A Novel Low-Temperature Thermal Desalination Technology Using Direct-Contact Spray Method

Chen Qian, Muhammad Burhan, Muhammad Wakil Shahzad, Raid Alrowais, Doskhan Ybyraiymkul, Faheem Hassan Akhtar, Yong Li, Kim Choon Ng

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

Due to the emerging water crisis, the global desalination capacity has been expanding exponentially in the past few decades, leading to substantial amount of primary energy consumption. Therefore, the exploration of energy-efficient desalination processes and alternative energy sources has been the subject of great research interests. The spray-assisted low-temperature desalination (SLTD) system is a novel method for desalination that enables efficient renewable energy utilization. It works on the direct-contact spray evaporation/condensation mechanism and uses only hollow chambers. The merits include enhanced heat and mass transfer, lower initial and operational costs, and reduced scaling and fouling issues. This chapter presents a study on the SLTD system driven by sensible heat sources. The working principle of the system will be introduced first. Then a thermodynamic analysis will be presented to obtain the freshwater productivity under different design and operational conditions. Additionally, the energy utilization level will be quantified to highlight the energy wastage when operating with sensible heat sources. Afterward, the system configuration will be modified to maximize the utilization of sensible heat sources and promote productivity. Finally economic viability of the modified design will be evaluated.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationDesalination - Challenges and Opportunities
EditorsMohammad Hossein Davood Abadi Farahani, Vahid Vatanpour, Amir Taheri
Place of PublicationLondon
PublisherIntechOpen
Chapter5
Pages1-14
Number of pages14
Edition1st
ISBN (Electronic)9781789847390, 9781839627033
ISBN (Print)9781789847383
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Jul 2020

Keywords

  • direct-contact spray
  • thermal desalination
  • sensible heat source
  • thermodynamic analysis
  • internal heat recovery

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