Exergy, Economic, and Environmental (3E) Analysis of a Low-Pressure Desalination Solar-Powered System Using Innovative Technology for Continuous Freshwater Productivity

Recently, numerous nations have found themselves in urgent need of an effective water desalination method that utilizes less energy and addresses water scarcity. A low-pressure desalination system is an appropriate technology for many regions due to its benefits, including minimal energy usage to achieve the evaporation threshold, substantial water output, and high-quality pure water. This work primarily aims to ensure the sustainability of low-pressure solar-powered desalination technology combined with a finned natural air-cooling condenser by providing a comprehensive analysis of the exergy, economic, and environmental aspects. Furthermore, innovative technology is a pioneer in generating freshwater continuously without affecting system pressure. Ambient temperature serves as a crucial sign of climate conditions, influencing the level of freshwater productivity, particularly when utilizing a natural air-cooled condenser. Consequently, this temperature has been thoroughly investigated through experiments and exergy analysis. Under the optimal conditions for this study, hsw = 15 cm, Tsw = 80 °C, and Tamb = 28 °C, the maximum productivity and GOR were obtained as 1020 g/hr and 1.2, respectively. Exergetic efficiency can reach a maximum of 3.48%. The economic analysis of the proposed system indicates that the cost of freshwater productivity is USD 0.042 per kilogram. Furthermore, the device’s first cost recovery period is roughly 183 days or 3.6% of its lifetime. The quantity and price of diluted CO2 over the lifetime of the device are 13 tons of CO2/year and 188.5 USD/year, respectively.