A Theoretical and Experimental Study for A humidification-Dehumidification (HDD) Solar Desalination Unit
A humidification-dehumidification (HD) solar desalination unit was designed. It seems to be suitable to provide drinking water for population or remote arid areas. Solar water and solar air collectors were designed to provide the hot water and air to the desalination chamber. The desalination chamber was divided into humidifier and dehumidifier towers. The circulation of air in the two towers was maintained by the forced convection. Theoretical and experimental works were done at different environmental conditions. A mathematical model was formulated, in which the thermodynamic relations were used to study the flow, heat and mass transfer inside the humidifier and dehumidifier. Such a technique was performed in order to increase the unit performance. Heat and mass balance was done and a set of governing equations was solved using the finite difference technique. The solar intensity was measured along the working day during the summer and winter months and a comparison between the theoretical and experimental results were performed. The average accumulative productivity of the system in November, December and January was ranged between 2 to 3.5 kg / m day while the average summer productivity was found between 6 to 8 kg/m day in June and 7.26 to 11 22
Enhancement of solar still productivity using floating perforated black plate
When the demand of fresh water does not exceed a few cubic meters, the solar still is a viable option. Productivity enhancement for this process was one of the main goals of the researchers. In this work, the effect of using the floating perforated black plate on the productivity process is investigated theoretically and experimentally at different brine depths under the same operating conditions. A mathematical model is developed to calculate the theoretical productivity of the solar still with the floating perforated black plate. Two experimental still units of 0.25 m2 each are constructed. Comparison between the theoretical and experimental results is considered. In this work, it is found that the results of the developed mathematical model are in good agreement with the experimental results. Also, it is found that using the floating perforated black aluminum plate in the solar still increases solar still productivity by 15% (at brine depth of 3 cm) and 40% (at brine depth of 6 cm.).
Chemosymbiotic bivalves and stable carbon isotopes indicate hydrocarbon seepage at four unusual Cenozoic fossil localities
Four unusual Cenozoic fossil localities are identified here as ancient hydrocarbon seep sites using palaeontological, petrological, and stable carbon isotope data. Late Eocene carbonate-cemented sandstone bodies in the Wagonwheel Mountains in California were previously suspected to represent ancient hydrocarbon seep sites, but the relatively high δ13Ccarbonate values (−12.2 to −5.0‰) suggest oil rather than methane seepage. The Oligocene fauna of the Elmira asphalt mine, Cuba, was previously interpreted as a mix of freshwater and marine taxa, but all species are here identified as belonging to marine groups, including the bivalve families Lucinidae and Vesicomyidae, whose extant members live largely in symbiosis with chemoautotrophic endosymbionts. A carbonate concretion from this site showed δ13Ccarbonate values as low as −32.2‰, which most likely indicates methane seepage. A previously unpublished Oligocene fossil locality in Atlantico, northern Colombia, is dominated by large solemyid, mytilid, lucinid, and vesicomyid bivalves, which most likely lived with chemotrophic endosymbionts. Seepage of biogenic methane without a significant contribution of thermogenic methane is indicated by δ13Ccarbonate values as low as −51.3‰. We confirm that the Pleurophopsis-dominated sites of the Heath Shale and Lomitos Chert in northern Peru are ancient seep sites, although the previous identification of Pleurophopsis peruviana as a vesicomyid is doubtful.