Thermo-Economic Analysis of Humidification-Dehumidification Desalination System Using Solar Energy

Degefa Legesse, Kumara Thanaiah

doi:https://doi.org/10.59232/MS-V3I1P103

Research Article | Open Access | Download Full Text

Volume 3 | Issue 1 | Year 2025 | Article Id: MS-V3I1P103 DOI: https://doi.org/10.59232/MS-V3I1P103

Thermo-Economic Analysis of Humidification-Dehumidification Desalination System Using Solar Energy

Degefa Legesse, Kumara Thanaiah

Received	Revised	Accepted	Published
03 Jan 2025	05 Feb 2025	12 Mar 2025	31 Mar 2025

Citation

Degefa Legesse, Kumara Thanaiah. “Thermo-Economic Analysis of Humidification-Dehumidification Desalination System Using Solar Energy.” DS Journal of Modeling and Simulation, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 23-44, 2025.

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess the energy and economic analysis of Paddy grass-based Humidification-Dehumidification Desalination (PHDD) using solar energy. The experimental setup of the humidifier and dehumidifier was fabricated to maintain the humid climatic conditions of the study area. Theoretical analysis of each component of the system was studied and compared with laboratory results. The performance of the PHDD system was evaluated by studying various physical parameters such as solar collector area, reservoir water tank volume, and temperature of the water reservoir. The cost-benefit analysis of the system was carried out by considering the amount of potable water production, the amount of energy consumed, and the components cost by comparing them with other desalination methods. The results revealed that irrespective of the paddy grass area, the volume of the storage water tank below and above 40 L is considered as optimal. The cost analysis of the present work proved the system could function with low maintenance cost when compared to other similar studies, and the price of the yield comes to around 19$/m3. The solar collector area has a significant influence in augmenting the water yield. The optimal ratio of the water reservoir to the collector area is found to be around 13 L/m3.

Keywords

Dehumidification, Desalination, Humidification, Paddy grass packing material, Solar energy.

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