Performance Evaluation of the Ultrasonic Humidification Process for HDH Desalination Applications

Water scarcity remains a critical global challenge, driving the need for efficient small-scale desalination technologies. This study presents experimental research on the performance evaluation of an innovative ultrasonic humidifier designed for the humidification–dehumidification (HDH) desalination process. A prototype was designed, incorporating a 1.7 MHz piezoelectric transducer. The efficiency of the humidifier, the vapor production rate, and the specific energy consumption were evaluated based on two operating parameters: water temperature, ranging from 30 °C to 60 °C, and airflow rate, ranging from 20 to 120 L/min. The results show that humidification efficiency increases with airflow rate, reaching values above 95% at a temperature of 60 °C, with an airflow rate of 60 L/min, decreasing slightly at higher flow rates. The system demonstrated optimal performance at 60–80 L/min, balancing high efficiency and vapor production with moderate energy demand. These findings demonstrate that ultrasonic humidification is a viable alternative, especially in decentralized applications, due to its low thermal energy requirements, compact design, and adaptability to intermittent renewable energy sources.