Low-Energy-Consumption Wastewater Evaporation Using Single-Electrode High-Voltage Electric Field Enhancement

Abstract

High energy consumption is a pressing issue in the development of wastewater evaporation technologies. In this paper, a low-energy-consumption approach utilizing single-electrode high-voltage electric field-enhanced evaporation is proposed. Experimental studies were conducted on the evaporation process of adhered liquid droplets in a single-electrode high-voltage electric field environment. The influence of the electric field on the liquid surface morphology and evaporation modes was analyzed, and the effects of droplet salt concentration, ambient temperature, and voltage on droplet evaporation were investigated. The results indicate that the evaporation enhancement effect of a high-voltage single electrode on droplets mainly occurs when the gas–liquid interface of droplets is unstable. At a voltage of 8 kV, evaporation occurs on the droplet surface, reducing the evaporation time by 5.3% compared to no-electric-field conditions. Furthermore, the effect of the single-electrode high-voltage electric field on droplet evaporation weakens with increasing temperature and salt concentration.