Review on Solar Humidification- Dehumidification Process for Pure Water Production

Humidification dehumidification desalination (HDH) is a promising technology for small-scale water production applications. There are several embodiments of this technology which have been investigated by researchers around the world. Major desalination processes consume a large amount of energy derived from oil and natural gas as heat and electricity. Solar desalination, although researched for over two decades, has only recently emerged as a promising renewable energy-powered technology for producing fresh water. The system which, can be used in an open or closed cycle for air, is a modular one. It has the following independent components: two solar collectors, an evaporator and a condenser. Solar desalination based on the humidification-dehumidification cycle presents the best method of solar desalination due to overall high-energy efficiency. In this paper, we analyse the thermodynamic performance of various HDH cycles by way of a theoretical cycle analysis. This paper presents the characteristics of a solar desalination system based on the humidification-dehumidification principle.