Modeling and simulation of water desalination system based on interfacial solar evaporation
Safiye Shafiei, Ebrahim Pilali, Mohsen Salimi, Majid Amidpour
Abstract
This study addresses the growing need for freshwater in light of increasing pollution in water sources. Given that most of Earth’s water is non-potable seawater, solar desalination through evaporation is a promising, eco-friendly solution. A novel approach is introduced by transforming a graphene-based solar evaporator from a flat disk to a helical structure, enhancing evaporation performance. This helical design improves convective cooling and reduces surface temperatures, achieving a remarkable 400-fold increase in evaporation rate as the flow rate increases from 0.4 m/s to 1.6 m/s. Material comparisons showed that wood produced the most freshwater at 118.5 grams, while Al 2 O 3 produced the least at 115.3 grams. The spiral structure yielded 92 grams of water, outperforming the disk with 77 grams due to better surface contact and heat transfer. Despite the larger water absorption area of the disk, the helical design allows for flexibility and practicality. The study also deployed an optimized meshing technique using COMSOL software to enhance computational accuracy, with key meshing parameters set for optimal performance. The findings highlight the potential of solar evaporation as a sustainable solution for addressing water scarcity.