Applications of Heat Exchanger in Solar Desalination: Current Issues and Future Challenges

Abstract

Solar desalination is a process to convert saline water into potable water by the application of solar energy. The enhancement of the distillate output of the solar desalination is low, so it is not considered as a method to produce potable water. A heat exchanger is an important device used for heat transfer applications. The present review article illustrates the application of a heat exchanger with a solar desalination system to enhance the distillate output. In the current review, it is found that the heat exchanger is an important device to improve the distillate productivity of the solar desalination system. Finally, the future work and future challenges of using a heat exchanger with a solar desalination system are presented.

Contamination of Water Supply Sources by Heavy Metals: The Price of Development in Bolivia, a Latin American Reality

“…Currently, you will find treatments with high efficiencies and affordable costs co-invested as a priority. More studies are needed such as [67,68], which focus on reducing the energy costs of different treatment systems, which would encourage their application. More alternatives are also required for the generation of clean energy that can be input into water treatment [69,70].…”

Year-Round Experimental Analysis of the Productivity of Vapour-Based Multistage Solar Still: A Developmental Study

“…(5) Te mode of the thermal energy supply was predominantly impulsive than continuous, suggesting insufcient energy to sustain the desalination process characterised by low productivity. (6) At this range of average solar radiation, there was an apparent delay in the vapour delivery to the stages through the vapour make-up tubes from the evaporator. Tis mainly resulted from the cold system's components, which caused the temperature gradient between the vapour and the tube's inner wall to be greater.…”

“…However, the downside of solar stills is their low productivity and efciency. Many methods have been used to improve the solar still's performance, optimise its operation, and enhance the heat transfer processes, such as integrating solar stills with the phase-changing material (PCM), fns, nanoparticle/nanofuids, and solar collectors, incorporating heat exchanger to enhance the distillate yield and productivity [4][5][6].…”

Solar desalination: A review of recent developments in environmental, regulatory and economic issues

“…Elsheikh et al, [20] through a literature search examined the importance of the heat exchanger for enhancing the freshwater production in solar desalination. Results indicated that by combining flat plate solar collectors with a heat exchanger the water production rate could be increased.…”