A numerical study of the salt water flow inside a channel with horizontal metal walls subjected to a constant DC voltage realizes a uniform electrostatic field contributing to the desalination of seawater by forcing cations (Na+) and anions (Cl-) to deflect: effect of electrostatic field intensity and temperature variation

The present article aims to investigate the effect of electrostatic field and temperature on the distribution of chloride and sodium ions during the saltwater flow in a horizontal channel. The change in the intensity of the uniform electric field has been controlled by applying DC high-voltage between the horizontal walls of the channel, where this field creates an electric force that deviate the positive and negative ions towards the walls in opposite directions, which results a large space in the middle of fluid almost free of dissolved salt. The proposed study is formulated with a system of coupled partial differential equations in the Navier-Stokes equation and energy. In addition, the Buongiorno equation was used to study the distribution of ion concentration in seawater. Important results were obtained in this numerical study, including that the increase in the intensity of the electric field and temperature significantly reduced the concentration of cations and anions in a wide area of seawater, thus obtaining a large amount of diluted water. The distribution of sodium and chloride ion concentration, the flow, the horizontal velocity, and the isotherms were modeled under the electrostatic field intensity variation factor and Reynolds number for an accurate, detailed, and clear interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]