2026-04-03 清華大学
Figure 1. The self-propelled generator based on the metastable Leidenfrost effect
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.tsinghua.edu.cn/en/info/1245/14761.htm
- https://www.cell.com/joule/abstract/S2542-4351(26)00004-8
準安定ライデンフロスト効果を利用した低品位熱回収のための自走式発電機 Self-propelled generator for low-grade heat harvesting via metastable Leidenfrost effect
Peng Cheng ∙ Chang Zhu ∙ Engui Wang ∙ … ∙ Baokun Zhang ∙ Yang Zou ∙ Zhou Li
Joule Published:March 9, 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2026.102320
Context & scale
The synergistic utilization of waste heat and water vapor generated by thermal power plants is of significant value. However, existing solutions still face numerous challenges due to the complexity of traditional technologies, the high cost of emerging technologies, and interfacial resistance caused by the Leidenfrost effect. This work proposes a self-propelled triple-phase interface generator that utilizes the metastable Leidenfrost effect to synergistically recover these underutilized energy resources. The dynamic solid-liquid-gas triple-phase interface overcomes the interfacial resistance caused by the Leidenfrost effect, coupling dynamic asymmetric electric double-layer power generation with aqueous primary battery reaction to achieve efficient energy conversion. Integrated with the bionic vapor collector, a water-recirculating energy conversion loop was established to extend traditional thermal power plants. This work breaks the traditional understanding of the Leidenfrost effect as a heat transfer barrier, revealing its potential application value in promoting industrial energy recovery and process intensification, and providing a solution for the efficient utilization of waste heat resources and the coordinated utilization of multiple energy sources.
Highlights
- Breaking the Leidenfrost barrier for interface engineering
- High-performance self-propelled power generation
- Synergistic recovery system for multi-resource utilization
Summary
Low-grade waste heat and water vapor from thermal power plants represent major energy losses. However, existing solutions still face utilization barriers due to the complexity of traditional technologies and the cost constraints of emerging technologies, coupled with the interfacial barrier caused by the Leidenfrost effect. Here, we propose a self-propelled generator based on metastable Leidenfrost effect to synergistically harvest these underutilized energy resources. By engineering a dynamic solid-liquid-gas triple-phase interface, we overcome the Leidenfrost-induced interfacial resistance and couple dynamic asymmetric electric double-layer power generation with an aqueous primary battery reaction. A single 30 μL droplet can generate over 100 pulsed DC signals, with a peak voltage of 1.552 V and a peak current density of 21.8 A m−2. Integrated with a bionic vapor collector, a water-recirculating energy conversion loop was established to extend traditional thermal power plants. This work demonstrates an in situ strategy for distributed low-grade thermal recovery and multi-resource utilization.
