Impact of solar energy cost on water production cost of seawater desalination plants in Egypt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamei, A.; Zaag, P. van der; Munch, E.

2008-01-01

Many countries in North Africa and the Middle East are experiencing localized water shortages and are now using desalination technologies with either reverse osmosis (RO) or thermal desalination to overcome part of this shortage. Desalination is performed using electricity, mostly generated from fossil fuels with associated greenhouse gas emissions. Increased fuel prices and concern over climate change are causing a push to shift to alternative sources of energy, such as solar energy, since solar radiation is abundant in this region all year round. This paper presents unit production costs and energy costs for 21 RO desalination plants in the region. An equation is proposed to estimate the unit production costs of RO desalination plants as a function of plant capacity, price of energy and specific energy consumption. This equation is used to calculate unit production costs for desalinated water using photovoltaic (PV) solar energy based on current and future PV module prices. Multiple PV cells are connected together to form a module or a panel. Unit production costs of desalination plants using solar energy are compared with conventionally generated electricity considering different prices for electricity. The paper presents prices for both PV and solar thermal energy. The paper discusses at which electricity price solar energy can be considered economical to be used for RO desalination; this is independent of RO plant capacity. For countries with electricity prices of 0.09 US$/kWh, solar-generated electricity (using PV) can be competitive starting from 2 US$/W p (W p is the number of Watts output under standard conditions of sunlight). For Egypt (price of 0.06 US$/kWh), solar-generated electricity starts to be competitive from 1 US$/W p . Solar energy is not cost competitive at the moment (at a current module price for PV systems including installation of 8 US$/W p ), but advances in the technology will continue to drive the prices down, whilst penalties on usage

THE USE OF SOLAR ENERGY IN THE DESALINATION SEA WATER IN AGRICULTURAL GREENHOUSE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Tahri

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The limited resources of fresh water in arid areas like the Middle East and North Africa MENA have led to the use of poor quality water in irrigation agriculture. These can reduce crop yield and environmental damage. Agriculture accounts for 70% of overall consumption in freshwater. Given the evaporation phenomena that occur in arid regions, this figure rises to 90%. This study focuses on the concept of combining the greenhouse with the desalination of seawater This concept is intended for small scale applications in remote areas where only saline water and solar energy are available.  The main objective of this research work is to analyze the production of fresh water using solar energy in the desalination of sea water in the greenhouse. This operating system is in need of thorough study of evaporators, condensers and design of the greenhouse. Desalination, combining the greenhouse to the use of sea water while exploiting the phenomenon of condensation of water vapor in the air, seems to respond positively to the needs of agricultural irrigation.

Performance of indigenously fabricated pyramid type solar desalination unit at Nawabshah

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Memon, A.H.; Rajpar, A.H.; Memon, N.A.

2010-01-01

The performance of locally fabricated pyramid type solar desalination unit was studied and compared with the conventional basin type solar still. Both stills were initially filled with same quantity of brackish water. Their performance was studied in terms of the quality of water produced, quantity of water desalinated per hour and total quantity of water desalinated per day during the time under study. The experiments were conducted and various parameters were recorded from 9-15 hours daily. These results showed that pyramid solar still produced 20% higher desalinated water as compared to the conventional double slope basin type solar still. This study showed that the productivity rate of soar still is dependent upon geometrical configuration of solar still. It was observed that the units can highly reduce the salinity, TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) and EC (Electrical Conductivity) of the saline ground water providing the availability of safe drinking water. (author)

A framework for investigating the interactions between climate, dust, solar power generation and water desalination processes in Desert Climate

Science.gov (United States)

Siam, M. S.; Alqatari, S.; Ibrahim, H. D.; AlAloula, R. A.; Alrished, M.; AlSaati, A.; Eltahir, E. A. B.

2016-12-01

Increasing water demand in Saudi Arabia due to rapid population growth has forced the rapid expansion of seawater desalination plants in order to meet both current and future freshwater needs. Saudi Arabia has a huge potential for solar energy, hence, solar-powered desalination plants provide an opportunity to sustainably address the freshwater demand in the kingdom without relying on fossil fuels energy. However, the desert climate of Saudi Arabia and limited access to the open ocean imposes several challenges to the expansion and sustainability of solar-powered desalination plants. For example, the frequent and intense dust storms that occur in the region can degrade solar panels and significantly reduce their efficiency. Moreover, the high salinity Arabian Gulf is both the source of feedwater and sink of hypersaline discharge (brine) for many plants in the east of the Kingdom, and the brine may alter the salinity, temperature and movement of the water thereby reducing the quality of the feedwater to the desalination plants. Here, we propose a framework to investigate the different interactions between climate, dust, solar power generation and seawater desalination in order to identify optimal parameters such as locations of solar panels and seawater intake for sustainable implementation of solar-powered desalination plants. This framework integrates several numerical models including regional climate, hydrodynamics, Photovoltaics (PV) and Photovoltaic-Reverse Osmosis (PV-RO) models that are used to investigate these interactions for a solar-powered desalination plant at AlKhafji on the Northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia.

Technology development and application of solar energy in desalination: MEDRC contribution

KAUST Repository

Ghaffour, Noreddine

2011-12-01

Desalination has become one of the sources for water supply in several countries especially in the Middle East and North Africa region. There is a great potential to develop solar desalination technologies especially in this region where solar source is abundantly available. The success in implementing solar technologies in desalination at a commercial scale depends on the improvements to convert solar energy into electrical and/or thermal energies economically as desalination processes need these types of energies. Since desalination is energy intensive, the wider use of solar technologies in desalination will eventually increase the demand on these technologies, making it possible to go for mass production of photovoltaic (PV) cells, collectors and solar thermal power plants. This would ultimately lead to the reduction in the costs of these technologies. The energy consumed by desalination processes has been significantly reduced in the last decade meaning that, if solar technologies are to be used, less PV modules and area for collectors would be needed. The main aspects to be addressed to make solar desalination a viable option in remote location applications is to develop new materials or improve existing solar collectors and find the best combinations to couple the different desalination processes with appropriate solar collector. In the objective to promote solar desalination in MENA, the Middle East Desalination Research Center has concentrated on various aspects of solar desalination in the last twelve years by sponsoring 17 research projects on different technologies and Software packages development for coupling desalination and renewable energy systems to address the limitations of solar desalination and develop new desalination technologies and hybrid systems suitable for remote areas. A brief description of some of these projects is highlighted in this paper. The full details of all these projects are available the Centers website. © 2011 Elsevier

Graphene-Based Standalone Solar Energy Converter for Water Desalination and Purification.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yang; Zhao, Ruiqi; Zhang, Tengfei; Zhao, Kai; Xiao, Peishuang; Ma, Yanfeng; Ajayan, Pulickel M; Shi, Gaoquan; Chen, Yongsheng

2018-01-23

Harvesting solar energy for desalination and sewage treatment has been considered as a promising solution to produce clean water. However, state-of-the-art technologies often require optical concentrators and complicated systems with multiple components, leading to poor efficiency and high cost. Here, we demonstrate an extremely simple and standalone solar energy converter consisting of only an as-prepared 3D cross-linked honeycomb graphene foam material without any other supporting components. This simple all-in-one material can act as an ideal solar thermal converter capable of capturing and converting sunlight into heat, which in turn can distill water from various water sources into steam and produce purified water under ambient conditions and low solar flux with very high efficiency. High specific water production rate of 2.6 kg h -1 m -2 g -1 was achieved with near ∼87% under 1 sun intensity and >80% efficiency even under ambient sunlight (solar thermal water purification system for a variety of environmental conditions.

Predictive Control Applied to a Solar Desalination Plant Connected to a Greenhouse with Daily Variation of Irrigation Water Demand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lidia Roca

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The water deficit in the Mediterranean area is a known matter severely affecting agriculture. One way to avoid the aquifers’ exploitation is to supply water to crops by using thermal desalination processes. Moreover, in order to guarantee long-term sustainability, the required thermal energy for the desalination process can be provided by solar energy. This paper shows simulations for a case study in which a solar multi-effect distillation plant produces water for irrigation purposes. Detailed models of the involved systems are the base of a predictive controller to operate the desalination plant and fulfil the water demanded by the crops.

Control and Modelling of Seawater Desalination Using Solar Technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roca, L.; Yebra, L. J.; Berenguel, M.; Alarcon, D. C.

2006-07-01

Desalination plants play a fundamental role in fighting the shortage of fresh water in places with plentiful seawater resources. This paper briefly describes a solar desalination system designed, erected and operated in the AQUASOL project at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria (PSA), consisting basically of a CPC (Compound Parabolic Concentrator) solar collector field, two water storage tanks, a multi-effect distillation plant (MED) and a Double Effect Absorption Heat Pump (DEAHP). These subsystems have been modeled to estimate system behaviour and develop control techniques for maintaining optimal operating conditions. (Author)

Technology development and application of solar energy in desalination: MEDRC contribution

KAUST Repository

Ghaffour, NorEddine; Reddy, V. K.; Abu-Arabi, Mousa K.

2011-01-01

Desalination has become one of the sources for water supply in several countries especially in the Middle East and North Africa region. There is a great potential to develop solar desalination technologies especially in this region where solar

Water quality assessment of solar-assisted adsorption desalination cycle

KAUST Repository

Kim, Youngdeuk

2014-07-01

This study focuses on the water quality assessment (feed, product and brine) of the pilot adsorption desalination (AD) plant. Seawater from the Red Sea is used as feed to the AD plant. Water quality tests are evaluated by complying the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards with major primary and secondary inorganic drinking water pollutants and other commonly tested water quality parameters. Chemical testing of desalinated water at the post desalination stage confirms the high quality of produced fresh water. Test results have shown that the adsorption desalination process is very effective in eliminating all forms of salts, as evidenced by the significant reduction of the TDS levels from approximately 40,000. ppm in feed seawater to less than 10. ppm. Test results exhibit extremely low levels of parameters which are generally abundant in feed seawater. The compositions of seawater and process related parameters such as chloride, sodium, bromide, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, and silicate in desalinated water exhibit values of less than 0.1. ppm. Reported conductivity measurements of desalinated water are comparable to distilled water conductivity levels and ranged between 2 and 6. μS/cm while TOC and TIC levels are also extremely low and its value is less than 0.5. ppm. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Desalination by renewable energy: A mini review of the recent patents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Al-Rawajfeh Aiman Eid

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Recent patents on water desalination by using renewable energy technologies are critically reviewed with highlighting on environmental impacts and sustainable development. An overview of using wind, hydroelectric, wave and tidal, wind/solar, geothermal, and solar renewable energy technologies for desalinated water production are assessed. Solar energy is the mother of all other renewable energies; it does not pollute, it is free and available everywhere. Several patents have been invented systems and methods that collected and converted solar energy to electrical energy via solar energy which can be used for water desalination. Wind farm with wind-driven pressurizing devices is used to desalinate salt water by reverse osmosis. Geothermal has been used as an effective method for water desalination. It is highly recommended to provide seawater desalination powered by a renewable energy source in remote areas. On the other hand, sequentially staged of energy conversion steps operate at low efficiencies.

Solar Desalination by Humidification-Dehumidification of Air

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Moumouh J.

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The importance of supplying potable water can hardly be overstressed. In many arid zones, coastal or inlands, seawater or brackish water desalination may be the only solution to the shortage of fresh water. The process based on humidification-dehumidification of air (HDH principle mimic the natural water cycle. HDH technique has been subjected to many studies in recent years due to the low temperature, renewable energy use, simplicity, low cost installation and operation. An experimental test set-up has been fabricated and assembled. The prototype equipped with appropriate measuring and controlling devices. Detailed experiments have been carried out at various operating conditions. The heat and mass transfer coefficients have been obtained experimentally. The results of the investigation have shown that the system productivity increases with the increase in the mass flow rate of water through the unit. Water temperature at condenser exit increases linearly with water temperature at humidifier inlet and it decreases as water flow rate increases. HDH desalination systems realised on also work at atmospheric pressure; hence they do not need mechanical energy except for circulation pumps and fans. These kinds of systems are suitable for developing countries. The system is modular, it is possible to increase productivity with additional solar collectors and additional HDH cycles.

Theoretical investigation of solar humidification-dehumidification desalination system using parabolic trough concentrators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohamed, A.M.I.; El-Minshawy, N.A.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → We evaluated the performance of sea water HDD system powered by solar PTC. → The proposed design to the expected desalination plant performance was introduced. → The collector thermal efficiency was a function of solar radiation value. → The highest fresh water productivity is found to be in the summer season. → The production time reaches 42% of the day time in the summer season. - Abstract: This paper deals with the status of solar energy as a clean and renewable energy applications in desalination. The object of this research is to theoretically investigate the principal operating parameters of a proposed desalination system based on air humidification-dehumidification principles. A parabolic trough solar collector is adapted to drive and optimize the considered desalination system. A test set-up of the desalination system was designed and a theoretical simulation model was constructed to evaluate the performance and productivity of the proposed solar humidification-dehumidification desalination system. The theoretical simulation model was developed in which the thermodynamic models of each component of the considered were set up respectively. The study showed that, parabolic trough solar collector is the suitable to drive the proposed desalination system. A comparison study had been presented to show the effect of the different parameters on the performance and the productivity of the system. The productivity of the proposed system showed also an increase with the increase of the day time till an optimum value and then decreased. The highest fresh water productivity is found to be in the summer season, when high direct solar radiation and long solar time are always expected. The production time reaches a maximum value in the summer season, which is 42% of the day.

Water quality assessment of solar-assisted adsorption desalination cycle

KAUST Repository

Kim, Youngdeuk; Thu, K.; Masry, Moawya Ezet; Ng, Kim Choon

2014-01-01

in desalinated water exhibit values of less than 0.1. ppm. Reported conductivity measurements of desalinated water are comparable to distilled water conductivity levels and ranged between 2 and 6. μS/cm while TOC and TIC levels are also extremely low and its

Performance evaluation of a continuous flow inclined solar still desalination system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Agouz, S.A.; El-Samadony, Y.A.F.; Kabeel, A.E.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A mathematical model was presented to analyze the performance of inclined still. • The effect of air speed, water masses, film thickness and velocity was studied. • Productivity for the Model 3 was higher than conventional still by 57.2%. • The performance was strongly affected by water film thickness and velocity. • Model 3 gave the highest performance while Model 1 gave the lowest performance. - Abstract: In the present work, theoretical study of the performance evaluation of a continuous water flow inclined solar still desalination system is performed. Three models are studied for inclined solar still desalination system with and without water close loop. The effects of the water mass, water film thickness, water film velocity and air wind velocity on the performance of the three models are studied. The results show that the inclined solar still with a makeup water is superior in productivity (57.2% improvement) compared with a conventional basin-type solar still. Also, the application of inclined solar still with open water loop is recommended when combined with other still desalination system due to high water temperature output. The inclined solar still with a makeup (Model 3) gives the highest performance while Model 1 gives the lowest performance. Finally, the water film thickness, and velocity as well as wind velocity plays important roles in improving the still productivity and efficiency

Mathematical model development for a new solar desalination system (SDS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elsafty, A.F. [Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport, Alexandria (Egypt). Dept. of Mechanical and Marine Engineering; Fath, H.E. [Alexandria Univ., Alexandria (Egypt). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

2007-07-01

Desalination, as a non-conventional water resource, has become one of the most promising alternative water sources to address the fresh water shortage in the near future. Desalination technologies are constrained in that they are driven almost entirely by the combustion of fuels which are still of finite supply, pollute the air, and contribute to the risk of global climate change. Solar distillation is preferred to other processes of distillation because of the low operating cost, low maintenance, lack of moving parts, and clean energy offered. The development of solar distillation has demonstrated its suitability for saline water desalination when weather conditions are favorable and when demand is not large. Solar energy in the Arab region is available at relatively high intensity during most of the year. This paper presented a general mathematical model for a newly developed solar still that uses a parabolic reflector-tube absorber desalination technology. A computer program was developed to simulate the still operation and to solve the governing heat and mass transfer action which occurred during the operation. The program was used to study the still production in different cases. The paper provided a description of the mathematical model and discussed the governing equations. It was concluded that unit productivity improved by increasing the solar intensity, ambient temperature, efficiency of reflector material, reflector aperture area and evaporation area. In addition, increasing the wind velocity, saline water depth, condenser emissivity and condenser thickness had only a small effect on the productivity. 3 refs., 1 tab., 14 figs.

Rotating carbon nanotube membrane filter for water desalination

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Qingsong; Yang, Qiang; Wang, Hualin; Li, Shaofan

2016-01-01

We have designed a porous nanofluidic desalination device, a rotating carbon nanotube membrane filter (RCNT-MF), for the reverse osmosis desalination that can turn salt water into fresh water. The concept as well as design strategy of RCNT-MF is modeled, and demonstrated by using molecular dynamics simulation. It has been shown that the RCNT-MF device may significantly improve desalination efficiency by combining the centrifugal force propelled reverse osmosis process and the porous CNT-based fine scale selective separation technology. PMID:27188982

Seawater desalination with solar-energy-integrated vacuum membrane distillation system

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Fang Wang

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This study designed and tested a novel type of solar-energy-integrated vacuum membrane distillation (VMD system for seawater desalination under actual environmental conditions in Wuhan, China. The system consists of eight parts: a seawater tank, solar collector, solar cooker, inclined VMD evaporator, circulating water vacuum pump, heat exchanger, fresh water tank, and brine tank. Natural seawater was used as feed and a hydrophobic hollow-fiber membrane module was used to improve seawater desalination. The experiment was conducted during a typical summer day. Results showed that when the highest ambient temperature was 33 °C, the maximum value of the average solar intensity was 1,080 W/m2. The system was able to generate 36 kg (per m2 membrane module distilled fresh water during 1 day (7:00 am until 6:00 pm, the retention rate was between 99.67 and 99.987%, and electrical conductivity was between 0.00276 and 0.0673 mS/cm. The average salt rejection was over 90%. The proposed VMD system shows favorable potential application in desalination of brackish waters or high-salt wastewater treatment, as well.

Economic feasibility of a solar still desalination system with enhanced productivity

KAUST Repository

Ayoub, George M.

2014-02-01

Solar still desalination systems offer sustainable tools for fresh water production. However, their widespread application is often hindered by their relatively low production rates compared to other desalination methods. In this study, a simple amendment, in the form of a slowly-rotating hollow cylinder, was introduced within the solar still, significantly increasing the evaporative surface area. This new modified still was analyzed in terms of both operation and economic feasibility. The introduced cylinder resulted in a 200-300% increase in water output relative to a control, which did not include the cylinder. The resulting percent improvement far exceeds that obtained by other modifications. Unit production cost estimates varied between 6 and 60$/m3 depending on discount rates, productivity, service lifetime and initial capital costs. These projections are well within reported cost ranges for renewable-based technologies. In order to evaluate the system\\'s feasibility in real market value, different scenarios that introduce carbon-trading schemes and environmental degradation costs for fuel-based desalination, were performed. Reported costs for fuel-based brackish water and seawater desalination were thus adjusted to include unaccounted-for costs related to environmental damage. This analysis yielded results that further justify the economic feasibility of the new modified solar still, particularly for seawater desalination. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Prospects of solar desalination in Pakistan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saif-ur-Rehman, M; Bhatti, M R; Malik, M A

1973-01-01

This paper deals with the present state-of-the-art of solar desalination and evaluates the possibility of using solar stills in Pakistan. Along with the world survey of solar desalination units a brief description of the process and solar still is described. The areas of prospective users, i.e., having acute shortage of freshwater, even for drinking, are outlined.

A parametric study on a humidification–dehumidification (HDH) desalination unit powered by solar air and water heaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yıldırım, Cihan; Solmuş, İsmail

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A time dependent humidification–dehumidification desalination process is investigated. • Fourth-order Runge–Kutta method is used to simulate the problem. • Daily and annual performance are examined. • Various operational parameters are investigated. - Abstract: The performance of a solar powered humidification–dehumidification desalination system is theoretically investigated for various operating and design parameters of the system under climatological conditions of Antalya, Turkey. The primary components of the system are a flat plate solar water heater, a flat plate double pass solar air heater, a humidifier, a dehumidifier and a storage tank. The mathematical model of the system is developed and governing conservation equations are numerically solved by using the Fourth order Runge–Kutta method. Daily and annual yields are calculated for different configurations of the system such as only water heating, only air heating and water–air heating

Status of solar desalination in India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arjunan, T.V. [Mechanical Engineering Department, Adhiyamaan College of Engineering, Hosur, Krishnagiri 635109, Tamilnadu (India); Aybar, H.S. [Mechanical Engineering Department, Eastern Mediterranean University, G. Magosa, KKTC, Mersin 10 (Turkey); Nedunchezhian, N. [Automobile Engineering, Institute of Road and Transport Technology, Erode, Tamilnadu (India)

2009-12-15

The work was motivated by the increasing awareness of the need for enhancing water supplies schemes in arid lands featuring an appropriate technology for solar energy use in the desalination field in India. The fresh water crisis is already evident in many parts of India, varying in scale and intensity at different times of the year. India's rapidly rising population and changing lifestyles also increases the need for fresh water. Fresh water is increasingly taking centre stage on the economic and political agenda, as more and more disputes between and within states, districts, regions, and even at the community level arises. The conventional desalination technologies like multi stage flash, multiple effect, vapor compression, iron exchange, reverse osmosis, electro dialysis are expensive for the production of small amount of fresh water, also use of conventional energy sources has a negative impact on the environment. Solar distillation represents a most attractive and simple technique among other distillation processes, and it is especially suited to small-scale units at locations where solar energy is considerable. India, being a tropical country is blessed with plenty of sunshine. The average daily solar radiation varies between 4 and 7 kWh per square meter for different parts of the country. There are on an average 250-300 clear sunny days in a year, thus it receives about 5000 trillion kWh of solar energy in a year. In spite of the limitations of being a dilute source and intermittent in nature, solar energy has the potential for meeting and supplementing various energy requirements. Solar energy systems being modular in nature could be installed in any capacity as per the requirement. This paper consists of an overall review and technical assessments of various passive and active solar distillation developments in India. This review also recommended some research areas in this field leading to high efficiency are highlighted. (author)

Performance investigation of a salt gradient solar pond coupled with desalination facility near the Dead Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saleh, A.; Qudeiri, J.A.; Al-Nimr, M.A.

2011-01-01

Solar ponds provide the most convenient and least expensive option for heat storage for daily and seasonal cycles. This is particularly important for a desalination facility, if steady and constant water production is required. If, in addition to high storage capacity, other favorable conditions exist, the salt gradient solar ponds (SGSPs) are expected to be able to carry the entire load of a large-scale flash desalination plants without dependence upon supplementary sources. This paper presents a performance investigation of a SGSP coupled with desalination plant under Jordanian climatic conditions. This is particularly convenient in the Dead Sea region characterized by high solar radiation intensities, high ambient temperature most of the year, and by the availability of high concentration brine. It was found that a 3000 m 2 solar pond installed near the Dead Sea is able to provide an annual average production rate of 4.3 L min -1 distilled water compared with 3.3 L min -1 that would be produced by El Paso solar pond, which has the same surface area. Based on this study, solar ponds appear to be a feasible and an appropriate technology for water desalination near the Dead Sea in Jordan. -- Research highlights: → A performance investigation of a solar pond coupled with desalination plant. → Dead Sea area is characterized by availability of high solar radiation and brine. → The Dead Sea solar pond can provide production rate of 4.3 L min -1 . → El Paso solar pond has production rate of 3.32 L min -1 . The improvement is about 30%. → The solar pond with desalination investigated showed to be a feasible technology.

Optimization of a combined solar chimney for desalination and power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asayesh, Mohammad; Kasaeian, Alibakhsh; Ataei, Abtin

2017-01-01

Highlights: • One dimensional code is developed for simulation of a hybrid solar chimney. • The code is validated using experimental data of a simple solar chimney. • Partial coverage of the collector area by the desalination system is more beneficial. • The optimal configuration of the combined system is found using PSO algorithm. - Abstract: Large footprint and very low efficiency are main disadvantages of solar chimneys. To resolve this, solar desalination system has been added under the collector of a solar chimney power plant. Generally the collector ground is completely covered by the desalination pond but here it is shown that more benefit can be achieved by partial occupation of the collector area. This is performed by implementing the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm in conjunction with a one dimensional simulation code. The code is first validated using data of a laboratory scale solar chimney. Then, optimization results show that for a collector diameter of 250 m and tower height of 200 m, a solar pond located between radii 85 and 125 m of the collector can maximize the outcome of the combined system. Generally, dimensions of the desalination system depend on local cost of building the system and price of electricity and fresh water produced.

Solar fired combined RO/MED desalination plant integrated with electrical power grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alrobaei, H.

2006-01-01

Currently, there is a strong demand for efficient seawater desalination plants, which can meet the tougher environment regulation and energy saving requirements. From this standpoint the present work was undertaken to include proposed scheme (solar Fired Combined Reverse Osmosis (ROY Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) Seawater desalination Plant (SCDP) integrated with electrical power grid (EPG)) for repowering and modification of the conventional grid connected RO desalination plants. The model of SCDP during sunny periods may be applied to the following modes operation: *Full solar desalination (i.e. solar thermal and electrical power generation in solar plant is elivered to the desalination process and the surplus electricity is fed into EPG). *Hybrid solar desalination (I.e. a small share of the electrical power consumption for desalination process compensated by EPG). During cloudly periods and at night the SCDP operates as a conventional RO desalination plant. To establish the range, in which solar energy for seawater desalination would be competitive to fossil energy and investigates the potential effect of the proposed scheme on the repowering effectiveness, mathematical model has been developed. The repowered effectiveness, mathematical model has been developed.The repowered effectiveness in optaimizing model was characterized by the condition of attaining maximum fuel saving in the EPG. The study result shows the effectiveness of proposed scheme for modification and repowering the RO plant. For the case study. (SCDP with maual share of solar electrical power generation 67.4%) the economical effect amount 138.9 ton fuel/year for each MW design thermal energy of parabolic solar collectors array and the corresponding decrease in exhaust gases emission (Nitrogen oxides (NO x ) 0.55 ton/year.MW, carbon dioxides (CO2) 434.9 ton/year.MW). Moreover, implementation of combined RO/MED design for repowering and modification of conventional grid connected RO plant will

Preliminary design of seawater and brackish water reverse osmosis desalination systems driven by low-temperature solar organic Rankine cycles (ORC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delgado-Torres, Agustin M.; Garcia-Rodriguez, Lourdes

2010-01-01

In this paper, the coupling between the low-temperature solar organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and seawater and brackish water reverse osmosis desalination units has been carried out. Four substances have been considered as working fluids of the solar cycle (butane, isopentane, R245fa and R245ca). With these four fluids the volumetric flow of fresh water produced per unit of aperture area of stationary solar collector has been calculated. The former has been made with the optimized direct vapour generation (DVG) configuration and heat transfer fluid (HTF) configuration of the solar ORC. In the first one (DVG), working fluid of the ORC is directly heated inside the absorber of the solar collector. In the second one (HTF), a fluid different than the working fluid of the ORC (water in this paper) is heated without phase change inside the absorber of the solar collector. Once this fluid has been heated it is carried towards a heat exchanger where it is cooled. Thermal energy delivered in this cooling process is transferred to the working fluid of the ORC. Influence of condensation temperature of the ORC and regeneration's process effectiveness over productivity of the system has also been analysed. Finally, parameters of several preliminary designs of the low-temperature solar thermal driven RO desalination are supplied. R245fa is chosen as working fluid of the ORC in these preliminary designs. The information of the proposed preliminary designs can also be used, i.e., for the assessment of the use of thermal energy rejected by the solar cycle. Overall analysis of the efficiency of the solar thermal driven RO desalination technology is given with the results presented in this paper and the results obtained with the medium temperature solar thermal RO desalination system presented by the authors in previous papers. This work has been carried out within the framework of the OSMOSOL and POWERSOL projects.

Preliminary design of seawater and brackish water reverse osmosis desalination systems driven by low-temperature solar organic Rankine cycles (ORC)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Delgado-Torres, Agustin M. [Dpto. Fisica Fundamental y Experimental, Electronica y Sistemas, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria Civil e Industrial, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofisico Francisco Sanchez s/n. 38206 La Laguna (Tenerife) (Spain); Garcia-Rodriguez, Lourdes [Dpto. Ingenieria Energetica, Universidad de Sevilla Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieros, Camino de los Descubrimientos, s/n 41092 Sevilla (Spain)

2010-12-15

In this paper, the coupling between the low-temperature solar organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and seawater and brackish water reverse osmosis desalination units has been carried out. Four substances have been considered as working fluids of the solar cycle (butane, isopentane, R245fa and R245ca). With these four fluids the volumetric flow of fresh water produced per unit of aperture area of stationary solar collector has been calculated. The former has been made with the optimized direct vapour generation (DVG) configuration and heat transfer fluid (HTF) configuration of the solar ORC. In the first one (DVG), working fluid of the ORC is directly heated inside the absorber of the solar collector. In the second one (HTF), a fluid different than the working fluid of the ORC (water in this paper) is heated without phase change inside the absorber of the solar collector. Once this fluid has been heated it is carried towards a heat exchanger where it is cooled. Thermal energy delivered in this cooling process is transferred to the working fluid of the ORC. Influence of condensation temperature of the ORC and regeneration's process effectiveness over productivity of the system has also been analysed. Finally, parameters of several preliminary designs of the low-temperature solar thermal driven RO desalination are supplied. R245fa is chosen as working fluid of the ORC in these preliminary designs. The information of the proposed preliminary designs can also be used, i.e., for the assessment of the use of thermal energy rejected by the solar cycle. Overall analysis of the efficiency of the solar thermal driven RO desalination technology is given with the results presented in this paper and the results obtained with the medium temperature solar thermal RO desalination system presented by the authors in previous papers. This work has been carried out within the framework of the OSMOSOL and POWERSOL projects. (author)

EVALUATION OF A SOLAR DESALINATION SYSTEM, TYPE CYLINDRICAL PARABOLIC CONCENTRATOR FOR SEA WATER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina Mercado

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this work, the methodology for the design, construction and commissioning of a solar desalinator, based on a parabolic trough collector and a solar still occurs, is presented. The energy is supplied through the solar collector, which is connected to the distiller. The equipment was set up on the premises of the Universidad Católica del Norte. It is compact, modular, low cost, easy maintenance and long life, with an average production capacity of distilled water of 2.37 l / d, however, it has to be considered that this rate is directly related with weather conditions and sea water flow entering the system, generating an average percentage of 34.04% efficiency. The results obtained with the respective findings, conclusions and recommendations for future projects associated to renewable energy equipment designed analyzed.

Development of an active solar humidification-dehumidification (HDH) desalination system integrated with geothermal energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elminshawy, Nabil A.S.; Siddiqui, Farooq R.; Addas, Mohammad F.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Productivity increases with increasing geothermal water flow rate up to 0.15 kg/s. • Geothermal energy increases productivity by 187–465% when used with solar energy. • Daytime experimental productivity (8AM-5PM) up to 104 L/m"2 was achieved. • Daily experimental productivity (24 h) up to 192 L/m"2 was achieved. • Fresh potable water can be produced at 0.003 USD/L using this desalination setup. - Abstract: This paper investigates the technical and economic feasibility of using a hybrid solar-geothermal energy source in a humidification-dehumidification (HDH) desalination system. The newly developed HDH system is a modified solar still with air blower and condenser used at its inlet and outlet respectively. A geothermal water tank in a temperature range 60–80 °C which imitates a low-grade geothermal energy source was used to supply heat to water inside the humidification chamber. The experiments were conducted in January 2015 under the climatological conditions of Madinah (latitude: 24°33′N, longitude: 39°36′0″E), Saudi Arabia to study the effect of geothermal water temperature and flow rate on the performance and productivity of proposed desalination system. Analytical model was also developed to compare the effect of solar energy and combined solar-geothermal energy on accumulated productivity. Daytime experimental accumulated productivity up to 104 L/m"2 and daily average gained output ratio (GOR) in the range 1.2–1.58 was achieved using the proposed desalination system. Cost of fresh water produced using the presented desalination system is 0.003 USD/L.

Synergies of solar energy use in the desalination of seawater: A case study in northern Chile

Science.gov (United States)

Servert, Jorge F.; Cerrajero, Eduardo; Fuentealba, Edward L.

2016-05-01

The mining industry is a great consumer of water for hydrometallurgical processes. Despite the efforts in minimizing the use of fresh water through reuse, recycling and process intensification, water demand for mining is expected to rise a 40% from 2013 to 2020. For seawater to be an alternative to groundwater, it must be pumped up to the mine (thousands of meters uphill) and desalinated. These processes require intensive energy and investment in desalination and piping/pumping facilities. A conventional solution for this process would be desalination by reverse osmosis at sea level, powered by electricity from the grid, and further pumping of the desalinated water uphill. This paper compares the feasibility of two solar technologies versus the "conventional" option. LCOW (Levelized Cost of Water) was used as a comparative indicator among the studied solutions, with values for a lifetime of 10, 15, 20 and 25 years, calculated using a real discount rate equal to 12%. The LCOW is lower in all cases for the RO + grid solution. The cost of desalination, ignoring the contribution of pumping, is similar for the three technologies from twenty years of operation. The use of solar energy to desalinate sea water for consumption in the mines of the Atacama region is technically feasible. However, due to the extra costs from pumping whole seawater, and not just the desalinated water, solar solutions are less competitive than the conventional process.

A Cost Effective Desalination Plant Using a Solar Chimney with Recycled Aluminum Can Collector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Singuru Rajesh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The main objective of the work was to use solar energy for desalination of water. A solar chimney desalination system, which includes the solar chimney, solar collector, evaporation system, and passive condenser, was designed and built. The air enters into collector and gets heated and released at the bottom of chimney. Due to draught effect dry air goes upward. The air is humidified by spraying salt water into the hot air stream using a mistifier at the middle of chimney. Then, the partial vapours contained in the air are condensed to give desalinated water. The performance of the integrated system including power and potable water production was estimated and the results were discussed. With a 3.4 m height setup, experimental test rig was capable of evaporating 3.77 L water daily condensing 2.3 L water. It is compact in nature as it is easy to assemble and dissemble. It can be used for purifying rain water in summer under rain water harvesting. Because of using country wood, recycled Al cans, and GI sheet in fabrication, it is lower in cost.

A novel small dynamic solar thermal desalination plant with a fluid piston converter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahkamov, Khamid; Orda, Eugene; Belgasim, Basim; Makhkamova, Irina

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A dynamic solar desalination plant was developed which works cyclically. • It integrates an evacuated tube solar collector and fluid piston converter. • Pressure during desalination process varies with frequency of 2–4 Hz. • The system has a small increase in fresh water yield and provides pumping capacity. • Mathematical modelling provides accurate description of experimental performance. - Abstract: An innovative small dynamic water desalination plant was developed and tested under laboratory conditions. The system is a combination of a heat pipe evacuated tube solar collector, conventional condenser and novel fluid piston converter. Saline water is boiled and turned into vapour in the manifold of the solar collector. A small fraction of the solar energy supplied to the plant is used to drive the fluid piston converter. Oscillations of the fluid piston periodically change the volume and pressure in the plant. For the duration of approximately half of the periodic cycle the pressure in the plant drops below the atmospheric level causing flash boiling of saline water in the manifold of the solar collector. Generated vapour is turned into fresh water in the condenser which is surrounded by a cooling jacket with saline water. The flash boiling effect improves the fresh water production capacity of the plant. Additionally, the fluid piston converter drives a pump which provides lifting of saline water from a well and pumps this through the cooling jacket of the condenser to a saline water storage tank. This tank replenishes saline water in the manifold of the solar collector. Experimental investigations demonstrated the saline water self-circulation capability of the plant and increase in the fresh water production compared to the static mode of operation. Experimental data was also used to calibrate the mathematical model of the plant. Comparison of theoretical and experimental information demonstrates that the model accurately predicts the

Solar Desalination System Model for Sizing of Photovoltaic Reverse Osmosis (PVRO)

KAUST Repository

Habib, Abdulelah

2015-06-28

The focus of this paper is to optimize the solar energy utilization in the water desalination process. Due to variable nature of solar energy, new system design is needed to address this challenge. Here, reverse osmosis units, as the electrical loads, are considered as an ON/OFF units to track these solar energy variations. Reverse osmosis units are different in sizes and numbers. Various combinations of reverse osmosis units in size and capacity provide different water desalination system performances. To assess each scenario of reverse osmosis units, the total capital cost and operation and maintenance (O&M) cost are considered. The implemented optimization algorithm search all of the possible scenarios to find the best solution. This paper deploys the solar irradiance data which is provided from west coast (Red Sea) of Saudi Arabia for model construction and optimization algorithm implementation.

