To Make Steam Without Boiling Water, Just Add Sunlight And Nanoparticles

Wednesday, November 21, 2012 - 11:30 in Physics & Chemistry

Everything You Need For A Steam Generator tim.perdue via FlickrA mixture of plain water, nanoparticles, and sunlight can convert water into steam without ever even bringing it to a boil Today in mind-bendingly cool stuff that nanoparticles can do: A team of researchers at Rice University in Texas has demonstrated a mechanism by which they can create steam in just seconds by focusing sunlight on a mixture of water and nanoparticles. This isn't just some artificial means of lowering boiling point either; this solar powered "boiler" can produce steam before the water even gets warm to the touch, without ever bringing the aggregate water to a boil. Right now this research is very much still in the lab, and the researchers aren't yet sure exactly how far they can push it. But it doesn't take much to imagine the possibilities for a steam generator that runs solely on water and sunlight....

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