Experimental Investigation of a Small Scale Humidification Dehumidification Desalination Unit

A psychrometric energy process desalination unit has been experimentally tested. The system is based on humidification and dehumidification process where seawater is heated and then sprayed to humidify the incoming air in the humidification chamber. The humidified air enters the dehumidification chamber and is cooled by the incoming cold seawater. The moisture is condensed out and the pure water is accumulated at the base of the chamber, and the dehumidified air is discharged to the outside. The seawater was heated to temperature between 60 - 90°C using a 2.4kW electric heater. Performance data on temperature, seawater mass flow rate, air flow rate and the amount of fresh water produced were obtained, and the maximum coefficient of performance (COP) of the system was calculated based on the data obtained. The result achieved indicates the system had a maximum fresh water production of 13kg/h with a maximum COP of 3.6. The initial test shows that the system has great potential with room for improvements and further optimisation.