Experimental assessment of an indirect evaporative heat and mass exchanger for improving the water footprints

Several countries, including Pakistan, are classified as water-scarce nations, with per capita water availability falling below 1,000 cubic meters. Additionally, many nations face significant water stress due to factors such as urban population growth, agricultural demands, climate change, and poor water management systems. This study examines the performance of an Indirect Evaporative Heat and Mass Exchanger for water recovery from exhaust air, utilizing a combination of hydrophobic sheet and mesh cloth. In the current system, a filter composed of these materials is employed to extract water from the working air stream. The experimental findings indicate that this configuration achieves water recovery rates of up to 60 l/h without additional power consumption. Moreover, the amount of recovered water results in ultimate values for the energy efficiency ratio and specific reduction in water footprint, ranging from 15 to 92 and 2.8 to 9.6 litres per hour per ton, respectively. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system, highlighting its potential for enhanced water footprints of the system with low energy requirements, thus contributing to sustainable water management solutions.