Essay On Seawater Desalination

Freshwater is an essential commodity for sustaining human life on earth. Rapid population growth and industrialization, especially in developing countries in the recent past, have placed pressing demands for freshwater. In the developing world, many regions suffer from shortages of freshwater supply. Water is one of the most abundant resources on earth, covering three-fourths of the planet’s surface. However, about 97% of the earth’s water is salt water in the oceans, and a tiny 3% is freshwater. Seawater desalination is an important process to meet the increasing demand for freshwater demand. Seawater desalination requires large amounts of energy which, when produced from fossil fuels, can cause harm to the environment. The depletion of fossil

This research is the indoor experiment, where solar radiation is simulated with halogen lamps. Based on ANSI/ASHRAE standard 93-1986 (R 91), testing is done on the level of radiation of the solar simulator for a minimum of 800 W/m2 and is kept constant during the testing period. The effect of seawater mass flow rate entering the humidifier on productivity of fresh water is tested at values of 0.057 kg/s, 0.086 kg/s, 0.114 kg/s and 0.143 kg/s. Each of seawater mass flow rate is tested for average solar radiation intensity at 828 W/m2, 924 W/m2 and 1014 W/m2. The results of this study indicate that the seawater mass flow rate entering the humidifier has the apparent effect on the freshwater produced of the solar desalination unit. Production of freshwater increases with increasing the seawater mass flow rate entering the humidifier. This solar desalination unit can produce fresh water at sea water mass flow rate of 0.057 kg/s at an average of 21.6 liters/day, 24.2 liters/day and 26.2 liters/day at the average radiation intensity of 828 W/m2, 924 W/m2 and 1014 W/m2,