mentioned support and deformation structure, extending from the surface of the sheet to the bottom of the water; the thickness of the Tencel fabric is 1mm;

[0034] The photothermal layer:

[0035] It consists of two pieces of modified Tencel fabric (6×6); the two pieces of Tencel fabric are laid on the surface of two sheets and completely cover the hydrophilic Tencel fabric; unlike the hydrophilic Tencel fabric, the thickness of this Tencel fabric is 2mm; the specific modification process is as follows:

[0036] ① Clean impurities and oil stains on the surface of the fabric: Soak in a sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate solution with a concentration of 0.01g / mL for 10 minutes, then rinse with clean water until there is no obvious foam on the surface;

[0037] ② Soak in a ferric chloride solution with a concentration of 0.57 g / mL for 10 min;

[0038] ③ Load the fabric with polypyrrole (polypyrrole (ppy) has good photothermal properties and good electrical conductivity): Add pyrrole (py) dropwise to the ferric chloride solution soaked with the fabric. The volume ratio of pyrrole to ferric chloride solution is 3:100. Let it stand for 30 minutes, then rinse with water until there are no obvious lumps, and then dry at 50°C.

[0039] ④ Oxidize a section of the fabric to generate polypyrrole peroxide (oppy): Mix ammonium persulfate solution (APS) with dilute hydrochloric acid to obtain an oxidant with concentrations of 1.0 mol / L for ammonium persulfate and 1.5 mol / L for hydrochloric acid; immerse half of the dried fabric in the oxidant and react in an ice bath environment for 10 min, then rinse with water and finally dry in an environment of 40℃.

[0040] The Tencel fabric modified using this method has a light absorption efficiency of over 85% and a stable output of 0.8–0.9V when fully wetted with fresh water.

[0041] Furthermore, the solar orientation recognition module:

[0042] It consists of two photoresistors, two 1kΩ resistors, and a D2822 operational amplifier; the two photoresistors are mounted on opposite sides of the chip.

[0043] When the sun is on the left, the resistance of RG1 is smaller than that of RG2, so the voltage across RG1 is smaller than that across R1, and OUT1 outputs a high level. The voltage across RG2 is larger than that across R2, and OUT2 outputs a low level. Similarly, when the sun is on the right, OUT1 outputs a low level and OUT2 outputs a high level, thus achieving the purpose of identifying the sun's position.

[0044] Furthermore, the voltage acquisition module:

[0045] It consists of a PCF8591 analog-to-digital converter (DAC), an STC89C51 microcontroller, and a set of 4-digit seven-segment displays. Its workflow is as follows:

[0046] The digital-to-analog converter converts the acquired analog voltage into a digital value of 0 to 255. The microcontroller calculates the actual voltage value from the digital value, and the digital tube displays the voltage value.

[0047] Furthermore, the actuator:

[0048] It consists of two stepper motors and their drivers. The stepper motors are model 28BYJ-48 stepper motors, and the drivers are model ULN2003AN. The two stepper motors are respectively installed at the shafts of the two blades and control the rotation of the two blades respectively. The actuator is integrated with the above two modules and is controlled by the above two modules.

[0049] Another objective of this invention is to provide a method for preparing a dual-function seawater evaporator with real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring, comprising:

[0050] Step 1: Real-time monitoring of seawater's salinity and sunlight through the evaporator body;

[0051] Step 2: Control the attitude of the evaporator body through the attitude control system.

[0052] Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer device, the computer device including a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program, the computer program being executed by the processor causing the processor to perform the steps of the method for preparing a dual-function seawater evaporator with real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring.

[0053] Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the steps of the method for preparing a dual-function seawater evaporator with real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring.

[0054] Another objective of this invention is to provide an information data processing terminal for implementing the dual-function seawater evaporator that combines real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring.

