A numerical approach to desalination of brackish and seawater via hydrodynamic and electromagnetic forces in modified S-shaped channels

• Desalination of brackish and seawater by the electromagnetic effect • Multi ions separation and purifications • Modifying the S-shaped channel • Image processing-based mesh generation The growing global need for clean drinking water necessitates the development of innovative solutions to improve desalination processes. These solutions aim to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of desalination, ensuring that the increasing demand for freshwater can be met in an environmentally responsible and cost-effective manner. The authors have developed a numerical model for the brackish and seawater desalination process, utilizing their proprietary code, and simulated the impact of various electromagnetic forces on removing multi-mineral ions. A novel feature introduced in this study is the S-shape configuration of the channel, which is designed to leverage hydrodynamic centrifugal force to balance the electromagnetic forces acting on ion migration, influenced by the curvatures of the flow fields at different points within the channel. The computational fluid dynamics are integrated with image processing techniques to generate an accurate calculation mesh. The model successfully estimates the trajectories of N a + ions and multi-ions ( N a + . K + . C a 2 + . M g 2 + . C l − . S O 4 2 − ) in pure water. The results show that in an S-shaped channel, the amount of trapped sodium ions is 47.62% higher than in a simple channel. This amount increases to 57.14% with the addition of an electromagnetic field, indicating the positive effect of the presence of an electromagnetic field on trapping ion particles. Also, according to the amount of trapped particles, the presence of a magnetic field has a more positive effect than an electric field.