A system for efficient and sustainable cogeneration of water and electricity: Temperature difference induced by photothermal conversion and evaporative cooling

Solar energy, with its sustainable properties, has garnered considerable attention for its potential to produce green electricity and clean water. This paper proposes a multistage energy transfer co-generation system (MWCNTs-covered thermoelectric module with aerogel and cooler, AC-CTEM) combining power generation and evaporative cooling. On the light-absorbing surface, the hot side of a thermoelectric module is covered with a hydrophobic coating made of PDMS and MWCNT. The cold side transfers heat to the evaporation zone using a heat sink. Aerogel evaporators are cross-linked with chitosan and polyurethane, which reduces the enthalpy of evaporation and facilitates efficient interfacial evaporation to remove heat and return it to refrigeration. Additionally, with the addition of Fresnel lenses and wind energy to the enhancement device, the system achieved an evaporation rate of 3.445 kg m