Developments in solar still desalination systems: A critical review

KAUST Repository

Ayoub, George M.; Malaeb, Lilian

2012-01-01

Solar still desalination uses a sustainable and pollution-free source to produce high-quality water. The main limitation is low productivity and this has been the focus of intensive research. A major concern while increasing productivity

Strategies for merging microbial fuel cell technologies in water desalination processes: Start-up protocol and desalination efficiency assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Borjas, Zulema; Esteve-Núñez, Abraham; Ortiz, Juan Manuel

2017-07-01

Microbial Desalination Cells constitute an innovative technology where microbial fuel cell and electrodialysis merge in the same device for obtaining fresh water from saline water with no energy-associated cost for the user. In this work, an anodic biofilm of the electroactive bacteria Geobacter sulfurreducens was able to efficiently convert the acetate present in synthetic waste water into electric current (j = 0.32 mA cm-2) able to desalinate water. .Moreover, we implemented an efficient start-up protocol where desalination up to 90% occurred in a desalination cycle (water production:0.308 L m-2 h-1, initial salinity: 9 mS cm-1, final salinity: osmosis (RO) or reverse electrodialysis.

Improvement of water desalination technologies in reverse osmosis plants

Science.gov (United States)

Vysotskii, S. P.; Konoval'chik, M. V.; Gul'ko, S. E.

2017-07-01

The strengthening of requirements for the protection of surface-water sources and increases in the cost of reagents lead to the necessity of using membrane (especially, reverse osmosis) technologies of water desalination as an alternative to ion-exchange technologies. The peculiarities of using reverse osmosis technologies in the desalination of waters with an increased salinity have been discussed. An analogy has been made between the dependence of the adsorptive capacity of ion-exchange resins on the reagent consumption during ion exchange and the dependence of the specific ion flux on the voltage in the electrodialysis and productivity of membrane elements on the excess of the pressure of source water over the osmotic pressure in reverse osmosis. It has been proposed to regulate the number of water desalination steps in reverse osmosis plants, which makes it possible to flexibly change the productivity of equipment and the level of desalinization, depending on the requirements for the technological process. It is shown that the selectivity of reverse osmotic membranes with respect to bivalent ions (calcium, magnesium, and sulfates) is approximately four times higher than the selectivity with respect to monovalent ions (sodium and chlorine). The process of desalination in reverse osmosis plants depends on operation factors, such as the salt content and ion composition of source water, the salt content of the concentrate, and the temperatures of solution and operating pressure, and the design features of devices, such as the length of the motion of the desalination water flux, the distance between membranes, and types of membranes and turbulators (spacers). To assess the influence of separate parameters on the process of reverse osmosis desalination of water solutions, we derived criteria equations by compiling problem solution matrices on the basis of the dimensional method, taking into account the Huntley complement. The operation of membrane elements was

Energy, exergy, economic and environmental (4E) analysis of a solar desalination system with humidification-dehumidification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deniz, Emrah; Çınar, Serkan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Possibility of suppling all energy consumption from solar energy was tested. • Air and water-heated humidification-dehumidification desalination system was proposed. • Energy, exergy, economic and environmental analysis were performed. • Productivity and performance of the desalination system was analyzed. • Various operational parameters were investigated. - Abstract: A novel humidification-dehumidification (HDH) solar desalination system is designed and tested with actual conditions and solar energy was used to provide both thermal and electrical energy. Energy-exergy analyses of the system are made and economic and enviro-economic properties are investigated using data obtained from experimental studies. In this way, economic and environmental impacts of the HDH solar desalination systems have also been determined. The maximum daily energy efficiency of the system was calculated as 31.54% and the maximum exergy efficiency was found as 1.87%. The maximum fresh water production rate is obtained as 1117.3 g/h. The estimated cost of fresh water produced through the designed HDH system is 0.0981 USD/L and enviro-economic parameter is 2.4041 USD/annum.

Candidate for solar power: a novel desalination technology for coal bed methane produced water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sattler, Allan; Hanley, Charles; Hightower, Michael; Wright, Emily; Wallace, Sam; Pohl, Phillip; Donahe, Ryan; Andelman, Marc

2006-01-01

Laboratory and field developments are underway to use solar energy to power a desalination technology - capacitive deionization - for water produced by remote Coal Bed Methane (CBM) natural gas wells. Due to the physical remoteness of many CBM wells throughout the Southwestern U>S> as shown in Figure 1, this approach may offer promise. This promise is not only from its effectiveness in removing salt from CBM water and allowing it to be utilized for various applications, but also for its potentially lower energy consumption compared Figure 1: Candidate remote well sites for planned field implementation of new PV-powered desalination process: (a) Raton Basin and (b) San Juan Basin, New Mexico to other technologies, such as reverse osmosis. This coupled with the remoteness (Figure 1) of thousands these wells, makes them more feasible for use with photovoltaic (solar, electric, PV) systems. Concurrent laboratory activities are providing information about the effectiveness of this technology and of the attender energy requirements of this technology under various produced water qualities and water reuse applications, such as salinity concentrations and water flows. These parameters are being used to drive the design of integrated PV-powered desalination systems. Full-scale field implementations are planned, with data collection and analysis designed to optimize the system design for practical remote applications. Earlier laboratory (and very recent laboratory) studies of capacitive deionization have shown promise at common CBM salinity levels. The technology may require less energy. be less susceptible to fouling and is more compact than equivalent reverse osmosis (RO) systems. The technology uses positively and negatively charged electrodes to attract charged ions in a liquid, such as dissolved salts, metals, and some organics, to the electrodes. This concentrates the ions at the electrodes and reduced the ion concentrations in the liquid. This paper discusses the

Numerical Study on Radiation Effects to Evaporator in Natural Vacuum Solar Desalination System

Science.gov (United States)

Siregar, R. E. T.; Ronowikarto, A. D.; Setyawan, E. Y.; Ambarita, H.

2018-01-01

The need for clean water is increasing day by day due to the increasing factor of living standard of mankind, hence designed natural vacuum solar desalination. The natural vacuum Solar desalination is studied experimentally. A small-scale natural vacuum desalination study consists of evaporator and condenser as the main components designed and manufactured. To transfer heat from the solar collector into the evaporator, the fluid transfer system uses a pump powered by a solar cell. Thus, solar collectors are called hybrid solar collectors. The main purpose of this exposure is to know the characteristics of the radiation effects on incoming energy on the evaporator during the process. This system is tested by exposing the unit to the solar radiation in the 4th floor building in Medan. The experiment was conducted from 8.00 to 16.00 local time. The results show that natural vacuum solar desalination with hybrid solar collectors can be operated perfectly. If the received radiation is high, then the incoming energy received by the evaporator will also be high. From measurements with HOBO microstation, obtained the highest radiation 695.6 W/m2, and the calculation result of incoming energy received evaporator obtained highest result 1807.293 W.

Combined desalination and solar-assisted air-conditioning system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gude, Veera Gnaneswar; Nirmalakhandan, Nagamany

2008-01-01

Analysis of a new desalination process utilizing low grade thermal energy is presented. In this process, fresh water is distilled from saline water under near-vacuum pressures created by passive means, enabling low-temperature distillation with lower energy requirements. The energy for low-temperature distillation is provided by a thermal energy storage (TES) system maintained at 55 deg. C utilizing any low grade waste heat source. In this study, heat rejected by the condenser of a modified absorption refrigeration system (ARS) is evaluated as a possible source to drive this desalination process. The energy for the generator of the ARS is provided by a combination of solar collector system and grid power. Results of this study show that the thermal energy rejected by an ARS of cooling capacity of 3.25 kW (0.975 tons of refrigeration) along with an additional energy input of 208 kJ/kg of desalinated water is adequate to produce desalinated water at an average rate of 4.5 kg/h. This energy consumption is competitive with that of the multi-stage flash distillation process of similar capacity (338 kJ/kg). An integrated process model and performance curves of the proposed approach are presented in this paper. Effects of process parameters on the performance of the system are also presented

Numerical simulation of solar-assisted multi-effect distillation (SMED) desalination systems

KAUST Repository

Kim, Youngdeuk

2013-01-01

We present a simulation model for the transient behavior of solar-assisted seawater desalination plant that employs the evacuated-tube collectors in conjunction with a multieffect distillation plant of nominal water production capacity of 16m3/day. This configuration has been selected due to merits in terms of environment-friendliness and energy efficiency. The solar-assisted multi-effect distillation system comprises 849 m2 of evacuated-tube collectors, 280 m3 water storage tanks, auxiliary heater, and six effects and a condenser. The present analysis employs a baseline configuration, namely; (i) the local solar insolation input (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), (ii) a coolant flow rate through the headers of collector based on ASHRAE standards, (iii) a heating water demand, and (iv) the augmentation of water temperature by auxiliary when the supply temperature from the solar tank drops below the set point. It is observed that the annual collector efficiency and solar fraction decrease from 57.3 to 54.8% and from 49.4 to 36.7%, respectively, with an increase in the heating water temperature from 80 to 90 °C. The overall water production rate and the performance ratio increase slightly from 0.18 to 0.21 kg/s and from 4.11 to 4.13, respectively. © 2013 Desalination Publications.

New solar desalination system using humidification/ dehumidification process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdel Dayem, Adel M. [Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Islamic Architecture, Umm Al-Qura University, 5555 Makah (Saudi Arabia)

2013-07-01

An innovative solar desalination system is successfully designed, manufactured and experimentally tested at Makkah, 21.4 °N. The system consists of 1.15 m2 flat-plate collector as a heat source and a desalination unit. The unit is about 400 liter vertical cylindrical insulated tank. It includes storage, evaporator and condenser of hot salt-water that is fed from the collector. The heated water in the collector is raised naturally to the unit bottom at which it is used as storage. A high pressure pump is used to inject the water vertically up through 1-mm three nozzles inside the unit. The hot salt-water is atomized inside the unit where the produced vapor is condensed on the inner surfaces of the unit outer walls to outside. The system was experimentally tested under different weather conditions. It is obtained that the system can produce about 9 liter a day per quadratic meter of collector surface area. By that it can produce about 1.6 liters per kWh of solar energy. Moreover the water temperature has a great effect on the system performance although the scaling possibility is becoming significant. By that way the cost of a liter water production is relatively high and is obtained as 0.5 US$.

Highly Flexible and Efficient Solar Steam Generation Device.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chaoji; Li, Yiju; Song, Jianwei; Yang, Zhi; Kuang, Yudi; Hitz, Emily; Jia, Chao; Gong, Amy; Jiang, Feng; Zhu, J Y; Yang, Bao; Xie, Jia; Hu, Liangbing

2017-08-01

Solar steam generation with subsequent steam recondensation has been regarded as one of the most promising techniques to utilize the abundant solar energy and sea water or other unpurified water through water purification, desalination, and distillation. Although tremendous efforts have been dedicated to developing high-efficiency solar steam generation devices, challenges remain in terms of the relatively low efficiency, complicated fabrications, high cost, and inability to scale up. Here, inspired by the water transpiration behavior of trees, the use of carbon nanotube (CNT)-modified flexible wood membrane (F-Wood/CNTs) is demonstrated as a flexible, portable, recyclable, and efficient solar steam generation device for low-cost and scalable solar steam generation applications. Benefitting from the unique structural merits of the F-Wood/CNTs membrane-a black CNT-coated hair-like surface with excellent light absorbability, wood matrix with low thermal conductivity, hierarchical micro- and nanochannels for water pumping and escaping, solar steam generation device based on the F-Wood/CNTs membrane demonstrates a high efficiency of 81% at 10 kW cm -2 , representing one of the highest values ever-reported. The nature-inspired design concept in this study is straightforward and easily scalable, representing one of the most promising solutions for renewable and portable solar energy generation and other related phase-change applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

CFD Analysis of Evaporation-Condensation Phenomenon In an Evaporation Chamber of Natural Vacuum Solar Desalination

Science.gov (United States)

Ambarita, H.; Ronowikarto, A. D.; Siregar, R. E. T.; Setyawan, E. Y.

2018-01-01

Desalination technologies is one of solutions for water scarcity. With using renewable energy, like solar energy, wind energy, and geothermal energy, expected will reduce the energy demand. This required study on the modeling and transport parameters determination of natural vacuum solar desalination by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method to simulate the model. A three-dimensional case, two-phase model was developed for evaporation-condensation phenomenon in natural vacuum solar desalination. The CFD simulation results were compared with the avalaible experimental data. The simulation results shows inthat there is a phenomenon of evaporation-condensation in an evaporation chamber. From the simulation, the fresh water productivity is 2.21 litre, and from the experimental is 2.1 litre. This study shows there’s an error of magnitude 0.4%. The CFD results also show that, vacuum pressure will degrade the saturation temperature of sea water.

Potential of Solar-driven CDI Technology for Water Desalination in Egypt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashraf Seleym

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Freshwater scarcity is one of the most challenging problems facing the world today. Rivers, lakes, and surface ice represent only 1.2% of the fresh water sources on earth, while ground water represent over 30% of the potential fresh water. The Egyptian quota from the Nile River is limited to 55 billion m3/yr, and expected to decrease due to increasing demand of water by other Nile basin countries. According to an Egyptian government report, the total population of Egypt increased from 22 million in 1950 to around 85 million in 2010. This increase in population growth will continue for decades and it is likely to increase to between 120-150 million by 2050. Egypt has reached a state where the quantity of water available is imposing limits on its national economic development.  As indication of water scarcity, Egypt passed the international threshold value of 1000 m3/capita/year in the nineties, and it is expected to cross the threshold of absolute water scarcity of 500 m3/capita/yr by 2025. Capacitive de-ionization (CDI is a relatively new technology that was developed as recently as the late 1960s. In CDI systems, saline water is made to pass between a pair of electrodes connected to a voltage source. Ions are stored inside the pores of electrodes in CDI via the applied electric field strength. CDI is a membrane less technology, and the problems of membrane fouling in the Reverse Osmosis technology is not present in CDI. It has the potential to be energy efficient compared with other related techniques, robust technology for water desalination. This paper explores low cost and efficient desalination technologies for brackish water for irrigation and drinking purposes using the abundant solar energy in Egypt.

Potential of Solar-driven CDI Technology for Water Desalination in Egypt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moustafa El Shafei

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Freshwater scarcity is one of the most challenging problems facing the world today. Rivers, lakes, and surface ice represent only 1.2% of the fresh water sources on earth, while ground water represents over 30% of the potential fresh water. The Egyptian quota from the River Nile is limited to 55 billion m/yr, and expected to decrease due to increasing demand of water by other Nile basin countries. According to an Egyptian government report, the total population of Egypt increased from 22 million in 1950 to around 85 million in 2010. This increase in population will continue for decades and it is likely to increase to between 120-150 million by 2050. Egypt has reached a state where the quantity of water available is imposing limits on its national economic development. As indication of water scarcity, Egypt passed the international threshold value of 1000 m3/capita/year in the nineties, and it is expected to cross the threshold of absolute water scarcity of 500 m3/capita/yr by 2025. Capacitive deionization (CDI is a relatively new technology that was developed as recently as the late 1960s. In CDI systems, saline water is made to pass between a pair of electrodes connected to a voltage source. Ions are stored inside the pores of electrodes in CDI via the applied electric field strength. CDI is a membrane less technology and the problems of membrane fouling in the Reverse Osmosis technology are not present in CDI. It has the potential to be energy efficient compared with other related techniques and robust technology for water desalination. This paper explores low cost and efficient desalination technologies for brackish water for irrigation and drinking purposes using the abundant solar energy in Egypt.

Integration of solar process heat into an existing thermal desalination plant in Qatar

Science.gov (United States)

Dieckmann, S.; Krishnamoorthy, G.; Aboumadi, M.; Pandian, Y.; Dersch, J.; Krüger, D.; Al-Rasheed, A. S.; Krüger, J.; Ottenburger, U.

2016-05-01

The water supply of many countries in the Middle East relies mainly on water desalination. In Qatar, the water network is completely fed with water from desalination plants. One of these power and desalination plants is located in Ras Abu Fontas, 20 km south of the capital Doha. The heat required for thermal desalination is provided by steam which is generated in waste heat recovery boilers (HRB) connected to gas turbines. Additionally, gas fired boilers or auxiliary firing in the HRBs are used in order to decouple the water generation from the electricity generation. In Ras Abu Fontas some auxiliary boilers run 24/7 because the HRB capacity does not match the demand of the desalination units. This paper contains the techno-economic analysis of two large-scale commercial solar field options, which could reduce the fuel consumption significantly. Both options employ parabolic trough technology with a nominal saturated steam output of 350 t/h at 15 bar (198°C, 240 MW). The first option uses direct steam generation without storage while the second relies on common thermal oil in combination with a molten salt thermal storage with 6 hours full-load capacity. The economic benefit of the integration of solar power depends mainly on the cost of the fossil alternative, and thus the price (respectively opportunity costs) of natural gas. At a natural gas price of 8 US-/MMBtu the internal rate of return on equity (IRR) is expected at about 5%.

Mushrooms as Efficient Solar Steam-Generation Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ning; Hu, Xiaozhen; Xu, Weichao; Li, Xiuqiang; Zhou, Lin; Zhu, Shining; Zhu, Jia

2017-07-01

Solar steam generation is emerging as a promising technology, for its potential in harvesting solar energy for various applications such as desalination and sterilization. Recent studies have reported a variety of artificial structures that are designed and fabricated to improve energy conversion efficiencies by enhancing solar absorption, heat localization, water supply, and vapor transportation. Mushrooms, as a kind of living organism, are surprisingly found to be efficient solar steam-generation devices for the first time. Natural and carbonized mushrooms can achieve ≈62% and ≈78% conversion efficiencies under 1 sun illumination, respectively. It is found that this capability of high solar steam generation is attributed to the unique natural structure of mushroom, umbrella-shaped black pileus, porous context, and fibrous stipe with a small cross section. These features not only provide efficient light absorption, water supply, and vapor escape, but also suppress three components of heat losses at the same time. These findings not only reveal the hidden talent of mushrooms as low-cost materials for solar steam generation, but also provide inspiration for the future development of high-performance solar thermal conversion devices. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Energy-Water Nexus: An Analysis and Comparison of Various Configurations Integrating Desalination with Renewable Power

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gary M. Gold

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This investigation studies desalination powered by wind and solar energy, including a study of a configuration using PVT solar panels. First, a water treatment was developed to estimate the power requirement for brackish groundwater reverse-osmosis (BWRO desalination. Next, an energy model was designed to (1 size a wind farm based on this power requirement and (2 size a solar farm to preheat water before reverse osmosis treatment. Finally, an integrated model was developed that combines results from the water treatment and energy models. The integrated model optimizes performances of the proposed facility to maximize daily operational profits. Results indicate that integrated facility can reduce grid-purchased electricity costs by 88% during summer months and 89% during winter when compared to a stand-alone desalination plant. Additionally, the model suggests that the integrated configuration can generate $574 during summer and $252 during winter from sales of wind- and solar-generated electricity to supplement revenue from water production. These results indicate that an integrated facility combining desalination, wind power, and solar power can potentially reduce reliance on grid-purchased electricity and advance the use of renewable power.

Solar field control for desalination plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roca, Lidia [Convenio Universidad de Almeria, Plataforma Solar de Almeria, Ctra. Senes s/n, 04200 Tabernas, Almeria (Spain); Berenguel, Manuel [Universidad de Almeria, Dpto. Lenguajes y Computacion, Ctra. Sacramento s/n, 04120 Almeria (Spain); Yebra, Luis; Alarcon-Padilla, Diego C. [CIEMAT, Plataforma Solar de Almeria, Ctra. Senes s/n, 04200 Tabernas, Almeria (Spain)

2008-09-15

This paper presents the development and application of a feedback linearization control strategy for a solar collector field supplying process heat to a multi-effect seawater distillation plant. Since one objective is to use as much as possible the solar resource, control techniques can be used to produce the maximum heat process in the solar field. The main purpose of the controller presented in this paper is to manipulate the water flow rate to maintain an outlet-inlet temperature gradient in the collectors, thereby ensuring continuous process heating, or in other words, continuous production of fresh water in spite of disturbances. The dynamic behaviour of this solar field was approximated by a simplified lumped-parameters nonlinear model based on differential equations, validated with real data and used in the feedback linearization control design. Experimental results in the seawater desalination plant at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria (Spain) show good agreement of the model and real data despite the approximations included. Moreover, by using feedback linearization control it is possible to track a constant gradient temperature reference in the solar field with good results. (author)

Optimal Design of a Solar Desalination Unit with Heliostats

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M. Abidi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The objective is to improve the yield of a solar desalination cell using concentration of solar rays by means of automatically controlled heliostats. The vertical cell is orientated towards the north. It is mainly composed of two plates; the one being heated by the solar rays reflected by the mirrors is used for evaporation of a falling water film; the other one is used for water vapor condensation. Each heliostat consists of an altitude-azimuth mount having two degrees of freedom and supporting a plane mirror. The heliostat permanently follows the sun trajectory and reflects the solar rays on the cell by means of automatic control implemented in a control card based on a microcontroller. Model predictive control allows us to maximize the distilled water production.

Simulation and experimental study of a solar heat pump desalination system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hawlader, M.N.A.; Tjandra, Tobias Bestari [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, National Univ. of Singapore, Singapore (Singapore)

2008-07-01

With the rising price of oil and gas, the energy cost of desalination process increases significantly. Also, the consumption of fuel to provide thermal and electrical energy in a desalination process will pollute the environment. Therefore, it is necessary to find a new source of energy which is clean and renewable. Solar energy fulfills this challenge to a great extent. An experimental rig was constructed in order to investigate the use of solar energy in desalination. A series of experiments were performed under the meteorological conditions of Singapore. A simulation study was then performed for the system, and comparisons of the predicted and experimental results showed good agreement. The experimental system is capable of producing 1 liter of water per hour. The system has a coefficient of performance that varies from 5 to 9, and a performance ratio of 0.6 to 1.38. (orig.)

Solar Desalination System Model for Sizing of Photovoltaic Reverse Osmosis (PVRO)

KAUST Repository

Habib, Abdulelah; Zamani, Vahraz; Kleissl, Jan

2015-01-01

loads, are considered as an ON/OFF units to track these solar energy variations. Reverse osmosis units are different in sizes and numbers. Various combinations of reverse osmosis units in size and capacity provide different water desalination system

Innovative Design of Solar-Powered Desalination (SPD System using Vacuum-Multi Effect Membrane Distillation (V-MEMD Process

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Chafidz Achmad

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This research focused on the development of an innovative design of solar-powered desalination (SPD system which was expected to solve the water and energy problem simultaneously. We have developed a portable and hybrid solar-powered desalination (SPD system for producing potable water from saline water. It is a self-contained and integrated system which combines solar-thermal collector and solar-photovoltaic for its operation, and thus the system can operate to produce water by only using solar energy. Therefore, the system is highly suitable to be implemented in remote arid and coastal areas without infrastructures or connection to the grid (water and power, but blessed with abundant solar irradiation, like in Saudi Arabia. A Memsys Vacuum Multi-Effect Membrane Distillation (V-MEMD unit was used as the core of the SPD system. A heat pump was also integrated into the SPD system for energy recovery and to improve the performance of the system. The system could be considered as sustainable and “green” desalination technology, which will be very useful for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To study the performance of the system, small-scale tests have been carried out at the Engineering College - King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. Based on the experimental results, the system has run successfully by only utilizing solar energy.

A New Method for Water Desalination Using Microbial Desalination Cells

KAUST Repository

Cao, Xiaoxin

2009-09-15

Current water desalination techniques are energy intensive and some use membranes operated at high pressures. It is shownhere that water desalination can be accomplished without electrical energy input or high water pressure by using a source of organic matter as the fuel to desalinate water. A microbial fuel cell was modified by placing two membranes between the anode and cathode, creating a middle chamber for water desalination between the membranes. An anion exchange membrane was placed adjacent to the anode, and a cation exchange membrane was positioned next to the cathode. When current was produced by bacteria on the anode, ionic species in the middle chamber were transferred into the two electrode chambers, desalinating the water in the middle chamber. Proof-of-concept experiments for this approach, using what we call a microbial desalination cell (MDC), was demonstrated using water at different initial salt concentrations (5, 20, and 35 g/L) with acetate used as the substrate for the bacteria. The MDC produced a maximum of 2 W/m2 (31 W/m3) while at the same time removing about 90% of the salt in a single desalination cycle. As the salt was removed from the middle chamber the ohmic resistance of the MDC (measured using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) increased from 25 Ω to 970 Ω at the end of the cycle. This increased resistance was reflected by a continuous decrease in the voltage produced over the cycle. These results demonstrate for the first time the possibility for a new method for water desalination and power production that uses only a source of biodegradable organic matter and bacteria. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

Technical and economic assessment of photovoltaic-driven desalination systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Karaghouli, Ali; Renne, David; Kazmerski, Lawrence L.

2010-01-01

Solar desalination systems are approaching technical and cost viability for producing fresh-water, a commodity of equal importance to energy in many arid and coastal regions worldwide. Solar photovoltaics (PV) represent an ideal, clean alternative to fossil fuels, especially for remote communities such as grid-limited villages or isolated islands. These applications for water production in remote areas are the first to be nearing cost-competitiveness due to decreasing PV prices and increasing fossil fuel prices over the last five years. The electricity produced from PV systems for desalination applications can be used for electro-mechanical devices such as pumps or in direct-current (DC) devices. Reverse osmosis (RO) and electrodialysis (ED) desalination units are the most favorable alternatives to be coupled with PV systems. RO usually operates on alternating current (AC) for the pumps, thus requiring a DC/AC inverter. In contrast, electrodialysis uses DC for the electrodes at the cell stack, and hence, it can use the energy supplied from the PV panels with some minor power conditioning. Energy storage is critical and batteries are required for sustained operation. In this paper, we discuss the operational features and system designs of typical PV-RO and PV-ED systems in terms of their suitability and optimization for PV operation. For PV-RO and PV-ED systems, we evaluate their electricity need, capital and operational costs, and fresh-water production costs. We cover ongoing and projected research and development activities, with estimates of their potential economics. We discuss the feasibility of future solar desalination based on expected (or predicted) improvements in technology of the desalination and PV systems. Examples are provided for Middle East and other parts of the World. (author)

A novel integrated thermal-/membrane-based solar energy-driven hybrid desalination system: Concept description and simulation results.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Young-Deuk; Thu, Kyaw; Ng, Kim Choon; Amy, Gary L; Ghaffour, Noreddine

2016-09-01

In this paper, a hybrid desalination system consisting of vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) and adsorption desalination (AD) units, designated as VMD-AD cycle, is proposed. The synergetic integration of the VMD and AD is demonstrated where a useful effect of the AD cycle is channelled to boost the operation of the VMD process, namely the low vacuum environment to maintain the high pressure gradient across the microporous hydrophobic membrane. A solar-assisted multi-stage VMD-AD hybrid desalination system with temperature modulating unit is first designed, and its performance is then examined with a mathematical model of each component in the system and compared with the VMD-only system with temperature modulating and heat recovery units. The total water production and water recovery ratio of a solar-assisted 24-stage VMD-AD hybrid system are found to be about 21% and 23% higher, respectively, as compared to the VMD-only system. For the solar-assisted 24-stage VMD-AD desalination system having 150 m(2) of evacuated-tube collectors and 10 m(3) seawater storage tanks, both annual collector efficiency and solar fraction are close to 60%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel integrated thermal-/membrane-based solar energy-driven hybrid desalination system: Concept description and simulation results

KAUST Repository

Kim, Youngdeuk

2016-05-03

In this paper, a hybrid desalination system consisting of vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) and adsorption desalination (AD) units, designated as VMD-AD cycle, is proposed. The synergetic integration of the VMD and AD is demonstrated where a useful effect of the AD cycle is channelled to boost the operation of the VMD process, namely the low vacuum environment to maintain the high pressure gradient across the microporous hydrophobic membrane. A solar-assisted multi-stage VMD-AD hybrid desalination system with temperature modulating unit is first designed, and its performance is then examined with a mathematical model of each component in the system and compared with the VMD-only system with temperature modulating and heat recovery units. The total water production and water recovery ratio of a solar-assisted 24-stage VMD-AD hybrid system are found to be about 21% and 23% higher, respectively, as compared to the VMD-only system. For the solar-assisted 24-stage VMD-AD desalination system having 150 m2 of evacuated-tube collectors and 10 m3 seawater storage tanks, both annual collector efficiency and solar fraction are close to 60%.

ENERGY EFFICIENT DESALINATOR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. A. Ismailov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. The aim of the research is to develop a thin-film semiconductor thermoelectric heat pump of cylindrical shape for the desalination of sea water.Methods. To improve the efficiency of the desalination device, a  special thin-film semiconductor thermoelectric heat pump of  cylindrical shape is developed. The construction of the thin-film  semiconductor thermoelectric heat pump allows the flow rates of  incoming sea water and outflowing fresh water and brine to be  equalised by changing the geometric dimensions of the desalinator.  The cross-sectional area of the pipeline for incoming sea water is equal to the total area of outflowing fresh water and brine.Results. The use of thin-film semiconductor p- and n-type branches  in a thermo-module reduces their electrical resistance virtually to  zero and completely eliminates Joule's parasitic heat release. The  Peltier thermoelectric effect on heating and cooling is completely  preserved, bringing the efficiency of the heat pump to almost 100%, improving the energy-saving characteristics of the  desalinator as a whole. To further increase the efficiency of the  proposed desalinator, thermoelectric modules with radiation can be  used as thermoelectric devices.Conclusion. As a consequence of the creation of conditions of high rarefaction under which water will be converted to steam, which, at  20° C, is cold (as is the condensed distilled water, energy costs can  be reduced. In this case, the energy for heating and cooling is not  wasted; moreover, sterilisation is also achieved using the ultraviolet  radiation used in the thermoelectric devices, which, on the one hand, generate electromagnetic ultraviolet radiation, and, on the other, cooling. Such devices operate in optimal mode without heat  release. The desalination device can be used to produce fresh water and concentrated solutions from any aqueous solutions, including wastewater from industrial

Sustainable desalination using solar energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gude, Veera Gnaneswar; Nirmalakhandan, Nagamany

2010-01-01

Global potable water demand is expected to grow, particularly in areas where freshwater supplies are limited. Production and supply of potable water requires significant amounts of energy, which is currently being derived from nonrenewable fossil fuels. Since energy production from fossil fuels also requires water, current practice of potable water supply powered by fossil fuel derived energy is not a sustainable approach. In this paper, a sustainable phase-change desalination process is presented that is driven solely by solar energy without any reliance on grid power. This process exploits natural gravity and barometric pressure head to maintain near vacuum conditions in an evaporation chamber. Because of the vacuum conditions, evaporation occurs at near ambient temperature, with minimal thermal energy input for phase change. This configuration enables the process to be driven by low-grade heat sources such as solar energy or waste heat streams. Results of theoretical analysis and prototype scale experimental studies conducted to evaluate and demonstrate the feasibility of operating the process using solar energy are presented. Predictions made by the theoretical model correlated well with measured performance data with r 2 > 0.94. Test results showed that, using direct solar energy alone, the system could produce up to 7.5 L/day of freshwater per m 2 of evaporator area. With the addition of a photovoltaic panel area of 6 m 2 , the system could produce up to 12 L/day of freshwater per m 2 of evaporator area, at efficiencies ranging from 65% to 90%. Average specific energy need of this process is 2930 kJ/kg of freshwater, all of which can be derived from solar energy, making it a sustainable and clean process.

Low temperature desalination using solar collectors augmented by thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gude, Veera Gnaneswar; Nirmalakhandan, Nagamany; Deng, Shuguang; Maganti, Anand

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A new low temperature desalination process using solar collectors was investigated. ► A thermal energy storage tank (TES) was included for continuous process operation. ► Solar collector area and TES volumes were optimized by theoretical simulations. ► Economic analysis for the entire process was compared with and without TES tank. ► Energy and emission payback periods for the solar collector system were reported. -- Abstract: A low temperature desalination process capable of producing 100 L/d freshwater was designed to utilize solar energy harvested from flat plate solar collectors. Since solar insolation is intermittent, a thermal energy storage system was incorporated to run the desalination process round the clock. The requirements for solar collector area as well as thermal energy storage volume were estimated based on the variations in solar insolation. Results from this theoretical study confirm that thermal energy storage is a useful component of the system for conserving thermal energy to meet the energy demand when direct solar energy resource is not available. Thermodynamic advantages of the low temperature desalination using thermal energy storage, as well as energy and environmental emissions payback period of the system powered by flat plate solar collectors are presented. It has been determined that a solar collector area of 18 m 2 with a thermal energy storage volume of 3 m 3 is adequate to produce 100 L/d of freshwater round the clock considering fluctuations in the weather conditions. An economic analysis on the desalination system with thermal energy storage is also presented.

Desalination with thermal solar systems: technology assessment and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ajona, J.I.

1992-01-01

Solar desalination is among the most promising alternatives to apply solar energy as solar availability and the load requirements use to be matched. Solar thermal energy offers a full set of alternatives to desalt water, being the main difference among them the temperature range at which the load has to be fed. Solar technologies for the low temperature range (solar stills, plastic collectors,...) are quite suited for small loads in isolated placed or whenever the main constrain is to indigenize technology and to perform the operation and maintenance work with low qualified local labor, such as in less developed countries. The main drawback of this low temperature use of solar energy is that it is not possible to recover neither the heat of condensation of the water vapor, nor from the reject brine, to warm up the feed saline water. Higher temperature collectors, such as flat plate collectors with transparent insulation material and evacuated tubes, allow to work with conventional desalination units fed at 60-90C, as Multiple Effect Units or Multistage Flash Units, which get a performance ratio (quotient between heat required without recovery and with heat recovery) between 5 and 10. To further increase the performance ratio it is necessary to work with vapor in the 200C range. To attain this temperature range the solar option is based on the Parabolic Trough collector. This has been the line we have followed in our STD project in the Plataforma Solar in Almeria (Spain) when we have run a Multiple Effect Unit with an Absorption Heat Pump able to attain a performance ratio of 20. In this report, included within the STD project activities, we assess the potential of the solar thermal technology to desalt water in all the above mentioned temperature ranges. Beside the technology description and some characteristics results, we present a set of tool that, as the final result is dramatically dependent on the technical and economical scenario selected, will allow to

Feasibility investigation of coupling a desalination prototype functioning by Aero-Evapo-Condensation with solar units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourouni, K.; Bouden, C.; Chaibi, M.

