Investigation of theoretical maximum water yield and efficiency-optimized temperature for cyclopentane hydrate-based desalination

Abstract

Hydrate-based desalination (HBD) shows promise as a freshwater production technology for saline water. Liquidphase hydrate formers, with their ability to facilitate hydrate formation at atmospheric pressure, have gained attention for their high energy efficiency in HBD. This study explored cyclopentane (CP) HBD by experimentally measuring the thermodynamic properties of CP hydrate in saline solutions and developing a theoretical framework to estimate the water yield of CP HBD under various operating conditions. The measured dissociation enthalpy of CP hydrate was found to be 12 % and 22 % lower compared to those of propane and R134a hydrates, respectively. The equilibrium dissociation temperatures of CP hydrate at different NaCl concentrations under atmospheric pressure were experimentally measured and then predicted using the Hu-Lee-Sum correlation. The theoretically achievable maximum salinity and water yield for CP HBD were calculated in the temperature range of 268-280 K and the initial salinity range of 0-8 wt.%. Additionally, the concept of HBD heat efficiency, representing the maximum amount of pure water producible per unit of heat, was introduced to identify an optimal operating condition for the HBD process. Efficiency-maximized temperatures, where the HBD heat efficiency reached its peaks, were determined for various initial salinities in the process, for example, 273.4 K for NaCl 3.5 wt.% solution. This novel approach provides invaluable guidance for determining the most energy-efficient operating conditions in the HBD process and establishes a solid foundation for further advancements in this field.