[0055] Based on the above technical solutions and the technical problems solved, the advantages and positive effects of the technical solution to be protected by this invention are as follows:

[0056] Inspired by the phototropism mechanism of sunflowers, this invention designs a novel photothermal seawater evaporator with real-time sun-facing and self-cleaning functions. The core innovation of this device lies in the efficient synergy between its three-layer composite structure and intelligent control system. Specifically, the evaporator adopts a three-dimensional angled design, consisting of a photothermal layer, a water-absorbing layer, and a deformation layer from top to bottom. The deformation layer, serving as a movable base, is made of 3D-printed PLA material, and its unique double-blade structure can rotate freely via a pivot, thus flexibly adjusting the spatial orientation of the entire evaporator. This design fundamentally solves the problem of low light energy capture efficiency caused by a fixed orientation, laying the structural foundation for active light tracking.

[0057] To improve light utilization, this design integrates a real-time light-tracking system simulating that of a sunflower. This system uses two photoresistors to detect the location of the light source in real time and drives a stepper motor to control the independent rotation of two blades in the deformation layer, ensuring the photothermal layer maintains the optimal angle with the incident light. This dynamic adjustment mechanism ensures that the device maximizes light energy reception throughout the day, significantly improving solar energy utilization efficiency and evaporation rate. Its simple and reliable structure effectively avoids the high costs associated with complex control systems.

[0058] To address the critical challenge of salt accumulation, this invention innovatively develops an autonomous cleaning system based on electrical signal feedback. The photothermal layer is made of Tencel fabric modified with polypyrrole loading and APS solution through asymmetric oxidation, enabling it to generate voltage in a humid environment. This voltage signal is negatively correlated with the surface salt solution concentration. The system continuously monitors this voltage value. When the voltage falls below a set threshold (indicating excessively high salt concentration), the controller instructs a stepper motor to drive the blades to rotate, briefly immersing the entire evaporator in the water below. The accumulated salt crystals are effectively removed through the flushing action of the water flow, and the device then returns to its operating state. This process achieves fully automated, on-demand salt cleaning, completely eliminating the need for traditional manual maintenance. It not only ensures the evaporator's continuous and stable high-performance output but also greatly improves ease of use and the system's long-term reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0059] Figure 1 This is a structural block diagram of a dual-function seawater evaporator for real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 2 This is an assembly structure diagram provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 3 This is the dynamic process provided in the embodiments of the present invention; a) left side facing the sun; b) right side facing the sun; c) clean state; d) water body;

[0062] Figure 4The generator mechanism provided in this embodiment of the invention; a) oxidized side; b) unoxidized side; c) solution;

[0063] Figure 5 This is a voltage variation curve as a function of NaCl solution concentration provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0064] Figure 6 This is a circuit schematic diagram of the solar orientation recognition module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0065] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the photoresistor installation provided in an embodiment of the present invention; a) photoresistor RG1; b) photoresistor RG2;

[0066] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the voltage acquisition module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0067] Figure 9 This is a circuit schematic diagram provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0068] Figure 10 This is a flowchart provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0069] Figure 11 These are light absorption efficiency diagrams of different device surfaces provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0070] Figure 12 This is a graph showing the total evaporation of different devices within 1 hour, provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] Figure 13 This is a graph showing the total evaporation per unit area of ​​different devices within 8 hours, provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] Figure 14 This is a flowchart of the preparation method of the dual-function seawater evaporator with real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0073] In the diagram: 1. Evaporator body; 2. Attitude control system; 3. Blade 1; 4. Blade 2; 5. Base. Detailed Implementation

[0074] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0075] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a dual-function seawater evaporator for real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring, comprising:

[0076] Evaporator body 1; Attitude control system 2;

[0077] Evaporator body 1 is used for real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring of seawater;

[0078] Attitude control system 2 is used to control the attitude of the evaporator body;

[0079] The evaporator body 1 includes a support and deformation structure, a water absorption layer, and a photothermal layer;

[0080] The attitude control system 2 includes a solar orientation recognition module, a voltage acquisition module, and an actuator.

