Northwestern University

Youhua Jiang

Kyoo-Chul Park

Yuehan Yao

Neelesh A Patankar

George F Wells

Christian John Machado

Alex B Gelber

Morgan L Petrovich

Natalia Alvarez

A system to collect liquid includes a wavy surface formed on a substrate, where the wavy surface includes a plurality of waves. The plurality of waves are configured to capture liquid from the air such that the liquid accumulates in valleys of the waves. The system also includes a liquid collection container configured to collect the liquid captured on the plurality of waves.

Liquid collection on wavy surfaces

Omniphilic and superomniphilic surfaces for simultaneous vapor condensation and airborne liquid droplet collection are provided. Also provided are methods for using the surfaces to condense liquid vapor and/or capture airborne liquid droplets, such as water droplets found in mist and fog. The surfaces provide enhanced capture and transport efficiency based on preferential capillary condensation on high surface energy surfaces, thin film dynamics, and force convection.

Surfaces with high surface areas for enhanced condensation and airborne liquid droplet collection

Methods of removing a film of a biological material from a surface are provided. In embodiments, such a method comprises applying magnetic particles to a surface contaminated with a film of a biological material; and exposing the magnetic particles to a changing magnetic field to move the magnetic particles relative to the contaminated surface, thereby removing the film from the surface.

Magnetically controlled particle abrasion method for biofouling removal

Growing community of inventors

Chicago, IL, United States of America

Youhua Jiang