US 11,680,391 B2
Surfaces with high surface areas for enhanced condensation and airborne liquid droplet collection
Natalia Alvarez, Evanston, IL (US); Neelesh A. Patankar, Buffalo Grove, IL (US); Kyoo-Chul Park, Wilmette, IL (US); and Youhua Jiang, Chicago, IL (US)
Assigned to Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (US)
Appl. No. 16/963,925
Filed by Northwestern University, Evantson, IL (US)
PCT Filed Jan. 25, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/015144
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 22, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/147935, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 1, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/621,849, filed on Jan. 25, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0362543 A1, Nov. 19, 2020
Int. Cl. E03B 3/28 (2006.01); B01D 5/00 (2006.01); F28D 21/00 (2006.01); F28F 13/18 (2006.01)
CPC E03B 3/28 (2013.01) [B01D 5/006 (2013.01); F28F 13/187 (2013.01); F28D 2021/0063 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
13. A method of collecting airborne liquid droplets using an airborne liquid droplet harvesting device comprising:
a tube having an interior surface that defines an air channel having a central longitudinal axis; and
a plurality of mechanically flexible polymeric wires extending from the interior surface into the air channel, the wires having diameters in the range from 10 μm to 10 mm and free distal ends that extend radially into the air channel and toward, to, or through the central longitudinal axis, the method comprising directing a flow of air comprising airborne liquid droplets through the air channel, wherein the liquid droplets are captured on the wires, the flow of air causes the mechanically flexible polymeric wires to bend elastically along the direction of air flow, and the captured liquid drains away from the wires and is collected in the air channel.