Effect of Cooling Mode on the Performance of a Solar Driven Natural Vacuum Desalination System | ||
| ERJ. Engineering Research Journal | ||
| Article 6, Volume 42, Issue 3, July 2019, Pages 231-240 PDF (1.4 M) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/erjm.2019.66262 | ||
| Authors | ||
| M.I. Mahrous; H. Kotb; E.H. Amer; A.R. El-Ghalban | ||
| Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Menoufiya University, Shebin El-Kom, EGYPT | ||
| Abstract | ||
| A solar driven sea water desalination system operating under natural vacuum has been developed, constructed and tested. The system utilizes the natural forces of gravity and atmospheric pressure to create vacuum under which water can be evaporated at temperatures lower than those in conventional techniques and allowing the use of low -grade heat sources. The proposed desalination system consists of a condenser and a solar flat plate collector acting as an evaporator. An extensive experimental study has been carried out to investigate the effect of condenser cooling mode on the system performance. The external surface of the condenser has been cooled by using three cooling modes; namely, free convection air cooling, forced convection air cooling, and forced convection water cooling. The effect of cooling modes on the system performance has been studied under actual weather conditions. The system performance has been characterized by its fresh water productivity and the performance ratio. The results showed that forced cooling mode causes a lower pressure inside the system than free cooling mode, and water cooling is more effective than air cooling. The average pressure inside the system is about 0.122, 0.106, and 0.09 bars absolute respectively for free air cooling, forced air cooling and water cooling. The cumulative productivity is maximum in the case of external water cooled reaching a value of 6.6 l/m2 .day. In case of forced and free air convection, the daily system productivity 5.3 and 2.7 l/m2 .day respectively. The average performance ratio was about 70 % which is twice the value for a conventional solar still reported in the literature. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| System performance; natural vacuum desalination; solar energy; free and forced air cooling; external water cooling | ||
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