2003-01-01

The rural regions of south Mediterranean countries suffer from problems of drinking water supply. However, the majority of these regions have important resources of brackish salt water. Thus, brackish water desalination on a small scale presents a potential solution to this problem. For this reason, a number of small desalination prototypes are being developed worldwide. Bourouni et al. have developed a water desalination unit functioning by the Aero-Evapo-Condensation-Process (AECP) in order to satisfy this kind of water demand. One of the advantages of this prototype is that it allows the use of low temperature energy such as geothermal and solar energies abundant in these countries. An initial experiment was carried on an AECP prototype coupled to a geothermal spring in the south of Tunisia. The results relative to the technical and economic performances of the unit have shown that this kind of coupling is promising. On the other hand, the brackish water springs in these countries are often non-geothermal. In this case, the use of solar energy can be considered. Thus, we develop, in the present article, a feasibility investigation on the coupling of the AECP prototype with solar units. In fact, we analyse, in the first part of this article, the possibilities of this coupling in a manner that the functioning mode of the solar units will be compatible with that of the AECP prototype. To attempt this objective, two kinds of solar installation scenarios are considered and modelled to obtain their energetic contribution. Hence, the elaborated models are coupled to the one developed by Bourouni et al. for the AECP prototype to determine the technical and economic performances of the whole installation. In the last part of this article, a solar unit dimensioning is performed in order to minimise the total cost of the distilled water. (author)

Renewable Energies and Water Security: Thermo Solar Energy as an Alternative for Seawater Desalination in North Africa and the Middle East

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Luiz Enrique Vieira de Souza

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Climate change-related events, added to estimations about economical and population growth – tend to aggravate water scarcity, which is already affecting almost every country in the North of Africa and the Middle East. Based on a critical analysis of the “ACQUA-CSP” report, we discuss the initiatives devoted to the mitigation of water stress in these regions, with an emphasis on the seawater desalination processes. Since existing desalination plants are currently powered by fossil fuels, the use of thermo solar energy will be introduced as a sustainable strategy for the increase of water supply. We conclude that, in order to achieve the successful management of water resources, engineering and infrastructure solutions must be oriented by democratic institutions able to mediate conflicts over the allocation of water resources.

Analysis of an innovative solar water desalination system using gravity induced vacuum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ayhan, T.; Al-Madani, H.

2007-01-01

This study presents the theoretical analysis, design and appropriate models of a new desalination system using gravity induced vacuum. The system utilizes natural means (gravity and atmospheric pressure) to create a vacuum under which water can be rapidly evaporated at much lower temperatures with less energy than conventional techniques. This technique is developed to overcome water storage, in the areas where good solar radiation (or waste heat sources) and sea water (or waste water sources). The developed system consists of an evaporator connected to condenser by means of a vacuum tank. The vapour produced in the evaporator is driven to condenser through the vacuum tank, where it condenses and collected as a product. Vacuum equivalent to 7 kPa (abs) or less can be created depending on ambient temperature of Bahrain climatic conditions. The effect of various operating conditions, namely water levels in condensation and evaporating columns on the system performance were studied. The theoretical analysis and preliminary experimental results show that the performance of this system depends on the condensation temperature

Final Scientific/Technical Report for Program Title: Solar Powered Dewvaporation Desalination System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ranganathan, Shashidhar [Polestar Technologies Inc., Needham Heights, MA (United States)

2017-03-24

Desalination technologies have been used increasingly throughout the world to produce the drinking water from the brackish ground and sea water for the past few decades. Among the commercially available desalination technologies, reverse osmosis (RO) and multi-stage flash distillation are the most widely used technologies globally. However, these technologies are difficult to be directly integrated with green energies without converting them to electricity. Dewvaporation, a desalination process, uses saturated steam as a carrier-gas to evaporate water from saline feeds and form pure condensate. It has the major technical benefit of reusing energy, released from vapor condensation, multiple times. The current proposal has been planned to address this issue. In Phase I, we have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of a new plasmonic nanoparticle based approach through fabrication and evaluation of a solar powered water vapor generation module. The water vapor generation module allows generation of high temperature plasmon on a fiber bundle end, where strong water and plasmon interaction occurs generating water vapor. Plasmon enhanced water evaporation has been realized on plasmonic nanoparticle immobilized substrate with an energy conversion efficiency of over 50%.

A novel integrated thermal-/membrane-based solar energy-driven hybrid desalination system: Concept description and simulation results

KAUST Repository

Kim, Youngdeuk; Thu, Kyaw; Ng, Kim Choon; Amy, Gary L.; Ghaffour, NorEddine

2016-01-01

water production and water recovery ratio of a solar-assisted 24-stage VMD-AD hybrid system are found to be about 21% and 23% higher, respectively, as compared to the VMD-only system. For the solar-assisted 24-stage VMD-AD desalination system having 150

Nanostructured materials for water desalination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Humplik, T; Lee, J; O' Hern, S C; Fellman, B A; Karnik, R; Wang, E N [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge (United States); Baig, M A; Hassan, S F; Atieh, M A; Rahman, F; Laoui, T, E-mail: tlaoui@kfupm.edu.sa, E-mail: karnik@mit.edu, E-mail: enwang@mit.edu [Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering and Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia)

2011-07-22

Desalination of seawater and brackish water is becoming an increasingly important means to address the scarcity of fresh water resources in the world. Decreasing the energy requirements and infrastructure costs of existing desalination technologies remains a challenge. By enabling the manipulation of matter and control of transport at nanometer length scales, the emergence of nanotechnology offers new opportunities to advance water desalination technologies. This review focuses on nanostructured materials that are directly involved in the separation of water from salt as opposed to mitigating issues such as fouling. We discuss separation mechanisms and novel transport phenomena in materials including zeolites, carbon nanotubes, and graphene with potential applications to reverse osmosis, capacitive deionization, and multi-stage flash, among others. Such nanostructured materials can potentially enable the development of next-generation desalination systems with increased efficiency and capacity. (topical review)

Nanostructured materials for water desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Humplik, T; Lee, J; O'Hern, S C; Fellman, B A; Karnik, R; Wang, E N; Baig, M A; Hassan, S F; Atieh, M A; Rahman, F; Laoui, T

2011-01-01

Desalination of seawater and brackish water is becoming an increasingly important means to address the scarcity of fresh water resources in the world. Decreasing the energy requirements and infrastructure costs of existing desalination technologies remains a challenge. By enabling the manipulation of matter and control of transport at nanometer length scales, the emergence of nanotechnology offers new opportunities to advance water desalination technologies. This review focuses on nanostructured materials that are directly involved in the separation of water from salt as opposed to mitigating issues such as fouling. We discuss separation mechanisms and novel transport phenomena in materials including zeolites, carbon nanotubes, and graphene with potential applications to reverse osmosis, capacitive deionization, and multi-stage flash, among others. Such nanostructured materials can potentially enable the development of next-generation desalination systems with increased efficiency and capacity. (topical review)

Nanostructured materials for water desalination

Science.gov (United States)

Humplik, T.; Lee, J.; O'Hern, S. C.; Fellman, B. A.; Baig, M. A.; Hassan, S. F.; Atieh, M. A.; Rahman, F.; Laoui, T.; Karnik, R.; Wang, E. N.

2011-07-01

Desalination of seawater and brackish water is becoming an increasingly important means to address the scarcity of fresh water resources in the world. Decreasing the energy requirements and infrastructure costs of existing desalination technologies remains a challenge. By enabling the manipulation of matter and control of transport at nanometer length scales, the emergence of nanotechnology offers new opportunities to advance water desalination technologies. This review focuses on nanostructured materials that are directly involved in the separation of water from salt as opposed to mitigating issues such as fouling. We discuss separation mechanisms and novel transport phenomena in materials including zeolites, carbon nanotubes, and graphene with potential applications to reverse osmosis, capacitive deionization, and multi-stage flash, among others. Such nanostructured materials can potentially enable the development of next-generation desalination systems with increased efficiency and capacity.

Minimizing the Environmental Impact of Sea Brine Disposal by Coupling Desalination Plants with Solar Saltworks: A Case Study for Greece

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stylianos Gialis

2010-02-01

Full Text Available The explosive increase in world population, along with the fast socio-economic development, have led to an increased water demand, making water shortage one of the greatest problems of modern society. Countries such as Greece, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia face serious water shortage issues and have resorted to solutions such as transporting water by ships from the mainland to islands, a practice that is expensive, energy-intensive and unsustainable. Desalination of sea-water is suitable for supplying arid regions with potable water, but extensive brine discharge may affect marine biota. To avoid this impact, we explore the option of directing the desalination effluent to a solar saltworks for brine concentration and salt production, in order to achieve a zero discharge desalination plant. In this context, we conducted a survey in order to evaluate the potential of transferring desalination brine to solar saltworks, so that its disposal to the sea is avoided. Our analysis showed that brine transfer by trucks is prohibitively expensive. In order to make the zero discharge desalination plant economically feasible, efforts should be directed into developing a more efficient technology that will result in the production of only a fraction of the brine that is produced from our systems today.

Estimation of solar energy resources for low salinity water desalination in several regions of Russia

Science.gov (United States)

Tarasenko, A. B.; Kiseleva, S. V.; Shakun, V. P.; Gabderakhmanova, T. S.

2018-01-01

This paper focuses on estimation of demanded photovoltaic (PV) array areas and capital expenses to feed a reverse osmosis desalination unit (1 m3/day fresh water production rate). The investigation have been made for different climatic conditions of Russia using regional data on ground water salinity from different sources and empirical dependence of specific energy consumption on salinity and temperature. The most optimal results were obtained for Krasnodar, Volgograd, Crimea Republic and some other southern regions. Combination of salinity, temperature and solar radiation level there makes reverse osmosis coupled with photovoltaics very attractive to solve infrastructure problems in rural areas. Estimation results are represented as maps showing PV array areas and capital expenses for selected regions.

International Conference on water reuse and desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The International conference on water reuse and desalination was held on the 13 November 1984 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Papers delivered on this conference covered the following aspects: desalination technology, industrial effluent control, economics of desalination of wastewaters, consumable supplies in desalination, the world market for seawater desalination equipment, reverse osmosis, evaporation and ultrafiltration, treatment of hazardous wastes, role of reverse osmosis in waste water treatment, as well as the desalination, recovery and recycle of water with high efficiency. A paper was also delivered on the mechanical vapour compression process applied to seawater desalination - as an example the paper presents the largest unit so far constructed by SIDEM using this process: a 1,500 mz/day unit installed in the Nuclear power plant of Flamanville in France

Water Storage Instead of Energy Storage for Desalination Powered by Renewable Energy—King Island Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aya Tafech

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we scrutinized the energy storage options used in mitigation of the intermittent nature of renewable energy resources for desalination process. In off-grid islands and remote areas, renewable energy is often combined with appropriate energy storage technologies (ESTs to provide a consistent and reliable electric power source. We demonstrated that in developing a renewable energy scheme for desalination purposes, product (water storage is a more reliable and techno-economic solution. For a King Island (Southeast Australia case-study, electric power production from renewable energy sources was sized under transient conditions to meet the dynamic demand of freshwater throughout the year. Among four proposed scenarios, we found the most economic option by sizing a 13 MW solar photovoltaic (PV field to instantly run a proportional RO desalination plant and generate immediate freshwater in diurnal times without the need for energy storage. The excess generated water was stored in 4 × 50 ML (mega liter storage tanks to meet the load in those solar deficit times. It was also demonstrated that integrating well-sized solar PV with wind power production shows more consistent energy/water profiles that harmonize the transient nature of energy sources with the water consumption dynamics, but that would have trivial economic penalties caused by larger desalination and water storage capacities.

The photovoltaic-powered water desalination plant 'SORO' design, start up, operating experience

Science.gov (United States)

Neuhaeusser, G.; Mohn, J.; Petersen, G.

Design features, operational parameters, and test results of a year of operation of the SORO prototype photovoltaic (PV) reverse osmosis salt water desalinization plant are described. Chemicals are added to the salt water to control the pH, prevent formation of compounds which could plug the flow system, and kill bacteria and slime which might grow in the solution. The water is pressurized and forced into contact with membranes which separate the fresh water from the brackish or sea water. The flow rate in the project was 180 l/h, with the main electrical energy load being the high pressure pump and the well pump. Batteries are charged before current is switched to power the desalinization system. The plant yielded 1.50 cu of fresh water/day and is concluded to be a viable design for scale-up to larger production figures, besides being economically competitive with solar desalinization installations where the salt content is 2000 ppm.

Thermodynamical research of using solar energy for desalination of seawater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arsović Marjan R.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Many regions of the world face the problem of saline water. Water desalination processes, which require significant energy consumption, are a common solution to produce drinking water. This study evaluated the influence of the following process operational parameters on the energy consumption of seawater RO systems: water salinity, permeate recovery ratio, membrane performance and feed water temperature. Optimal operational conditions for the theoretical minimum energy consumption were determined with experiments by varying water qualities and operational parameters. In order to further reduce energy consumption a RO system was integrated with a PV solar system and a pilot PVRO system was built and tested. The results obtained from this study indicated that even though a Solar PV system incurs a huge initial capital investment, it will yield significant benefits in the long run of the RO operational period.

Desalination - A solution to water shortage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shakaib, M.

2005-01-01

Pakistan as well as neighbouring countries are faced with critical water shortage for the last few decades. The demand for water has outstripped its supply making the availability of safe water sources an issue Also conflicts over water sharing are expected in many regions of the world. Thus, because of this looming crisis water problems are getting increasing attention all over the world. With the advancement of desalination technology many countries had resorted removal of salts from brackish and sea water as an alternative water supply and they are now viewing desalination as a future solution to problems of lack of water. Today, over 100 countries use desalting requirement. A total of 12,451 desalting units (of a unit size of 100 m/sup 3//d or more) with a total capacity of 22,735,000 m /d had been installed or contracted worldwide. Brackish water desalination plants contribute with 9,400,000 m3/d, whereas the capacity of the sea water plants had reached up to 13,300,000 m3/d. This paper will discuss the use of desalination to produce potable water from saline water for domestic or municipal purposes and also the available desalination techniques that have been developed over the years and have achieved commercial success. (author)

Sustainable renewable energy seawater desalination using combined-cycle solar and geothermal heat sources

KAUST Repository

Missimer, Thomas M.

2013-01-01

Key goals in the improvement of desalination technology are to reduce overall energy consumption, make the process "greener," and reduce the cost of the delivered water. Adsorption desalination (AD) is a promising new technology that has great potential to reduce the need for conventional power, to use solely renewable energy sources, and to reduce the overall cost of water treatment. This technology can desalt seawater or water of even higher salinity using waste heat, solar heat, or geothermal heat. An AD system can operate effectively at temperatures ranging from 55 to 80 °C with perhaps an optimal temperature of 80 °C. The generally low temperature requirement for the feedwater allows the system to operate quite efficiently using an alternative energy source, such as solar power. Solar power, particularly in warm dry regions, can generate a consistent water temperature of about 90 °C. Although this temperature is more than adequate to run the system, solar energy collection only can occur during daylight hours, thereby necessitating the use of heat storage during nighttime or very cloudy days. With increasing capacity, the need for extensive thermal storage may be problematic and could add substantial cost to the development of an AD system. However, in many parts of the world, there are subsurface geothermal energy sources that have not been extensively used. Combining a low to moderate geothermal energy recovery system to an AD system would provide a solution to the thermal storage issue. However, geothermal energy development from particularly Hot Dry Rock is limited by the magnitude of the heat flow required for the process and the thermal conductivity of the rock material forming the heat reservoir. Combining solar and geothermal energy using an alternating 12-h cycle would reduce the probability of depleting the heat source within the geothermal reservoir and provide the most effective use of renewable energy. © 2013 Desalination Publications.

Performance analysis in stepped solar still for effluent desalination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Velmurugan, V. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Infant Jesus College of Engineering, Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu 628 851 (India); Naveen Kumar, K.J.; Noorul Haq, T.; Srithar, K. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625 015 (India)

2009-09-15

In this work, a stepped solar still and an effluent settling tank are fabricated and tested for desalinating the textile effluent. The effluent is purified in an effluent settling tank. In this tank, large and fine solid particles are settled and clarified. The settled effluents are used as raw water in the stepped solar still. For better performance, the stepped solar still consists of 50 trays with two different depths. First 25 trays with 10 mm height and the next 25 trays with 5 mm height are used. Fin, sponge, pebble and combination of the above are used for enhancing the productivity of the stepped solar still. A maximum increase in productivity of 98% occurs in stepped solar still when fin, sponge and pebbles are used in this basin. Theoretical analysis agrees well with experimental results. (author)

Water desalination by electrical resonance inside carbon nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Jia-Wei; Ding, Hong-Ming; Ma, Yu-Qiang

2016-10-12

Although previous studies have indicated that the carbon nanotube (CNT) can be used for directed transportation of water and ions, it is still a challenging problem to design a CNT-based device for high performance water desalination. In this study, by using molecular dynamics simulations, we successfully design one type of CNT as a highly efficient desalination membrane through electrical resonance. By decorating the two ends of the CNT with vibrational charges, an alternating electric field is created inside the CNT. When the amplitude of the vibrational charge is 0.05 e, and the vibrational frequency is between 10 THz and 20 THz, the CNT can completely block the transportation of ions. The decrease of the amplitude or the deviation of the frequency in an appropriate range will gradually increase the ion flow. Besides, we also reveal the underlying molecular mechanism of ion blockage, i.e., the electric resonance can disrupt the water structure inside the CNT and then alter the hydration energy of ions inside the CNT. More importantly, we further demonstrate that this mechanism is universal, which is independent of the type of ions and the size of CNT. The present work could be useful for designing water desalination membranes with lower energy consumption and higher fresh water production.

Trombay symposium on desalination and water reuse: proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-02-01

Trombay Symposium on Desalination and Water Reuse (TSDWR-07) addresses the issues related to desalination and water reuse including integrated water resource management. It aims to bring together the desalination and water purification technologists from government R and D, academia, industry and representatives from NGOs and user groups including policy makers. The papers received cover a wide range of topics from water resource management to different aspects of desalination and water purification. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

Developments in solar still desalination systems: A critical review

KAUST Repository

Ayoub, George M.

2012-10-01

Solar still desalination uses a sustainable and pollution-free source to produce high-quality water. The main limitation is low productivity and this has been the focus of intensive research. A major concern while increasing productivity is to maintain economic feasibility and simplicity. The authors present a critical review of the research work conducted on solar stills development. Studies addressing each parameter of concern are grouped together and results compared. Novelty in design and newly introduced features are presented. Modeling efforts of flow circulation within the still and methods to estimate internal heat transfer coefficients are discussed and future research needs are outlined. © 2012 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Microbial desalination cells packed with ion-exchange resin to enhance water desalination rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Morel, Alexandre; Zuo, Kuichang; Xia, Xue; Wei, Jincheng; Luo, Xi; Liang, Peng; Huang, Xia

2012-08-01

A novel configuration of microbial desalination cell (MDC) packed with ion-exchange resin (R-MDC) was proposed to enhance water desalination rate. Compared with classic MDC (C-MDC), an obvious increase in desalination rate (DR) was obtained by R-MDC. With relatively low concentration (10-2 g/L NaCl) influents, the DR values of R-MDC were about 1.5-8 times those of C-MDC. Ion-exchange resins packed in the desalination chamber worked as conductor and thus counteracted the increase in ohmic resistance during treatment of low concentration salt water. Ohmic resistances of R-MDC stabilized at 3.0-4.7 Ω. By contrast, the ohmic resistances of C-MDC ranged from 5.5 to 12.7 Ω, which were 55-272% higher than those of R-MDC. Remarkable improvement in desalination rate helped improve charge efficiency for desalination in R-MDC. The results first showed the potential of R-MDC in the desalination of water with low salinity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sea water desalination using nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nisan, S.

2003-01-01

The paper first underlines the water shortage problem today and in the years to come when, around the time horizon 2020, two-thirds of the total world population would be without access to potable water. Desalination of sea-water (and, to a limited extent, that of brackish water) is shown to be an attractive solution. In this context, sea-water desalination by nuclear energy appears to be not only technically feasible and safe but also economically very attractive and a sustainable solution. Thus, compared to conventional fossil energy based sources, desalination costs by nuclear options could be 30 to 60% lower. The nuclear options are therefore expected to satisfy the fundamental water needs and electricity demands of human beings without in any way producing large amounts of greenhouse gases which any desalination strategy, based on the employment of fossil fuels, cannot fail to avoid. (author)

Simulation of the performance and economical study of a hybrid thermal desalination (solar and natural gas); Simulacao do desempenho e estudo economico de um dessalinizador hibrido (solar e gas natural)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, Maria E.V. da; Coutinho, Lecimara D.E.; Soares, Bruno de L. [Universidade Federal do Ceara (UFC), Fortaleza, CE (Brazil); Schwarzer, Klemens [Universidade de Ciencias Aplicadas de Aachen (Germany); Campos, Michel F. [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2004-07-01

This article presents a simulation of the performance and the results of an economic study of a hybrid thermal desalination equipment to produce drinkable water using solar energy and natural gas at its energy sources. The components of the desalination equipment are two solar flat plate collectors with reflectors, a natural gas burner, and a desalination tower. A piping circuit connects the tower to the collectors and the burner. In this circuit, a fluid transports heat from the thermal sources (collectors or burner) to the salty water in the first stage of the tower. When the salty water receives heat, it warms up and evaporates. The vapor produced flows up the bottom walls of the next stage, where it condenses, as it transfers the phase change heat to the water in this upper stage. The condensate flows in lateral channels to be collected outside the tower. Experimental measurements results obtained for a desalination unit with 4m{sup 2} of collector area and a seven stage tower, and the natural gas properties were used in the calculation. In the economic study, fabrication, installation, and maintenance costs were included. The results also show the water daily production for solar and hybrid. (author)

Experimental investigation of a multi-stage humidification-dehumidification desalination system heated directly by a cylindrical Fresnel lens solar concentrator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Gang; Zheng, Hongfei; Ma, Xinglong; Kutlu, Cagri; Su, Yuehong

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A solar desalination system heated directly by curved Fresnel lens concentrator. • Desalination system is based on the humidification-dehumidification process. • Four-stage multi-effect desalination system is proposed. • Condensation latent heat and residual heat in the brine are recycled and reutilized. • The maximum yield and GOR of the unit can reach 3.4 kg/h and 2.1, respectively. - Abstract: This study demonstrates a multi-stage humidification-dehumidification (HDH) solar desalination system heated directly by a cylindrical Fresnel lens concentrator. In this novel system, the solar radiation is sent directly into desalination unit. That is to say, the solar receiver and the evaporator of the system are a whole in which the black fillers in seawater directly absorb the concentrated solar lights to heat the seawater film to produce the evaporation. The configuration and working processes of the proposed design are described in detail. In order to analyze its performance, a small solar desalination prototype unit incorporated with a cylindrical Fresnel lens concentrator was designed and built in our laboratory. Using three-stage isothermal tandem heating mode, the variation of the fresh water yield rate and the absorber temperature with time were measured experimentally and were compared with theoretical calculations. The experimental results show that the maximum yield of the unit is about 3.4 kg/h, the maximum gained output ratio (GOR) is about 2.1, when the average intensity of solar radiation is about 867 W/m"2. This study indicates that the proposed system has the characteristics of compact structure and GOR high. It still can be improved when the design and operation are optimized further.

The effect of cover geometry on the productivity of a modified solar still desalination unit

KAUST Repository

Malaeb, Lilian; Ayoub, George M.; Al Hindi, Mahmoud

2014-01-01

Desalination methods based on renewable energy offer a promising solution to both water shortage and environmental degradation problems that continue to grow globally. The solar still is one such method that uses a sustainable energy source

Development of a desalination system driven by solar energy and low grade waste heat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elminshawy, Nabil A.S.; Siddiqui, Farooq R.; Sultan, Gamal I.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Productivity increases significantly up to critical waste gas flow rate. • Productivity decreases for waste gas flow rate higher than critical flow rate. • Increasing evaporator inlet waste gas temperature increases productivity. • The proposed system coupled with combined cycle has a fuel saving 1844 kg/h. • The cost of potable water produced is 0.014 USD/L. - Abstract: Various thermal power systems emit flue gases containing significant amount of waste energy. The aim of this research is to recover a valuable amount of this energy to develop an efficient desalination system coupled with solar energy. Experiments were performed in the month of June 2014 at Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia (26°4′53″N, 43°58′32″E) for different hot air (waste gas) flow rates and evaporator inlet water temperature to study the effect on daily potable water productivity. The proposed setup comprised an evaporator, condenser, air blower, electric heaters, storage tank and evacuated tube solar collectors. It was found that increasing the hot air flow rate increases the water productivity up to the critical flow rate after which the productivity decreases. Analytical model was developed for this desalination setup and the results were compared to that obtained from experiments. The overall daily (9 AM–5 PM) potable water productivity of the proposed system is about 50 L for corresponding useful waste heat varying from 130 to 180 MJ/day and a global solar radiation on a horizontal surface ranging from 15 to 29 MJ/m 2 /day. Water is produced at the cost of 0.014 USD/L and the fuel saving equal to 1844 kg/h is achieved for the proposed desalination system

Selection of groundwater sites in Egypt, using geographic information systems, for desalination by solar energy in order to reduce greenhouse gases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariam G. Salim

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Although Egypt has already reached the water poverty limit, it possesses a high potential of brackish groundwater available from different aquifers. All Arab countries lie in the best sun-belt region in the world and Egypt has the highest number of sun hours all year round. Solar energy for groundwater desalination is an independent infinite energy resource; it has low running costs and reduces the contribution of greenhouse gases (GHG to global warming. Perfect meteorological conditions and land space are available in remote areas, where solar desalination could supply freshwater for drinking, industry, and for greenhouse agriculture. The present study uses Geographic Information System(s (GIS as a spatial decision support tool to select appropriate sites in Egypt for groundwater solar desalination. Solar radiation, aquifer depth, aquifer salinity, distance from the Delta and the Nile Valley, incidence of flash floods, sand dunes, rock faults, and seawater intrusion in the North Delta, are the criteria that have been taken into consideration in the process of analysis. A specific weight is given to each criterion according to its relative influence on the process of decision making. The results from the application of the presented methodology determine the relative suitability of sites for groundwater solar desalination. These sites are ranked in descending order to help decision-makers in Egypt. The results show that groundwater solar desalination is suitable in remote regions on the North Western Coast, on the North Sinai Coast, and at the Southern Oasis, for reducing greenhouse gases and that it is particularly useful for poor communities suffering from polluted water.

Mathematical model for solar-hydrogen heated desalination plant using humidification-dehumidification process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yassin, Jamal S.; Eljrushi, Gibril S.

2006-01-01

This paper presents a mathematical model for thermal desalination plant operating with solar energy and hydrogen. This plant is composed of two main systems, the heating system and the distillation system. The distillation system is composed of multi-cells; each cell is using the humidification-dehumidification (H-D) process in the distillation unit and getting the required amount of heat from feed seawater heater. The feed seawater heater is a heat exchanger used to raise the temperature of the preheated seawater coming from the condensation chamber (Dehumidifier) of each cell to about 85 degree centigrade. The heating amount in the heat exchangers is obtained from the thermal storage tank, which gets its energy from solar thermal system and is coupled with a hydrogen-fired backup system to guaranty necessary operating conditions and permit 24 hours solar H-D desalination plant to enhance the performance of this system. The mathematical model studies the performance of the proposed desalination system using thermal solar energy and hydrogen as fuel. Other pertinent variable in the heating and distillation system are also studied. The outcomes of this study are analyzed to enhance the used solar desalination process and make commercial.(Author)

Optimization Study of Small-Scale Solar Membrane Distillation Desalination Systems (s-SMDDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsuan Chang

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Membrane distillation (MD, which can utilize low-grade thermal energy, has been extensively studied for desalination. By incorporating solar thermal energy, the solar membrane distillation desalination system (SMDDS is a potential technology for resolving energy and water resource problems. Small-scale SMDDS (s-SMDDS is an attractive and viable option for the production of fresh water for small communities in remote arid areas. The minimum cost design and operation of s-SMDDS are determined by a systematic method, which involves a pseudo-steady-state approach for equipment sizing and dynamic optimization using overall system mathematical models. Two s-SMDDS employing an air gap membrane distillation module with membrane areas of 11.5 m2 and 23 m2 are analyzed. The lowest water production costs are $5.92/m3 and $5.16/m3 for water production rates of 500 kg/day and 1000 kg/day, respectively. For these two optimal cases, the performance ratios are 0.85 and 0.91; the recovery ratios are 4.07% and 4.57%. The effect of membrane characteristics on the production cost is investigated. For the commercial membrane employed in this study, the increase of the membrane mass transfer coefficient up to two times is beneficial for cost reduction.

Solar desalination using humidification dehumidification processes. Part I. A numerical investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nafey, A.S.; Fath, H.E.S.; El-Helaby, S.O.; Soliman, A.M.

2004-01-01

A numerical investigation of a humidification dehumidification desalination (HDD) process using solar energy is presented. The HDD system consists mainly of a concentrating solar water heating collector, flat plate solar air heating collector, humidifying tower and dehumidifying exchanger. Two separate circulating loops constitute the HDD system, the first for heating the feed water and the second for heating air. A mathematical model is developed, simulating the HDD system, to study the influence of the different system configurations, weather and operating conditions on the system productivity. The model validity is examined by comparing the theoretical and experimental results of the same authors. It is found that the results of the developed mathematical model are in good agreement with the experimental results and other published works. The results show also that the productivity of the unit is strongly influenced by the air flow rate, cooling water flow rate and total solar energy incident through the day. Wind speed and ambient temperature variations show a very small effect on the system productivity. In addition, the obtained results indicate that the solar water collector area strongly affects the system productivity, more so than the solar air collector area

Solar desalination using humidification-dehumidification processes. Part II. An experimental investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nafey, A.S.; Fath, H.E.S.; El-Helaby, S.O.; Soliman, A.

2004-01-01

An experimental investigation of a humidification-dehumidification desalination (HDD) process using solar energy at the weather conditions of Suez City, Egypt, is presented. A test rig is designed and constructed to conduct this investigation under different environmental and operating conditions. The test rig consists of a solar water heater (concentrator solar collector type), solar air heater (flat plate solar collector type), humidifier tower and dehumidifier exchanger. Different variables are examined including the feed water flow rate, the air flow rate, the cooling water flow rate in the dehumidifier and the weather conditions. Comparisons between the experimental results and other published results are presented. It is found that the results of the developed mathematical model by the same authors are in good agreement with the experimental results. The tested results show that the productivity of the system is strongly affected by the saline water temperature at the inlet to the humidifier, dehumidifier cooling water flow rate, air flow rate and solar intensity. The wind speed and ambient temperature variation were found to have a very small effect on the system productivity. A general correlation is developed to predict the unit productivity under different operating conditions. The results of this correlation have a reasonable confidence level (maximum error ±6%)

Device to control the desalination and dehydration process for petroleum in an electro-dehydrator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kusowskii, B I; Pawlow, N I; Matiitschenko, A P; Sacharow, S A; Kirilin, A F

1976-01-22

The invention deals with a device to control the desalination and dehydration processes for petroleum in electro-dehydrators. In the latter, the water-petroleum emulsion introduced is separated by an electric field into petroleum and salt water. Regulation of the dehydration and desalination process by means of the current difference of two circuits in the emulgator, in which this difference controls the controlling unit of a regulating valve, via which salt water and dirt remains are removed from the dehydrator, is known. This device, however, is not immune to disturbance, as when changing the water content of the emulsion, spark-overs may occur between one electrode and the surface of the separated salt water. This disturbance is removed according to the invention in that the abrupt changes of current prior to the spark-over cause a forcibly increased through-flow amount of discharging salt water and dirt remains for a certain time and thus prevent the full formation of an electric spark-over disturbing the operation of the dehydrator.

Thermal Desalination using MEMS and Salinity-Gradient Solar Pond Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, H.; Walton, J. C.; Hein, H.

2002-08-01

MEMS (multi-effect, multi-stage) flash desalination (distillation) driven by thermal energy derived from a salinity-gradient solar pond is investigated in this study for the purpose of improving the thermodynamic efficiency and economics of this technology. Three major tasks are performed: (1) a MEMS unit is tested under various operating conditions at the El Paso Solar Pond site; (2) the operation and maintenance procedures of the salinity-gradient solar pond coupled with the MEMS operation is studied; and (3) previous test data on a 24-stage, falling-film flash distillation unit (known as the Spinflash) is analyzed and compared with the performance of the MEMS unit. The data and information obtained from this investigation is applicable to a variety of thermal desalination processes using other solar options and/or waste heat.

Characterization of thermophysical properties of phase change materials for non-membrane based indirect solar desalination application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarwar, J.; Mansoor, B.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Thermal cycling of paraffin waxes phase change materials. • Differential Scanning Calorimetry and thermogravimetric study of the materials. • Characterization of the phase change materials via Temperature History Method. • Investigation of suitability of materials for indirect solar desalination system. • Paraffin waxes are suitable for non-membrane indirect solar desalination system. - Abstract: Phase change material as a thermal energy storage medium has been widely incorporated in various technologies like solar air/water heating, buildings, and desalination for efficient use and management of fluctuating solar energy. Temperature and thermal energy requirements dictate the selection of an appropriate phase change material for its application in various engineering systems. In this work, two phase change materials belonging to organic paraffin wax class have been characterized to obtain their thermophysical properties. The melting/solidification temperatures, latent heat of fusion and heat capacities of the phase change materials have been investigated using Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Thermogravimetric analysis and Temperature History Method. Thermal cycles up to 300 are performed to investigate melting and solidification reversibility as well as degradation over time. It is shown that the selected paraffin waxes have reversible phase change with no degradation of thermophysical properties over time. It is also shown that melting/solidification temperature and thermal energy storage capabilities make them suitable for their application as a thermal energy storage medium, in high temperature vapour compression, multi-stage flash and multi-effect distillation processes of non-membrane based indirect desalination systems.

Water Desalination using geothermal energy

KAUST Repository

Goosen, M.

2010-08-03

The paper provides a critical overview of water desalination using geothermal resources. Specific case studies are presented, as well as an assessment of environmental risks and market potential and barriers to growth. The availability and suitability of low and high temperature geothermal energy in comparison to other renewable energy resources for desalination is also discussed. Analysis will show, for example, that the use of geothermal energy for thermal desalination can be justified only in the presence of cheap geothermal reservoirs or in decentralized applications focusing on small-scale water supplies in coastal regions, provided that society is able and willing to pay for desalting. 2010 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Desalination of brackish and sea water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukla, Dilip R.