[0081] The support and deformation structure provided in the embodiments of the present invention:

[0082] It includes a base 5 (6×6cm bottom, 5cm height), two blades (6×6cm), and a metal pin; the base 5 and blades 3 and 4 are connected by a hinge structure, and each of the two blades has a hole for installing a stepper motor on one side; Figure 2 For the assembly of this structure, Figure 3 It is a dynamic process;

[0083] The base and blades are made of polylactic acid (PLA) and manufactured using a 3D printer with a nozzle diameter of 0.4 mm, a printing speed of 150 mm / s, and nozzle and platform temperatures of 220°C and 60°C, respectively.

[0084] The water-absorbing layer provided in this embodiment of the invention:

[0085] It consists of two pieces of hydrophilic Tencel fabric (6×18cm); the two pieces of Tencel fabric run through the above-mentioned support and deformation structure, extending from the surface of the sheet to the bottom of the water; the thickness of the Tencel fabric is 1mm;

[0086] The photothermal layer:

[0087] It consists of two pieces of modified Tencel fabric (6×6); the two pieces of Tencel fabric are laid on the surface of two sheets and completely cover the hydrophilic Tencel fabric; unlike the hydrophilic Tencel fabric, the thickness of this Tencel fabric is 2mm; the specific modification process is as follows:

[0088] ① Clean impurities and oil stains on the surface of the fabric: Soak in a sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate solution with a concentration of 0.01g / mL for 10 minutes, then rinse with clean water until there is no obvious foam on the surface;

[0089] ② Soak in a ferric chloride solution with a concentration of 0.57 g / mL for 10 min;

[0090] ③ Load the fabric with polypyrrole (polypyrrole (ppy) has good photothermal properties and good electrical conductivity): Add pyrrole (py) dropwise to the ferric chloride solution soaked with the fabric. The volume ratio of pyrrole to ferric chloride solution is 3:100. Let it stand for 30 minutes, then rinse with water until there are no obvious lumps, and then dry at 50°C.

[0091] ④ Oxidize a section of the fabric to generate polypyrrole peroxide (oppy): Mix ammonium persulfate solution (APS) with dilute hydrochloric acid to obtain an oxidant with concentrations of 1.0 mol / L for ammonium persulfate and 1.5 mol / L for hydrochloric acid; immerse half of the dried fabric in the oxidant and react in an ice bath environment for 10 min, then rinse with water and finally dry in an environment of 40℃.

[0092] The Tencel fabric modified using this method has a light absorption efficiency of over 85% and a stable output of 0.8–0.9V when fully wetted with fresh water.

[0093] The principle of power generation involves the electric double layer theory, and the specific mechanism is as follows: The surface of the fabric loaded with ppy carries a positive charge. When it is wetted, the fabric surface will adsorb counterions (hydroxyl ions) from deionized water and form an electric double layer. This electric double layer can be regarded as a parallel capacitor, thereby generating an electric potential. The charge density on the ppy side is greater than that on the oppy side. Therefore, when the fabric is completely wetted, a potential difference will be generated on both sides. Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the power generation principle. Figure 5 This is a curve showing the change in voltage with the concentration of NaCl solution.

[0094] The solar orientation recognition module provided in this embodiment of the invention:

[0095] It consists of two photoresistors, two 1kΩ resistors, and an operational amplifier of model D2822; the two photoresistors are respectively mounted on both sides of the chip. Figure 6 This is the circuit schematic. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the photoresistor installation; its working principle is as follows:

[0096] When the sun is on the left, the resistance of RG1 is smaller than that of RG2, so the voltage across RG1 is smaller than that across R1, and OUT1 outputs a high level. The voltage across RG2 is larger than that across R2, and OUT2 outputs a low level. Similarly, when the sun is on the right, OUT1 outputs a low level and OUT2 outputs a high level, thus achieving the purpose of identifying the sun's position.

[0097] The voltage acquisition module provided in this embodiment of the invention:

[0098] It consists of a PCF8591 analog-to-digital converter (DAC), an STC89C51 microcontroller, and a set of 4-digit seven-segment displays. Its workflow is as follows:

[0099] The digital-to-analog converter converts the acquired analog voltage into a digital value of 0 to 255. The microcontroller calculates the actual voltage value from the digital value, and the digital tube displays the voltage value. Figure 8 This is a workflow diagram.

