Fog harvesting: combination and comparison of different methods to maximize the collection efficiency

Abstract Fog harvesting is an unconventional source of water that can be used in some regions with scarcity to overcome shortages. The most commonly collectors are meshes which have intrinsic limitations, the important clogging and aerodynamic deviation droplets around wires. Here, three techniques compared combined these i.e., replacing mesh array vertical wires, addition a hydrophobic layer forcing ionized move toward wires by applying electric field. combination was found result higher fog efficiency each individual method highest impact from methods lead 60-fold increase meshes. findings showed when forced field shading coefficient for increased 1 0.55 (maximum without field) affecting efficiency, allowing lower construction cost collectors. Addition two distinctive promotional effects. First, increasing second, reducing size sliding down disturbing three-phase contact line angle hysteresis pinning force. Energy analysis shows this technique 100 times more energy efficient conventional atmospheric generators.