2005-01-01

In Pali, Rajasthan, a population of 4 lacs gets about 6 million liters of water. Only 34 out of 116 municipalities in AP get regular water. Desalination found acceptance because of the decreasing water table leading to high salinity and making conventional treatment methods irrelevant. While choosing amongst the competitive desalination techniques that are available today for conversion of large quantities of saline water, Reverse Osmosis (RO) and distillation techniques stand out. RO rules the brackish water market where feed salinity is over 700 mg/L. Waste heat is nowadays a non-entity in power plants due to the developments of waste heat recovery systems in power plant technology. Most of the large plants tend to choose thermal desalination. Improved RO economics have in turn increased the attractiveness and use of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology for many large drinking water projects through out the world. Energy cost is the single largest factor in the cost of Sea Water System (usually 20 to 30% of total cost of water). Nuclear Power Corporation, Kudankulam proposed to build a SW desalination system based on RO technology to meet the water requirement of the Anu Vijay Nagar township and Nuclear Power Station. Energy recovery turbine helps reduce the overall system energy requirement. (author)

Utilization of solar energy for direct contact membrane distillation process: An experimental study for desalination of real seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palanisami, Nallasamy; He, Ke; Moon, Il Shik

2014-01-01

Membrane distillation (MD), a non-isothermal membrane separation process, is based on the phenomenon that pure water in its vapor state can be extracted from aqueous solutions by passing vapor through a hydrophobic microporous membrane when a temperature difference is established across it. We used three commercially available hydrophobic microporous membranes (C02, C07 and C12; based on the pore size 0.2, 0.7 and 1.2 µm respectively) for desalination via direct contact MD (DCMD). The effects of operating parameters on permeation flux were studied. In addition, the desalination of seawater by solar assisted DCMD process was experimentally investigated. First, using solar power only short-term (one day), successful desalination of real seawater was achieved without temperature control under the following conditions: feed inlet temperature 65.0 .deg. C, permeate inlet temperature 25.0 .deg. C, and a flow rate of 2.5 L/min. The developed system also worked well in the long-term (150 days) for seawater desalination using both solar and electric power. Long-term test flux was reduced from 28.48 to only 26.50 L/m 2 hr, indicating system feasibility

Utilization of solar energy for direct contact membrane distillation process: An experimental study for desalination of real seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palanisami, Nallasamy; He, Ke; Moon, Il Shik [Sunchon National University, Suncheon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-01-15

Membrane distillation (MD), a non-isothermal membrane separation process, is based on the phenomenon that pure water in its vapor state can be extracted from aqueous solutions by passing vapor through a hydrophobic microporous membrane when a temperature difference is established across it. We used three commercially available hydrophobic microporous membranes (C02, C07 and C12; based on the pore size 0.2, 0.7 and 1.2 µm respectively) for desalination via direct contact MD (DCMD). The effects of operating parameters on permeation flux were studied. In addition, the desalination of seawater by solar assisted DCMD process was experimentally investigated. First, using solar power only short-term (one day), successful desalination of real seawater was achieved without temperature control under the following conditions: feed inlet temperature 65.0 .deg. C, permeate inlet temperature 25.0 .deg. C, and a flow rate of 2.5 L/min. The developed system also worked well in the long-term (150 days) for seawater desalination using both solar and electric power. Long-term test flux was reduced from 28.48 to only 26.50 L/m{sup 2}hr, indicating system feasibility.

Energy minimization strategies and renewable energy utilization for desalination: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Subramani, Arun; Badruzzaman, Mohammad; Oppenheimer, Joan; Jacangelo, Joseph G

2011-02-01

Energy is a significant cost in the economics of desalinating waters, but water scarcity is driving the rapid expansion in global installed capacity of desalination facilities. Conventional fossil fuels have been utilized as their main energy source, but recent concerns over greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have promoted global development and implementation of energy minimization strategies and cleaner energy supplies. In this paper, a comprehensive review of energy minimization strategies for membrane-based desalination processes and utilization of lower GHG emission renewable energy resources is presented. The review covers the utilization of energy efficient design, high efficiency pumping, energy recovery devices, advanced membrane materials (nanocomposite, nanotube, and biomimetic), innovative technologies (forward osmosis, ion concentration polarization, and capacitive deionization), and renewable energy resources (solar, wind, and geothermal). Utilization of energy efficient design combined with high efficiency pumping and energy recovery devices have proven effective in full-scale applications. Integration of advanced membrane materials and innovative technologies for desalination show promise but lack long-term operational data. Implementation of renewable energy resources depends upon geography-specific abundance, a feasible means of handling renewable energy power intermittency, and solving technological and economic scale-up and permitting issues. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Renewable energy-driven innovative energy-efficient desalination technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghaffour, Noreddine; Lattemann, Sabine; Missimer, Thomas; Ng, Kim Choon; Sinha, Shahnawaz; Amy, Gary

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Renewable energy-driven desalination technologies are highlighted. • Solar, geothermal, and wind energy sources were explored. • An innovative hybrid approach (combined solar–geothermal) has also been explored. • Innovative desalination technologies developed by our group are discussed. • Climate change and GHG emissions from desalination are also discussed. - Abstract: Globally, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) desalinates the largest capacity of seawater but through energy-intensive thermal processes such as multi-stage flash (MSF) distillation (>10 kW h per m 3 of desalinated water, including electrical and thermal energies). In other regions where fossil energy is more expensive and not subsidized, seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) is the most common desalination technology but it is still energy-intensive (3–4 kW h e /m 3 ). Both processes therefore lead to the emission of significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Moreover, MSF and SWRO technologies are most often used for large desalination facilities serving urban centers with centralized water distribution systems and power grids. While renewable energy (RE) sources could be used to serve centralized systems in urban centers and thus provide an opportunity to make desalination greener, they are mostly used to serve rural communities off of the grid. In the KSA, solar and geothermal energy are of most relevance in terms of local conditions. Our group is focusing on developing new desalination processes, adsorption desalination (AD) and membrane distillation (MD), which can be driven by waste heat, geothermal or solar energy. A demonstration solar-powered AD facility has been constructed and a life cycle assessment showed that a specific energy consumption of <1.5 kW h e /m 3 is possible. An innovative hybrid approach has also been explored which would combine solar and geothermal energy using an alternating 12-h cycle to reduce the probability of depleting the heat source

Renewable energy-driven innovative energy-efficient desalination technologies

KAUST Repository

Ghaffour, NorEddine; Lattemann, Sabine; Missimer, Thomas M.; Ng, Kim Choon; Sinha, Shahnawaz; Amy, Gary L.

2014-01-01

Globally, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) desalinates the largest capacity of seawater but through energy-intensive thermal processes such as multi-stage flash (MSF) distillation (>10 kW h per m3 of desalinated water, including electrical and thermal energies). In other regions where fossil energy is more expensive and not subsidized, seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) is the most common desalination technology but it is still energy-intensive (3-4 kW h_e/m3). Both processes therefore lead to the emission of significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Moreover, MSF and SWRO technologies are most often used for large desalination facilities serving urban centers with centralized water distribution systems and power grids. While renewable energy (RE) sources could be used to serve centralized systems in urban centers and thus provide an opportunity to make desalination greener, they are mostly used to serve rural communities off of the grid. In the KSA, solar and geothermal energy are of most relevance in terms of local conditions. Our group is focusing on developing new desalination processes, adsorption desalination (AD) and membrane distillation (MD), which can be driven by waste heat, geothermal or solar energy. A demonstration solar-powered AD facility has been constructed and a life cycle assessment showed that a specific energy consumption of <1.5 kW h_e/m3 is possible. An innovative hybrid approach has also been explored which would combine solar and geothermal energy using an alternating 12-h cycle to reduce the probability of depleting the heat source within the geothermal reservoir and provide the most effective use of RE without the need for energy storage. This paper highlights the use of RE for desalination in KSA with a focus on our group's contribution in developing innovative low energy-driven desalination technologies. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Renewable energy-driven innovative energy-efficient desalination technologies

KAUST Repository

Ghaffour, Noreddine

2014-04-13

Globally, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) desalinates the largest capacity of seawater but through energy-intensive thermal processes such as multi-stage flash (MSF) distillation (>10 kW h per m3 of desalinated water, including electrical and thermal energies). In other regions where fossil energy is more expensive and not subsidized, seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) is the most common desalination technology but it is still energy-intensive (3-4 kW h_e/m3). Both processes therefore lead to the emission of significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Moreover, MSF and SWRO technologies are most often used for large desalination facilities serving urban centers with centralized water distribution systems and power grids. While renewable energy (RE) sources could be used to serve centralized systems in urban centers and thus provide an opportunity to make desalination greener, they are mostly used to serve rural communities off of the grid. In the KSA, solar and geothermal energy are of most relevance in terms of local conditions. Our group is focusing on developing new desalination processes, adsorption desalination (AD) and membrane distillation (MD), which can be driven by waste heat, geothermal or solar energy. A demonstration solar-powered AD facility has been constructed and a life cycle assessment showed that a specific energy consumption of <1.5 kW h_e/m3 is possible. An innovative hybrid approach has also been explored which would combine solar and geothermal energy using an alternating 12-h cycle to reduce the probability of depleting the heat source within the geothermal reservoir and provide the most effective use of RE without the need for energy storage. This paper highlights the use of RE for desalination in KSA with a focus on our group\\'s contribution in developing innovative low energy-driven desalination technologies. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Provision of Desalinated Irrigation Water by the Desalination of Groundwater within a Saline Aquifer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David D. J. Antia

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Irrigated land accounts for 70% of global water usage and 30% of global agricultural production. Forty percent of this water is derived from groundwater. Approximately 20%–30% of the groundwater sources are saline and 20%–50% of global irrigation water is salinized. Salinization reduces crop yields and the number of crop varieties which can be grown on an arable holding. Structured ZVI (zero valent iron, Fe0 pellets desalinate water by storing the removed ions as halite (NaCl within their porosity. This allows an “Aquifer Treatment Zone” to be created within an aquifer, (penetrated by a number of wells (containing ZVI pellets. This zone is used to supply partially desalinated water directly from a saline aquifer. A modeled reconfigured aquifer producing a continuous flow (e.g., 20 m3/day, 7300 m3/a of partially desalinated irrigation water is used to illustrate the impact of porosity, permeability, aquifer heterogeneity, abstraction rate, Aquifer Treatment Zone size, aquifer thickness, optional reinjection, leakage and flow by-pass on the product water salinity. This desalination approach has no operating costs (other than abstraction costs (and ZVI regeneration and may potentially be able to deliver a continuous flow of partially desalinated water (30%–80% NaCl reduction for $0.05–0.5/m3.

Advances in desalination technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pankratz, T.M.

2005-01-01

Seawater desalination has been the cornerstone of the Middle East's water supply strategy since the mid-1950s, and most of the installed desalination capacity is still provided by multistage flash evaporators. But, desalination is changing. In fact, the term 'desalination' is no longer limited to seawater applications; desalination technologies are now routinely employed to desalinate brackish groundwater and repurify municipal effluents. Recent advances in desalination technology have simultaneously reduced costs while dramatically improving performance and reliability to the point where desalination technologies now compete with 'conventional' treatment processes in many applications. New commercial strategies and a realisation of the economies-of-scale have led to further improvements in plant economics, and an increase in the size of plants now being developed and constructed. This presentation reviews advances in membrane and membrane pretreatment systems, energy recovery devices, materials of construction, hybrid process configurations, increased unit capacities, and the use of public-private partnerships; all of which have led to reduced capital and operating costs, enabling desalination to be economically competitive with traditional treatment options. Advances in desalination technology have resulted in better performances, lower capital and operating costs, and increased application of desalination systems. In the face of increased water shortages and growing costs of 'conventional treatment', this trend will certainly continue. (author)

Solar desalination by freezing and distillation

Science.gov (United States)

Kvajic, G.

It is noted that among seawater desalination processes the absorption-freeze vapor compression processes based on the thermal heat pump, although untested commercially and still in the development stage, appears technically and economically an attractive application of low-grade (exergy) solar heat. The distillation processes proposed here may be conveniently powered by low-grade solar heat (from flat plate solar collectors). It is expected that the scaling problem will be insignificant in comparison with that encountered in the conventional multistage flash process. The novel feature here is the use of enlarged capacity for heat exchange between distillate and brine via latent heat of solid-liquid phase change of a suitable hydrophobic intermediate heat transfer material.

Solar based water treatment technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, I.; Hyder, M.J.

2000-01-01

In developing countries, the quality of drinking water is so poor that reports of 80% diseases from water-related causes is no surprise (Tebbet, 90). Frequently, there are reports in press of outbreak of epidemics in cities due to the unhygienic drinking-water. The state of affairs in the rural areas can be well imagined, where majority of the people live with no piped water. This paper describes the solar-based methods of removing organic pollutants from waste-water (also called Advanced Oxidation Technologies) and solar desalination. Experimental results of a simple solar water-sterilization technique have been discussed, along with suggestions to enhance the performance of this technique. (author)

Indirect economic impacts in water supplies augmented with desalinated water

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rygaard, Martin; Arvin, Erik; Binning, Philip John

2010-01-01

Several goals can be considered when optimizing blends from multiple water resources for urban water supplies. Concentration-response relationships from the literature indicate that a changed water quality can cause impacts on health, lifetime of consumer goods and use of water additives like...... going from fresh water based to desalinated water supply. Large uncertainties prevent the current results from being used for or against desalination as an option for Copenhagen's water supply. In the future, more impacts and an uncertainty analysis will be added to the assessment....... softeners. This paper describes potential economic consequences of diluting Copenhagen's drinking water with desalinated water. With a mineral content at 50% of current levels, dental caries and cardiovascular diseases are expected to increase by 51 and 23% respectively. Meanwhile, the number of dish...

A study on the performance enhancement of low-temperature solar applications : Daylighting and Adsorption Desalination System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yeong Min

2011-02-15

Thermal applications of solar energy are categorized by low, medium and high temperature. The present study has explored two major applications of solar energy widely researched and practiced these days. Of these, one deals with the utilization of solar energy for lighting in buildings, which is responsible for a great portion of electricity consumption, especially, for office and public buildings. Rapid improvements in lighting technology harnessing solar energy (daylight) have greatly contributed to radically reduce its consumption levels - and thereby reduce CO{sub 2} emissions and cost. The other case considered here for solar utilization is so-called solar desalination using adsorbents (silica gels). This technology utilizes a silica gel adsorbent (desiccant) as a medium between an evaporator and a condenser to reject and facilitate latent heat of vaporization. Vapour is adsorbed and desorbed between evaporation and condensation phases. 1. Daylighting simulation A lighting upgrade is an obvious step toward improving a building's energy consumption, which could be easily assessed by using computer simulations. The present study has carried out a series of computer simulations for a lightless space as well as an actual classroom (in Jeju National University) when sun pipe systems are installed. They were first modeled by ECOTECT before RADIANCE was called in to conduct lighting analysis. Simulations were performed for equinoxes and solstices when the sun is at its highest altitude, i.e. at noon (12 PM). A lightless space and classroom of the same dimensions revealed the effectiveness of sun pipe systems to improve indoor lighting conditions throughout the year. 2. Development of adsorption desalination system utilizing silica-gel Some major components of an adsorption desalination system were designed and fabricated to assess its desalination efficiency when packs of silica-gel were used at different operating conditions. The amount of fresh water yield was

A study on the performance enhancement of low-temperature solar applications : Daylighting and Adsorption Desalination System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yeong Min

2011-02-01

Thermal applications of solar energy are categorized by low, medium and high temperature. The present study has explored two major applications of solar energy widely researched and practiced these days. Of these, one deals with the utilization of solar energy for lighting in buildings, which is responsible for a great portion of electricity consumption, especially, for office and public buildings. Rapid improvements in lighting technology harnessing solar energy (daylight) have greatly contributed to radically reduce its consumption levels - and thereby reduce CO 2 emissions and cost. The other case considered here for solar utilization is so-called solar desalination using adsorbents (silica gels). This technology utilizes a silica gel adsorbent (desiccant) as a medium between an evaporator and a condenser to reject and facilitate latent heat of vaporization. Vapour is adsorbed and desorbed between evaporation and condensation phases. 1. Daylighting simulation A lighting upgrade is an obvious step toward improving a building's energy consumption, which could be easily assessed by using computer simulations. The present study has carried out a series of computer simulations for a lightless space as well as an actual classroom (in Jeju National University) when sun pipe systems are installed. They were first modeled by ECOTECT before RADIANCE was called in to conduct lighting analysis. Simulations were performed for equinoxes and solstices when the sun is at its highest altitude, i.e. at noon (12 PM). A lightless space and classroom of the same dimensions revealed the effectiveness of sun pipe systems to improve indoor lighting conditions throughout the year. 2. Development of adsorption desalination system utilizing silica-gel Some major components of an adsorption desalination system were designed and fabricated to assess its desalination efficiency when packs of silica-gel were used at different operating conditions. The amount of fresh water yield was studied

Novel configurations of solar distillation system for potable water production

Science.gov (United States)

Riahi, A.; Yusof, K. W.; Sapari, N.; Singh, B. S.; Hashim, A. M.

2013-06-01

More and more surface water are polluted with toxic chemicals. Alternatively brackish and saline water are used as feed water to water treatment plants. Expensive desalination process via reverse osmosis or distillation is used in the plants. Thus, this conventional desalination is not suitable for low and medium income countries. A cheaper method is by solar distillation. However the rate of water production by this method is generally considered low. This research attempts to enhance water production of solar distillation by optimizing solar capture, evaporation and condensation processes. Solar radiation data was captured in several days in Perak, Malaysia. Three kinds of experiments were done by fabricating triangular solar distillation systems. First type was conventional solar still, second type was combined with 50 Watt solar photovoltaic panel and 40 Watt Dc heater, while third type was integrated with 12 Volt Solar battery and 40 Watt Dc heater. The present investigation showed that the productivity of second and third systems were 150% and 480% of the conventional still type, respectively. The finding of this research can be expected to have wide application in water supply particularly in areas where fresh surface water is limited.

Novel configurations of solar distillation system for potable water production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riahi, A; Yusof, K W; Sapari, N; Hashim, A M; Singh, B S

2013-01-01

More and more surface water are polluted with toxic chemicals. Alternatively brackish and saline water are used as feed water to water treatment plants. Expensive desalination process via reverse osmosis or distillation is used in the plants. Thus, this conventional desalination is not suitable for low and medium income countries. A cheaper method is by solar distillation. However the rate of water production by this method is generally considered low. This research attempts to enhance water production of solar distillation by optimizing solar capture, evaporation and condensation processes. Solar radiation data was captured in several days in Perak, Malaysia. Three kinds of experiments were done by fabricating triangular solar distillation systems. First type was conventional solar still, second type was combined with 50 Watt solar photovoltaic panel and 40 Watt Dc heater, while third type was integrated with 12 Volt Solar battery and 40 Watt Dc heater. The present investigation showed that the productivity of second and third systems were 150% and 480% of the conventional still type, respectively. The finding of this research can be expected to have wide application in water supply particularly in areas where fresh surface water is limited.

Seawater desalination using small and medium light water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimamura, Kazuo

2000-01-01

Water is an essential substance for sustaining human life. As Japan is an island country, surrounded by the sea and having abundant rainfall, there is no scarcity of water in daily life except during abnormally dry summers or after disasters such as earthquakes. Consequently, there is hardly any demand for seawater desalination plants except on remote islands, Okinawa and a part of Kyushu. However, the IAEA has forecast a scarcity of drinking water in developing countries at the beginning of the 21st century. Further, much more irrigation water will be required every year to prevent cultivated areas from being lost by desertification. If developing countries were to produce such water by seawater desalination using current fossil fuel energy technology, it would cause increased air pollution and global warming. This paper explains the concept of seawater desalination plants using small and medium water reactors (hereinafter called 'nuclear desalination'), as well as important matters regarding the export nuclear desalination plants to developing countries. (author)

Sea water desalination by horizontal tubes evaporator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammadi, H.K.; Mohit, M.

1986-01-01

Desalinated water supplies are one of the problems of the nuclear power plants located by the seas. This paper explains saline water desalination by a Horizontal Tube Evaporator (HTE) and compares it with flash evaporation. A thermo compressor research project using HTE method has been designed, constructed, and operated at the Esfahan Nuclear Technology Center ENTC. The poject's ultimate goal is to obtain empirical formulae based on data gathered during operation of the unit and its subsequent development towards design and construction of desalination plants on an industrial scale

Thermo-economic performance of inclined solar water distillation systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agboola Phillips O.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the thermo-economic performance of different configurations of inclined solar water desalination for parameters such as daily production, efficiency, system cost and distilled water production cost. The four different configurations considered for this study are as follows; 1. Inclined solar water distillation with bare absorber plate (IISWD with daily production of 5.46 kg/m2 day and daily efficiency of 48.3%. 2. Inclined solar water distillation with wick on absorber plate (IISWDW with daily production of 6.41kg/m2 day and daily efficiency 50.3%. 3. Inclined solar water distillation with wire mesh on absorber plate (IISWDWM with daily production n of 3.03 kg/m2 day and daily efficiency 32.6%. 4. Inclined solar water distillation with bare absorber plate (ISWD. (Control System with daily production of 3.25 kg/m2 day and daily efficiency of 40.1%. The systems potable water cost price ranges from 0.03 $/L for IISWDW to 0.06$/L for IISWDWM System. All the systems are economically and technically feasible as a solar distillation system for potable water in Northern Cyprus. The price of potable water from water vendors/hawkers ranges from 0.11-0.16 $/L. It is more economically viable to have the rooftop inclined solar water desalination system than procuring potable water from vendors.`

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT RESEARCH AT SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rigali, Mark J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Miller, James E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Altman, Susan J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Biedermann, Laura [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Brady, Patrick Vane. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kuzio, Stephanie P. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Nenoff, Tina M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Rempe, Susan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2016-11-01

Water is the backbone of our economy - safe and adequate supplies of water are vital for agriculture, industry, recreation, and human consumption. While our supply of water today is largely safe and adequate, we as a nation face increasing water supply challenges in the form of extended droughts, demand growth due to population increase, more stringent health-based regulation, and competing demands from a variety of users. To meet these challenges in the coming decades, water treatment technologies, including desalination, will contribute substantially to ensuring a safe, sustainable, affordable, and adequate water supply for the United States. This overview documents Sandia National Laboratories' (SNL, or Sandia) Water Treatment Program which focused on the development and demonstration of advanced water purification technologies as part of the larger Sandia Water Initiative. Projects under the Water Treatment Program include: (1) the development of desalination research roadmaps (2) our efforts to accelerate the commercialization of new desalination and water treatment technologies (known as the 'Jump-Start Program),' (3) long range (high risk, early stage) desalination research (known as the 'Long Range Research Program'), (4) treatment research projects under the Joint Water Reuse & Desalination Task Force, (5) the Arsenic Water Technology Partnership Program, (6) water treatment projects funded under the New Mexico Small Business Administration, (7) water treatment projects for the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), (8) Sandia- developed contaminant-selective treatment technologies, and finally (9) current Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) funded desalination projects.

Development of an innovative polygeneration process in hybrid solar-biomass system for combined power, cooling and desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahoo, U.; Kumar, R.; Pant, P.C.; Chaudhary, R.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Heat utilization from solar and biomass resources are considered for hybridization. • Modeling of polygeneration process in hybrid solar-biomass power plant is considered. • Thermodynamic evaluation are performed to identify the effect of various parameters. • Primary Energy Saving of polygeneration process is determined. - Abstract: In the polygeneration process simultaneous production of power, vapor absorption refrigeration (VAR) cooling and multi-effect humidification and dehumidification (MEHD) desalination system from different heat sources in hybrid solar-biomass (HSB) system with higher energy efficiency take place. It is one of the solutions to fulfill energy requirements from renewable sources and also helps in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. The VAR cooling system operates using the extracted heat taken from turbine and condenser heat of the VAR cooling system is used in desalination system for production of drinking water as per demand requirement. Though the production of electricity decreases due to extraction of heat from turbine for VAR cooling and desalination, the complete system meets the energy requirements & increases the primary energy savings (PES). The thermodynamic evaluation and optimization of HSB system in polygeneration process for combined power, cooling and desalination is investigated to identify the effects of various operating parameters. Primary energy savings (PES) of polygeneration process in HSB system is achieved to 50.5%. The energy output is increased to 78.12% from this system as compared to simple power plant.

Efficient steam generation by inexpensive narrow gap evaporation device for solar applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Morciano, Matteo; Fasano, Matteo; Salomov, Uktam; Ventola, Luigi; Chiavazzo, Eliodoro; Asinari, Pietro

2017-09-20

Technologies for solar steam generation with high performance can help solving critical societal issues such as water desalination or sterilization, especially in developing countries. Very recently, we have witnessed a rapidly growing interest in the scientific community proposing sunlight absorbers for direct conversion of liquid water into steam. While those solutions can possibly be of interest from the perspective of the involved novel materials, in this study we intend to demonstrate that efficient steam generation by solar source is mainly due to a combination of efficient solar absorption, capillary water feeding and narrow gap evaporation process, which can also be achieved through common materials. To this end, we report both numerical and experimental evidence that advanced nano-structured materials are not strictly necessary for performing sunlight driven water-to-vapor conversion at high efficiency (i.e. ≥85%) and relatively low optical concentration (≈10 suns). Coherently with the principles of frugal innovation, those results unveil that solar steam generation for desalination or sterilization purposes may be efficiently obtained by a clever selection and assembly of widespread and inexpensive materials.

ZVI (Fe0 Desalination: Stability of Product Water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David D. J. Antia

2016-03-01

Full Text Available A batch-operated ZVI (zero valent iron desalination reactor will be able to partially desalinate water. This water can be stored in an impoundment, reservoir or tank, prior to use for irrigation. Commercial development of this technology requires assurance that the partially-desalinated product water will not resalinate, while it is in storage. This study has used direct ion analyses to confirm that the product water from a gas-pressured ZVI desalination reactor maintains a stable salinity in storage over a period of 1–2.5 years. Two-point-three-litre samples of the feed water (2–10.68 g (Na+ + Cl−·L−1 and product water (0.1–5.02 g (Na+ + Cl−·L−1 from 21 trials were placed in storage at ambient (non-isothermal temperatures (which fluctuated between −10 and 25 °C, for a period of 1–2.5 years. The ion concentrations (Na+ and Cl− of the stored feed water and product water were then reanalysed. The ion analyses of the stored water samples demonstrated: (i that the product water salinity (Na+ and Cl− remains unchanged in storage; and (ii the Na:Cl molar ratios can be lower in the product water than the feed water. The significance of the results is discussed in terms of the various potential desalination routes. These trial data are supplemented with the results from 122 trials to demonstrate that: (i reactivity does not decline with successive batches; (ii the process is catalytic; and (iii the process involves a number of steps.

Photoelectrochemical devices for solar water splitting - materials and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Chaoran; Moniz, Savio J A; Wang, Aiqin; Zhang, Tao; Tang, Junwang

2017-07-31

It is widely accepted within the community that to achieve a sustainable society with an energy mix primarily based on solar energy we need an efficient strategy to convert and store sunlight into chemical fuels. A photoelectrochemical (PEC) device would therefore play a key role in offering the possibility of carbon-neutral solar fuel production through artificial photosynthesis. The past five years have seen a surge in the development of promising semiconductor materials. In addition, low-cost earth-abundant co-catalysts are ubiquitous in their employment in water splitting cells due to the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). This review commences with a fundamental understanding of semiconductor properties and charge transfer processes in a PEC device. We then describe various configurations of PEC devices, including single light-absorber cells and multi light-absorber devices (PEC, PV-PEC and PV/electrolyser tandem cell). Recent progress on both photoelectrode materials (light absorbers) and electrocatalysts is summarized, and important factors which dominate photoelectrode performance, including light absorption, charge separation and transport, surface chemical reaction rate and the stability of the photoanode, are discussed. Controlling semiconductor properties is the primary concern in developing materials for solar water splitting. Accordingly, strategies to address the challenges for materials development in this area, such as the adoption of smart architectures, innovative device configuration design, co-catalyst loading, and surface protection layer deposition, are outlined throughout the text, to deliver a highly efficient and stable PEC device for water splitting.

The Development of a Renewable-Energy-Driven Reverse Osmosis System for Water Desalination and Aquaculture Production

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Clark C K Liu

2013-01-01

Water and energy are closely linked natural resources-the transportation, treatment, and distribution of water depends on low-cost energy;while power generation requires large volumes of water. Seawater desalination is a mature technology for increasing freshwater supply, but it is essentially a trade of energy for freshwater and is not a viable solution for regions where both water and energy are in short supply. This paper discusses the development and application of a renewable-energy-driven reverse osmosis (RO) system for water desalination and the treatment and reuse of aquaculture wastewater. The system consists of (1) a wind-driven pumping subsystem, (2) a pressure-driven RO membrane desalination subsystem, and (3) a solar-driven feedback control module. The results of the pilot experiments indicated that the system, operated under wind speeds of 3 m s-1 or higher, can be used for brackish water desalination by reducing the salinity of feedwater with total dissolved solids (TDS) of over 3 000 mg L-1 to product water or permeate with a TDS of 200 mg L-1 or less. Results of the pilot experiments also indicated that the system can remove up to 97%of the nitrogenous wastes from the fish pond effluent and can recover and reuse up to 56%of the freshwater supply for fish pond operation.

Experimental investigation of stepped solar still with continuous water circulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Agouz, S.A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Comparison between modified stepped and conventional solar still was carried out. • Effect of storage tank and cotton absorber on productivity was investigated. • Efficiency for modified stepped still is higher than conventional still by 20%. • The day and night efficiency increases by 5% and 3.5% for salt and sea water. - Abstract: This paper presents a modification of stepped solar still with continuous water circulation using a storage tank for sea and salt water. Total dissolved solids (TDS) of seawater and salt water before desalination is 57,100 and 2370 mg/l. A comparison study between modified stepped and conventional solar still was carried out to evaluate the developed desalination system performance under the same climate conditions. The effect of installing a storage tank and cotton black absorber for modified stepped solar still on the distillate productivity was investigated. The results indicate that, the productivity of the modified stepped still is higher than that for conventional still approximately by 43% and 48% for sea and salt water with black absorber respectively, while 53% and 47% of sea and salt water, respectively with cotton absorber. Also, the daily efficiency for modified stepped still is higher than that for conventional still approximately by 20%. The maximum efficiency of modified stepped still is occurring at a feed water flow rate of 1 LPM for sea water and 3 LPM for salt water. Total dissolved solids (TDS) of seawater and salt water after desalination is 41, and 27 mg/l

Some interesting aspects of water, with special reference to nuclear desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inam-ur-Rahman

2002-01-01

A brief review is given of the formation, importance, resources and some unique characteristics of water. A reference has been made about the available water racecourse of Pakistan and urgent need of acquiring additional water resources in the county. Importance of water for energy production and energy for acquiring additional water resources is mentioned. Attractive features and feasibility of nuclear desalination, using dual purpose nuclear power plants are discussed. Criteria for selection of suitable reactor type and desalination process are discussed for desired water to power ratios. The world wide growth of desalination capacity, using various desalination processes are listed. (author)

Emerging desalination technologies for water treatment: a critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Subramani, Arun; Jacangelo, Joseph G

2015-05-15

In this paper, a review of emerging desalination technologies is presented. Several technologies for desalination of municipal and industrial wastewater have been proposed and evaluated, but only certain technologies have been commercialized or are close to commercialization. This review consists of membrane-based, thermal-based and alternative technologies. Membranes based on incorporation of nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes or graphene-based ones show promise as innovative desalination technologies with superior performance in terms of water permeability and salt rejection. However, only nanocomposite membranes have been commercialized while others are still under fundamental developmental stages. Among the thermal-based technologies, membrane distillation and adsorption desalination show the most promise for enhanced performance with the availability of a waste heat source. Several alternative technologies have also been developed recently; those based on capacitive deionization have shown considerable improvements in their salt removal capacity and feed water recovery. In the same category, microbial desalination cells have been shown to desalinate high salinity water without any external energy source, but to date, scale up of the process has not been methodically evaluated. In this paper, advantages and drawbacks of each technology is discussed along with a comparison of performance, water quality and energy consumption. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of blending of desalinated water with treated surface drinking water on copper and lead release.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Haizhou; Schonberger, Kenneth D; Korshin, Gregory V; Ferguson, John F; Meyerhofer, Paul; Desormeaux, Erik; Luckenbach, Heidi

2010-07-01

This study examined effects of desalinated water on the corrosion of and metal release from copper and lead-containing materials. A jar test protocol was employed to examine metal release from copper and lead-tin coupons exposed to water chemistries with varying blending ratios of desalinated water, alkalinities, pHs and orthophosphate levels. Increasing fractions of desalinated water in the blends resulted in non-monotonic changes of copper and lead release, with generally lower metal concentrations in the presence of desalinated water, especially when its contribution increased from 80% to 100%. SEM examination showed that the increased fractions of desalinated water were associated with pronounced changes of the morphology of the corrosion scales, likely due to the influence of natural organic matter. This hypothesis was corroborated by the existence of correlations between changes of the zeta-potential of representative minerals (malachite and hydrocerussite) and metal release. For practical applications, maintaining pH at 7.8 and adding 1 mg/L orthophosphate as PO(4) were concluded to be adequate to decrease copper and lead release. Lower alkalinity of desalinated water was beneficial for blends containing 50% or more desalinated water. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exergy Evaluation of Desalination Processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veera Gnaneswar Gude

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Desalination of sea or brackish water sources to provide clean water supplies has now become a feasible option around the world. Escalating global populations have caused the surge of desalination applications. Desalination processes are energy intensive which results in a significant energy portfolio and associated environmental pollution for many communities. Both electrical and heat energy required for desalination processes have been reduced significantly over the recent years. However, the energy demands are still high and are expected to grow sharply with increasing population. Desalination technologies utilize various forms of energy to produce freshwater. While the process efficiency can be reported by the first law of thermodynamic analysis, this is not a true measure of the process performance as it does not account for all losses of energy. Accordingly, the second law of thermodynamics has been more useful to evaluate the performance of desalination systems. The second law of thermodynamics (exergy analysis accounts for the available forms of energy in the process streams and energy sources with a reference environment and identifies the major losses of exergy destruction. This aids in developing efficient desalination processes by eliminating the hidden losses. This paper elaborates on exergy analysis of desalination processes to evaluate the thermodynamic efficiency of major components and process streams and identifies suitable operating conditions to minimize exergy destruction. Well-established MSF, MED, MED-TVC, RO, solar distillation, and membrane distillation technologies were discussed with case studies to illustrate the exergy performances.

Bifunctional Au@TiO_2 core–shell nanoparticle films for clean water generation by photocatalysis and solar evaporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Jian; He, Yurong; Wang, Li; Huang, Yimin; Jiang, Baocheng

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Au@TiO_2 core-shell nanoparticles were prepared in this study. • Bifunctional films for photocatalysis and solar evaporation were designed. • The evaporation and photodegradation with core-shell structures were investigated. - Abstract: With water scarcity becoming an increasingly critical issue for modern society, solar seawater desalination represents a promising approach to mitigating water shortage. In addition, solar seawater desalination shows great potential for mitigating the energy crisis due to its high photo-thermal conversion efficiency. However, the increasing contamination of seawater makes it difficult to generate clean water through simple desalination processes. In this work, clean water is generated by a newly designed bifunctional Au@TiO_2 core-shell nanoparticle film with a high photo-thermal conversion efficiency that is capable of photocatalysis and solar evaporation for seawater desalination. Bifunctional films of Au@TiO_2 core-shell nanoparticles with good stability were prepared. It was found that the formation of the core-shell structures played a key role in promoting the photo-thermal conversion efficiency and the evaporation of seawater, while the photocatalytic function demonstrated herein could contribute to the purification of polluted seawater. Furthermore, the film structure can serve to concentrate the NPs for the photo-reaction, as well as heat for water evaporation, improving both the photo-reaction efficiency and photo-thermal conversion efficiency. This efficient approach to solar seawater desalination, which combines evaporation with the photodegradation of pollutants, could help to address the dual issues of water scarcity and water pollution.

Sea water desalination utilizing waste heat by low temperature evaporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raha, A.; Srivastava, A.; Rao, I.S.; Majumdar, M.; Srivastava, V.K.; Tewari, P.K.