[0100] The actuator provided in this embodiment of the invention:

[0101] It consists of two stepper motors and their drivers. The stepper motors are model 28BYJ-48 stepper motors, and the drivers are model ULN2003AN. The two stepper motors are respectively installed at the shafts of the two blades and control the rotation of the two blades respectively. The actuator is integrated with the above two modules and is controlled by the above two modules. Figure 9 This is the overall circuit schematic. Figure 10 This is a flowchart of the entire control system.

[0102] (1) An evaporator was manufactured according to the above technical solution. The opening angle of the evaporator was adjusted to 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, 150°, and 180°, and named a-30, a-60, a-90, a-120, a-150, and a-180° respectively. The light absorption efficiency at each angle was calculated. Among them, a-60 had the best light absorption efficiency, which was 95%. Figure 11 .

[0103] (2) Evaporators with different blade lengths were manufactured according to the above technical solution. The lengths were set to 2cm, 3cm, 4cm, 5cm, 6cm, 7cm, and 8cm, and named L-2, L-3, L-4, L-5, L-6, L-7, and L-8, respectively. The evaporation mass of each evaporator under light conditions was tested. Among them, the evaporation mass of L-6 reached 7.24g / h, and the change was not significant thereafter. Figure 12 .

[0104] (3) Evaporators were manufactured according to the above technical solution. One evaporator maintained both light-tracking and cleaning functions, one maintained light-tracking but no cleaning function, one maintained cleaning function but no sun-facing function, and one remained completely static. These were named W-1, W-2, W-3, and W-4, respectively. The evaporation quality of each evaporator under illumination was tested. Among them, W-1 performed significantly better than the latter three. Figure 13 .

[0105] This invention uses two 28BYJ-48 stepper motors as the drive source, and amplifies and controls the current through a ULN2003AN driver. The two stepper motors are respectively installed at the rotation shafts of the left and right blades of the evaporator, enabling independent rotation adjustment of the blades. The entire actuator is interconnected with a solar orientation recognition module and a voltage acquisition module. The microcontroller controls the motor actions based on sensor feedback signals, allowing the evaporator body to adjust to the optimal light illumination position in real time and perform cleaning actions when necessary, thus ensuring long-term stable operation.

[0106] By adjusting the opening angle of the evaporator body, the incident and reflection conditions of light on the photothermal layer can be altered. Experiments show that the light absorption efficiency gradually changes when the opening angle is set to 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, 150°, and 180°, with the highest absorption rate of 95% at 60°. This result demonstrates that the system can maintain the optimal light absorption angle through an attitude control mechanism, thereby maximizing energy capture efficiency.

[0107] In evaporators with different blade lengths, the evaporation mass gradually increased as the length increased from 2 cm to 8 cm. When the length reached 6 cm, the evaporation mass reached 7.24 g / h, and thereafter, further increases in length did not significantly change the performance. This result indicates that there is an optimal design range for blade length, which can balance light absorption area and structural stability, providing a basis for system parameter optimization.

[0108] By comparing evaporators with different functional combinations, including W-1 which has both light-tracking and cleaning functions, W-2 which only has light-tracking function, W-3 which only has cleaning function, and the completely static W-4, experiments showed that the evaporation quality of W-1 far exceeded that of the other three, indicating that a single function is insufficient to guarantee the long-term stable performance of the system. The light-tracking mechanism improves light energy utilization, while the cleaning mechanism prevents salt deposition from blocking light; the synergistic effect of the two significantly improves the overall evaporation efficiency.

[0109] The seawater evaporator of this invention achieves coordinated operation of angle adjustment, light energy capture, and self-cleaning functions through a control system. The light-tracking mechanism ensures maximum light energy utilization, the cleaning mechanism extends the lifespan of the photothermal layer, and the optimal blade size and opening angle ensure efficient system operation. Ultimately, this device exhibits superior evaporation performance and stability under various environmental conditions, making it widely applicable in scenarios such as island water supply, ship desalination, and coastal aquaculture.

