Primarily experimental study of the energy performances of a humidification-dehumidification seawater desalination system coupled with a heat pump

Abstract

The study presented in this article explores a comprehensive analysis of a humidification-dehumidification (HDH) seawater desalination system integrating a heat pump for heating seawater intended for distillation, and incorporates additional condensation plates supplied with cold seawater. This system was the subject of an experimental investigation to simultaneously evaluate the energy performance of the heat pump and the thermal behavior of the desalination unit, focusing on seawater and condensation wall temperatures, as well as the stratification of temperatures of humid air inside the unit compared to the evaporation surface. Experimental results showed an average daily production of distilled water of approximately 32.75 kg/m² per day, with an electrical consumption of 37.68 kWh/day, which was reduced to 26.72 kWh/day through the integration of photovoltaic solar energy. Based on heat and mass balance equations of all the system’s components, the study used a detailed thermodynamic model. The system's energy performance was analyzed by calculating the coefficient of performance (COP), the specific energy consumption (SEEC), and the gain output ratio (GOR), reflecting the overall energy efficiency of the HDH system coupled with the heat pump, as well as the recovery ratio (RR), indicating the proportion of the recovered water compared to the input water.