2007-01-01

Economics of a process is controlled by management of energy and resources. Fresh water has become most valued resource in industries. Desalination is a process by which fresh water resource is generated from sea water or brackish water, but it is an energy intensive process. The energy cost contributes around 25-40% to the total cost of the desalted water. Utilization of waste heat from industrial streams is one of the ecofriendly ways to produce low cost desalted water. Keeping this in mind Low Temperature Evaporation (LTE) desalination technology utilizing low quality waste heat in the form of hot water (as low as 50 deg C) or low pressure steam (0.13 bar) has been developed for offshore and land based applications to produce high purity water (conductivity < 2μS/cm) from sea water. The probability of the scale formation is practically eliminated by operating it at low temperature and controlling the brine concentration. It also does not require elaborate chemical pretreatment of sea water except chlorination, so it has no environmental impact. LTE technology has found major applications in nuclear reactors where large quantity of low quality waste heat is available to produce high quality desalted water for make up water requirement replacing conventional ion exchange process. Successful continuous operation of 30 Te/day LTE desalination plant utilizing waste heat from nuclear research reactor has demonstrated the safety, reliability, extreme plant availability and economics of nuclear desalination by LTE technology. It is also proposed to utilize waste heat from Main Heat Transport (MHT) purification circuit of Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) to produce about 250 Te/ day high quality desalinated water by Low Temperature Evaporation (LTE) process for the reactor make up and plant utilization. Recently we have commissioned a 50 Te/day 2-effect low temperature desalination plant with cooling tower where the specific energy and cooling water requirement are

Membraneless seawater desalination

Science.gov (United States)

Crooks, Richard A.; Knust, Kyle N.; Perdue, Robbyn K.

2018-04-03

Disclosed are microfluidic devices and systems for the desalination of water. The devices and systems can include an electrode configured to generate an electric field gradient in proximity to an intersection formed by the divergence of two microfluidic channels from an inlet channel. Under an applied bias and in the presence of a pressure driven flow of saltwater, the electric field gradient can preferentially direct ions in saltwater into one of the diverging microfluidic channels, while desalted water flows into second diverging channel. Also provided are methods of using the devices and systems described herein to decrease the salinity of water.

Process technologies for water desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramilo, Lucia B.; Gomez de Soler, Susana M.; Coppari, Norberto R.

2003-01-01

The use of the nuclear energy for simultaneous electricity and potable water production is an attractive, technically feasible and safe alternative to fossil energy options. In Argentina the nuclear desalination option is being studied together with the alternative uses of the innovative advanced Argentinean CAREM reactor, in a research contract between CNEA and the IAEA to evaluate projects of nuclear desalination. This paper analyses the benefits and drawbacks of each desalination technology, the distinctive characteristics of the technology that fit better the different uses, and outlines the related antecedents of its application in the world. In this report a summarized description of those technologies is included by way of introduction, so as to highlight the main advantages and disadvantages of each of them. The improvements and innovations made in the last years for the different technologies are also described. (author)

Performance and cost assessment of solar driven humidification dehumidification desalination system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zubair, M. Ifras; Al-Sulaiman, Fahad A.; Antar, M.A.; Al-Dini, Salem A.; Ibrahim, Nasiru I.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Optimization of a new HDH system integrated solar evacuated tubes collectors was conducted. • The mathematical models developed for the collector and the HDH system were validated. • A multi-location analysis was then performed for six locations in Saudi Arabia. • Sharurah was found to have the highest annual output and Dhahran the lowest at 19,445 and 16,430 L. • The cost per liter of water produced varies from $0.032 to $0.038, depends on the location. - Abstract: A humidification-dehumidification (HDH) desalination system integrated with solar evacuated tubes was optimized. Then, the optimized system was assessed for the operation in different geographical locations, and the rate of freshwater production and cost per liter were determined in each location. The system design proposed in this paper uses a heat pipe design evacuated tube collector, which performs significantly better based on cost. An HDH desalination system with a closed-air/open-water loop, connected to the collector, was evaluated to determine the optimum operating parameters and the system performance during daytime (from 8 am to 3 pm), as well as the average day of each month for an entire year. The impact of the effectiveness of the humidifier and the dehumidifier, as well as, the number of collectors, were also studied. The analyses were performed for Dhahran, Jeddah, Riyadh, Sharurah, Qassim, and Tabuk to determine the effects of varying the geographical location. Sharurah has the highest calculated productivity of freshwater and Dhahran has the lowest at 19,445 and 16,430 L, respectively. To have a comprehensive study of the system proposed, a cost analysis was also performed to determine the feasibility of the system and the cost of water production. Results show that the price varied from $0.032 to $0.038 per liter for the locations evaluated.

Batteryless photovoltaic reverse-osmosis desalination system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomson, M.; Miranda, M.; Gwillim, J.; Rowbottom, A.; Draisey, I.

2001-07-01

The aim of this project was to design an efficient cost-effective batteryless photovoltaic-powered seawater reverse-osmosis desalination system, to deliver in the order of 3 m{sup 3} of fresh drinking water per day. The desalination of seawater to produce fresh drinking water is extremely valuable on islands and in coastal regions wherever natural freshwater is scarce. Existing small-scale desalination equipment, suitable for areas of medium and low population density, often requires a copious and constant supply of energy, either electricity or diesel. If supply of these fuels is expensive or insecure, but the area has a good solar resource, the use of photovoltaic power is an attractive option. Existing demonstrations of photovoltaic-powered desalination generally employ lead-acid batteries, which allow the equipment to operate at a constant flow, but are notoriously problematic in practice. The system developed in this project runs at variable flow, enabling it to make efficient use of the naturally varying solar resource, without need of batteries. In a sense, the freshwater tank is providing the energy storage. In this project, we have reviewed the merits of a wide variety of reverse-osmosis system configurations and component options. We have completed extensive in-house testing and characterisation of major hardware components and used the results to construct detailed software models. Using these, we have designed a system that meets the above project aim, and we have predicted its performance in detail. Our designs show that a system costing 23,055 pounds stirling will produce 1424 m{sup 3} of fresh drinking water annually - an average of just over 3.9 m{sup 3}/day. The system has no fuel costs and no batteries. The overall cost of water, including full maintenance, is 2.00 pounds stirling per m{sup 3}. The energy consumption (photovoltaic-electricity) is typically between 3.2 and 3.7 kWh/m{sup 3} depending on the solar irradiance and feed water

Desalination for a thirsty world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2010-01-01

Shortages of fresh water for some, unbridled consumption by others create intolerable planetary imbalances. The treatment of seawater and brackish water can really be effective in readjusting this inequality. Because they are reliable and efficient and their output is stable, the techniques preferred by the desalination industry are thermal distillation and reverse osmosis. Because thermal distillation processes consume considerable energy, they are often paired with gas-, coal- or fuel oil-fired heating plant to take advantage of the steam produced. More than three-quarters of this energy is effectively used to preheat the seawater. In the nuclear option (fresh water + electric power), the reactors simultaneously produce fresh water and electric power, ensuring a stable, continuous supply of energy. A portion of the steam produced by the turbine of the plant's secondary circuit is customarily used to run the alternator to generate electricity. The other portion can be fed to a desalination installation, which may be composed of a combination of several systems (hybrid installations). Highly competitive, this type of cogeneration is particularly appropriate for large scale desalination installations. This is the case for some of the Gulf Emirates and for Jordan: both are investigating the nuclear option to cover their electric power and fresh water requirements. The first nuclear desalination plant dedicated to producing fresh water was built for the city of Aktau (170,000 inhabitants) in Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea in 1963 and continued operation through 1999. Experiments for producing potable water are taking place in India, Pakistan, Egypt and Libya. In Japan, around ten small desalination units coupled with nuclear power plants produce fresh water for industrial use, and nuclear-run district heating projects are currently being developed in Russia and China. The problem of what to do with the hyper-saline brine produced by desalination and its affect on

Multilayer Nanoporous Graphene Membranes for Water Desalination.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen-Tanugi, David; Lin, Li-Chiang; Grossman, Jeffrey C

2016-02-10

While single-layer nanoporous graphene (NPG) has shown promise as a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination membrane, multilayer graphene membranes can be synthesized more economically than the single-layer material. In this work, we build upon the knowledge gained to date toward single-layer graphene to explore how multilayer NPG might serve as a RO membrane in water desalination using classical molecular dynamic simulations. We show that, while multilayer NPG exhibits similarly promising desalination properties to single-layer membranes, their separation performance can be designed by manipulating various configurational variables in the multilayer case. This work establishes an atomic-level understanding of the effects of additional NPG layers, layer separation, and pore alignment on desalination performance, providing useful guidelines for the design of multilayer NPG membranes.

Water Desalination with Wires

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Porada, S.; Sales, B.B.; Hamelers, H.V.M.; Biesheuvel, P.M.

2012-01-01

We show the significant potential of water desalination using a novel capacitive wire-based technology in which anode/cathode wire pairs are constructed from coating a thin porous carbon electrode layer on top of electrically conducting rods (or wires). By alternately dipping an array of electrode

Desalination of water using conventional and nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1964-01-01

The purpose of the present publication is to outline the status of desalination of water at the end of 1963, and is intended as a general review of the subject. Since the International Atomic Energy Agency considers that nuclear energy may, in the near future, be important in the conversion of sea and brackish water into fresh water, the following pages will deal mainly with different aspects of desalination on a large scale. These aspects will be discussed in the light of progress made using demonstration plants as well as results obtained in recent design studies. But in no way is it intended to put forward definitive statements on the advantages or disadvantages of using one or another kind of energy or any particular desalination process. This publication should serve as a technical report intended to help in a preliminary evaluation of projects that may be considered. The scientific and technical aspects of desalination will be subject of further study by the Agency. 65 refs, 25 figs, 12 tabs

Process technologies for water desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramilo, Lucia B.; Gomez de Soler, Susana M.; Coppari, Norberto R.

2003-01-01

The use of the nuclear energy for simultaneous electricity and potable water production is an attractive, technically feasible, and safe alternative to fossil energy options. In Argentina the nuclear desalination option is being studied together with the alternative uses of the innovative advanced Argentinean CAREM reactor, in the research contract CNEA - IAEA to evaluate projects of nuclear desalination. The objective and scope of this work is to know the advantages and disadvantages of each desalination technology, distinctive characteristics of each of them, that make them adapt better to different uses and outline conditions and analysis of related antecedents of its use in the world. In this report a summarized description of those technologies is included by way of introduction, so as to highlight the main advantages and disadvantages of each of them. The improvements and innovations found in the last years for the different technologies are also included. (author)

Water Desalination using geothermal energy

KAUST Repository

Goosen, M.; Mahmoudi, H.; Ghaffour, NorEddine

2010-01-01

The paper provides a critical overview of water desalination using geothermal resources. Specific case studies are presented, as well as an assessment of environmental risks and market potential and barriers to growth. The availability

Model-based Extracted Water Desalination System for Carbon Sequestration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gettings, Rachel; Dees, Elizabeth

2017-03-23

The focus of this research effort centered around water recovery from high Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) extracted waters (180,000 mg/L) using a combination of water recovery (partial desalination) technologies. The research goals of this project were as follows: 1. Define the scope and test location for pilot-scale implementation of the desalination system, 2.Define a scalable, multi-stage extracted water desalination system that yields clean water, concentrated brine, and, salt from saline brines, and 3. Validate overall system performance with field-sourced water using GE pre-pilot lab facilities. Conventional falling film-mechanical vapor recompression (FF-MVR) technology was established as a baseline desalination process. A quality function deployment (QFD) method was used to compare alternate high TDS desalination technologies to the base case FF-MVR technology, including but not limited to: membrane distillation (MD), forward osmosis (FO), and high pressure reverse osmosis (HPRO). Technoeconomic analysis of high pressure reverse osmosis (HPRO) was performed comparing the following two cases: 1. a hybrid seawater RO (SWRO) plus HPRO system and 2. 2x standard seawater RO system, to achieve the same total pure water recovery rate. Pre-pilot-scale tests were conducted using field production water to validate key process steps for extracted water pretreatment. Approximately 5,000 gallons of field produced water was processed through, microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and steam regenerable sorbent operations. Improvements in membrane materials of construction were considered as necessary next steps to achieving further improvement in element performance at high pressure. Several modifications showed promising results in their ability to withstand close to 5,000 PSI without gross failure.

On brackish water desalination economics and alternative renewable energies in Mena countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Borgi, Anis

2009-01-01

Nowadays, water management in MENA, no longer exclusive to a sectoral issue pertaining to engineering and technical expertise such as irrigation, water supply and water storage, becomes a shared developmental challenge. In order to face an increasingly growing water crisis, attention on balancing the supply and demand for water given the current constraints, needs analysis of conventional and non conventional water resources from a range of perspectives, including considerations about technological dynamics and alternative renewable energies, which are highly recommended. Thanks to engaged technical progress enabling sensitive desalination cost reduction, water crisis could be of lower impacts. For this region being the world leader in desalination technology investments, we are obliged to rexamine the characteristics of alternative renewable energies. To prevent water shortage from being a constraint to economic development and social stability in MENA, we argue brackish water desalination as one of the most promising and viable options, notably in long term for future generations. This paper contains four sections. brackish water characteristics are clarified in section 1. Then in section 2, we focus on factors affecting both desalination costs and desalination implementation costs. A particular attention is spent in section 3 to electro-dialysis reverse (EDR), subsequent capital and O and M costs approximations. Besides, since there is a pressing need for brackish water desalination, which is energy intensive, alternative renewable energies related to desalination technologies are hightlighted in section 4.

Theoretical and experimental study of a small unit for solar desalination using flashing process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nafey, A. Safwat; Mohamad, M.A.; El-Helaby, S.O.; Sharaf, M.A.

2007-01-01

A small unit for water desalination by solar energy and a flash evaporation process is investigated. The system is built at the Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering at Suez, Egypt. The system consists of a solar water heater (flat plate solar collector) working as a brine heater and a vertical flash unit that is attached with a condenser/preheater unit. In this work, the system is investigated theoretically and experimentally at different real environmental conditions along Julian days of one year (2005). A mathematical model is developed to calculate the productivity of the system under different operating conditions. The BIRD's model for the calculation of solar insolation is used to predict the solar insolation instantaneously. Also, the solar insolation is measured by a highly sensitive digital pyranometer. Comparison between the theoretical and experimental results is performed. The average accumulative productivity of the system in November, December and January ranged between 1.04 to 1.45 kg/day/m 2 . The average summer productivity ranged between 5.44 to 7 kg/day/m 2 in July and August and 4.2 to 5 kg/day/m 2 in June

Theoretical and experimental study of a small unit for solar desalination using flashing process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nafey, A. Safwat; El-Helaby, S.O.; Sharaf, M.A. [Department of Engineering Science, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering, Suez Canal University, Suez 43522 (Egypt); Mohamad, M.A. [Solar Energy Department, National Research Center, Cairo (Egypt)

2007-02-15

A small unit for water desalination by solar energy and a flash evaporation process is investigated. The system is built at the Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering at Suez, Egypt. The system consists of a solar water heater (flat plate solar collector) working as a brine heater and a vertical flash unit that is attached with a condenser/preheater unit. In this work, the system is investigated theoretically and experimentally at different real environmental conditions along Julian days of one year (2005). A mathematical model is developed to calculate the productivity of the system under different operating conditions. The BIRD's model for the calculation of solar insolation is used to predict the solar insolation instantaneously. Also, the solar insolation is measured by a highly sensitive digital pyranometer. Comparison between the theoretical and experimental results is performed. The average accumulative productivity of the system in November, December and January ranged between 1.04 to 1.45 kg/day/m{sup 2}. The average summer productivity ranged between 5.44 to 7 kg/day/m{sup 2} in July and August and 4.2 to 5 kg/day/m{sup 2} in June. (author)

Economics of Renewable Energy for Water Desalination in Developing Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enas R. Shouman

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to investigate the economics of renewable energy- powered desalination, as applied to water supply for remote coastal and desert communities in developing countries. In this paper, the issue of integration of desalination technologies and renewable energy from specified sources is addressed. The features of Photovoltaic (PV system combined with reverse osmosis desalination technology, which represents the most commonly applied integration between renewable energy and desalination technology, are analyzed. Further, a case study for conceptual seawater reverse osmosis (SW-RO desalination plant with 1000 m3 /d capacity is presented, based on PV and conventional generators powered with fossil fuel to be installed in a remote coastal area in Egypt, as a typical developing country. The estimated water cost for desalination with PV/ SW-RO system is about $1.25 m3 , while ranging between $1.22-1.59 for SW-RO powered with conventional generator powered with fossil fuel. Analysis of the economical, technical and environmental factors depicts the merits of using large scale integrated PV/RO system as an economically feasible water supply relying upon a renewable energy source.

Sustainable desalination using ocean thermocline energy

KAUST Repository

Ng, Kim Choon

2017-09-22

The conventional desalination processes are not only energy intensive but also environment un-friendly. They are operating far from thermodynamic limit, 10–12%, making them un-sustainable for future water supplies. An innovative desalination processes are required to meet future sustainable desalination goal and COP21 goal. In this paper, we proposed a multi-effect desalination system operated with ocean thermocline energy, thermal energy harnessed from seawater temperature gradient. It can exploit low temperature differential between surface hot water temperature and deep-sea cold-water temperature to produce fresh water. Detailed theoretical model was developed and simulation was conducted in FORTRAN using international mathematical and statistical library (IMSL). We presented four different cases with deep-sea cold water temperature varies from 5 to 13°C and MED stages varies from 3 to 6. It shows that the proposed cycle can achieve highest level of universal performance ratio, UPR = 158, achieving about 18.8% of the ideal limit. With the major energy input emanated from the renewable solar, the proposed cycle is truly a “green desalination” method of low global warming potential (GWP), best suited for tropical coastal shores having bathymetry depths up to 300m or more.

Study on water desalination system by solar energy distillation; Taiyo energy wo riyoshita joryugata kaisui tansuika system no kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagai, M; Ameku, K; Yonamine, K [Univ. of the Ryukyus, Okinawa (Japan)

1997-11-25

Discussions have been given on developing a seawater desalination system by solar energy distillation. The system is composed of evaporators installed on the seawater level, condensers placed on high and cool locations, and steam transport pipes to connect these two pieces of equipment. Steam is generated from seawater heated by solar heat in evaporators, and the steam is transported driven by low power consuming fans to higher locations through the steam transport pipes, where it is condensed by cool air in the condensers, and recovered as plain water. The concept is such that electric power required to operate the fans is supplied from photovoltaic panels, and all other energy is obtained from the sun. First, an experiment was performed upon noticing on methods of transporting and condensing the steam. The experiment used plain water rather than seawater. The heat source and evaporators were installed on the first floor, and the steam transporting fans on the second floor of an atrium. The thermal load was set to 1.5 times greater than average outdoor insolation amount. Increase in the distilled water recovery rate and distillation efficiency was verified by using the fans. The evaporation efficiency was found to tend to increase when the steam flow rate is increased. 3 refs., 10 figs.

Science Communication and Desalination Research: Water Experts' Views

Science.gov (United States)

Schibeci, R. A.; Williams, A. J.

2014-01-01

Access to clean drinking water is a major problem for many people across the world. Desalination is being increasingly used in many countries to provide this important resource. Desalination technology has received varying degrees of support in the communities in which this technology has been adopted. Productive communication suggests we…

R and D areas for next generation desalination and water purification technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raha, A.; Rao, I.S.; Srivastava, V.K.; Tewari, P.K.

2007-01-01

By 2020, desalination and water purification technologies are expected to contribute significantly to ensure a safe, sustainable, affordable and adequate water supply. The cost of producing water from the current generation desalination technologies has declined over time at a rate of only approximately 4% per year. So we need to accelerate our research and development (R and D) activities with a near and long term objective for evolution of current generation desalination technology and to create revolutionary next generation advanced desalination and water purification technologies which will offer a promise of step reduction in cost of producing water. There are five broad technological areas-thermal technologies, membrane technologies, alternate technologies, concentrate management technologies, reuse and recycle technologies that encompass the spectrum of desalination technology. In this paper high priority research areas in all the above technologies areas are discussed to make decision about research direction that will help to mitigate our nation's future water supply challenges. (author)

Performance evaluation of a solar energy assisted hybrid desiccant air conditioner integrated with HDH desalination system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kabeel, A.E.; Abdelgaied, Mohamed; Zakaria, Yehya

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The performance of a solar hybrid air conditioner integrated with HDH desalination system is numerically investigated. • For increase the regeneration air from 70 to 130 m 3 /h, the distillate water productivity increases from 2.988 to 4.78 L/h. • For increase the regeneration air from 70 to 130 m 3 /h, COP overall daily decreases from 4.66 to 3.386. • For increases the regeneration air temperature from 75 to 95 °C, the distillate water increases from 3.1752 to 5.011 L/h. • For increases the regeneration air temperature from 75 to 95 °C, COP overall daily decreases from 4.392 to 3.636. - Abstract: In this study, the performances of a solar energy assisted hybrid desiccant air conditioning system integrated with humidification–dehumidification (HDH) desalination system are numerically investigated. The aim of this study is to benefit from the temperature rise of the regeneration air outside of the desiccant conditioning system as well as the water vapor content in this regeneration air by feeding it to the humidification-dehumidification water desalination unit to produce distillate water. The distillate water productivity, human thermal comfort issues, and energy saving represent the main objective of the present numerical study. The simulated results developed for subsystems are validated with the published experimental results. The effects of regeneration air temperature and flow rate on supply cooled air temperature, distillate water productivity, the cooling coefficient of performance and overall daily coefficient of performance of the proposed system are investigated. The results show that (i) the distillate water productivity increases from 3.175 to 5.011 L/h and overall daily coefficient of performance decreases from 4.392 to 3.636 with increasing the regeneration air temperature from 75 to 95 as (ii) the increase in the regeneration air flow rate from 70 to 130 m 3 /h, increases the distillate water productivity from 2.988 to 4

Investigation of exergy and yield of a passive solar water desalination system with a parabolic concentrator incorporated with latent heat storage medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kabeel, A.E.; Elkelawy, Medhat; Alm El Din, Hagar; Alghrubah, Adel

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The impact of PCM and solar concentrator on the production of solar still studied experimentally under Egyptian conditions. • Exergetic analysis studied for passive solar still in winter and summer at different water depth. • Experimental study of water depth effect on solar still with PCM and solar concentrator. • A comparison between improved still with and usual still is carried out for winter and summer. - Abstract: In the present study, two solar stills were assembled and experienced to evaluate the yield and energy performance of an improved passive solar desalination system compared to a conventional one. The improved still is incorporated with a latent heat thermal energy storage medium and a parabolic solar concentrator. A parabolic solar concentrator was added to concentrate and increase the amount of solar irradiance absorbed by the still basin. Paraffin wax was applied as phase change material (PCM) in the solar still bottom plate. In the current study also, the effect of impure water profundity inside the still on still’s accumulated yield have been assessed. The following study involved a mathematical analysis for calculation of the exergetic proficiency as an efficient tool for the optimization, and yield evaluation of any energy systems and solar stills as well. Experimental research conducted in steady days of summer and winter at six different values of impure water profundity inside the solar still basin. The salinity of the impure water tested was about 3000–5000 ppm, while the salinity for the resulted drinkable water was about 550–500 ppm. The performed outcomes revealed that during summer, exergetic efficiency is higher than its qualified value in winter with approximately (10–15%) for the same water profundity. Results also disclosed that, the exergetic efficiency is higher when the water profundity in the basin is lower with approximately (6–9%). The experimental findings reveals that, the solar still with

A Well Water Reverse Osmosis Desalination Unit Diagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elfil, H.; Hila, M.; Hannachi, A.; Yeza, A.

2009-01-01

In this present work the diagnosis results of a reverse osmosis desalination unit are reported. Since 1997, the desalination unit was supplying a 1200 bed hotel. The feed water was driven from a well situated 300 m away form the sea. The water has an approximate salinity of 6gg.L -1 . The unit was producing 600 m 3 per day of desalinated water with a Total Dissolved Salts (TDS) of nearly 400 mg.L -1 . The desalination unit has two stages with 67 pour cent and 42 pour cent yields respectively giving an average yield of 81 pour cent. The behavior of all water streams with respect to aggressiveness and scaling tendency was assessed. The 2nd stage reject water was shown to exhibit a very high scaling behavior with an instantaneous precipitation in the absence of feed water chemical treatment. The analyses have shown that the produced water was very aggressive. The second stage module autopsy has revealed a sharp decrease of the membrane performances because of mineral as well as organic fooling buildup. The inorganic scale was essentially made of coesite and calcite and kaolinite clay. The presence of silica and clay could be attributed to an inadequate filtration pre-treatment process that was not able to retain all the suspended matter in the feed water. Whereas the presence calcite crystals at the membrane surface, reveals that the chemical inhibition performed at the pre-treatment process without adjusting the water pH was not able to prevent calcium carbonate precipitation. A periodic acid wash of the 2nd stage membranes is then necessary to guarantee this stage desired objectives.

Use of reactor plants of enhanced safety for sea water desalination, industrial and district heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panov, Yu.; Polunichev, V.; Zverev, K.

1997-01-01

Russian designers have developed and can deliver nuclear complexes to provide sea water desalination, industrial and district heating. This paper provides an overview of these designs utilizing the ABV, KLT-40 and ATETS-80 reactor plants of enhanced safety. The most advanced nuclear powered water desalination project is the APVS-80. This design consists of a special ship equipped with the distillation desalination plant powered at a level of 160 MW(th) utilizing the type KLT-40 reactor plant. More than 20 years of experience with water desalination and reactor plants has been achieved in Aktau and Russian nuclear ships without radioactive contamination of desalinated water. Design is also proceeding on a two structure complex consisting of a floating nuclear power station and a reverse osmosis desalination plant. This new technology for sea water desalination provides the opportunity to considerably reduce the specific consumption of power for the desalination of sea water. The ABV reactor is utilized in the ''Volnolom'' type floating nuclear power stations. This design also features a desalinator ship which provides sea water desalination by the reverse osmosis process. The ATETS-80 is a nuclear two-reactor cogeneration complex which incorporates the integral vessel-type PWR which can be used in the production of electricity, steam, hot and desalinated water. (author). 9 figs

Energy-water-environment nexus underpinning future desalination sustainability

KAUST Repository

Shahzad, Muhammad Wakil

2017-03-11

Energy-water-environment nexus is very important to attain COP21 goal, maintaining environment temperature increase below 2°C, but unfortunately two third share of CO2 emission has already been used and the remaining will be exhausted by 2050. A number of technological developments in power and desalination sectors improved their efficiencies to save energy and carbon emission but still they are operating at 35% and 10% of their thermodynamic limits. Research in desalination processes contributing to fuel World population for their improved living standard and to reduce specific energy consumption and to protect environment. Recently developed highly efficient nature-inspired membranes (aquaporin & graphene) and trend in thermally driven cycle\\'s hybridization could potentially lower then energy requirement for water purification. This paper presents a state of art review on energy, water and environment interconnection and future energy efficient desalination possibilities to save energy and protect environment.

Solar Desalination by Humidification-Dehumidification of Air

OpenAIRE

Moumouh J.; Tahiri M.; Balli L.

2018-01-01

The importance of supplying potable water can hardly be overstressed. In many arid zones, coastal or inlands, seawater or brackish water desalination may be the only solution to the shortage of fresh water. The process based on humidification-dehumidification of air (HDH) principle mimic the natural water cycle. HDH technique has been subjected to many studies in recent years due to the low temperature, renewable energy use, simplicity, low cost installation and operation. An experimental tes...

Nanophotonics-enabled solar membrane distillation for off-grid water purification.

Science.gov (United States)

Dongare, Pratiksha D; Alabastri, Alessandro; Pedersen, Seth; Zodrow, Katherine R; Hogan, Nathaniel J; Neumann, Oara; Wu, Jinjian; Wang, Tianxiao; Deshmukh, Akshay; Elimelech, Menachem; Li, Qilin; Nordlander, Peter; Halas, Naomi J

2017-07-03

With more than a billion people lacking accessible drinking water, there is a critical need to convert nonpotable sources such as seawater to water suitable for human use. However, energy requirements of desalination plants account for half their operating costs, so alternative, lower energy approaches are equally critical. Membrane distillation (MD) has shown potential due to its low operating temperature and pressure requirements, but the requirement of heating the input water makes it energy intensive. Here, we demonstrate nanophotonics-enabled solar membrane distillation (NESMD), where highly localized photothermal heating induced by solar illumination alone drives the distillation process, entirely eliminating the requirement of heating the input water. Unlike MD, NESMD can be scaled to larger systems and shows increased efficiencies with decreased input flow velocities. Along with its increased efficiency at higher ambient temperatures, these properties all point to NESMD as a promising solution for household- or community-scale desalination.

Desalinated drinking water in the GCC countries - The need to address consumer perceptions.

Science.gov (United States)

Shomar, Basem; Hawari, Jalal

2017-10-01

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries consist of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. These countries depend mainly on seawater desalination to meet their water needs. Although great emphasis is given to characterize desalinated water for its physicochemical and microbial properties, e.g. presence of metals, other organic contaminants and for bacteria, sensorial characteristics including smell, taste and color have not received the same attention. This is possibly attributed to the fact that inhabitants of GCC States do not use desalinated tap water for drinking consumption, rather they depend on locally produced or imported bottled water where color, taste and odor are not problematic. To address the consumer needs and perceptions of drinking desalinated water in GCC countries, water quality standards and guidelines, should respond to the public concern about other sensorial characteristics (organoleptic properties) including taste, odor, and trigeminal sensations. Often the root causes of color and smell in water are attributed to the presence of organic and inorganic contaminants and to bacterial growth which is frequently accompanied by the production of metabolites and byproducts that are obnoxious. The unpleasant sensorial problems associated with desalinated drinking tap water may constitute the driving force for most people in GCC countries to depend on bottled water. To encourage people in the GCC countries to consume desalinated tap water, it is essential that water testing include measurements of physicochemical properties, biofilm presence and organoleptic parameters to improve overall water quality. This review highlights the contribution of organoleptics for consumers of desalinated tap water. It extends water quality research to be addressed by standards for organoleptic parameters in desalinated drinking water. Accordingly, consumer awareness and outreach campaigns should be implemented to encourage people

Water desalination using different capacity reactors options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, G.; Vargas, S.; Del Valle, E.; Ramirez, R.

2010-01-01

The Northwest region of Mexico has a deficit of potable water, along this necessity is the region growth, which requires of additional energy capacity, cogeneration of potable water production and nuclear electricity is an option to be assessed. In this paper we will perform an economical comparison for cogeneration using a big reactor, the AP1000, and a medium size reactor, the IRIS, both of them are PWR type reactors and will be coupled to the desalination plant using the same method. For this cogeneration case we will assess the best reactor option that can cover both needs using the maximum potable water production for two different desalination methods: Multistage Flash Distillation and Multi-effect Distillation. (authors)

Autonomous system without batteries for brackish water desalination; Sistema autonomo sem baterias para dessalinizacao de agua salobra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrade, Eduardo Henrique Pereira de; Bezerra, Luiz Daniel Santos; Antunes, Fernando Luiz Marcelo [Universidade Federal do Ceara (PPGEE/UFC), Fortaleza, CE (Brazil). Programa de Pos -Graduacao em Engenharia Eletrica

2008-07-01

Ones of the goods most precious of the humanity, in the current times, with certainty is the drinking waters. Each scarcer and basic time for survival. In everybody more than 6,000 children die every day victims of some type of illness provoked for contaminated water (WHO, 2003). The underground water for being free of contamination is a good alternative, however its exploration if it becomes each more expensive time, since the water of better quality, is located in deeper sheets. In the state of the Ceara, techniques to explore water of deep well are each more frequent time, however, present a great inconvenience, most of the excavated wells, present brackish water, improper for the human consumption. In the attempt to make possible these wells the water is treated by desalination process. This article presents the practical implementation of a desalination the reverse Osmosis, Pump high-pressure supplied by solar photovoltaic energy system. (author)

Model-Based Extracted Water Desalination System for Carbon Sequestration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dees, Elizabeth M. [General Electric Global Research Center, Niskayuna, NY (United States); Moore, David Roger [General Electric Global Research Center, Niskayuna, NY (United States); Li, Li [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States); Kumar, Manish [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)

2017-05-28

Over the last 1.5 years, GE Global Research and Pennsylvania State University defined a model-based, scalable, and multi-stage extracted water desalination system that yields clean water, concentrated brine, and, optionally, salt. The team explored saline brines that ranged across the expected range for extracted water for carbon sequestration reservoirs (40,000 up to 220,000 ppm total dissolved solids, TDS). In addition, the validated the system performance at pilot scale with field-sourced water using GE’s pre-pilot and lab facilities. This project encompassed four principal tasks, in addition to Project Management and Planning: 1) identify a deep saline formation carbon sequestration site and a partner that are suitable for supplying extracted water; 2) conduct a techno-economic assessment and down-selection of pre-treatment and desalination technologies to identify a cost-effective system for extracted water recovery; 3) validate the downselected processes at the lab/pre-pilot scale; and 4) define the scope of the pilot desalination project. Highlights from each task are described below: Deep saline formation characterization The deep saline formations associated with the five DOE NETL 1260 Phase 1 projects were characterized with respect to their mineralogy and formation water composition. Sources of high TDS feed water other than extracted water were explored for high TDS desalination applications, including unconventional oil and gas and seawater reverse osmosis concentrate. Technoeconomic analysis of desalination technologies Techno-economic evaluations of alternate brine concentration technologies, including humidification-dehumidification (HDH), membrane distillation (MD), forward osmosis (FO), turboexpander-freeze, solvent extraction and high pressure reverse osmosis (HPRO), were conducted. These technologies were evaluated against conventional falling film-mechanical vapor recompression (FF-MVR) as a baseline desalination process. Furthermore, a

Desalination and water recycling by air gap membrane distillation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meindersma, G.W.; Guijt, C.M.; Haan, de A.B.

2006-01-01

Membrane distillation (MD) is an emerging technology for desalination. Membrane distillation differs from other membrane technologies in that the driving force for desalination is the difference in vapour pressure of water across the membrane, rather than total pressure. The membranes for MD are

Desalination and Water Recycling by Air Gap Membrane Distillation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meindersma, G.W.; Guijt, C.M.; de Haan, A.B.

2006-01-01

Membrane distillation (MD) is an emerging technology for desalination. Membrane distillation differs from other membrane technologies in that the driving force for desalination is the difference in vapour pressure of water across the membrane, rather than total pressure. The membranes for MD are

Exploiting interfacial water properties for desalination and purification applications.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Hongwu (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM); Varma, Sameer; Nyman, May Devan; Alam, Todd Michael; Thuermer, Konrad; Holland, Gregory P.; Leung, Kevin; Liu, Nanguo (University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM); Xomeritakis, George K. (University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM); Frankamp, Benjamin L.; Siepmann, J. Ilja (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN); Cygan, Randall Timothy; Hartl, Monika A. (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM); Travesset, Alex (Iowa State University, Ames, IA); Anderson, Joshua A. (Iowa State University, Ames, IA); Huber, Dale L.; Kissel, David J. (University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM); Bunker, Bruce Conrad; Lorenz, Christian Douglas; Major, Ryan C. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN); McGrath, Matthew J. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN); Farrow, Darcie; Cecchi, Joseph L. (University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM); van Swol, Frank B.; Singh, Seema; Rempe, Susan B.; Brinker, C. Jeffrey; Clawson, Jacalyn S.; Feibelman, Peter Julian; Houston, Jack E.; Crozier, Paul Stewart; Criscenti, Louise Jacqueline; Chen, Zhu (University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM); Zhu, Xiaoyang (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN); Dunphy, Darren Robert (University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM); Orendorff, Christopher J.; Pless, Jason D.; Daemen, Luke L. (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM); Gerung, Henry (University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM); Ockwig, Nathan W.; Nenoff, Tina Maria; Jiang, Ying-Bing; Stevens, Mark Jackson

2008-09-01

A molecular-scale interpretation of interfacial processes is often downplayed in the analysis of traditional water treatment methods. However, such an approach is critical for the development of enhanced performance in traditional desalination and water treatments. Water confined between surfaces, within channels, or in pores is ubiquitous in technology and nature. Its physical and chemical properties in such environments are unpredictably different from bulk water. As a result, advances in water desalination and purification methods may be accomplished through an improved analysis of water behavior in these challenging environments using state-of-the-art microscopy, spectroscopy, experimental, and computational methods.

