Author(s): Alejandro Daniel De La Vieja Medina
Mentor(s): Russell Reid
Institution UTech
Atmospheric Water Harvesting (AWH) has gained significant attention as a sustainable solution for water scarcity by extracting water vapor from the air moisture. One of the most promising technologies in AWH is Electrowetting on Dielectric (EWOD), which exploits the principle of applying electric fields to hydrophobic surfaces to control the wetting behavior of water droplets on a hydrophobic surface. This technology enables efficient manipulation of condensed water droplets, improving the collection and transportation of water from the atmosphere. One common method for achieving the dielectric surfaces that are required for electrowetting is through the anodization process, which involves the controlled electrochemical oxidation of metal surfaces, typically aluminum. The anodization process creates a porous, highly textured oxide layer that can be further treated to impart superhydrophobic properties, effectively reducing the surface energy and enabling water droplets to move with minimal resistance. When used with an overlaid water-absorbing coating, the anodized hydrophobic surface enhances the overall performance of EWOD-based AWH systems. Our hypothesis is that electrowetting-assisted water removal from surfaces will be enhanced using anodized coatings whose thickness decreases along the length of the surface. This thickness gradient should produce a directional electrowetting force to pull condensed water from the surface. By integrating such coatings with existing technologies like electrowetting EWOD, AWH systems can be optimized for greater efficiency, particularly in arid regions. This project explores the potential of anodized surfaces related with EWOD to revolutionize AWH systems, providing insights into its operational principles, current research trends, and its future applications in both small- and large-scale water harvesting devices.