Context and challenge: hygroscopic hydrogel is a promising material, highly relevant for off-grid passive cooling and clean water production. Understanding of sorption kinetics in the hydrogel still remains limited, which hinders design optimization of distributed coolers/water harvesters.
Expected activities:
- Explore surface treatments, adhesives, and hydrogel modifications for bonding of water-rich hydrogel to various substrates (this can be a standalone side project)
- Develop a setup and protocol to test sorption-desorption cycles under various conditions
- Analyze effects of ambient and hydrogel properties on the sorption-desorption cycle
- Develop and validate kinetic models for diffusive and convective transport of the moisture
Contact: Gautier Rouaze ([email protected])