Performance Analysis of a Humidification-Dehumidification Desalination System with a Solar Pond

Jul 13, 2026

Solar-driven humidification-dehumidification desalination offers a sustainable route to water production when integrated with solar ponds that supply cost-effective and stable heat. Seasonal meteorological variability prevents a single fixed operating condition from delivering year-round optimal efficiency. This study assesses system performance across varying monthly meteorological conditions using a solar-pond-driven HDH configuration. Results identify a monthly optimal liquid-to-gas mass flow ratio that jointly maximizes gained output ratio and water productivity, strongly correlating with solar irradiance. Open-water operation outperforms the closed-water case and delivers robust energy efficiency and stability. Solar pond temperature varies less than 3.2 °C monthly and under 0.58 °C daily.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

Introduction

Performance Analysis under Monthly Meteorological Conditions

Optimization of Liquid-to-Gas Mass Flow Ratio

Comparison of Open-Water and Closed-Water Solar Pond Configurations

Energy Efficiency and Operational Stability

Renewable Energy 267 (2026) 125782 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Renewable Energy journal [homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/renene](homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/renene) | Performance analysis of a humidification-dehumidification desalination system with a solar pond Xin Huanga,b,* , Guanlei Zhang a, Zhen Zhang a, Zejun Zhang a, Sihao Lia, Haozhe Jinc,**, Xiang Ling d a School of Mechanical Engineering and Rail Transit, Changzhou University, No. 21 Gehu Middle Road, Changzhou, PR China b Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Process Equipment, Changzhou University, Changzhou, PR China c School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, PR China d School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 PuZhu South Road, Nanjing, PR China | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | A R T I C L E I N F O | | A B S T R A C T | | | Keywords: Solar desalination Humidification dehumidification Solar pond Thermodynamic analysis Monthly performance | | Solar-driven humidification-dehumidification desalination offers a promising route to sustainable water production, particularly when integrated with solar ponds, which provide a cost-effective and stable heat supply. However, performance variations caused by seasonal meteorological fluctuations render a single operating condition insufficient for achieving year-round optimal efficiency. This study evaluates the performance of ahumidification-dehumidification system with a solar pond under varying monthly meteorological conditions. Findings reveal a unique monthly optimal liquid-to-gas mass flow rate ratio that co-maximizes the gained output ratio and water productivity, with this ratio correlating directly to solar irradiance. The open-water system achieves a higher optimal gained output ratio and water productivity than its closed-water counterpart. The open-water configuration exhibits a monthly optimal gained output ratio ranging from a peak of 2.03 in April toa nadir of 1.80 in December. Its monthly optimal water productivity is proportional to solar irradiance, ranging from a peak of 156.10 kg/h in August (at 216.97 W/m2) to an annual minimum of 27.54 kg/h in December (at 101.87 W/m2). Crucially, the system demonstrates robust energy efficiency and remarkable operational stability, with the solar pond temperature fluctuating by less than 3.2 ◦ C monthly and under 0.58 ◦ C daily. | | Nomenclature a surface area, m2 R pond bottom surface reflectivity cp specific heat at constant pressure, S salinity, g/kg kJ/kg⋅◦C T temperature, ◦C GOR gained output ratio ΔTmin pinch point temperature h specific enthalpy, kJ/kg difference, ◦C hfg latent heat of vaporization, kJ/kg w humidity ratio, kg vapor/kg dry air H enthalpy rate, kW HCR heat capacity rate ratio Greek symbols HDH humidification-dehumidification ΔHmax maximum enthalpy rate change, kW δ thickness, m IB radiation at the bottom surface of λ thermal conductivity, the pond, W/m2 W/m⋅◦C ρ density, kg/m3 (continued on next column) (continued ) IBR ILCZ ISR Ix I0 m PHCR PPTD Q Qlb radiation flux reflected from the bottom of the pond, W/m2 available radiation at the depth x, W/m2 radiation flux reflected back into the pond from the outer surface of the pond, W/m2 available radiation at the depth x, W/m2 surface solar radiation, W/m2 mass flow rate, kg/s pinch point heat capacity rate ratio pinch point temperature difference heat transfer rate, kW heat loss rate from the pond bottom surface, kW Superscripts and Subscripts a air c cold cond condensate d dehumidifier g dry air h humidifier H heater i inlet ideal ideal condition ins wall insulation l liquid lb loss through the bottom of the lower convective zone (continued on next page) * Corresponding author. School of Mechanical Engineering and Rail Transit, Changzhou University, No. 21 Gehu Middle Road, Changzhou, PR

FAQs

Why is monthly meteorological variability important for solar-pond humidification-dehumidification desalination?

Seasonal changes in meteorological conditions cause performance variations, so a single operating point cannot achieve year-round optimal efficiency. The study therefore evaluates performance under varying monthly conditions.

What parameter determines the monthly optimum for the system?

A unique monthly optimal liquid-to-gas mass flow rate ratio co-maximizes gained output ratio and water productivity. This ratio directly correlates with solar irradiance.

How do open-water and closed-water solar pond configurations compare?

The open-water system achieves a higher optimal gained output ratio and water productivity than the closed-water counterpart, with gained output ratio decreasing from a peak in April to a low in December.

Jul 13, 2026

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