Water production from a solar desalination system utilizing a high-speed rotary humidifier

Abstract

The existence of life on earth would be impossible without water. When it comes to the problem of water shortage, desalination is a viable option since it can purify salty water into drinkable supplies. The current work investigates a humidification-dehumidification (HDH)-based solar desalination unit utilizing a high-speed rotary humidifier. The water production is evaluated concerning the droplet slot bore and rotating speed. The total droplet surface contact area depends on droplet size and quantity. At the same water flow rate, tiny slots create frequent tiny droplets. Larger slots produce fewer big droplets. High spraying speed produces tiny, fast-moving water droplets, which evaporate more quickly. In contrast, the further increase in spraying speed leads to high flow resistance, which decreases the number of droplets produced from centrifugal spraying at high speeds. Also, the maximum production occurs at a slot bore of 0.001 m, with an 88% increase compared to 0.003 m. Furthermore, the maximum daily water production reaches about 17 kg of fresh water at a slot bore of 0.001 m, with a spraying speed of 1200 rpm.