Thermal performance assessment of spacer-filled air-gap membrane distillation systems with varying saline feeds

Key Points

• Thermal performance metrics show improved efficiency for spacer-filled air-gap configurations,
• The systems exhibit marked differences under saline feed conditions, reflecting a 20% increase in heat retention compared to conventional setups.
• Assessment using various saline feed concentrations demonstrates significant performance variations across configurations.
• Findings underline the potential of optimized design in membrane distillation, though additional field validation is required.