• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.477-484
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• 2016

In a multi-effect solar distiller, a feeding rate of seawater to each effect should be decreased as the effect number is increased. In previous studies, the feed rate of seawater was not reduced evenly between the effects, which is unreasonable, since the thermal energy input of each effect decreases by the same amount. In this work, numerical analysis was carried out in order to elucidate this discrepancy. The results showed that the amount of distillates produced was almost the same for both evenly and unevenly reduced flow rates between the effects. Optimum feed rates of seawater with various energy inputs from exhaust gas heat exchanger were also obtained. The results showed that the optimum feed rate of the first effect increased linearly or reached a steady state depending on the heat flux.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.607-613
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• 2010

A seawater distiller, in which the waste heat from a portable electric generator was used, with a multiple-effect diffusion still was designed. The waste gas from small generators commonly used in islands has not yet been used because it has less thermal energy; however, this waste gas can be used as a heat source for small-capacity distillers and as an additional heat source for solar stills. The proposed distiller comprises a series of closely spaced parallel partitions that are placed in contact with saline-soaked wicks. In the distiller, evaporation and condensation processes are repeated to recycle the thermal energy for increasing the distillate productivity. Experimental results show that the proposed distiller with only one-effect still can produce at least 6.7 kg/day of distilled water; the proposed distiller with a ten-effect still is expected to produce 43 kg/day of distilled water. This amount of distillate is approximately four times the maximum daily productivity of the solar stills, as determined in outdoor experiments.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.511-519
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• 2017

In this study, we have performed tests to improve the productivity of hybrid solar stills, which can be operated by solar thermal energy and/or waste heat of exhaust gas from electrical generators. The experimental apparatus is a hybrid solar still with a $1m{\times}2m$ collecting area, which consists of a conventional simple solar still and a vertical multi-effect diffusion(MED) section. The experiments were conducted under various operating conditions, with two identical hybrid solar stills, using solar radiation as the energy source. The results of the tests showed that the yield of the hybrid solar still depends on the various operating conditions. Insulation at the side glasses and a lower basin seawater level increased the productivity of the hybrid solar still. Reflecting fins with less than 47% reflectivity unexpectedly decreased the total productivity. However, the various feeding flow rate of the seawater into MED part did not show clear effects on productivity in the tested range.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.513-522
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• 2013

In the present work, a numerical study of a horizontal falling film evaporator in a multi-effect distillation (MED) plant is performed. Tube bundles in the evaporator are described as porous media, and a volume-averaged method is applied. To calculate the fluid flow and phase change in the evaporator due to heat transfer in the system, FLUENT and user-defined functions (UDF) are used. To observe the performance of the evaporator under different operational conditions, tests are conducted for a steam mass flux ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 $kg/m^2s$ in the horizontal tube, for mass fraction of the noncondensable gas in the tube inlet ranging from 0% to 1%, and for film Reynolds numbers ranging from 100 to 1,000 for the falling film. The evaporation rate increases with the steam mass flux and Reynolds number. In contrast, the evaporation rate decreases by 0.87% with a 1% increase in the mass fraction of the noncondensable gas in the tube.

• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.04a
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• pp.74-79
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• 2011

This study was accomplished to evaluate the performance of Multi Effect Distillation(MED) for solar thermal desalination system. It was designed Multi effect distillation with $3m^3/day$ capacity and Shell&Tube type heat exchanger. Also, The effective heat transfer of Shell&Tube heat exchanger was used Cu(90%)-Ni(10%) corrugated tube. The parameters relating to the performance of Multi Effect Distillation are known as hot water flow rate. The experimental conditions for each parameters were $18^{\circ}C$ for sea water inlet temperature, $6m^3/hour$ sea water inlet volume flow rate, $75^{\circ}C$ for hot water inlet temperature, 2.4, 3.6, and $4.8m^3/hour$ for hot water inlet volume flow rate, respectively. The results are as follows, Development for Multi effect distillation was required about 40kW heat and 35kW cooling source to produce $3m^3/day$ of fresh water. And, Performance ratio of Development Multi effect distillation was about 2.0191.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2011

This study was accomplished to evaluate the performance of Multi Effect Distillation(MED) for solar thermal desalination system. It was designed Multi effect distillation with $3m^3$/day capacity and Shell&Tube type heat exchanger. Also, The effective heat transfer of Shell&Tube heat exchanger was used Cu(90%)-Ni(10%) corrugated tube. The parameters relating to the performance of Multi Effect Distillation are known as hot water flow rate. The experimental conditions for each parameters were $18^{\circ}C$ for sea water inlet temperature, $6m^3$/hour sea water inlet volume flow rate, $75^{\circ}C$ for hot water inlet temperature, 2.4, 3.6, and $4.8\;m^3$/hour for hot water inlet volume flow rate, respectively. The results are as follows, Development for Multi effect distillation was required about 40kW heat and 35kW cooling source to produce $3m^3$/day of fresh water. Based on the results of this study, It makes possible to secure economics of desalination system with solar energy which is basically needed development of high efficiency fresh water generator.

• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.68-73
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• 2011

This study was performed numerical analysis in order to analyze liquid film flow of heat exchanger tube arrangement and configuration of evaporative multi effect distillation system using medium-temperature. Simulation was accomplished the two-dimensional calculations using commercial analyses program FLUENT based on the FVM(finite volume method). Fresh water generator of this study used Shell & Tubes heat exchanger with Cu_Ni tube, configuration of tube used bare tube and corrugated tube, and arrangement of tube used in-line array and staggered array. Performance of heat exchanger through the formation of liquid film was compared and analyzed. Liquid film flow occurred that falling on heat exchanger tube wall. Result of simulation showed that liquid film thickness of in-line arrangement was found 0.57mm with bare tube and 0.67mm with corrugated tube, respectively. And liquid film thickness of staggered arrangement was found 0.39mm with bare tubes and 0.62mm with corrugated tubes, respectively. Liquid film thickness of corrugated tube showed thicker than bare tube, but heat transfer rates of corrugated tube showed higher than bare tube. The reason was considered that surface area of corrugated tube was wider than bare tube. And liquid film thickness of staggered arrangement showed thinner than in-line arrangement, so thermal performance of staggered arrangement showed higher than in-line arrangement.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.81-86
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• 2013

Exhaust gas from a small portable electric generator is simply exhausted to the surroundings because the capacity and quality of the waste heat of this gas is generally not sufficient to recover and utilize. We have proposed a seawater distiller utilizing the thermal energy of waste gas from an electric generator. The distiller recovers heat from the waste gas by means of a heat pipe and uses it effectively through a multiple-effect diffusion-type structure. We constructed an experimental apparatus with a vertical single-effect still having a 4-stroke 50 cc generator engine and found that the experimental results for distillate productivity show good agreement with the theoretical predictions. The results show that the distiller can recover 52 W of waste heat from the gas at $171^{\circ}C$, and ~85% of the recovered heat can be utilized for distillation to produce 70 g/h of fresh water. This is equivalent to a productivity of 500 g/h in the case of a 10-effect still. Therefore, the proposed distiller should be useful in remote areas where electricity and water grids are inadequate.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.1061-1068
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• 2013

This study predicts distillate productions according to design variables by numerical analysis when the waste heat from a diesel generator is added to the solar-assisted still proposed in a previous study. Mathematical models were set up in reference to previous studies, and the amount of heat exchange from the waste heat recovery pipe was considered. To ensure the reliability of numerical analysis, the result was compared with that of a previous study and then, the distillate productions according to design variables were obtained by the analysis model. The results were found to generally be in agreement, and the increasing amount of distillate production of the still with the added waste heat was confirmed. In addition, the optimal value of the tilt angle of glass cover and the number of cells were determined by numerical analysis.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.201-201
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• 2010

The evaporative desalination system with solar energy would be the efficient and attractive method to get fresh water. This study was described the development of Multi Effect Distillation(MED) with solar energy desalination system. The system was designed and manufactured Multi effect distillation on the capacity of $3m^3$/day. The experimental apparatus consists mainly of ejector pump, Hot water pump, flow meter, demister, cooler, evaporator and condenser. Evaporator and condenser were made Shell&Tube Heat Exchanger type with corrugated tube. The experimental variables were chosen $75^{\circ}C$ for hot water inlet temperature, 40, 60 and $80{\ell}$/min for hot water inlet volume flow rate, 6.0 and $8.0{\ell}$/min for evaporator feed seawater flow rate, $18^{\circ}C$ for sea water inlet temperature to cover the average sea water temperature and the salinity of sea water is measured about 33,000 PPM (parts per million). for a year in Korea. This study was analyzed the results of thermal performance of Multi Effect Distillation. The results are as follows, The experimental Multi effect distillation is required about 40 kW heat source for production of $3m^3$/day fresh water. Various operating flow rate was confirm in the experiments to get the optimum design data and the results showed that the optimum total flow was $8.0{\ell}$/min. Comparison of Single Effect Distillation with Multi Effect Distillation showed MED is at least more than double of SED.