Abstract
A humidification–dehumidification (HDH) desalination system requires thermal energy to desalt seawater. An environmentally friendly approach to obtain thermal energy is to utilize solar energy using solar collectors. Either seawater or air (or both) are typically preheated by HDH desalination systems before these fluids are conveyed to the humidifier column. Compared with preheating only air or water, preheating both is preferred because improved performance and higher productivity are achieved. Many researchers have proposed dual preheated HDH systems utilizing two separate solar heaters/collectors for simultaneous air–seawater preheating. In this study, dual-fluid preheating is achieved using a single solar collector. The proposed simultaneous air–water solar heater (SAWSH) is a modified flat-plate collector designed for simultaneously preheating air and seawater before the fluids reach the humidifier. A thermodynamic study was conducted using formulated mathematical models based on energy and mass conservation principles. Then, the dual-fluid heating HDH system is compared with HDH systems in which only air or only water is heated. This work found that the former outperformed the latter. The daily and monthly performance levels of the system in terms of the outlet temperatures of air and water, distillate rate, and gain output ratio were calculated using the weather data of the hot and humid climate of Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilMany countries around the globe, mainly those in arid regions, lack access to potable water
The present study initially compared the individual air–water preheating and the dualfluid preheating processes of an HDH system equipped with the simultaneous air–water solar heater (SAWSH)
Compared with the individual heat transfer fluid (HTF) preheating process, the dual-fluid preheating process is found to contribute to higher freshwater productivity in the proposed SAWSH-HDH system
Summary
Many countries around the globe, mainly those in arid regions, lack access to potable water. Approximately 1.6 billion people reside in areas of economic water scarcity. In view of the foregoing, and to resolve the problem of potable water demand and shortage, saline water desalination is deemed as a potential solution. These regions lack water, they are exposed to abundant solar radiation that can be effectively utilized for the desalination process [2]. To solve the problem of freshwater demand in remote and arid areas across the globe where the amount of electric energy is limited, energy-efficient and iations
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