Generation of Electric Energy and Desalinating Water from Solar Energy and the Oceans Hydropower

Science.gov (United States)

Elfikky, Niazi

will decrease or when the Solar thermal radiation of the Sun will increase, the efficiency of the Solar Voltiac Cells will nearly fully degrade at the ambient temperature 55C?(131Fahrenheit). As known, in the African countries near the Atlantic Ocean like Mauritania, Senegal, South Africa and Guinea ..etc, also the middle east countries like Moroco, Tuniz, Lybia, Algeria, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emarates and Iraq etc. the range of the ambient temerature in the Summer seasons especially in the Desrt near the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and the Persian Gulf is around (60-70)C? or (140F-158F). Similarly the majority of the Latin American countries with India and China. So, all the environments of the antecedent countries are not the suitable envuironment for generating electric energy from the Solar Voltiac cells in all seasons along the year. Characteristics of the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). It uses half cylindrical mirrors to reflect with concentration the Solar thermal Radiation around a pipe to heat a special liquid. When the liquid will be heated it will pass through a water tank to exchange its heat in water tank to evaporate the water and create a steam to drive the Power Turbine for generating electricity. Also the capacity of the electric power generated by such technique is so much limited with respect to the wide area (3000 acres, about five miles end to end) occupied by the Concentrated Solar Power Plant . 3. The New Project Profile. Employing the water from the Oceans, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and Chinees sea to generate the bulky Hydraulic power capacity which will be deliverd directly to the electric power Grid without any inverters. The Salt water will be drawn for desalination after driving A Steam Power Turbine for genrating additional electric power. Invited Call, Speaker No.41445.

Feasibilty study of renewable energy powered seawater desalination technology using natural vacuum technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ayhan, Teoman; Al Madani, Hussain [Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Bahrain, P.O. box 32038, Isatown 32036 (Bahrain)

2010-02-15

With an ever-increasing population and rapid growth of industrialization, there is great demand for fresh water. Desalination has been a key proponent to meet the future challenges due to decreasing availability of fresh water. However, desalination uses significant amount of energy, today mostly from fossil fuels. It is, therefore, reasonable to rely on renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind energy, ocean thermal energy, waste heat from the industry and other renewable sources. The present study deals with the energy-efficient seawater desalination system utilizing renewable energy sources and natural vacuum technique. A new desalination technology named Natural Vacuum Desalination is proposed. The novel desalination technique achieve remarkable energy efficiency through the evaporation of seawater under vacuum and will be described in sufficient detail to demonstrate that it requires much less electric energy compared to any conventional desalination plant of fresh water production of similar capacity. The discussion will highlight the main operative and maintenance features of the proposed natural vacuum seawater desalination technology which seems to have promising techno-economic potential providing also advantageous coupling with renewable energy sources. (author)

Water recycling and desalination by air gap membrane distillation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meindersma, G.W.; Guijt, C.M.; de Haan, A.B.

2005-01-01

Because salt and other small components are the most common compounds in wastewater from the process industry, desalination techniques are likely to be suitable as treatment processes in many cases. Although membrane distillation (MD) is a well-known technology for desalination and water treatment,

IDA world congress on desalination and water reuse, october 6-9, 1997, Madrid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

International desalination association

1997-12-31

The books contain the Congress on Desalination and water reuse held in Madrid during October 1997. The five volumen present the following scopes. 1.- Fresh water world and Regional prospective 2.- Membrane desalination design 3. -Evaporative desalination operational experience 4.- Potable water reuse 5.- Plant automation design and experience 6.- Materials and corrosion research 7.- Chemistry and pretreatment. 8.- Research and development review 9.- Water treatment and potabilitation

ZVI (Fe0) desalination: catalytic partial desalination of saline aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Antia, David D. J.

2018-05-01

Globally, salinization affects between 100 and 1000 billion m3 a-1 of irrigation water. The discovery that zero valent iron (ZVI, Fe0) could be used to desalinate water (using intra-particle catalysis in a diffusion environment) raises the possibility that large-scale in situ desalination of aquifers could be undertaken to support agriculture. ZVI desalination removes NaCl by an adsorption-desorption process in a multi-stage cross-coupled catalytic process. This study considers the potential application of two ZVI desalination catalyst types for in situ aquifer desalination. The feasibility of using ZVI catalysts when placed in situ within an aquifer to produce 100 m3 d-1 of partially desalinated water from a saline aquifer is considered.

Microbial desalination cells for energy production and desalination

KAUST Repository

Kim, Younggy; Logan, Bruce E.

2013-01-01

Microbial desalination cells (MDCs) are a new, energy-sustainable method for using organic matter in wastewater as the energy source for desalination. The electric potential gradient created by exoelectrogenic bacteria desalinates water by driving

Cogeneration cycles applied to desalination in the Arab World: state of the art

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yassin, Jamal Saleh

2006-01-01

This paper presents a review of cogeneration cycles applied to water desalination in most of the Arab countries. The scarcity of fresh water resources in many countries around the world, and in particular Gulf countries and north African countries such as Libya and Tunisia forced the local authorities to establish many desalination plants to compensate the water shortage. Some plants are conventional for desalination processes only and others are with cogeneration cycle. The high performance of cogeneration cycles encouraged establishing combined power and desalination plants. The present study is intended to provide an overview of cogeneration cycles in conjunction with desalination technologies under the two main resources of energy, fossils and renewables. Thermal technologies, which utilize fossil resource constitute the mainstay of large-scale desalination in the Arab countries and enjoy a relatively important position worldwide. While the technologies which utilize renewable resources such as solar are getting more attention year by year and still under research and almost for small units.(Author)

Effect of water and air flow on concentric tubular solar water desalting system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arunkumar, T.; Jayaprakash, R.; Ahsan, Amimul; Denkenberger, D.; Okundamiya, M.S.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We optimized the augmentation of condense by enhanced desalination methodology. ► We measured ambient together with solar radiation intensity. ► The effect of cooling air and water flowing over the cover was studied. -- Abstract: This work reports an innovative design of tubular solar still with a rectangular basin for water desalination with flowing water and air over the cover. The daily distillate output of the system is increased by lowering the temperature of water flowing over it (top cover cooling arrangement). The fresh water production performance of this new still is observed in Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore (11° North, 77° East), India. The water production rate with no cooling flow was 2050 ml/day (410 ml/trough). However, with cooling air flow, production increased to 3050 ml/day, and with cooling water flow, it further increased to 5000 ml/day. Despite the increased cost of the water cooling system, the increased output resulted in the cost of distilled water being cut in roughly half. Diurnal variations of a few important parameters are observed during field experiments such as water temperature, cover temperature, air temperature, ambient temperature and distillate output.

Renewable water: Direct contact membrane distillation coupled with solar ponds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suárez, Francisco; Ruskowitz, Jeffrey A.; Tyler, Scott W.; Childress, Amy E.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Experimental investigation of direct contact membrane distillation driven by solar ponds. • The DCMD/SGSP system treats ∼6 times the water flow treated by an AGMD/SGSP system. • Half of the energy extracted from the SGSP was used to transport water across the membrane. • Reducing heat losses through the DCMD/SGSP system would yield higher water fluxes. - Abstract: Desalination powered by renewable energy sources is an attractive solution to address the worldwide water-shortage problem without contributing significant to greenhouse gas emissions. A promising system for renewable energy desalination is the utilization of low-temperature direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) driven by a thermal solar energy system, such as a salt-gradient solar pond (SGSP). This investigation presents the first experimental study of fresh water production in a coupled DCMD/SGSP system. The objectives of this work are to determine the experimental fresh water production rates and the energetic requirements of the different components of the system. From the laboratory results, it was found that the coupled DCMD/SGSP system treats approximately six times the water flow treated by a similar system that consisted of an air–gap membrane distillation unit driven by an SGSP. In terms of the energetic requirements, approximately 70% of the heat extracted from the SGSP was utilized to drive thermal desalination and the rest was lost in different locations of the system. In the membrane module, only half of the useful heat was actually used to transport water across the membrane and the remainder was lost by conduction in the membrane. It was also found that by reducing heat losses throughout the system would yield higher water fluxes, pointing out the need to improve the efficiency throughout the DCMD/SGSP coupled system. Therefore, further investigation of membrane properties, insulation of the system, or optimal design of the solar pond must be addressed in

Proceedings of the Trombay symposium on desalination and water reuse: technology interventions in water purification and management - challenges and opportunities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tewari, P.K.; Saurabh; Tiwari, S.A.; Kaza, Saikiran

2015-01-01

This conference deals with the issues relevant to water security, desalination processes and water reuse. The topics covered in the symposium include: water scenario, integrated water resource management, innovative desalination technologies, nuclear and renewable energy based desalination, intake and out fall systems, advances in water purification technologies, advanced water treatment, nanotechnologies in water purification, innovations in desalination technologies, reject brine management, drinking water in rural and remote areas, water quality monitoring and assurance, emerging membrane technologies, spent membrane management, environment and health, techno-economic evaluation and financial models etc. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

Low-cost low-enthalpy geothermal heat for freshwater production: Innovative applications using thermal desalination processes

KAUST Repository

Bundschuh, Jochen; Ghaffour, NorEddine; Mahmoudi, Hacè ne; Goosen, Mattheus F A; Mushtaq, Shahbaz; Hoinkis, Jan

2015-01-01

The study is dedicated to exploring different types of low-cost low-enthalpy geothermal and their potential integration with conventional thermal-based water desalination and treatment technologies to deliver energy efficient, environmentally friendly solutions for water desalination and treatment, addressing global water crises. Our in-depth investigation through reviews of various low-enthalpy geothermal and conventional thermal-based technologies suggest that the geothermal option is superior to the solar option if low-cost geothermal heat is available because it provides a constant heat source in contrast to solar. Importantly, the stable heat source further allows up-scaling (> 1000 m3/day), which is not currently possible with solar. Solar-geothermal hybrid constellations may also be suitable in areas where both sources are available. The review also discovers that the innovative Membrane distillation (MD) process is very promising as it can be used for many different water compositions, salinity and temperature ranges. Either the geothermal water itself can be desalinated/treated or the geothermal heat can be used to heat feed water from other sources using heat exchangers. However, there are only few economic analyses for large-scale MD units and these are based on theoretical models using often uncertain assumptions resulting in a large variety of results.

Low-cost low-enthalpy geothermal heat for freshwater production: Innovative applications using thermal desalination processes

KAUST Repository

Bundschuh, Jochen

2015-03-01

The study is dedicated to exploring different types of low-cost low-enthalpy geothermal and their potential integration with conventional thermal-based water desalination and treatment technologies to deliver energy efficient, environmentally friendly solutions for water desalination and treatment, addressing global water crises. Our in-depth investigation through reviews of various low-enthalpy geothermal and conventional thermal-based technologies suggest that the geothermal option is superior to the solar option if low-cost geothermal heat is available because it provides a constant heat source in contrast to solar. Importantly, the stable heat source further allows up-scaling (> 1000 m3/day), which is not currently possible with solar. Solar-geothermal hybrid constellations may also be suitable in areas where both sources are available. The review also discovers that the innovative Membrane distillation (MD) process is very promising as it can be used for many different water compositions, salinity and temperature ranges. Either the geothermal water itself can be desalinated/treated or the geothermal heat can be used to heat feed water from other sources using heat exchangers. However, there are only few economic analyses for large-scale MD units and these are based on theoretical models using often uncertain assumptions resulting in a large variety of results.

Use of renewable energy for desalination in urban agriculture in the GCC countries: Possibilities and challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salem Al-Jabri

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The current dependence of the GCC countries on fossil oil and gas is unwise in terms of economic and environmental sustainability. GCC countries must consider the use of renewable energy to cope with price fluctuations of oil and gas in the global market and to lower the emission of green house gases. The demand for food and water in the GCC countriesis increasing due to high growth rate of population. Given the weather conditions and available amounts of natural water resources, the demand on food and water cannot be met unless alternative sources of water are considered. Several studies pointed out that the desalination technology is probably the only option for producing ample amounts of water for food production in arid environments. This work explores the potential of use of desalination technology for producing irrigation water in GCC countries, with special emphasis on experience of the Sultanate of Oman compared with that of Spain. Desalination can always provide a tailored-quality irrigation water at any climatic conditions. The main challenge for considering desalination for agriculture is purely economic; where GCC countries could consider it only if intensive horticulture of high-value cash crops, such as vegetables and flowers in controlled environments, is considered. Disposal of brine water is also a challenge and must be done at an additional cost. Depending on the quality of desalinated water, several studies showed that solar-operated desalination technologies are in a mature stage and economically viable. Therefore, solar energy can make the desalination technology an attractive option to sustain agriculture and food supply in GCC countries.

Desalination and reuse of high-salinity shale gas produced water: drivers, technologies, and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaffer, Devin L; Arias Chavez, Laura H; Ben-Sasson, Moshe; Romero-Vargas Castrillón, Santiago; Yip, Ngai Yin; Elimelech, Menachem

2013-09-03

In the rapidly developing shale gas industry, managing produced water is a major challenge for maintaining the profitability of shale gas extraction while protecting public health and the environment. We review the current state of practice for produced water management across the United States and discuss the interrelated regulatory, infrastructure, and economic drivers for produced water reuse. Within this framework, we examine the Marcellus shale play, a region in the eastern United States where produced water is currently reused without desalination. In the Marcellus region, and in other shale plays worldwide with similar constraints, contraction of current reuse opportunities within the shale gas industry and growing restrictions on produced water disposal will provide strong incentives for produced water desalination for reuse outside the industry. The most challenging scenarios for the selection of desalination for reuse over other management strategies will be those involving high-salinity produced water, which must be desalinated with thermal separation processes. We explore desalination technologies for treatment of high-salinity shale gas produced water, and we critically review mechanical vapor compression (MVC), membrane distillation (MD), and forward osmosis (FO) as the technologies best suited for desalination of high-salinity produced water for reuse outside the shale gas industry. The advantages and challenges of applying MVC, MD, and FO technologies to produced water desalination are discussed, and directions for future research and development are identified. We find that desalination for reuse of produced water is technically feasible and can be economically relevant. However, because produced water management is primarily an economic decision, expanding desalination for reuse is dependent on process and material improvements to reduce capital and operating costs.

Adsorption desalination: An emerging low-cost thermal desalination method

KAUST Repository

Ng, K. C.; Thu, Kyaw; Kim, Youngdeuk; Chakraborty, Anutosh; Amy, Gary L.

2013-01-01

Desalination, other than the natural water cycle, is hailed as the panacea to alleviate the problems of fresh water shortage in many water stressed countries. However, the main drawback of conventional desalination methods is that they are energy

Combined desalination, water reuse, and aquifer storage and recovery to meet water supply demands in the GCC/MENA region

KAUST Repository

Ghaffour, Noreddine

2013-01-01

Desalination is no longer considered as a nonconventional resource to supply potable water in several countries, especially in the Gulf Corporation Countries (GCC) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as most of the big cities rely almost 100% on desalinated water for their supply. Due to the continuous increase in water demand, more large-scale plants are expected to be constructed in the region. However, most of the large cities in these countries have very limited water storage capacity, ranging from hours to a few days only and their groundwater capacity is very limited. The growing need for fresh water has led to significant cost reduction, because of technological improvements of desalination technologies which makes it an attractive option for water supply even in countries where desalination was unthinkable in the past. In the GCC/MENA region, operating records show that water demand is relatively constant during the year, while power demand varies considerably with a high peak in the summer season. However, desalination and power plants are economically and technically efficient only if they are fully operated at close to full capacity. In addition, desalination plants are exposed to external constraints leading to unexpected shutdowns (e.g. red tides). Hybridization of different technologies, including reverse osmosis and thermal-based plants, is used to balance the power to water mismatch in the demand by using the idle power from co-generation systems during low power demand periods. This has led to consideration of storage of additional desalinated water to allow for maximum production and stability in operation. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) would then be a good option to store the surplus of desalinated water which could be used when water demand is high or during unexpected shutdowns of desalination plants. In addition, increased reuse of treated wastewater could bring an integrated approach to water resources management. In this

Efficient thermal desalination technologies with renewable energy systems: A state-of-the-art review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esfahani, Iman Janghorban; Rashidi, Jouan; Ifaei, Pouya; Yoo, ChangKyoo [Center for Environmental Studies, Kyung Hee University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2016-02-15

Due to the current fossil fuel crisis and associated adverse environmental impacts, renewable energy sources (RES) have drawn interest as alternatives to fossil fuels for powering water desalination systems. Over the last few decades the utility of renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal, and wind to run desalination processes has been explored. However, the expansion of these technologies to larger scales is hampered by techno-economic and thermo-economic challenges. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art in the field of renewable energy-powered thermal desalination systems (RE-PTD) to compare their productivity and efficiency through thermodynamic, economic, and environmental analyses. We performed a comparative study using published data to classify RE-PTD systems technologies on the basis of the energy collection systems that they use. Among RE-PTD systems, solar energy powered-thermal desalination systems demonstrate high thermo-environ-economic efficiency to produce fresh water to meet various scales of demand.

Efficient thermal desalination technologies with renewable energy systems: A state-of-the-art review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esfahani, Iman Janghorban; Rashidi, Jouan; Ifaei, Pouya; Yoo, ChangKyoo

2016-01-01

Due to the current fossil fuel crisis and associated adverse environmental impacts, renewable energy sources (RES) have drawn interest as alternatives to fossil fuels for powering water desalination systems. Over the last few decades the utility of renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal, and wind to run desalination processes has been explored. However, the expansion of these technologies to larger scales is hampered by techno-economic and thermo-economic challenges. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art in the field of renewable energy-powered thermal desalination systems (RE-PTD) to compare their productivity and efficiency through thermodynamic, economic, and environmental analyses. We performed a comparative study using published data to classify RE-PTD systems technologies on the basis of the energy collection systems that they use. Among RE-PTD systems, solar energy powered-thermal desalination systems demonstrate high thermo-environ-economic efficiency to produce fresh water to meet various scales of demand.

Water production for irrigation and drinking needs in remote arid communities using closed-system greenhouse: A review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.E. Kabeel

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Water needs for agriculture, food production and drinking are considered one of the most critical challenges facing the world in the present days. This is due mainly to the scarcity and lack of fresh water resources, and the increasing ground water salinity. Most of these countries have a high solar energy potential. This potential can be best developed by solar desalination concepts and methods specifically suited for rural water supply, irrigation. In this paper, a humidification–dehumidification (HD water desalination system with several technologies for irrigation and drinking needs in remote arid areas is introduced from technical and economic point of views. This study has investigated (1 detailed discussion of technical developments, economical and sustainable aspects; (2 benefits of the new design over traditional applications, desalination and other irrigation methods; (3 specific requirements and implementation challenges in remote and cold regions; (4 performance and reliability improvement possible techniques. Recommended researches and projects leading to high efficiency, economical and sustainable applications of some desalination devices driven by solar energy are highlighted.

Sustainable renewable energy seawater desalination using combined-cycle solar and geothermal heat sources

KAUST Repository

Missimer, Thomas M.; Kim, Youngdeuk; Rachman, Rinaldi; Ng, Kim Choon

2013-01-01

Key goals in the improvement of desalination technology are to reduce overall energy consumption, make the process "greener," and reduce the cost of the delivered water. Adsorption desalination (AD) is a promising new technology that has great

Obtaining drinking water using solar electrodialysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandro César Silveira Jucá

2010-05-01

Full Text Available This paper shows the main worldwide experiments in PV powered electrodialysis plants and analyses possible applications of such systems in the Brazilian Northeast region. The use of PV arrays to power electrodialysis plants for desalination of brackish water from deep wells makes sense in arid and semiarid regions. In such areas there is often an inadequate water and energy supply infrastructure along with favorable levels of solar radiation for electric generation, as is the case of the Brazilian Northeast region.

Seawater desalination in micro grids. An integrated planning approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bognar, Kristina; Behrendt, Frank [Technische Univ. Berlin (Germany). Dept. of Energy Engineering; Blechinger, Philipp [Technische Univ. Berlin (Germany). Dept. of Energy Engineering; Reiner Lemoine Institut gGmbH, Berlin (Germany)

2012-12-15

Islands often depend on the import of fossil fuels for power generation. Due to the combined effect of high oil prices and transportation costs, energy supply systems based on renewable energies are already able to compete successfully with fossil fuel systems for a number of these islands. Depending on local and regional conditions, not only energy supply is a challenge, but also the finding of a reliable supply of water. A promising alternative to freshwater shipments is seawater desalination. Desalination processes can act as a flexible load whenever excess electricity generated by renewable sources is present. Numerical simulations of combined energy and water supply systems for the Caribbean island, Petite Martinique, Grenada, are accomplished. Considering renewable energy sources like wind and solar radiation, energy storage technologies, and desalination processes, various scenarios are introduced and simulated, and the results are compared. An extension of the current energy supply system with renewable energy technologies reduces power generation costs by approximately 40%. The excess energy generated by renewables can supply a significant share of a desalination plant's energy demand. The levelized costs of electricity and water show that the integration of desalination as a deferrable load is beneficial to the considered micro grid. The implementation of renewable energy generation and desalination as deferrable load is recommendable in Petite Martinique. Possible refinancing strategies depending on the combination of different electricity and water tariffs can be derived and applied to similar business cases in remote regions. (orig.)

Microbial desalination cells for energy production and desalination

KAUST Repository

Kim, Younggy

2013-01-01

Microbial desalination cells (MDCs) are a new, energy-sustainable method for using organic matter in wastewater as the energy source for desalination. The electric potential gradient created by exoelectrogenic bacteria desalinates water by driving ion transport through a series of ion-exchange membranes (IEMs). The specific MDC architecture and current conditions substantially affect the amount of wastewater needed to desalinate water. Other baseline conditions have varied among studies making comparisons of the effectiveness of different designs problematic. The extent of desalination is affected by water transport through IEMs by both osmosis and electroosmosis. Various methods have been used, such as electrolyte recirculation, to avoid low pH that can inhibit exoelectrogenic activity. The highest current density in an MDC to date is 8.4A/m2, which is lower than that produced in other bioelectrochemical systems. This implies that there is a room for substantial improvement in desalination rates and overall performance. We review here the state of the art in MDC design and performance, safety issues related to the use of MDCs with wastewater, and areas that need to be examined to achieve practical application of this new technology. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Design and development of an air humidifier using finite difference method for a solar desalination plant

Science.gov (United States)

Chiranjeevi, C.; Srinivas, T.

2017-11-01

Humidifier is an important component in air humidification-dehumidification desalination plant for fresh water production. Liquid to air flow rate ratio is optimization is reported for an industrial cooling towers but for an air humidifier it is not addressed. The current work is focused on the design and analysis of an air humidifier for solar desalination plant to maximize the yield with better humidification, using finite difference method (FDM). The outlet conditions of air from the humidifier are theoretically predicted by FDM with the given inlet conditions, which will be further used in the design calculation of the humidifier. Hot water to air flow rate ratio and inlet hot water temperature are identified as key operating parameters to evaluate the humidifier performance. The maximum and optimal values of mass flow rate ratio of water to air are found to be 2.15 and 1.5 respectively using packing function and Merkel Integral. The height of humidifier is constrained to 1.5 m and the diameter of the humidifier is found as 0.28m. The performance of humidifier and outlet conditions of air are simulated using FDM and compared with experimental results. The obtained results are within an agreeable range of deviation.

Exergy Analysis of a Solar Humidification- Dehumidification Desalination Unit

OpenAIRE

Mohammed A. Elhaj; Jamal S. Yassin

2013-01-01

This paper presents the exergy analysis of a desalination unit using humidification-dehumidification process. Here, this unit is considered as a thermal system with three main components, which are the heating unit by using a solar collector, the evaporator or the humidifier, and the condenser or the dehumidifier. In these components the exergy is a measure of the quality or grade of energy and it can be destroyed in them. According to the second law of thermodynamics thi...

Direct osmosis method of purification and desalination of drinking water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khaydarov, R.A.; Khaydarov, R.R.

2005-01-01

Full text: Drinking water quality is one of the general factors influencing people's health. The human activity in industry and agriculture has led to pollution of the environment: soil, air, both surface and ground waters that are polluted with chemical substances. It has a disastrous effect on the health of the population, especially of children. At present, the known equipment, based on ion exchange, electrodialysis and reverse osmosis, require great expense, energy expenditures, and highly qualified personnel that are inaccessible to the population especially living in remote regions. Methods, which are usually used in water supplying plants, cannot remove spore forms of bacteria and many types of chemical substances. The purpose of this Project is to create an absolutely new method for purification of drinking water from chemical and biological agents. The method is based on using direct osmosis process that removes all contaminants except one and removing last contaminant. This method will be used for making new low energy-consuming and cheap mini-systems for individual and collective use for desalination of drinking water and purification from bacteria, radionuclides, heavy metal ions, and organic contaminants. Preliminary experiments and calculations conducted in Uzbekistan show that the energy consumption is 0.8 MW per 1 m 3 of water. Advantage of the method is low energy consumption, potentially purifying water without pretreatment and removing different types of bacteria including spore forms, radionuclides, heavy metal ions, organic contaminants. Devices can be powered by solar units in remote locations. The purpose of this work is further elaboration of this technology creation of new method and its accommodation to conditions of different countries. Test models will be made and tested in laboratories of interested countries

Study on underground-water restoration of acid in-situ leaching process with electrodialytic desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Chongyuan; Meng Jin; Li Weicai

2003-01-01

The study focus undergrounder water restoration of acid in-situ leaching process with electrodialysis desalination in Yining Uranium Mine. It is shown in field test that electrodialysis desalination is an effective method for underground water restoration of acid in-situ leaching process. When TDS of underground-water at the decommissioning scope is 10-12 g/L, and TDS will be less than 1 g/L after the desalination process, the desalination rate is more than 90%, freshwater recovery 60%-70%, power consumption for freshwater recovery 5 kW·h/m 3 , the distance of the desalination flow 12-13 m, current efficiency 80%, and the throughput of the twin membrane 0.22-0.24 m 3 /(m 2 ·d)

A Feasibility Study of Optimal Nuclear Desalination Process for Industrial Water Supply in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Hyunchul; Han, Kiin

2013-01-01

Seawater Desalination can be an alternative technology for water production based on salt separation from seawater. Seawater desalination can produce freshwater with necessary quality by choosing an appropriate desalination process and posttreatment methods of the product water. The commercial seawater desalination processes which are proven and reliable for large scale freshwater production are MSF and MED for evaporative desalination and RO for membrane desalination. Vapor compression plants based on thermal and mechanical compression are also employed for the small and medium capacity ranges. The aim of this study is to compare the characteristics and cost of each process methods and suggest the most efficient and effective method of desalination for an industrial water supply to the National Industrial Complex nearby Nuclear Power Plant. The costs associated with desalination depend on many factors such as capital, energy, labor, chemicals that are specific to the location, plant capacity, product salinity pre-treatment necessities, and other site-related costs for land, plant and brine disposal. A detailed analysis of each situation is thus required to estimate desalination costs. It could be stated that RO cost is lower than distillation one in energy and environmental terms. The optimal capacity(10,000 m 3 /day) was decided to analyze the estimated water usage in nuclear power plants. And then compared the availability of each process, energy consumption, O and M and economic aspects. In terms of economic feasibility study, RO is the most recommendable process in nuclear power plants in Korea

Desalination and Water Purification Technology Roadmap

Science.gov (United States)

2003-01-01

Environmental Protection Agency EPS Extra-cellular Polymeric Substances M&E Materials and Energy MF Microfiltration MTBE Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether NASA...and bays. On a regional scale, therefore, desalination could aid in restoring the balance between fresh water needs and fresh water supplies that has... Microfiltration (MF) membranes—used for turbidity reduction, removal of suspended solids and bacteria • Ultrafiltration (UF) membranes—used for color, odor

Adsorption Characteristics of Water and Silica Gel System for Desalination Cycle

KAUST Repository

Cevallos, Oscar R.

2012-07-01

An adsorbent suitable for adsorption desalination cycles is essentially characterized by a hydrophilic and porous structure with high surface area where water molecules are adsorbed via hydrogen bonding mechanism. Silica gel type A++ possesses the highest surface area and exhibits the highest equilibrium uptake from all the silica gels available in the market, therefore being suitable for water desalination cycles; where adsorbent’s adsorption characteristics and water vapor uptake capacity are key parameters in the compactness of the system; translated as feasibility of water desalination through adsorption technologies. The adsorption characteristics of water vapor onto silica gel type A++ over a temperature range of 30 oC to 60 oC are investigated in this research. This is done using water vapor adsorption analyzer utilizing a constant volume and variable pressure method, namely the Hydrosorb-1000 instrument by Quantachrome. The experimental uptake data is studied using numerous isotherm models, i. e. the Langmuir, Tóth, generalized Dubinin-Astakhov (D-A), Dubinin-Astakhov based on pore size distribution (PSD) and Dubinin-Serpinski (D-Se) isotherm for the whole pressure range, and for a pressure range below 10 kPa, proper for desalination cycles; isotherms type V of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) classification were exhibited. It is observed that the D-A based on PSD and the D-Se isotherm models describe the best fitting of the experimental uptake data for desalination cycles within a regression error of 2% and 6% respectively. All isotherm models, except the D-A based on PSD, have failed to describe the obtained experimental uptake data; an empirical isotherm model is proposed by observing the behavior of Tóth and D-A isotherm models. The new empirical model describes the water adsorption onto silica gel type A++ within a regression error of 3%. This will aid to describe the advantages of silica gel type A++ for the design of

Desalination of brackish water and concentration of industrial effluents by electrodialysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. J. Schoeman

1983-03-01

Full Text Available Electrodialysis (ED is, at present, used mainly for the desalination of brackish drinking-water. Brackish water with a high scaling potential can be successfully treated, using the electrodialysis reversal (EDR process without the addition of chemicals. The reliability of the ED process makes it very attractive for water treatment. Although used mainly for brackish water desalination, ED also has certain industrial applications. Plating wash waters, cooling tower recirculation water and glass etching effluents have been treated successfully with ED for water recovery and effluent volume reduction, while ED treatment of nickel plating wash waters is an established industrial process.

Life cycle analysis of distributed concentrating solar combined heat and power: economics, global warming potential and water

Science.gov (United States)

Norwood, Zack; Kammen, Daniel

2012-12-01

We report on life cycle assessment (LCA) of the economics, global warming potential and water (both for desalination and water use in operation) for a distributed concentrating solar combined heat and power (DCS-CHP) system. Detailed simulation of system performance across 1020 sites in the US combined with a sensible cost allocation scheme informs this LCA. We forecast a levelized cost of 0.25 kWh-1 electricity and 0.03 kWh-1 thermal, for a system with a life cycle global warming potential of ˜80 gCO2eq kWh-1 of electricity and ˜10 gCO2eq kWh-1 thermal, sited in Oakland, California. On the basis of the economics shown for air cooling, and the fact that any combined heat and power system reduces the need for cooling while at the same time boosting the overall solar efficiency of the system, DCS-CHP compares favorably to other electric power generation systems in terms of minimization of water use in the maintenance and operation of the plant. The outlook for water desalination coupled with distributed concentrating solar combined heat and power is less favorable. At a projected cost of 1.40 m-3, water desalination with DCS-CHP would be economical and practical only in areas where water is very scarce or moderately expensive, primarily available through the informal sector, and where contaminated or salt water is easily available as feed-water. It is also interesting to note that 0.40-1.90 m-3 is the range of water prices in the developed world, so DCS-CHP desalination systems could also be an economical solution there under some conditions.

Adsorption desalination—Principles, process design, and its hybrids for future sustainable desalination

KAUST Repository

Shahzad, Muhammad Wakil; Burhan, Muhammad; Ang, Li; Ng, Kim Choon

2018-01-01

The energy, water, and environment nexus is a crucial factor when considering the future development of desalination plants or industry in water-stressed economies. The new generation of desalination processes or plants has to meet the stringent environment discharge requirements and yet the industry remains highly energy efficient and sustainable when producing good potable water. Water sources, either brackish or seawater, have become more contaminated as feed while the demand for desalination capacities increases around the world. One immediate solution for energy efficiency improvement comes from the hybridization of the proven desalination processes to the newer processes of desalination: For example, the integration of the available heat-driven to adsorption desalination (AD) cycles where significant thermodynamic synergy can be attained when cycles are combined. For these hybrid cycles, a quantum improvement in energy efficiency as well as an increase in water production can be expected. The advent of MED with AD cycles, or simply called the MED-AD cycles, is one such example where seawater desalination can be pursued and operated in cogeneration with the electricity production plants: The hybrid desalination cycles utilize only the low exergy bled-stream at low temperatures, complemented with waste exhaust or renewable solar thermal heat at temperatures between 60°C and 80°C. In this chapter, the authors have reported their pioneered research on aspects of AD and related hybrid MED-AD cycles, both at theoretical models and experimental pilots. Using the cogeneration of electricity and desalination concepts, the authors examine the cost apportionment of fuel cost by the quality or exergy of the working steam for such cogeneration configurations.

Adsorption desalination—Principles, process design, and its hybrids for future sustainable desalination

KAUST Repository

Shahzad, Muhammad Wakil

2018-05-03

The energy, water, and environment nexus is a crucial factor when considering the future development of desalination plants or industry in water-stressed economies. The new generation of desalination processes or plants has to meet the stringent environment discharge requirements and yet the industry remains highly energy efficient and sustainable when producing good potable water. Water sources, either brackish or seawater, have become more contaminated as feed while the demand for desalination capacities increases around the world. One immediate solution for energy efficiency improvement comes from the hybridization of the proven desalination processes to the newer processes of desalination: For example, the integration of the available heat-driven to adsorption desalination (AD) cycles where significant thermodynamic synergy can be attained when cycles are combined. For these hybrid cycles, a quantum improvement in energy efficiency as well as an increase in water production can be expected. The advent of MED with AD cycles, or simply called the MED-AD cycles, is one such example where seawater desalination can be pursued and operated in cogeneration with the electricity production plants: The hybrid desalination cycles utilize only the low exergy bled-stream at low temperatures, complemented with waste exhaust or renewable solar thermal heat at temperatures between 60°C and 80°C. In this chapter, the authors have reported their pioneered research on aspects of AD and related hybrid MED-AD cycles, both at theoretical models and experimental pilots. Using the cogeneration of electricity and desalination concepts, the authors examine the cost apportionment of fuel cost by the quality or exergy of the working steam for such cogeneration configurations.

