Sun-soaking device turns water into superheated steam
MIT engineers have built a device that soaks up enough heat from the sun to boil water and produce “superheated” steam hotter than 100 degrees Celsius, without any expensive optics. On a sunny day, the structure can passively pump out steam hot enough to sterilize medical equipment, as well as to use in cooking and cleaning. The steam may also supply heat to industrial processes, or it could be collected and condensed to produce desalinated, distilled drinking water. The researchers previously developed a sponge-like structure that floated in a container of water and turned the water it absorbed into steam. But a big concern is that contaminants in the water caused the structure to degrade over time. The new device is designed to be suspended over the water, to avoid any possible contamination. The suspended device is about the size and thickness of a small digital tablet or e-reader, and is structured like...