Title : A numerical investigation of the performance of a thermoelectric based water distiller
Abstract:
Distilled water is an essential element for several domestic and industrial applications, where high purity of water is required, such as the pharmacy industry, automation, chemical and biological laboratories, etc. In this work, a thermoelectric water distiller is proposed and investigated numerically. The hot side of thermoelectric modules is used to boil water, while the cold side is utilized to condense the generated water vapor to produce distilled water. A compact design where proposed to minimize heat losses and to enhance productivity. Liquid water and vapor were circulated naturally without using pumps or fans. The mathematical model of the thermoelectric distiller was developed and validated with experimental data. To investigate the performance of the thermoelectric distiller, the effects of different operating parameters on it were examined, such as thermoelectric modules current, and operating pressure. Findings indicated that distilled water is produced with low energy consumption compared with conventional electrically powered distillers while operating thermoelectric modules at relatively low current. Values below 250 kWh/m3 of SEC were achieved. Which is directly related to the high heating coefficient of performance of thermoelectric modules (COPh). Where values more than 3.0 of COPh were recorded. This proposed compact distiller could be connected directly to PV panels to produce distilled water from a100% renewable source.
Audience Takeaway Notes:
- Audience will be able to understand the design of the system and mathematical modeling.
- Using thermoelectric for heating and heat recovery is still not studied well and could be used for many applications.
- New way to produce distilled water with relatively Low specific energy consumption.
