Water
security represents one
of the major
challenges to the sustainable
development of human society. However,
rapid population growth, steadily improving living standards, climate change, and environmental pollutions place enormous pressures
on already stressed water resource systems. In
addition, large amounts of energy are consumed to produce clean water and to treat
wastewaters prior to their return to the environment, which inevitably leads to
a considerable amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Developing
sustainable energy driven water production systems that enable a sustainable and
cost-effective strategy for water production would benefit both developing and
developed countries alike, and address one of the outstanding challenges of the
21st century: how to provide a safe and reliable source of water for
a growing global population.
The
principal goal of our group research is to deliver clean water with a minimum carbon
footprint and energy cost via the design and application of advanced technologies.
Specific Research Interests:
- PV-MD for decentralized drinking water production
- Waste heat driven processes for clean water production
- Solar crystallization based brine treatment and desalination with zero liquid discharge
- Water vapor sorbent for atmospheric water harvest and energy-related applications
- Resource recovery from wastewaters