Numerical simulation and experimental validation of a compact distillation module used in solar desalination unit

Fresh water production of solar desalination system is most influenced by the distillation module performance. In this paper, we propose a new design of a compact distillation module used in a desalination unit. The desalination process is based on humidification dehumidification principle. In order to be able to simulate the dynamic behavior of the distillation module exposed to a variation of entrance parameters, a mathematical model is developed in dynamic regime from the governing heat and mass transfer equations in both the evaporation chamber and the condensation chamber. The obtained distributed systems of equations are transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations using the orthogonal collocation method. The theoretical study shows the effects of operating parameters on the performance of the distillation module. The experimental validation shows a good agreement between predicted and measured parameters.