Cooling and desalination system
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional desalination and cooling technologies are energy-intensive, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, and existing hybrid systems face inefficiencies due to internal heat consumption and separate heat sources, limiting their adoption for sustainable water production and cooling.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid system integrating an ejector cooling cycle (ECC) and a humidification-dehumidification (HDH) system, where a common external heat source provides thermal energy for both systems, with heat exchange at the condenser to pre-heat saline water and recover latent heat, enhancing energy performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional desalination and cooling technologies are used separately, then each system can be independently operated, but energy consumption is high and greenhouse gas emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the ejector cooling system and HDH desalination system into a single integrated hybrid system. The condenser of the cooling system serves dual functions: it condenses refrigerant vapor and simultaneously pre-heats saline water for the desalination process. This merging eliminates the need for separate heat sources and reduces overall energy consumption while maintaining independent operational capabilities of each subsystem.
Solution Approach 2:
The condenser unit is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both the condensation device for the refrigerant cycle and the pre-heater for saline water in the desalination process. This universal component performs multiple functions within a single device, reducing system complexity and improving energy efficiency by utilizing waste heat from the cooling process.
2Productivity
If existing hybrid systems use internal heat consumption and separate heat sources, then system operation is simplified, but energy performance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heat source requirements of both the ejector cooling system and the HDH desalination system into a single common external heat source. This eliminates the need for multiple separate heat sources, simplifying the overall system configuration while significantly improving energy performance through effective heat utilization and recovery in the integrated condenser unit.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The hybrid system improves the coefficient of performance (COP) of both ECC and HDH systems by 5-30% compared to conventional systems, reducing energy input and greenhouse gas emissions while providing efficient concurrent cooling and desalination.
Implementation Method 1
an ejector for the primary flow and the secondary flow to pass through to obtain a super-heated stream
Implementation Method 2
The ECC system and the HDH system are connected at the condenser for heat exchange between the super-heated stream and the saline water to pre-heat the saline water
Implementation Method 3
a heater for heating saline water
Implementation Method 4
a humidifier for humidifying a carrier gas using the saline water
Implementation Method 5
a dehumidifier for dehumidifying the carrier gas to obtain desalinated water
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling and desalination system includes a humidification-dehumidification (HDH) system and an ejector cooling cycle (ECC) system. The HDH system includes a heater for heating saline water, a humidifier for humidifying a carrier gas using the saline water, and a dehumidifier for dehumidifying the carrier gas to obtain desalinated water. The ECC system includes a generator for generating a primary flow of a refrigerant, an evaporator for cooling and providing a secondary flow of the refrigerant, an ejector for the primary flow and the secondary flow to pass through to obtain a super-heated stream, and a condenser. The heater and the generator are configured to connect to a heat source. The ECC system and the HDH system are connected at the condenser for heat exchange between the super-heated stream and the saline water to pre-heat the saline water.