Seawater Greenhouse Equipped with a Novel Solar Humidification-Dehumidification Desalination Unit in MAKRAN Coast: Fabrication and Experimental Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study is the fabrication and performance evaluation of a new type of solar humidification–dehumidification (HD) desalination unit to supply sufficient fresh water for a seawater greenhouse in the MAKRAN coast in southeast Iran. In the proposed design, a particular type of air-to-air condenser is used. The cold air coming out of the greenhouse ventilation system (fan and pad) in summer and the cold ambient air in winter is used to supply the required cooling of the system. In this way, when cold air passes over the pipes in air-to-air condensers, condensation of water vapor occurs in the moist air inside the pipes, and fresh water is produced. Greenhouse fans, which have an air flow rate of around 20,000 m3/hr, are used to create this air flow. By fabricating two condensers, each using 42 rows of PVC pipes with a diameter of 75 mm, it is possible to produce 400 L of fresh water per day in a 400 m2 greenhouse. The required heating is provided by the solar farm, which includes 96 square meters of flat plate collectors. The steps of unit fabrication are described in detail in this research. However, the effect of greenhouse air temperature and circulating seawater flow rate on freshwater production, energy consumption, and energy intensity are also investigated. By increasing the flow rate of circulating seawater and decreasing the greenhouse air temperature, the production rate of the system increases. When the hot seawater and greenhouse air temperature are 61.7 °C and 26 °C, respectively, the maximum instantaneous production is estimated to be 80 L/h. The energy intensity of the HD desalination unit is varied between 3192 and 4382 kJ/L, and the gain output ratio of the system is around 0.6. The proposed system can be easily paired with conventional greenhouses employing a fan and pad cooling system and produces around 1.25 (L/m2·day) fresh water.