[0110] like Figure 14 As shown, the method for preparing a dual-function seawater evaporator with real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring provided in this embodiment of the invention includes:

[0111] S101 uses the evaporator body to track sunlight and monitor the salinity of seawater in real time.

[0112] S102 controls the attitude of the evaporator body through the attitude control system.

[0113] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, and within the spirit and principles of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A seawater evaporator with dual functions of real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring, characterized in that, include: *The evaporator body is used to absorb, evaporate and concentrate seawater. The evaporator body includes a support and deformation structure, a water-absorbing layer and a photothermal layer. *Attitude control system, used to control the spatial attitude of the evaporator body. The attitude control system includes a solar orientation identification module, a voltage acquisition module and an actuator. The solar orientation identification module is used to detect the solar orientation, the voltage acquisition module is used to monitor the output signal of the photothermal layer, and the actuator is used to drive the support and deformation structure to adjust the angle of the evaporator body to achieve light tracking and salinity monitoring.

2. The seawater evaporator according to claim 1, wherein, The photothermal layer can output a voltage signal related to salt deposition during the evaporation process. The voltage acquisition module obtains the voltage value through analog-to-digital conversion and microcontroller calculation, and evaluates the salt crystallization state accordingly.

3. A support and deformation structure for a seawater evaporator, characterized in that, The device includes a base, two blades, and a pin. The base and blades are rotatably connected by a hinge structure. One side of each blade has a drive component mounting hole. The structure is made of polylactic acid material using a 3D printing process.

4. The support and deformation structure according to claim 3, wherein, The 3D printing process has a nozzle diameter of 0.4 mm, a printing speed of 150 mm / s, a nozzle temperature of 220 degrees Celsius, and a platform temperature of 60 degrees Celsius.

5. A composite functional layer for use in seawater evaporators, characterized in that, include: A pair of hydrophilic fabrics act as an absorbent layer, extending into the liquid to absorb water. A pair of modified fabrics serve as photothermal layers, covering the surface of the hydrophilic layer and providing light absorption and voltage output functions.

6. The composite functional layer according to claim 5, wherein, The photothermal layer is treated by the following steps: cleaning by soaking in sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate solution, soaking in ferric chloride solution, loading polypyrrole by reacting pyrrole with ferric chloride, and oxidizing part of the polypyrrole to polypyrrole peroxide, so that the fabric outputs a voltage of 0.8 to 0.9 volts under wet conditions and has a light absorption efficiency of not less than 85%.

7. A solar orientation recognition module, characterized in that, It includes two sets of photoresistors, voltage divider resistors, and a processing unit. The photoresistors are respectively arranged on both sides of the evaporator blades, and the processing unit compares the output levels on both sides to determine the sun's position.

8. A voltage acquisition module, characterized in that, It includes an analog-to-digital converter, a microcontroller, and a display unit. The analog-to-digital converter converts the voltage signal into a digital quantity, the microcontroller calculates the actual voltage value based on the digital quantity, and outputs the result to the display unit.

9. An evaporator attitude adjustment actuator, characterized in that, It includes two sets of drive motors and drive circuits. The drive motors are installed at the rotating shaft of the evaporator blades to drive the blades to rotate and change the angle of illumination. The actuator is electrically connected to the solar orientation recognition module and the voltage acquisition module to achieve automatic control.

10. A method for preparing a dual-function seawater evaporator with real-time light tracking and salinity monitoring, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Prepare the main body of the evaporator and set up the supporting and deformation structure, water absorption layer and photothermal layer; Step 2: Assemble the attitude control system, integrating the solar orientation recognition module, voltage acquisition module, and actuator into the evaporator body; Step 3: Use the evaporator body to evaporate seawater, and adjust the evaporator attitude through the attitude control system to achieve automatic light tracking and salinity monitoring.

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