A　hollow　fiber　membrane　module　cascaded　with　a　heat　exchanger　to　recover　the　latent　heat　of　vapor　is　a　one　stage　vacuum　membrane　distillation　(VMD)　unit.　In　this　work,　two　multi-effect　VMD　(ME-VMD)　systems,　first　stage　heating　and　inter-stage　heating　processes　with　n　one-stage-VMD　units　cascaded　together,　were　firstly　considered　and　compared　in　terms　of　efficiency　using　computational　fluid　dynamics　(CFD).　The　inter-stage　heating　ME-VMD　system　had　a　relatively　high　water　recovery,　however,　its　gained　output　ratio　(GOR)　was　low　and　the　system　complexity　and　operating　cost　increased　due　to　the　presence　of　the　heaters　in　each　stage.　Thus,　we　focused　on　the　first-stage　heating　ME-VMD　system.　An　ME-VMD　system　containing　30　one-stage　VMD　units　with　first-stage　heating　was　then　evaluated　coupling　with　the　mathematic　model　of　single　module　via　CFD,　and　an　economic　evaluation　model　was　established.　The　effects　of　feed　inlet　temperature　and　stage　number　on　the　distillate　flux,　water　recovery　and　GOR　were　comprehensively　discussed.　The　highest　GOR　could　reach　to　12.1.　The　water　production　cost　mainly　depended　on　the　heat　exhaustion　and　the　lowest　cost　was　estimated　at　$0.59/t　for　an　optimal　four-stage　ME-VMD　system　with　first-stage　heating,　which　can　be　competitive　to　the　reverse　osmosis　technique.