Humidification-dehumidification system for purifying aqueous fluids

A humidification-dehumidification desalination system for purifying aqueous fluids, comprising:

• a humidifier, including
• a housing having a sloped roof, a fluid inlet, and a fluid outlet,
• a plurality of stepped thermal elements for heating an aqueous fluid to be purified arranged within the housing, each of the plurality of stepped thermal elements having a surface sloped at a pre-determined angle, and
• a plurality of stepped fluid trays disposed within the housing, the plurality of stepped fluid trays being configured to contain the aqueous fluid to be purified and having a floor incorporating a perforated plate therein, wherein the perforated plate is in fluid communication with an air supply and is configured so that the air supply passes through the aqueous fluid to be purified to form a humidified air stream;
• a dehumidifier comprising a passive condenser, wherein the passive condenser is fluidly connected to the dehumidifier and is configured to condense water from the humidified air stream;
• and
• a fresh water tank connected to the dehumidifier to collect the water condensed from the humidified air stream by the passive condenser;
• the surface of each of the plurality of stepped thermal elements, sloped at the pre-determined angle, is optically aligned with at least one solar energy concentrator,
• the fluid inlet is arranged in order to introduce the aqueous fluid to be purified to a first thermal element of the plurality of stepped thermal elements,
• each of the plurality of stepped thermal elements is arranged in order to introduce the aqueous fluid to be purified to a respective one of the plurality of stepped fluid trays at a pre-determined temperature, the pre-determined temperature of the aqueous fluid to be purified being above an initial temperature of the fluid to be purified, and
• the plurality of stepped thermal elements and the plurality of stepped fluid trays are alternately arranged from an uppermost thermal element to a lowermost fluid tray, each lower thermal element or fluid tray receiving spillover from a thermal element or fluid tray immediately above.