Advanced differential mathematical modeling and experimental verification of Maisotsenko humidification-dehumidification water desalination system

The Humidification-Dehumidification Maisotsenko desalination system enables freshwater production without any external heating or cooling, relying solely on fan power to move air through two Maisotsenko heat and mass exchangers: the humidification and dehumidification zones. The humidification zone consists of dry and evaporation or wet channels, while the dehumidification zone contains evaporation and condensation channels. The objective and contribution of this study is to develop and experimentally validate the first comprehensive differential model for the Maisotsenko desalination unit, capable of predicting detailed profiles of air and saltwater temperature, humidity, and freshwater condensation along the condensation zone channels, as well as the total amount of condensed freshwater. Additionally, the model is applied to four possible air–water circulation configurations in the dehumidification zone to identify the most efficient one, thereby providing new insights into configuration efficiency and operating conditions. According to the results and the mentioned profiles, configuration ’b’ produces 15% more condensed water compared to other configurations. Sensitivity analysis revealed that a lower water inlet temperature enhances the condensation rate. However, increasing the water inlet flow rate positively influences condensation rate only when the water’s inlet temperature is cooler than the condensation-channel air inlet temperature. For any given condensation-side air mass flow rate, there exists an optimal wet-side flow rate beyond which further increases no longer yield additional gains in freshwater. These findings establish the study as a strong foundation for designing and analyzing future Maisotsenko desalination systems for off-grid freshwater generation.