Experimental investigation of humidification-dehumidification desalination system with corrugated packing in the humidifier

The performance of a desalination unit using humidification-dehumidification technology with new corrugated packing aluminum sheets in the humidifier was experimentally investigated. The influences of operating variables on yield and performance are studied. Operating variables include the air and water temperature at entry to the humidifier, the humidifier water flow rate, the ratio of mass of water to air, and the cooling water flow rate into the dehumidifier. To conduct such a study, an experimental set-up was developed, including a packed bed humidifier, finned tube condenser, water heater, air heater, and other auxiliary devices. The results indicate that increasing the temperature of inlet water in the humidifier, the humidifier water flow rate, and the dehumidifier cooling water rate significantly increases the production of distilled water. However, a slight increase in the production of desalinated water is observed by raising the air temperature, while a specific air mass rate achieves the highest productivity. The inlet cooling water temperature significantly enhances the yield from 10 to 15 L/h as the inlet cooling temperature reduces from 28.5 °C to17 °C. Cost analysis of the developed system indicates that the total cost per one liter of fresh water is about $0.01.