haihtumisentalpan

Haihtumisentalpan is a term used to describe a panel-based device that uses controlled evaporation to separate and collect volatile components from mixtures, typically as part of a solar-thermal or passive distillation system. The name combines the Finnish word haihtuminen (evaporation) with the English word panel.

Design and operation: The device consists of an absorber layer and a vapor channel with a condensation surface on the opposite side. Sunlight heats the liquid in the absorber, causing evaporation. The vapor travels to the condensation surface, where it re condenses into a distillate. The design supports modular tiling, allowing scaling. It can operate with natural convection or with microchannels to enhance heat transfer. Materials are selected for thermal stability and corrosion resistance (e.g., aluminum, copper alloys, coated steels). Seawater or saline feed is common; condensate can be freshwater or a separated fraction.

Applications: Small-scale and decentralized water purification in off-grid regions; village-level desalination; industrial wastewater treatment; recovery of solvents; integration with solar stills.

Advantages: Low electrical energy requirement, simple fabrication, compatibility with renewable energy sources, off-grid operation, potential for low-maintenance operation if fouling is controlled.

Limitations: Lower overall efficiency compared to membrane-based desalination; vulnerability to fouling and scaling; heat losses; performance dependent on climate; capital costs for large-area panels.

Research and development: Ongoing studies explore coatings to reduce fouling, integrated heat exchangers, passively driven distillation cycles, and system integration with thermal storage.