Solar desalination with humidification-dehumidification cycle: Review of economics

Major desalination processes consume a large amount of energy derived from oil and natural gas as heat and electricity, while emitting harmful CO2. Solar desalination has emerged as a promising renewable energy-powered technology for producing fresh water. Combining the principle of humidification-dehumidification with solar desalination results in an increase in the overall efficiency of the desalination plant, and therefore appears to be the best method of water desalination with solar energy. A detailed study of the mechanism of this process is presented in this report, along with an economical evaluation of the process. Comparison of the costs of currently available solar desalination processes presented in this report leads to the conclusion that a better understanding of this method of solar desalination is highly desirable. Simulation verification and design optimisation by varying the three major components (humidifier, condenser and collector surface areas) of the unit is perhaps a critical step in the commercialization of a solar desalination process based on the humidification-dehumidification principle.