Optimizing desalinated sea water blending with other sources to meet magnesium requirements for potable and irrigation waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Avni, Noa; Eben-Chaime, Moshe; Oron, Gideon

2013-05-01

Sea water desalination provides fresh water that typically lacks minerals essential to human health and to agricultural productivity. Thus the rising proportion of desalinated sea water consumed by both the domestic and agricultural sectors constitutes a public health risk. Research on low-magnesium water irrigation showed that crops developed magnesium deficiency symptoms that could lead to plant death, and tomato yields were reduced by 10-15%. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on a relationship between sudden cardiac death rates and magnesium intake deficits. An optimization model, developed and tested to provide recommendations for Water Distribution System (WDS) quality control in terms of meeting optimal water quality requirements, was run in computational experiments based on an actual regional WDS. The expected magnesium deficit due to the operation of a large Sea Water Desalination Plant (SWDP) was simulated, and an optimal operation policy, in which remineralization at the SWDP was combined with blending desalinated and natural water to achieve the required quality, was generated. The effects of remineralization costs and WDS physical layout on the optimal policy were examined by sensitivity analysis. As part of the sensitivity blending natural and desalinated water near the treatment plants will be feasible up to 16.2 US cents/m(3), considering all expenses. Additional chemical injection was used to meet quality criteria when blending was not feasible. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

General Overview of Desalination Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ari-Nugroho

2004-01-01

Desalination, as discussed in this journal, refers to a water treatment process that removes salts from water. Desalination can be done in a number of ways, but the result is always the same : fresh water is produced from brackish or seawater. The quality of distillate water is indicated by the contents of Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) in it, the less number of TDS contents in it, the highest quality of distillate water it has. This article describes the general analysis of desalination technologies, the varies of water, operation and maintenance of the plant, and general comparison between desalination technologies. Basically, there are two common technologies are being used, i.e. thermal and membrane desalination, which are Multi Effect Distillation (MED), Multi Stage Flash (MSF) and Reverse Osmosis (RO), respectively. Both technologies differ from the energy source. Thermal desalination needs heat source from the power plant, while membrane desalination needs only the electricity to run the pumps. In thermal desalination, the vapour coming from boiling feedwater is condensate, this process produces the lowest saline water, about 10 part per million (ppm). The membrane technology uses semipermeable membrane to separate fresh water from salt dissolve. This technology produces the fresh water about 350-500 ppm. (author)

Nuclear power desalinating complex with IRIS reactor plant and Russian distillation desalinating unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostin, V. I.; Panov, Yu.K.; Polunichev, V. I.; Fateev, S. A.; Gureeva, L. V.

2004-01-01

This paper has been prepared as a result of Russian activities on the development of nuclear power desalinating complex (NPDC) with the IRIS reactor plant (RP). The purpose of the activities was to develop the conceptual design of power desalinating complex (PDC) and to evaluate technical and economical indices, commercial attractiveness and economical efficiency of PDC based on an IRIS RP with distillation desalinating plants. The paper presents the main results of studies as applied to dual-purpose PDC based on IRIS RP with different types of desalinating plants, namely: characteristics of nuclear power desalinating complex based on IRIS reactor plant using Russian distillation desalinating technologies; prospective options of interface circuits of the IRIS RP with desalinating plants; evaluations of NPDC with IRIS RP output based on selected desalinating technologies for water and electric power supplied to the grid; cost of water generated by NPDC for selected interface circuits made by the IAEA DEEP code as well as by the Russian TEO-INVEST code; cost evaluation results for desalinated water of PDC operating on fossil fuel and conditions for competitiveness of the nuclear PDC based on IRIS RP compared with analog desalinating complexes operating on fossil fuel.(author)

Nanotechnology applications to desalination : a report for the joint water reuse & desalination task force.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brady, Patrick Vane; Mayer, Tom; Cygan, Randall Timothy

2011-01-01

Nanomaterials and nanotechnology methods have been an integral part of international research over the past decade. Because many traditional water treatment technologies (e.g. membrane filtration, biofouling, scale inhibition, etc.) depend on nanoscale processes, it is reasonable to expect one outcome of nanotechnology research to be better, nano-engineered water treatment approaches. The most immediate, and possibly greatest, impact of nanotechnology on desalination methods will likely be the development of membranes engineered at the near-molecular level. Aquaporin proteins that channel water across cell membranes with very low energy inputs point to the potential for dramatically improved performance. Aquaporin-laced polymer membranes and aquaporin-mimicking carbon nanotubes and metal oxide membranes developed in the lab support this. A critical limitation to widespread use of nanoengineered desalination membranes will be their scalability to industrial fabrication processes. Subsequent, long-term improvements in nanoengineered membranes may result in self-healing membranes that ideally are (1) more resistant to biofouling, (2) have biocidal properties, and/or (3) selectively target trace contaminants.

Enhancing forward osmosis water recovery from landfill leachate by desalinating brine and recovering ammonia in a microbial desalination cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Iskander, Syeed Md; Novak, John T; He, Zhen

2018-05-01

In this work, a microbial desalination cell (MDC) was employed to desalinate the FO treated leachate for reduction of both salinity and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The FO recovered 51.5% water from a raw leachate and the recovery increased to 83.5% from the concentrated leachate after desalination in the MDC fed with either acetate or another leachate as an electron source and at a different hydraulic retention time (HRT). Easily-degraded substrate like acetate and a long HRT resulted in a low conductivity desalinated effluent. Ammonia was also recovered in the MDC cathode with a recovery efficiency varying from 11 to 64%, affected by current generation and HRT. Significant COD reduction, as high as 65.4%, was observed in the desalination chamber and attributed to the decrease of both organic and inorganic compounds via diffusion and electricity-driven movement. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Problems of pricing fresh water obtained from a sea water desalination plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaussens, J.

1967-01-01

Integrating a double-purpose desalination and electricity generating plant into a water supply system alters the conditions in which the other water and electricity sources are used, as the peak and the base load water and electricity demands have to be met at the least cost. This paper attempts to show how the problem of determining optimal water supply structures can be approached, in definite cases, but against a global economic back-ground. It becomes necessary to define the competition between classical resources and desalination plants, as these plants introduce into optimum studies new factors due to the peculiar shape of their production functions. These new factors (fixed and proportional costs structures, flow availabilities) are studied in relation to the production functions in various management cases (private monopoly, public monopoly). (author) [fr

Water reuse and desalination in Spain – challenges and opportunities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teresa Navarro

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This article offers an evaluation of the reuse of reclaimed water and desalination in Spain and aims to provide an overview of the state of the art and Spanish legal framework as far as non-conventional resources are concerned. The fight against the scarcity of water resources in this country, especially in the southeast, has made the production of new alternative water resources a clear priority and has turned the nation into a leader in water reuse and seawater desalination. The assessment presented can be used to help build a more general framework, like the European one, and shed light on other comparative legal experiences.

Potential for nuclear desalination as a source of low cost potable water in North Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-11-01

Based on the limited regional water resources and in recognizing the possible role of nuclear energy in seawater desalination, the five North African Countries (NACs): Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia submitted a request to the IAEA in 1990 for assistance in carrying out a feasibility study on the use of nuclear energy for seawater desalination in some pre-selected sites in these countries to cover their medium- and long-term needs for economical potable water. The present report has been prepared and is presented to the NACs in response to their request. It contains an assessment of the regional specific aspects, the available technical options with respect to desalination processes and energy sources, the cost evaluation of various technical options for the production of desalinated water, as well as the financial constraints and options, and finally the necessary steps needed to ensure the successful implementation of a nuclear desalination programme. The report also complements other work of the IAEA in the field of nuclear desalination, carried out in response to various resolutions of the IAEA General Conferences since 1989, namely: ''Use of Nuclear Reactors for Seawater Desalination'', IAEA-TECDOC-574 (1990) and ''Technical and Economic Evaluation of Potable Water Production through Desalination of Seawater by using Nuclear Energy and Other Means'', IAEA-TECDOC-666 (1992). 105 refs, 39 figs, tabs

Potential for nuclear desalination as a source of low cost potable water in North Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-11-01

Based on the limited regional water resources and in recognizing the possible role of nuclear energy in seawater desalination, the five North African Countries (NACs): Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia submitted a request to the IAEA in 1990 for assistance in carrying out a feasibility study on the use of nuclear energy for seawater desalination in some pre-selected sites in these countries to cover their medium- and long-term needs for economical potable water. The present report has been prepared and is presented to the NACs in response to their request. It contains an assessment of the regional specific aspects, the available technical options with respect to desalination processes and energy sources, the cost evaluation of various technical options for the production of desalinated water, as well as the financial constraints and options, and finally the necessary steps needed to ensure the successful implementation of a nuclear desalination programme. The report also complements other work of the IAEA in the field of nuclear desalination, carried out in response to various resolutions of the IAEA General Conferences since 1989, namely: ``Use of Nuclear Reactors for Seawater Desalination``, IAEA-TECDOC-574 (1990) and ``Technical and Economic Evaluation of Potable Water Production through Desalination of Seawater by using Nuclear Energy and Other Means``, IAEA-TECDOC-666 (1992). 105 refs, 39 figs, tabs.

Conditions of competition between the production of water by desalination and natural resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaussens, J.

1969-01-01

A close examination of the local supply and demand for fresh water is involved when considering a sea water desalination plant in a given region. This examination makes it possible in most cases to undertake a thorough study of the natural resources, resulting in the use of desalination being rejected. After confirming this fact by precise examples, the authors consider that the preliminary study should be extended, taking into account the complementary character of natural resources and desalination systems: contribution to peak demand, contribution to base demand. This analysis results in a classification of the main user regions according to certain economic criteria defining their suitability for the use of desalination processes. (author) [fr

Advantages using inlet stratification devices in solar domestic hot water storage tanks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dragsted, Janne; Furbo, Simon; Bava, Federico

2017-01-01

performances of two solar domestic hot water systems are presented. One system is a traditional high flow system with a heat exchanger spiral in the tank. The other system is a low flow system with an external heat exchanger and a newly developed inlet stratifier from EyeCular Technologies ApS installed......The thermal performance of a domestic hot water system is strongly affected by whether the storage tank is stratified or not. Thermal stratification can be built up in a solar storage tank if the heated water from the solar collectors enters the tank through an inlet stratifier.Measured thermal...... with the stratification device has a higher thermal performance compared to the system with the heat exchanger spiral inside the tank.The relative performance (defined as the ratio between the net utilized solar energy of the low flow system and the net utilized solar energy of the high flow system), is a function...

Life cycle analysis of distributed concentrating solar combined heat and power: economics, global warming potential and water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norwood, Zack; Kammen, Daniel

2012-01-01

We report on life cycle assessment (LCA) of the economics, global warming potential and water (both for desalination and water use in operation) for a distributed concentrating solar combined heat and power (DCS-CHP) system. Detailed simulation of system performance across 1020 sites in the US combined with a sensible cost allocation scheme informs this LCA. We forecast a levelized cost of $0.25 kWh −1 electricity and $0.03 kWh −1 thermal, for a system with a life cycle global warming potential of ∼80 gCO 2 eq kWh −1 of electricity and ∼10 gCO 2 eq kWh −1 thermal, sited in Oakland, California. On the basis of the economics shown for air cooling, and the fact that any combined heat and power system reduces the need for cooling while at the same time boosting the overall solar efficiency of the system, DCS-CHP compares favorably to other electric power generation systems in terms of minimization of water use in the maintenance and operation of the plant. The outlook for water desalination coupled with distributed concentrating solar combined heat and power is less favorable. At a projected cost of $1.40 m −3 , water desalination with DCS-CHP would be economical and practical only in areas where water is very scarce or moderately expensive, primarily available through the informal sector, and where contaminated or salt water is easily available as feed-water. It is also interesting to note that $0.40–$1.90 m −3 is the range of water prices in the developed world, so DCS-CHP desalination systems could also be an economical solution there under some conditions. (letter)

The water desalination complex based on ABV-type reactor plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panov, Yu.K.; Fadeev, Yu.P.; Vorobiev, V.M.; Baranaev, Yu.D.

1997-01-01

A floating nuclear desalination complex with two barges, one for ABV type reactor plant, with twin reactor 2 x 6 MW(e), and one for reverse osmosis desalination plant, was described. The principal specifications of the ABV type reactor plant and desalination barge were given. The ABV type reactor has a traditional two-circuit layout using an integral type reactor vessel with all mode natural convection of primary coolant. The desalted water cost was estimated to be around US $0.86 per cubic meter. R and D work has been performed and preparations for commercial production are under way. (author)

Water Desalination Studies Using Forward Osmosis Technology, A Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abou El-Nour, F.H.

2016-01-01

Fresh water and energy shortage represent a great challenge facing the whole world now. To cover the global water demand, an energy-efficient approach is required to be applied in the suitable technology to achieve the shortage in the fresh water demand. Different techniques are used to solve this problem. A mong the different methods applied to desalinate seawater is the osmosis technologies . Although reversible osmosis (RO) is the most familiar method used for this purpose, forward osmosis (FO) represents a more suitable technique due to several arguments including low energy cost. The present study represents the use of FO technique for water desalination with adsorption regeneration. In this respect, a self-prepared granular active carbon produced from dates is to be used as an adsorbent agent. The physical characteristics of the active carbon are studied such as BET specific surface area, pore size, particle size and the structure using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Different advanced apparatus are used for such measurements. In addition, the adsorption is otherms (Langmuier and Freundlich) are established to explain the adsorption mechanism of the process. Accordingly, the review includes essential information and sufficient backgrounds in the field of desalination using FO or simply direct osmosis, which overcome the different difficulties present in reversible RO

Desalination and Water Security: The Promise and Perils of a Technological Fix to the Water Crisis in Baja California Sur, Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamie McEvoy

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Across the globe, desalination is increasingly being considered as a new water supply source. This article examines how the introduction of desalinated water into the municipal water supply portfolio has affected water security in the coastal tourist city of Cabo San Lucas in Baja California Sur (BCS, Mexico. It also analyses the competing discourses surrounding desalination in the region and discusses alternative water management options for achieving water security. This article challenges the notion that desalination is an appropriate and sufficient technological solution for arid regions. The findings provide evidence of increased yet delimited water security at a neighbourhood scale while identifying new vulnerabilities related to desalination, particularly in the context of the global South. This article concludes that implementing a technological fix on top of a water management system that is plagued with more systemic and structural problems does little to improve long-term water management and is likely to foreclose or forestall other water management options. This multi-scalar analysis contributes to the emerging literature on water security by considering both a narrow and broad framing of water security and identifying a range of factors that influence water security.

Submerged membrane distillation for desalination of water

KAUST Repository

Francis, Lijo; Ghaffour, NorEddine; Alsaadi, Ahmad Salem

2016-01-01

Submerged membrane modules for use for desalination of water are disclosed. In one or more aspects, the membrane modules can be submerged either in a feed solution tank or the feed solution can pass through the lumen side of the membrane submerged within the tank. The feed solution can be a water-based feed stream containing an amount of salt.

Submerged membrane distillation for desalination of water

KAUST Repository

Francis, Lijo

2016-10-27

Submerged membrane modules for use for desalination of water are disclosed. In one or more aspects, the membrane modules can be submerged either in a feed solution tank or the feed solution can pass through the lumen side of the membrane submerged within the tank. The feed solution can be a water-based feed stream containing an amount of salt.

Adsorption Desalination: A Novel Method

KAUST Repository

Ng, Kim Choon

2010-11-15

The search for potable water for quenching global thirst remains a pressing concern throughout many regions of the world. The demand for new and sustainable sources and the associated technologies for producing fresh water are intrinsically linked to the solving of potable water availability and hitherto, innovative and energy efficient desalination methods seems to be the practical solutions. Quenching global thirst by adsorption desalination is a practical and inexpensive method of desalinating the saline and brackish water to produce fresh water for agriculture irrigation, industrial, and building applications. This chapter provides a general overview of the adsorption fundamentals in terms of adsorption isotherms, kinetics, and heat of adsorption. It is then being more focused on the principles of thermally driven adsorption desalination methods. The recent developments of adsorption desalination plants and the effect of operating conditions on the system performance in terms of specific daily water production and performance ratio are presented. Design of a large commercial adsorption desalination plant is also discussed herein.

Today's and future challenges in applications of renewable energy technologies for desalination

KAUST Repository

Goosen, Mattheus F A; Mahmoudi, Hacè ne; Ghaffour, NorEddine

2013-01-01

Recent trends and challenges in applications of renewable energy technologies for water desalination are critically reviewed with an emphasis on environmental concerns and sustainable development. After providing an overview of wind, wave, geothermal, and solar renewable energy technologies for fresh water production, hybrid systems are assessed. Then scale-up and economic factors are considered. This is followed with a section on regulatory factors, environmental concerns, and globalization, and a final segment on selecting the most suitable renewable energy technology for conventional and emerging desalination processes. © 2014 Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Today's and future challenges in applications of renewable energy technologies for desalination

KAUST Repository

Goosen, Mattheus F A

2013-08-28

Recent trends and challenges in applications of renewable energy technologies for water desalination are critically reviewed with an emphasis on environmental concerns and sustainable development. After providing an overview of wind, wave, geothermal, and solar renewable energy technologies for fresh water production, hybrid systems are assessed. Then scale-up and economic factors are considered. This is followed with a section on regulatory factors, environmental concerns, and globalization, and a final segment on selecting the most suitable renewable energy technology for conventional and emerging desalination processes. © 2014 Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Enhanced water desalination performance through hierarchically-structured ceramic membranes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liu, Tong; Lei, Libin; Gu, Jianqiang; Wang, Yao; Winnubst, Louis; Chen, Chusheng; Ye, Chunsong; Chen, Fanglin

2017-01-01

Developments of membrane water desalination are impeded by low water vapor flux across the membrane. We present an innovative membrane design to significantly enhance the water vapor flux. A bilayer zirconia-based membrane with a thick hierarchically-structured support and a thin functional layer is

Med-Ro Hybrid desalination as option to supply fresh water in BABEL Islands Province

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siti Alimah; Sudi Ariyanto; June Mellawati; Budiarto

2011-01-01

Med-Ro hybrid desalination systems are combining both thermal (Med) and membrane (Ro) desalination processes with power generation systems. This configuration has more economical and operational benefits in comparison with single desalination plant. Hybrid configurations are characterized by flexibility in operation, specific energy consumption (33.50 kWh/m 3 ) is lower than Med (36.54 kWh/m 3 ) and high plant availability. The objective of study is to analyze the Med-Ro hybrid desalination as an option to add supply fresh water in Babel Islands Province, in terms of technology and economy aspects. The result of study showed that adopting nuclear power plants as dual-purpose for power generation and producing fresh water is has economic competitiveness than fossil-fired generation plants. Med-Ro hybrid configuration, with feed Ro from heat rejection of Med system is suitable as fresh water supply add option because increase of Ro feed temperature will increase flux. Economic analysis of water cost are performed using the Deep-3.2. Water cost of hybrid Med-Ro desalination with energy of NPP (0.581 $/m ) is lower than that of Med water cost (0.752 $/m ) . Water cost of hybrid Med-Ro with energy of NPP (0.581 $/m ) is lower than that of water cost of energy with fossil-fired generation plants (0.720 $/m 3 ). (author)

Simulation with Trnsys of thermal Solar System for desalination by means of inverse osmosis; Simulacion con Trnsys de sistemas solares termicos para desalinizacion mediante osmosis inversa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez-Villada, J.; Bruno, J. C.; Coronas, A.

2008-07-01

The use of power cycles driven by solar energy to provide the required mechanical energy to drive the high-pressure pump of Reverse Osmosis systems for desalination is an interesting alternative to the conventional electric systems. In this paper it is presented a model developed in Trnsys/Trnopt for the optimisation of the operating temperature in these systems to maximise the desalted water production. The results obtained show that adjusting the plant operation to this optimal temperature following the ambient conditions at each moment, a very important increase in the desalted water production could be achieved. (Author)

A Desalination Battery

KAUST Repository

Pasta, Mauro; Wessells, Colin D.; Cui, Yi; La Mantia, Fabio

2012-01-01

Water desalination is an important approach to provide fresh water around the world, although its high energy consumption, and thus high cost, call for new, efficient technology. Here, we demonstrate the novel concept of a "desalination battery", which operates by performing cycles in reverse on our previously reported mixing entropy battery. Rather than generating electricity from salinity differences, as in mixing entropy batteries, desalination batteries use an electrical energy input to extract sodium and chloride ions from seawater and to generate fresh water. The desalination battery is comprised by a Na 2-xMn 5O 10 nanorod positive electrode and Ag/AgCl negative electrode. Here, we demonstrate an energy consumption of 0.29 Wh l -1 for the removal of 25% salt using this novel desalination battery, which is promising when compared to reverse osmosis (∼ 0.2 Wh l -1), the most efficient technique presently available. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

A desalination battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasta, Mauro; Wessells, Colin D; Cui, Yi; La Mantia, Fabio

2012-02-08

Water desalination is an important approach to provide fresh water around the world, although its high energy consumption, and thus high cost, call for new, efficient technology. Here, we demonstrate the novel concept of a "desalination battery", which operates by performing cycles in reverse on our previously reported mixing entropy battery. Rather than generating electricity from salinity differences, as in mixing entropy batteries, desalination batteries use an electrical energy input to extract sodium and chloride ions from seawater and to generate fresh water. The desalination battery is comprised by a Na(2-x)Mn(5)O(10) nanorod positive electrode and Ag/AgCl negative electrode. Here, we demonstrate an energy consumption of 0.29 Wh l(-1) for the removal of 25% salt using this novel desalination battery, which is promising when compared to reverse osmosis (~ 0.2 Wh l(-1)), the most efficient technique presently available. © 2012 American Chemical Society

A Desalination Battery

KAUST Repository

Pasta, Mauro

2012-02-08

Water desalination is an important approach to provide fresh water around the world, although its high energy consumption, and thus high cost, call for new, efficient technology. Here, we demonstrate the novel concept of a "desalination battery", which operates by performing cycles in reverse on our previously reported mixing entropy battery. Rather than generating electricity from salinity differences, as in mixing entropy batteries, desalination batteries use an electrical energy input to extract sodium and chloride ions from seawater and to generate fresh water. The desalination battery is comprised by a Na 2-xMn 5O 10 nanorod positive electrode and Ag/AgCl negative electrode. Here, we demonstrate an energy consumption of 0.29 Wh l -1 for the removal of 25% salt using this novel desalination battery, which is promising when compared to reverse osmosis (∼ 0.2 Wh l -1), the most efficient technique presently available. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Integrating Desalination and Energy Storage using a Saltwater-based Hybrid Sodium-ion Supercapacitor.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Zhaowei; Ma, Yuanyuan; Dong, Xiaoli; Hou, Mengyan; Wang, Yonggang; Xia, Yongyao

2018-06-11

Ever-increasing freshwater scarcity and energy crisis problems require efficient seawater desalination and energy storage technologies; however, each target is generally considered separately. Herein, a hybrid sodium-ion supercapacitor, involving a carbon-coated nano-NaTi 2 (PO 4 ) 3 -based battery anode and an activated-carbon-based capacitive cathode, is developed to combine desalination and energy storage in one device. On charge, the supercapacitor removes salt in a flowing saltwater electrolyte through Cl - electrochemical adsorption at the cathode and Na + intercalation at the anode. Discharge delivers useful electric energy and regenerates the electrodes. This supercapacitor can be used not only for energy storage with promising electrochemical performance (i.e., high power, high efficiency, and long cycle life), but also as a desalination device with desalination capacity of 146.8 mg g -1 , much higher than most reported capacitive and battery desalination devices. Finally, we demonstrate renewables to usable electric energy and desalted water through combining commercial photovoltaics and this hybrid supercapacitor. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Indirect desalination of Red Sea water with forward osmosis and low pressure reverse osmosis for water reuse

KAUST Repository

Yangali-Quintanilla, Victor; Li, Zhenyu; Valladares Linares, Rodrigo; Li, Qingyu; Amy, Gary L.

2011-01-01

The use of energy still remains the main component of the costs of desalting water. Forward osmosis (FO) can help to reduce the costs of desalination, and extracting water from impaired sources can be beneficial in this regard. Experiments with FO membranes using a secondary wastewater effluent as a feed water and Red Sea water as a draw solution demonstrated that the technology is promising. FO coupled with low pressure reverse osmosis (LPRO) was implemented for indirect desalination. The system consumes only 50% (~1.5 kWh/m3) of the energy used for high pressure seawater RO (SWRO) desalination (2.5-4 kWh/m3), and produces a good quality water extracted from the impaired feed water. Fouling of the FO membranes was not a major issue during long-term experiments over 14 days. After 10 days of continuous FO operation, the initial flux declined by 28%. Cleaning the FO membranes with air scouring and clean water recovered the initial flux by 98.8%. A cost analysis revealed FO per se as viable technology. However, a minimum average FO flux of 10.5 L/m2-h is needed to compete with water reuse using UF-LPRO, and 5.5 L/m2-h is needed to recover and desalinate water at less cost than SWRO. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Indirect desalination of Red Sea water with forward osmosis and low pressure reverse osmosis for water reuse

KAUST Repository

Yangali-Quintanilla, Victor

2011-10-01

The use of energy still remains the main component of the costs of desalting water. Forward osmosis (FO) can help to reduce the costs of desalination, and extracting water from impaired sources can be beneficial in this regard. Experiments with FO membranes using a secondary wastewater effluent as a feed water and Red Sea water as a draw solution demonstrated that the technology is promising. FO coupled with low pressure reverse osmosis (LPRO) was implemented for indirect desalination. The system consumes only 50% (~1.5 kWh/m3) of the energy used for high pressure seawater RO (SWRO) desalination (2.5-4 kWh/m3), and produces a good quality water extracted from the impaired feed water. Fouling of the FO membranes was not a major issue during long-term experiments over 14 days. After 10 days of continuous FO operation, the initial flux declined by 28%. Cleaning the FO membranes with air scouring and clean water recovered the initial flux by 98.8%. A cost analysis revealed FO per se as viable technology. However, a minimum average FO flux of 10.5 L/m2-h is needed to compete with water reuse using UF-LPRO, and 5.5 L/m2-h is needed to recover and desalinate water at less cost than SWRO. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Forward osmosis :a new approach to water purification and desalination.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, James Edward; Evans, Lindsey R.

2006-07-01

Fresh, potable water is an essential human need and thus looming water shortages threaten the world's peace and prosperity. Waste water, brackish water, and seawater have great potential to fill the coming requirements. Unfortunately, the ability to exploit these resources is currently limited in many parts of the world by both the cost of the energy and the investment in equipment required for purification/desalination. Forward (or direct) osmosis is an emerging process for dewatering aqueous streams that might one day help resolve this problem. In FO, water from one solution selectively passes through a membrane to a second solution based solely on the difference in the chemical potential (concentration) of the two solutions. The process is spontaneous, and can be accomplished with very little energy expenditure. Thus, FO can be used, in effect, to exchange one solute for a different solute, specifically chosen for its chemical or physical properties. For desalination applications, the salts in the feed stream could be exchanged for an osmotic agent specifically chosen for its ease of removal, e.g. by precipitation. This report summarizes work performed at Sandia National Laboratories in the area of FO and reviews the status of the technology for desalination applications. At its current state of development, FO will not replace reverse osmosis (RO) as the most favored desalination technology, particularly for routine waters. However, a future role for FO is not out of the question. The ability to treat waters with high solids content or fouling potential is particularly attractive. Although our analysis indicates that FO is not cost effective as a pretreatment for conventional BWRO, water scarcity will likely drive societies to recover potable water from increasingly marginal resources, for example gray water and then sewage. In this context, FO may be an attractive pretreatment alternative. To move the technology forward, continued improvement and

Installations for water desalination by reverse osmosis. P. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauermann, H.D.; Ermert, U.

1974-01-01

Starting with the explanation of an installation scheme of a reverse osmosis (RO) plant for water desalination, the various parts of such a plant are firstly discussed briefly. After a chapter dealing with the feed pre-treatment required, the operation of RO-plants is dealt with. The usual variations of arrangement are shown, as well as some information given on maintenance and costs of such methods of desalination. The last part contains some examples of plants installed so far. (orig.) [de

Forward Osmosis in India: Status and Comparison with Other Desalination Technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Dhruv; Gupta, Lovleen; Dhingra, Rijul

2014-01-01

With an increase in demand of freshwater and depleting water sources, it is imperative to switch to seawater as a regular source of water supply. However, due to the high total dissolved solid content, it has to be desalinated to make it drinkable. While desalination technologies have been used for many years, mass deployment of such technologies poses a number of challenges like high energy requirements as well as high negative environmental impact through side products and CO2 emissions. The purpose of this paper is to present a sustainable technology for desalination. Forward osmosis, an emerging technology, is compared with the other commonly used technologies worldwide, namely, multieffect distillation, multistage flash distillation, and reverse osmosis as well as other emerging technologies like vapour compression, solar humidification dehumidification, nanofiltration, and freezing desalination. As energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions are one of the major concerns of desalination, this paper concludes that forward osmosis is an emerging sustainable technology for seawater desalination. This paper then presents the challenges involved in the application of forward osmosis in India and presents a plant setup. In the end, the cost comparison of a forward osmosis and reverse osmosis plant has been done and it was concluded that forward osmosis is economically better as well.

Forward Osmosis in India: Status and Comparison with Other Desalination Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

With an increase in demand of freshwater and depleting water sources, it is imperative to switch to seawater as a regular source of water supply. However, due to the high total dissolved solid content, it has to be desalinated to make it drinkable. While desalination technologies have been used for many years, mass deployment of such technologies poses a number of challenges like high energy requirements as well as high negative environmental impact through side products and CO2 emissions. The purpose of this paper is to present a sustainable technology for desalination. Forward osmosis, an emerging technology, is compared with the other commonly used technologies worldwide, namely, multieffect distillation, multistage flash distillation, and reverse osmosis as well as other emerging technologies like vapour compression, solar humidification dehumidification, nanofiltration, and freezing desalination. As energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions are one of the major concerns of desalination, this paper concludes that forward osmosis is an emerging sustainable technology for seawater desalination. This paper then presents the challenges involved in the application of forward osmosis in India and presents a plant setup. In the end, the cost comparison of a forward osmosis and reverse osmosis plant has been done and it was concluded that forward osmosis is economically better as well. PMID:27350984

Water desalination as a possible opportunity for the GT- and H2-MHR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogart, S. Locke; Schultz, Ken

2004-01-01

There is growing concern that many areas of the world are suffering ongoing and increasing water shortages. Much of this concern is manifested in the United Nation's World Water Assessment Programme, the results of which were published in the spring of 2003. Other researchers have corroborated the findings of this work. However, while the UN has characterized water availability as a 'crisis', this view would seem to be excessive. Nevertheless, many parts of the world, particularly in developing nations inclusive of the middle east, are experiencing severe water stress and some of these have embarked on large-scale seawater desalination projects. The current work explores, in a preliminary way, the application of high temperature helium cooled reactors in either an electricity or a hydrogen production mode for desalination. Three desalination technologies are discussed: reverse osmosis (RO) and thermal processes using either Multi-stage flash distillation (MSF) or Multi-effect distillation (MED). For the latter, it is found that the waste heat rejected from a high temperature reactor comes in power levels and temperatures reasonably well suited for desalination. An economic comparison was made using the best available data and scaling to compare the processes. What was found that reverse osmosis and thermal distillation possess comparable costs within the error bars of the analysis but that the former generally resulted in slightly lower costs. Thus the choice between them can be made with other criteria such as feed salinity and product quality. It was also found that desalinated water co-produced with either electricity (RO and MED) or hydrogen (MED) are expected to cost about the same. Since hydrogen and desalinated water can be produced off the grid, this co-production architecture appears attractive for the early deployment of high temperature helium cooled reactors. (authors)

Nuclear energy and water desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leprince-Ringuet, L.

1976-01-01

A short state-of-the-art survey is given of desalination methods, the involvement of nuclear power reactors in some desalination process, the cost of certain methods, and quantities produced and required in different parts of the world

Adsorption desalination: An emerging low-cost thermal desalination method

KAUST Repository

Ng, K. C.

2013-01-01

Desalination, other than the natural water cycle, is hailed as the panacea to alleviate the problems of fresh water shortage in many water stressed countries. However, the main drawback of conventional desalination methods is that they are energy intensive. In many instances, they consumed electricity, chemicals for pre- and post-treatment of water. For each kWh of energy consumed, there is an unavoidable emission of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) at the power stations as well as the discharge of chemically-laden brine into the environment. Thus, there is a motivation to find new direction or methods of desalination that consumed less chemicals, thermal energy and electricity.This paper describes an emerging and yet low cost method of desalination that employs only low-temperature waste heat, which is available in abundance from either the renewable energy sources or exhaust of industrial processes. With only one heat input, the Adsorption Desalination (AD) cycle produces two useful effects, i.e., high grade potable water and cooling. In this article, a brief literature review, the theoretical framework for adsorption thermodynamics, a lumped-parameter model and the experimental tests for a wide range of operational conditions on the basic and the hybrid AD cycles are discussed. Predictions from the model are validated with measured performances from two pilot plants, i.e., a basic AD and the advanced AD cycles. The energetic efficiency of AD cycles has been compared against the conventional desalination methods. Owing to the unique features of AD cycle, i.e., the simultaneous production of dual useful effects, it is proposed that the life cycle cost (LCC) of AD is evaluated against the LCC of combined machines that are needed to deliver the same quantities of useful effects using a unified unit of $/MWh. In closing, an ideal desalination system with zero emission of CO2 is presented where geo-thermal heat is employed for powering a temperature-cascaded cogeneration plant. �

Particulate-free porous silicon networks for efficient capacitive deionization water desalination.

Science.gov (United States)

Metke, Thomas; Westover, Andrew S; Carter, Rachel; Oakes, Landon; Douglas, Anna; Pint, Cary L

2016-04-22

Energy efficient water desalination processes employing low-cost and earth-abundant materials is a critical step to sustainably manage future human needs for clean water resources. Here we demonstrate that porous silicon - a material harnessing earth abundance, cost, and environmental/biological compatibility is a candidate material for water desalination. With appropriate surface passivation of the porous silicon material to prevent surface corrosion in aqueous environments, we show that porous silicon templates can enable salt removal in capacitive deionization (CDI) ranging from 0.36% by mass at the onset from fresh to brackish water (10 mM, or 0.06% salinity) to 0.52% in ocean water salt concentrations (500 mM, or ~0.3% salinity). This is on par with reports of most carbon nanomaterial based CDI systems based on particulate electrodes and covers the full salinity range required of a CDI system with a total ocean-to-fresh water required energy input of ~1.45 Wh/L. The use of porous silicon for CDI enables new routes to directly couple water desalination technology with microfluidic systems and photovoltaics that natively use silicon materials, while mitigating adverse effects of water contamination occurring from nanoparticulate-based CDI electrodes.

Particulate-free porous silicon networks for efficient capacitive deionization water desalination

Science.gov (United States)

Metke, Thomas; Westover, Andrew S.; Carter, Rachel; Oakes, Landon; Douglas, Anna; Pint, Cary L.

2016-01-01

Energy efficient water desalination processes employing low-cost and earth-abundant materials is a critical step to sustainably manage future human needs for clean water resources. Here we demonstrate that porous silicon – a material harnessing earth abundance, cost, and environmental/biological compatibility is a candidate material for water desalination. With appropriate surface passivation of the porous silicon material to prevent surface corrosion in aqueous environments, we show that porous silicon templates can enable salt removal in capacitive deionization (CDI) ranging from 0.36% by mass at the onset from fresh to brackish water (10 mM, or 0.06% salinity) to 0.52% in ocean water salt concentrations (500 mM, or ~0.3% salinity). This is on par with reports of most carbon nanomaterial based CDI systems based on particulate electrodes and covers the full salinity range required of a CDI system with a total ocean-to-fresh water required energy input of ~1.45 Wh/L. The use of porous silicon for CDI enables new routes to directly couple water desalination technology with microfluidic systems and photovoltaics that natively use silicon materials, while mitigating adverse effects of water contamination occurring from nanoparticulate-based CDI electrodes. PMID:27101809

Decentralized and cost-effective solar water purification system for remote communities

Science.gov (United States)

Abd-ur-Rehman, Hafiz M.; Shakir, Sehar; Atta-ur-Razaq; Saqib, Hamza; Tahir, Saad

2018-05-01

In this study, a modified stepped solar still is proposed for water desalination. The overall objective of this work is to develop and test the proposed still design to identify the productivity enhancement as compared to conventional basin type solar still. The proposed design takes the advantage of its stepped configuration that allows the water stream to maintain a minimum desirable water column height and the water flow through the stages under the force of gravity. A minimum water depth in the still results in a higher rate of evaporation. The still is also incorporated with Fresnel lens to increase the water temperature that eventually increases the rate of water evaporation. Another important aspect of this design is the incorporation of phase-change-material (PCM) to increase the operational hours of the solar still. Consequently, daily productivity of fresh water is increased.

