Simulation study demonstrates that fine mesh wires and moderate shade coefficients maximize fog droplet capture efficiency, highlighting key design parameters for regional water harvesting.
Key Points
To evaluate the combined effects of droplet-size distribution, mesh wire diameter, shade coefficient, and wind speed on dry-mesh fog capture efficiency.
Conducted Eulerian-Lagrangian simulations spanning wire diameters of 0.2 to 1.0 mm, shade coefficients of 0.3 to 0.7, and freestream velocities of 2 to 5 m/s.
Modeled droplet sizes from 2 to 40 μm and classified capture behavior into low, intermediate, and high Stokes number regimes.
Fine-to-intermediate wire diameters (0.2–0.6 mm) paired with a shade coefficient near 0.6 provided optimal dry-mesh capture by balancing geometric interception and aerodynamic permeability.
High Stokes number droplets showed the highest instantaneous capture via inertial impaction, whereas intermediate Stokes number droplets governed sensitivity to mesh geometry and wind speed.
Increasing wind velocity enhanced droplet impaction, though aerodynamic wake formation and flow diversion limited overall performance gains at higher speeds.