Experimental and theoretical evaluation of a novel hybrid multi-effect adsorption desalination process

Globally, water scarcity is worsening owing to climate change and population growth, leading to an increased interest in seawater desalination. Regulations for brine disposal from desalination plants are becoming increasingly stringent, driving the demand for brine management technologies. In this regard, adsorption desalination (AD), which operates at low temperatures (< 40 ℃) and pressures (< 10 kPa), is promising compared to conventional seawater desalination methods. It can address scaling and fouling problems and enable highly concentrated operations at low temperatures. This study investigates a novel hybrid process combining 3-bed AD technology with a 6-effect evaporator through experimental and theoretical research. Furthermore, the performance based on key parameters, such as cycle time and top brine temperature (TBT), is evaluated. Experimental results show that the hybrid process achieved a distillate production of 8.75 kg/h in the evaporators, 7.01 kg/h in the condenser, and a total of 15.77 kg/h in the system at a TBT of 33 ℃ and a cycle time of 1320 s. Therefore, the multi-effect adsorption desalination (MEAD) process can be operated at low TBT (≤ 40 ℃) to minimize scaling concerns in high-concentration seawater caused by physical adsorption of the adsorbent.