Development and experimental sensitivity analysis of a Maisotsenko-cycle water desalination system under diverse climate conditions

The Maisotsenko-cycle enables cooling and humidifying of air beyond the wet-bulb temperature limit through a specialized evaporation process. It is now recognized in several patented concepts and applications for air cooling, water cooling, and water desalination, each employing a distinct thermodynamic process. Unlike Maisotsenko-cycle-based air and water coolers, the theoretically patented M-cycle humidification-dehumidification water desalination technology has not yet been experimentally investigated for its feasibility and performance under various climate conditions. In this system, a fan drives airflow through two heat and mass exchangers made of a unique material, one responsible for humidification and the other for dehumidification. Notably, this innovative technology operates without any external heating or cooling sources. In this research, a lab-scale prototype of the system is developed to experimentally evaluate its feasibility and performance under various operational parameters and climate conditions. The operational parameters include saltwater temperature, saltwater inlet mass flow rate, total inlet air flow into the system, and the M-cycle air flow ratio (which controls the air distribution between the dry and wet channels of both the humidification and dehumidification heat and mass exchanger. These parameters are tested under four main climate conditions: cold, mild, hot-dry, and hot-humid (meaning various ambient temperatures and humidities). The key performance indicators include the amount of condensed freshwater and the temperature and humidity levels at the inlets of the dehumidification zone. The optimum operational working conditions of this technology were identified, analyzed and reported from various perspectives. The outcomes of this study are highly applicable and valuable for guiding future research in this technology, as well as supporting its potential commercialization and market development.