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Optimization of Electrostatic Fog Collectors

Abdoli Yazdi, Milad | 2024

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  1. Type of Document: M.Sc. Thesis
  2. Language: Farsi
  3. Document No: 57781 (08)
  4. University: Sharif University of Technology
  5. Department: Mechanical Engineering
  6. Advisor(s): Moosavi, Ali; Kazemzadeh Hannani, Siamak
  7. Abstract:
  8. In electrostatic water collection devices, by applying a high voltage to the discharge electrodes, air become ionized and charged water droplets are directed towards the collection electrodes in the presence of an electric field. This method, with lower energy consumption compared to condensation-based methods, is a promising approach to address water scarcity and some of the energy and environmental challenges associated with it. In this study, the water collection process in these devices was simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics software. After solving the equations related to humid air flow, plasma physics, and the charging of droplets, the electrostatic field resulting from the applied voltage and the water droplet trajectories were calculated to determine the efficiency of these collectors. By changing various parameters, the effect of each on the efficiency was examined. In addition to that, the contours of key physical parameters were analyzed. Then, through optimization using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) method based on voltage and the number of electrodes, the best design from an economic standpoint was achieved. For the proposed geometry, placing two electrodes at a voltage of 25,658 V resulted in the highest benefit, representing a 30% improvement compared to the initial design. The optimized collector's energy consumption for water collection was calculated to be 0.62 kWh/m³. Finally, additional optimizations for water production volume based on collector width and inlet flow velocity were performed. For the studied geometry, a 50% increase in collector width and a fivefold increase in flow velocity led to approximately a 30% increase and a threefold rise in water production volume, respectively
  9. Keywords:
  10. Plasma ; Electrostatics ; Optimization ; Particles Swarm Optimization (PSO) ; Corona Plasma ; Water Harvesting ; Corona Discharge ; Collectors

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