Cost analysis and performance investigation of solar-powered desalination system utilizing modified sodium polyacrylate adsorbent material

Seawater has been desalinated using various processes at different techniques, most of which depend on fossil fuels. On the contrary, there is a need for environmentally benign desalination systems. Adsorption desalination system (ADS) is one of these systems that employ eco-friendly materials to reduce environmental pollution and global warming. This paper examines the performance metrics of promising materials used in ADS to lower desalinated water prices. This research uses sodium polyacrylate (SP), special SP/(NH₄)₂CO₃ activated materials, and SP/CaCl₂ composite to theoretically examine ADS's performance and cost analysis. Also, ADS performance with and without heat recovery (HR) is compared. Using tools from MATLAB and TRNSYS, the model is carried out over a year using live weather data from hot regions. Results show that the SP/CaCl₂ composite has a relatively high specific daily water production (SDWP) of 15 m³/ton with COP = 0.67. The SDWP can be increased up to 45 m³/ton if heat recovery is used in the system. The cost of desalinated water is estimated at 3.8 $/m³ using Solar energy and 0.63 $/m³ using waste heat evaluated for a system with HR.