Exergy costs analysis of water desalination and purification techniques by transfer functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrasquer, Beatriz; Martínez-Gracia, Amaya; Uche, Javier

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A procedure to estimate the unit exergy cost of water treatment techniques is provided. • Unit exergy costs of water purification and desalination are given as a function of design and operating parameters. • Unit exergy costs range from 3.3 to 6.8 in purification and from 2 to 26 in desalination. • They could be used in their preliminary design as good indicators of their energy efficiency. - Abstract: The unit exergy costs of desalination and purification, which are two alternatives commonly used for water supply and treatment, have been characterized as a function of the energy efficiency of the process by combining the Exergy Cost Analysis with Transfer Function Analysis. An equation to assess the exergy costs of these alternatives is then proposed as a quick guide to know the energy efficiency of any water treatment process under different design and operating conditions. This combination, was satisfactory applied to groundwaters and water transfers. After identifying the boundaries of the system, input and output flows are calculated in exergy values. Next, different examples are analyzed in order to propose a generic equation to assess the exergy cost of the water restoration technologies, attending to their main features. Recovery ratio, energy requirements and salts concentrations (for desalination), and plant capacity and organic matter recovery (for water purification) are introduced in the calculations as their main endogenous parameters. Values obtained for typical operation ranges of commercial plants showed that unit exergy costs of water purification ranged from 3.3 to 6.8; maximum values, as expected, were found at low plant capacities and high organic matter removal ratios. For water desalination, values varied from 2 to 7 in membrane technologies and from 10 to 26 in thermal processes. The recovery ratio and salts concentration in raw water increased the unit exergy costs in membrane techniques. In distillation processes

Integrated pretreatment and desalination by electrocoagulation (EC)-ion concentration polarization (ICP) hybrid.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Siwon; Kim, Bumjoo; Han, Jongyoon

2017-06-13

Conventional water treatment process is composed of multiple stages, including desalination (salt removal) and pre/post-treatment of desalination to remove particles, chemicals, and other potential foulants for desalination. In this work, we developed a microfluidic proof-of-concept for a single device water treatment system, which removes both salt ions and non-salt contaminants. Our system combines electrocoagulation (EC), a versatile contaminant removal process, and ion concentration polarization (ICP) desalination, which is an electromembrane desalination process. We demonstrated a continuous EC-ICP operation that removed >95% of suspended solids and reduced the salinity from brackish range (20 mM NaCl) to a potable level (<8.6 mM NaCl). We also demonstrated that our system is flexible in terms of the type and concentration of contaminants it can handle. Combining two different electrochemical processes into a single system, we can reduce unnecessary voltage drop by having a shared anode, and achieve both seamless integration and energy efficient operation. Our system will find applications as a small-scale water treatment system, if properly scaled up in the future.

An Interactive Computer Tool for Teaching About Desalination and Managing Water Demand in the US

Science.gov (United States)

Ziolkowska, J. R.; Reyes, R.

2016-12-01

This paper presents an interactive tool to geospatially and temporally analyze desalination developments and trends in the US in the time span 1950-2013, its current contribution to satisfying water demands and its future potentials. The computer tool is open access and can be used by any user with Internet connection, thus facilitating interactive learning about water resources. The tool can also be used by stakeholders and policy makers for decision-making support and with designing sustainable water management strategies. Desalination technology has been acknowledged as a solution to a sustainable water demand management stemming from many sectors, including municipalities, industry, agriculture, power generation, and other users. Desalination has been applied successfully in the US and many countries around the world since 1950s. As of 2013, around 1,336 desalination plants were operating in the US alone, with a daily production capacity of 2 BGD (billion gallons per day) (GWI, 2013). Despite a steady increase in the number of new desalination plants and growing production capacity, in many regions, the costs of desalination are still prohibitive. At the same time, the technology offers a tremendous potential for `enormous supply expansion that exceeds all likely demands' (Chowdhury et al., 2013). The model and tool are based on data from Global Water Intelligence (GWI, 2013). The analysis shows that more than 90% of all the plants in the US are small-scale plants with the capacity below 4.31 MGD. Most of the plants (and especially larger plants) are located on the US East Coast, as well as in California, Texas, Oklahoma, and Florida. The models and the tool provide information about economic feasibility of potential new desalination plants based on the access to feed water, energy sources, water demand, and experiences of other plants in that region.

Water Desalination Using Capacitive Deionization with Microporous Carbon Electrodes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Porada, S.; Weinstein, L.; Dash, R.; Wal, van der A.F.; Bryjak, M.; Gogotsi, Y.; Biesheuvel, P.M.

2012-01-01

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a water desalination technology in which salt ions are removed from brackish water by flowing through a spacer channel with porous electrodes on each side. Upon applying a voltage difference between the two electrodes, cations move to and are accumulated in

Low temperature humidification dehumidification desalination process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Enezi, Ghazi; Ettouney, Hisham; Fawzy, Nagla

2006-01-01

The humidification dehumidification desalination process is viewed as a promising technique for small capacity production plants. The process has several attractive features, which include operation at low temperature, ability to utilize sustainable energy sources, i.e. solar and geothermal, and requirements of low technology level. This paper evaluates the characteristics of the humidification dehumidification desalination process as a function of operating conditions. A small capacity experimental system is used to evaluate the process characteristics as a function of the flow rate of the water and air streams, the temperature of the water stream and the temperature of the cooling water stream. The experimental system includes a packed humidification column, a double pipe glass condenser, a constant temperature water circulation tank and a chiller for cooling water. The water production is found to depend strongly on the hot water temperature. Also, the water production is found to increase upon the increase of the air flow rate and the decrease of the cooling water temperature. The measured air and water temperatures, air relative humidity and the flow rates are used to calculate the air side mass transfer coefficient and the overall heat transfer coefficient. Measured data are found to be consistent with previous literature results

Technical review and evaluation of the economics of water desalination: Current and future challenges for better water supply sustainability

KAUST Repository

Ghaffour, Noreddine

2013-01-01

Desalination capacity has rapidly increased in the last decade because of the increase in water demand and a significant reduction in desalination cost as a result of significant technological advances, especially in the reverse osmosis process. The cost of desalinated seawater has fallen below US$0.50/m3 for a large scale seawater reverse osmosis plant at a specific location and conditions while in other locations the cost is 50% higher (US$1.00/m3) for a similar facility. In addition to capital and operating costs, other parameters such as local incentives or subsidies may also contribute to the large difference in desalted water cost between regions and facilities. Plant suppliers and consultants have their own cost calculation methodologies, but they are confidential and provide water costs with different accuracies. The few existing costing methodologies and software packages such as WTCost© and DEEP provide an estimated cost with different accuracies and their applications are limited to specific conditions. Most of the available cost estimation tools are of the black box type, which provide few details concerning the parameters and methodologies applied for local conditions. Many desalination plants built recently have greater desalinated water delivery costs caused by special circumstances, such as plant remediation or upgrades, local variation in energy costs, and site-specific issues in raw materials costs (e.g., tariffs and transportation). Therefore, the availability of a more transparent and unique methodology for estimating the cost will help in selecting an appropriate desalination technology suitable for specific locations with consideration of all the parameters influencing the cost. A techno-economic evaluation and review of the costing aspects and the main parameters influencing the total water cost produced by different desalination technologies are herein presented in detail. Some recent developments, such as the increase of unit capacity

Microfluidic desalination techniques and their potential applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roelofs, Susan Helena; van den Berg, Albert; Odijk, Mathieu

2015-01-01

In this review we discuss recent developments in the emerging research field of miniaturized desalination. Traditionally desalination is performed to convert salt water into potable water and research is focused on improving performance of large-scale desalination plants. Microfluidic desalination

Direct seawater desalination by ion concentration polarization

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sung Jae; Ko, Sung Hee; Kang, Kwan Hyoung; Han, Jongyoon

2010-04-01

A shortage of fresh water is one of the acute challenges facing the world today. An energy-efficient approach to converting sea water into fresh water could be of substantial benefit, but current desalination methods require high power consumption and operating costs or large-scale infrastructures, which make them difficult to implement in resource-limited settings or in disaster scenarios. Here, we report a process for converting sea water (salinity ~500 mM or ~30,000 mg l-1) to fresh water (salinity water is divided into desalted and concentrated streams by ion concentration polarization, a phenomenon that occurs when an ion current is passed through ion-selective membranes. During operation, both salts and larger particles (cells, viruses and microorganisms) are pushed away from the membrane (a nanochannel or nanoporous membrane), which significantly reduces the possibility of membrane fouling and salt accumulation, thus avoiding two problems that plague other membrane filtration methods. To implement this approach, a simple microfluidic device was fabricated and shown to be capable of continuous desalination of sea water (~99% salt rejection at 50% recovery rate) at a power consumption of less than 3.5 Wh l-1, which is comparable to current state-of-the-art systems. Rather than competing with larger desalination plants, the method could be used to make small- or medium-scale systems, with the possibility of battery-powered operation.

Clear sky pure water - PV water pumping and desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saleh Al-Zahrani; Yaseen Al-Harbi

2000-01-01

Providing adequate portable drinking water is becoming a serious problem in remote areas. Saudi Arabia is a very suitable place to use renewable energy such as photovoltaic (PV) energy. For this reason, a PV system was designed and installed along with water pumping and desalination systems in the village of Sadous, about 72 km from Riyadh. The total number of panels is 158, and they give 11.06 kW. The average pumped water from the well is about 18 m 3 /day with total dissolved solids (TDS) greater than 6000 PPM. The average product water is about 5 m 3 /day with TDS less than 300 PPM. (Author)

Needs and processes for the sea water desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Livet, F.

2007-11-01

The author shows the needs of the sea water desalination for the dry countries. The main technique is the reverse osmosis. It requires electricity and its development needs big electric power plants. For economical and ecological reasons, the nuclear energy seems well appropriate. Libya is for instance very interested in this technique, because of their water shortage problem. (A.L.B.)

State-of-art report on the seawater desalination process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Young Dong; Kim, Young In; Lee, Doo Jung; Chang, Moon Hee

2000-11-01

Desalination technologies have been developed over the last 40 years and become a reliable industrial process for water production from sea or blackish water. At present, various desalination processes are available for the effective use of seawater or blackish water as valuable water resources. Since a large amount of energy is required for seawater desalination, the cost of energy is important for desalination. For the regions of severe water shortage, however, desalination is the most economical way of water supply compare to any other alternatives. Currently, water supply by seawater desalination is being increased in the areas of the Caribbean, North African and Middle East. Also, desalination of blackish water is being increased in the south-east region of USA. In general, the distillation process and the membrane technology are used for seawater esalination and the membrane and the electric-dialysis for blackish water. However, the selection of the desalination process is highly dependent on the use of produced water and the local environmental conditions where the desalination plant installed. The local condition is the most important parameters for the selection of the desalination process

State-of-art report on the seawater desalination process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Young Dong; Kim, Young In; Lee, Doo Jung; Chang, Moon Hee

2000-11-01

Desalination technologies have been developed over the last 40 years and become a reliable industrial process for water production from sea or blackish water. At present, various desalination processes are available for the effective use of seawater or blackish water as valuable water resources. Since a large amount of energy is required for seawater desalination, the cost of energy is important for desalination. For the regions of severe water shortage, however, desalination is the most economical way of water supply compare to any other alternatives. Currently, water supply by seawater desalination is being increased in the areas of the Caribbean, North African and Middle East. Also, desalination of blackish water is being increased in the south-east region of USA. In general, the distillation process and the membrane technology are used for seawater esalination and the membrane and the electric-dialysis for blackish water. However, the selection of the desalination process is highly dependent on the use of produced water and the local environmental conditions where the desalination plant installed. The local condition is the most important parameters for the selection of the desalination process.

Potentials for development of hydro-powered water desalination in Jordan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akash, B.A.; Mohsen, M.S.

1998-01-01

Due to the increase in population and development in agriculture, Jordan will deplete all of its renewable sources of fresh water in the next few years. On the other hand, the level of the Dead Sea has been falling at a high rate for the past three decades, due to the diversion of water from the Jordan River for irrigation. The solution to these issues could be in finding other alternatives such as the development of hydro-powered water desalination plant. Desalted water would be produced in order to make up for the shortage of fresh water using membrane technology, and thus reserve fresh ground water for future generations. This paper finds, on an annual basis, that about 2133 million cubic meters (MCM) of water can be drawn from the Red Sea. The power generated due to difference in elevation is used to desalinate Red Sea water. About 533 MCM of fresh water is produced in such a process. The brine, which is about 1600 MCM, is discharged into the Dead Sea. (author)

The effect of cover geometry on the productivity of a modified solar still desalination unit

KAUST Repository

Malaeb, Lilian

2014-01-01

Desalination methods based on renewable energy offer a promising solution to both water shortage and environmental degradation problems that continue to grow globally. The solar still is one such method that uses a sustainable energy source to produce potable water albeit at a relatively low productivity rate. A new modification has been introduced to the conventional solar still to enhance its productivity. The modification consists of a light weight, black finished, slowly-rotating drum, which leads to a sustainable, cost-effective, and low-tech amendment that preserves the key features of the still while considerably increasing its yield compared to a control still that does not include the drum. In this paper, three different cover geometries of the modified still are studied and the effect of cover design on the performance of the still in terms of measured temperatures and productivity is considered. The three cover designs are as follows: double-sloped or triangular, single-sloped and curved cover. In addition, a conventional double-sloped still without the rotating drum is operated in parallel as a control and the findings of this study are reported and discussed. © 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Entropy, exergy, and cost analyses of solar driven cogeneration systems using supercritical CO_2 Brayton cycles and MEE-TVC desalination system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kouta, Amine; Al-Sulaiman, Fahad; Atif, Maimoon; Marshad, Saud Bin

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The entropy, exergy, and cost analyses for two solar cogeneration configurations are conducted. • The recompression cogeneration cycle achieves lower LCOE as compared to the regeneration cogeneration cycle. • The solar tower is the largest contributor to entropy generation in both configurations reaching almost 80%. • The specific entropy generation in the MEE-TVC decreases with decreasing the fraction. - Abstract: In this study, performance and cost analyses are conducted for a solar power tower integrated with supercritical CO_2 (sCO_2) Brayton cycles for power production and a multiple effect evaporation with a thermal vapor compression (MEE-TVC) desalination system for water production. The study is performed for two configurations based on two different supercritical cycles: the regeneration and recompression sCO_2 Brayton cycles. A two-tank molten salt storage is utilized to ensure a uniform operation throughout the day. From the entropy analysis, it was shown that the solar tower is the largest contributor to entropy generation in both configurations, reaching almost 80% from the total entropy generation, followed by the MEE-TVC desalination system, and the sCO_2 power cycle. The entropy generation in the two-tank thermal storage is negligible, around 0.3% from the total generation. In the MEE-TVC system the highest contributing component is the steam jet ejector, which is varying between 50% and 60% for different number of effects. The specific entropy generation in the MEE-TVC decreases as the fraction of the input heat to the desalination system decreases; while the specific entropy generation of the sCO_2 cycle remains constant. The cost analysis performed for different regions in Saudi Arabia and the findings reveal that the regions characterized by the highest average solar irradiation throughout the year have the lowest LCOE and LCOW values. The region achieving the lowest cost is Yanbu, followed by Khabt Al-Ghusn in the second

Design and Manufacturing of Desalination System Powered by Solar Energy Using CDI Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Rostami, Mohammad Sajjad; Khashehchi, Morteza; Pipelzadeh, Ehsan

2017-11-01

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is an emerging energy efficient, low pressure and low capital intensive desalination process where ions are separated by a pure electrostatic force imposed by a small bias potential as low as 1 V That funded by an external Renewable (Solar) power supply to materials with high specific surface area. The main objective of this configuration is to separate the cation and anions on oppositely charged electrodes. One of the key parameters for commercial realization of CDI is the salt adsorption capacity of the electrodes. State-of-the-art electrode materials are based on porous activated carbon particles or carbon aerogels. Various electrode materials have been developed in the past, which have suffered from instability and lack of performance. Preliminary experimental results using carbon black, graphite powder, graphene ∖ graphite ∖ PTFE (Active ∖ Conductive ∖ binder) show that the graphene reduced via urea method is a suitable method to develop CDI electrode materials. Although some progress has been made, production of efficient and stable carbon based electrode materials for large scale desalination has not been fully realized. A new desalination technique using capacitive deionization.

Set up for simultaneous water desalination and power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasan, S.W.; Mookhi, M.B.; Sadiq, M.A.; Hasan, Z.; Zaidi, S.I.; Shah, W.A.

2010-01-01

Instead of following the conventional fuel oriented power generation methods and dissipating its heat into environment, we evaporate saline water into steam and use its energy to generate power. Using this scheme would make sea water usable in power generation which at the moment is only being used for cooling purposes in the power plants. The steam used for generating electricity is eventually collected, condensed and used for potable purposes. The proposed scheme may be seen as Steam Power Generation with additional feature of desalination. We set up an experimental test bed in order to calculate the electric power available using this scheme. To ensure safety for human consumption, we also perform chemical tests on the desalinated water to see whether it is fit to be used for drinking and agricultural purposes. Our conclusions are based on actual experiments and laboratory tests; procedures outlined here may be used at larger scale for more in-depth analyses. We also highlight future extensions and modifications in this work. (author)

Technical review and evaluation of the economics of water desalination: Current and future challenges for better water supply sustainability

KAUST Repository

Ghaffour, NorEddine; Missimer, Thomas M.; Amy, Gary L.

2013-01-01

Desalination capacity has rapidly increased in the last decade because of the increase in water demand and a significant reduction in desalination cost as a result of significant technological advances, especially in the reverse osmosis process

Desalination of Seawater using Nuclear Energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misra, B.M.

2006-01-01

Desalination technologies have been well established since the mid 20th century and are widely deployed in many parts of the world having acute water scarcity problems. The energy for these plants is generally supplied in the form of either steam or electricity largely using fossil fuels. The intensive fuels of fossil fuels raises environmental concerns especially in relation to greenhouse gas emissions. The depleting sources and future price uncertainty of the fossil fuels and their better use for other vital industrial applications is also a factor to be considered for sustainability. The desalination of sea water using nuclear energy is a feasible option to meet the growing demand of potable water. Over 150 reactor-years of operating experience of a nuclear desalination have been accumulated worldwide. Several demonstration programs of nuclear desalination are also in progress to confirm its technical and economic viability under country specific conditions, with the technical coordination or support of IAEA. Recent techno-economic feasibility studies carried out by some Member States indicate the competitiveness of nuclear desalination. This paper presents the salient activities on nuclear desalination in the Agency and in the interested Member states. Economic research on further water cost reduction includes investigation on utilization of waste heat from different reactor types for thermal desalination pre-heat reverse osmosis and hybrid desalination systems. The main challenge for the large scale deployment of nuclear seawater desalination is the lack of infrastructure and the resources in the countries affected by water scarcity problems which are however, interested in adoption of nuclear desalination for the sustainable water resources. Socio-economic and environmental aspects and the public perception are also important factors requiring greater information exchange. (author)

Application of a multi-criteria analysis for the selection of the most suitable energy source and water desalination system in Mauritania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayod Rujula, Angel Antonio; Dia, Nourou Khalidou

2010-01-01

Water deficits and their associated shortages are serious problems in many areas of the world. The paper presents a multi-criteria analysis for selection of the most suitable system in Mauritania. Six scenarios, different energy sources, technologies of water desalination processes and water use and five criteria are analyzed. The multi-criteria analysis shows that the optimal solution is different for each scenario; in some cases the photovoltaic-reverse osmosis option is preferable; in others, the best option is reverse-osmosis powered by wind energy or concentrating solar parabolic.

Condensation irrigation a system for desalination and irrigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindblom, J.; Nordell, B

2006-01-01

condensation irrigation is a system for both desalination and irrigation. The principles is that humidified air is let into an underground horizontal pipe system, where the air is cooled by the ground and humidity falls out as fresh water. The humidification could e.g. be achieved by evaporation of seawater in solar stills or any other heat source. By using drainage pipes for underground air transportation the water percolates into the soil, thereby irrigating the land. This study focuses on drinking water production, which means that humid air is led into plan pipes where the condensed water is collected at the pipe endings. Numerical simulations gave a study-state diurnal mean water production of 1.8 kg per meter of pipe over a 50 m pipe. Shorter pipes result in a greater mean production rate. Since the heat transfer of drainage pipes would be greater, current study indicates that condensation irrigation is a promising method for desalination and irrigation. Performed studies in condensation irrigation started at LTU in 2003. Current paper reports the initial theoretical work on the system.(Author)

Recent developments in thermally-driven seawater desalination: Energy efficiency improvement by hybridization of the MED and AD cycles

KAUST Repository

Ng, Kim Choon

2015-01-01

The energy, water and environment nexus is a crucial factor when considering the future development of desalination plants or industry in the water-stressed economies. New generation of desalination processes or plants has to meet the stringent environment discharge requirements and yet the industry remains highly energy efficient and sustainable when producing good potable water. Water sources, either brackish or seawater, have become more contaminated as feed while the demand for desalination capacities increase around the world. One immediate solution for energy efficiency improvement comes from the hybridization of the proven desalination processes to the newer processes of desalination: For example, the integration of the available thermally-driven to adsorption desalination (AD) cycles where significant thermodynamic synergy can be attained when cycles are combined. For these hybrid cycles, a quantum improvement in energy efficiency as well as in increase in water production can be expected. The advent of MED with AD cycles, or simply called the MEDAD cycles, is one such example where seawater desalination can be pursued and operated in cogeneration with the electricity production plants: The hybrid desalination cycles utilize only the low exergy bled-steam at low temperatures, complemented with waste exhaust or renewable solar thermal heat at temperatures between 60 and 80. °C. In this paper, the authors have reported their pioneered research on aspects of AD and related hybrid MEDAD cycles, both at theoretical models and experimental pilots. Using the cogeneration of electricity and desalination concept, the authors examined the cost apportionment of fuel cost by the quality or exergy of working steam for such cogeneration configurations.

InDA-APDA conference on desalination and water purification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sodaye, H.S.; Prabhakar, S.; Tewari, P.K.

2010-03-01

The symposium covers all relevant areas including integrated water management, current experiences and advances in membrane and thermal desalination, water purification and effluent treatment. Special sessions on nanotechnology and advances in membrane development provide an in sight into what we can expect in future. Papers in the conference proceedings relevant to INIS are indexed separately

Volume 1: Survey of Available Information in Support of the Energy-Water Bandwidth Study of Desalination Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao, Prakash [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Aghajanzadeh, Arian [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sheaffer, Paul [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Morrow, William R. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Brueske, Sabine [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Dollinger, Caroline [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Price, Kevin [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sarker, Prateeti [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Ward, Nicholas [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Cresko, Joe [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-10-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has set a goal to reduce the cost of seawater desalination systems to $0.50/ cubic meter (m³) through the development of technology pathways to reduce energy, capital, operating, soft, and system integration costs.1 In support of this goal and to evaluate the technology pathways to lower the energy and carbon intensity of desalination while also reducing the total water cost, DOE is undertaking a comprehensive study of the energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions for desalination technologies and systems. This study is being undertaken in two phases. Phase 1, Survey of Available Information in Support of the Energy-Water Bandwidth Study of Desalination Systems, collected the background information that will underpin Phase 2, the Energy Water Bandwidth Study for Desalination Systems. This report (Volume 1) summarizes the results from Phase 1. The results from Phase 2 will be summarized in Volume 2: Energy Water Bandwidth Study for Desalination Systems (Volume 2). The analysis effort for Phase 2 will utilize similar methods as other industry-specific Energy Bandwidth Studies developed by DOE,2 which has provided a framework to evaluate and compare energy savings potentials within and across manufacturing sectors at the macroscale. Volume 2 will assess the current state of desalination energy intensity and reduction potential through the use of advanced and emerging technologies. For the purpose of both phases of study, energy intensity is defined as the amount of energy required per unit of product water output (for example, kilowatt-hours per cubic meter of water produced). These studies will expand the scope of previous sectorial bandwidth studies by also evaluating CO₂ intensity and reduction opportunities and informing a techno-economic analysis of desalination systems. Volume 2 is expected to be completed in 2017.

A miniature solar device for overall water splitting consisting of series-connected spherical silicon solar cells

KAUST Repository

Kageshima, Yosuke

2016-04-18

A novel “photovoltaics (PV) + electrolyzer” concept is presented using a simple, small, and completely stand-alone non-biased device for solar-driven overall water splitting. Three or four spherical-shaped p-n junction silicon balls were successfully connected in series, named “SPHELAR.” SPHELAR possessed small projected areas of 0.20 (3PVs) and 0.26 cm2 (4PVs) and exhibited working voltages sufficient for water electrolysis. Impacts of the configuration on the PV module performance were carefully analyzed, revealing that a drastic increase in the photocurrent (≈20%) was attained by the effective utilization of a reflective sheet. Separate investigations on the electrocatalyst performance showed that non-noble metal based materials with reasonably small sizes (<0.80 cm2) exhibited substantial currents at the PV working voltage. By combining the observations of the PV characteristics, light management and electrocatalyst performance, solar-driven overall water splitting was readily achieved, reaching solar-to-hydrogen efficiencies of 7.4% (3PVs) and 6.4% (4PVs).

A miniature solar device for overall water splitting consisting of series-connected spherical silicon solar cells

KAUST Repository

Kageshima, Yosuke; Shinagawa, Tatsuya; Kuwata, Takaaki; Nakata, Josuke; Minegishi, Tsutomu; Takanabe, Kazuhiro; Domen, Kazunari

2016-01-01

A novel “photovoltaics (PV) + electrolyzer” concept is presented using a simple, small, and completely stand-alone non-biased device for solar-driven overall water splitting. Three or four spherical-shaped p-n junction silicon balls were successfully connected in series, named “SPHELAR.” SPHELAR possessed small projected areas of 0.20 (3PVs) and 0.26 cm2 (4PVs) and exhibited working voltages sufficient for water electrolysis. Impacts of the configuration on the PV module performance were carefully analyzed, revealing that a drastic increase in the photocurrent (≈20%) was attained by the effective utilization of a reflective sheet. Separate investigations on the electrocatalyst performance showed that non-noble metal based materials with reasonably small sizes (<0.80 cm2) exhibited substantial currents at the PV working voltage. By combining the observations of the PV characteristics, light management and electrocatalyst performance, solar-driven overall water splitting was readily achieved, reaching solar-to-hydrogen efficiencies of 7.4% (3PVs) and 6.4% (4PVs).

Combined solar organic Rankine cycle with reverse osmosis desalination process: Energy, exergy, and cost evaluations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nafey, A.S.; Sharaf, M.A. [Department of Engineering Science, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering, Suez Canal University, Suez (Egypt)

2010-11-15

Organic Rankine cycles (ORC) have unique properties that are well suited to solar power generation. In this work design and performance calculations are performed using MatLab/SimuLink computational environment. The cycle consists of thermal solar collectors (Flat Plate Solar Collector (FPC), or Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC), or Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC)) for heat input, expansion turbine for work output, condenser unit for heat rejection, pump unit, and Reverse Osmosis (RO) unit. Reverse osmosis unit specifications used in this work is based on Sharm El-Shiekh RO desalination plant. Different working fluids such as: butane, isobutane, propane, R134a, R152a, R245ca, and R245fa are examined for FPC. R113, R123, hexane, and pentane are investigated for CPC. Dodecane, nonane, octane, and toluene are allocated for PTC. The proposed process units are modeled and show a good validity with literatures. Exergy and cost analysis are performed for saturation and superheated operating conditions. Exergy efficiency, total exergy destruction, thermal efficiency, and specific capital cost are evaluated for direct vapor generation (DVG) process. Toluene and Water achieved minimum results for total solar collector area, specific total cost and the rate of exergy destruction. (author)

An experimental study of solar desalination using free jets and an auxiliary hot air stream

Science.gov (United States)

Eid, Eldesouki I.; Khalaf-Allah, Reda A.; Dahab, Mohamed A.

2018-04-01

An experimental study for a solar desalination system based on jet-humidification with an auxiliary perpendicular hot air stream was carried out at Suez city, Egypt 29.9668°N, 32.5498°E. The tests were done from May to October 2016. The effects of nozzles situations and nozzle diameter with and without hot air stream on fresh water productivity were monitored. The results show that; the lateral and downward jets from narrow nozzles have more productivities than other situations. The hot air stream has to be adapted at a certain flow rate to get high values of productivity. The system productivity is (5.6 L/m 2 ), the estimated cost is (0.030063 / L) and the efficiency is 32.8%.

The national project on nuclear desalination in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misra, B.M.

1996-01-01

BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre) has successfully developed both thermal and membrane desalination technologies for seawater and brackish water desalination. 425 m 3 /d Multi-Stage-Flash (MSF) desalination plant producing good quality water from seawater suitable for drinking and industrial water requirements operated. Knowhow developed for Low Temperature Vacuum Evaporation (LTVE) desalination plants utilizing waste heat. Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology developed at the centre has been successfully demonstrated. The experience obtained from the above plants has been utilized for designing a large scale hybrid desalination plant based on MSF and RO for augmenting the drinking water supply in water scarcity coastal areas

Water and nuclear power cogeneration with desalination: the U.S. projects and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faibish, Ron S.

2004-01-01

Recent dramatic increases in water shortages across the globe necessitate exploring innovative and practical methods for increasing the world's ever-depleting water and energy supplies. One proposed solution to alleviate water shortage, which is gaining popularity around the world, is to desalt seawater and produce potable water, i.e., via seawater desalination. Indeed, the basic technological know-how is readily available from extensive previous experience, especially in the Middle East and Arabian Gulf regions. However, new proposals for coupling desalination plants with power plants for the convenient cogeneration of water and power are rapidly emerging and requiring re-evaluation of process technology and economics

Layered tin monoselenide as advanced photothermal conversion materials for efficient solar energy-driven water evaporation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Jiandong; Zheng, Zhaoqiang; Yang, Guowei

2018-02-08

Solar energy-driven water evaporation lays a solid foundation for important photothermal applications such as sterilization, seawater desalination, and electricity generation. Due to the strong light-matter coupling, broad absorption wavelength range, and prominent quantum confinement effect, layered tin monoselenide (SnSe) holds a great potential to effectively harness solar irradiation and convert it to heat energy. In this study, SnSe is successfully deposited on a centimeter-scale nickel foam using a facile one-step pulsed-laser deposition approach. Importantly, the maximum evaporation rate of SnSe-coated nickel foam (SnSe@NF) reaches 0.85 kg m -2 h -1 , which is even 21% larger than that obtained with the commercial super blue coating (0.7 kg m -2 h -1 ) under the same condition. A systematic analysis reveals that its good photothermal conversion capability is attributed to the synergetic effect of multi-scattering-induced light trapping and the optimal trade-off between light absorption and phonon emission. Finally, the SnSe@NF device is further used for seawater evaporation, demonstrating a comparable evaporation rate (0.8 kg m -2 h -1 ) to that of fresh water and good stability over many cycles of usage. In summary, the current contribution depicts a facile one-step scenario for the economical and efficient solar-enabled SnSe@NF evaporation devices. More importantly, an in-depth analysis of the photothermal conversion mechanism underneath the layered materials depicts a fundamental paradigm for the design and application of photothermal devices based on them in the future.

Status and prospects of nuclear desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kupitz, J.; Konishi, T.

2000-01-01

While availability of potable water is an important prerequisite for socio-economic development, about 1/3 of the world's population is suffering from inadequate potable water supplies. Seawater desalination with nuclear energy could help to cope with the fresh water shortages and several countries are investigating nuclear desalination. Status and future prospects of nuclear desalination and the role of the IAEA in this area are discussed in this paper. (author)

Adsorption characteristics of water vapor on ferroaluminophosphate for desalination cycle

KAUST Repository

Kim, Youngdeuk; Thu, Kyaw; Ng, Kim Choon

2014-01-01

The adsorption characteristics of microporous ferroaluminophosphate adsorbent (FAM-Z01, Mitsubishi Plastics) are evaluated for possible application in adsorption desalination and cooling (AD) cycles. A particular interest is its water vapor uptake

Spring-cleaning at the solar module; Fruehjahrsputz am Modul

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orben, Steffen [Orben Wasseraufbereitung, Wiesbaden (Germany)

2013-04-15

The solar power yield of a photovoltaic power plant can be reduced significantly by a natural pollution. The average loss in performance and yield at mild and moderate surface contaminations is between eight and sixteen percent. The self-cleaning effect due to wind, rain and snow is not sufficient in order to purify the solar panels. In contrast, the purification with desalinated water receives the performance of solar generators and ensures the yields. Desalinated water can be produced from tap water by reverse osmosis and ion exchange. The water consumption amounts ten liters for a performance of one kilowatt of the solar module. Other important factors are 0.23 Euro for a filter cartridge as well as 11.50 Euro for personnel costs for a performance of one kilowatt of the solar module.

Effects of blending of desalinated and conventionally treated surface water on iron corrosion and its release from corroding surfaces and pre-existing scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Haizhou; Schonberger, Kenneth D; Peng, Ching-Yu; Ferguson, John F; Desormeaux, Erik; Meyerhofer, Paul; Luckenbach, Heidi; Korshin, Gregory V

2013-07-01

This study examined effects of blending desalinated water with conventionally treated surface water on iron corrosion and release from corroding metal surfaces and pre-existing scales exposed to waters having varying fractions of desalinated water, alkalinities, pH values and orthophosphate levels. The presence of desalinated water resulted in markedly decreased 0.45 μm-filtered soluble iron concentrations. However, higher fractions of desalinated water in the blends were also associated with more fragile corroding surfaces, lower retention of iron oxidation products and release of larger iron particles in the bulk water. SEM, XRD and XANES data showed that in surface water, a dense layer of amorphous ferrihydrite phase predominated in the corrosion products. More crystalline surface phases developed in the presence of desalinated water. These solid phases transformed from goethite to lepidocrocite with increased fraction of desalinated water. These effects are likely to result from a combination of chemical parameters, notably variations of the concentrations of natural organic matter, calcium, chloride and sulfate when desalinated and conventionally treated waters are blended. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review of the desalinated water market in France for small units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dutheil, F.; Malissen, M.

1969-01-01

On the initiative of and in close collaboration with the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, the Societe pour la Conversion et le Developpement Industriel (SODIC) has carried out a very general study of the coastal regions of France in which the short, medium and long-term prospects of the demand for water, and the cost of the necessary supplies, could possibly make desalination units of 3 000 to 10 000 m3/day competitive. So far this general enquiry, which went into detail on some particular aspects, has not revealed any very clear possibilities in this respect, except in the case of the small islands, and of units of much lower capacity, as well as that of large units on the coast, which would benefit from the size effect. However the probable difference between the cost of desalinated water and the high selling price already applying in a small number of coastal regions is relatively small. It might therefore be worthwhile and relatively inexpensive to install an experimental desalination unit in the near future. (author) [fr

Solar Distillation Practice For Water Desalination Systems

OpenAIRE

Mahian, Omid; Kianifar, Ali; Jumpholkul, Chaiwat; Thiangtham, Phubate; Wongwises, Somchai; Srisomba, Raviwat

2015-01-01

references, it is suggested to add a chapter concerning CFD simulations of solar stills. In addition, a part can be devoted to using novel technologies such as nanotechnology for productivity enhancement of solar stills

Energetic, Exergetic, and Economic Analysis of MED-TVC Water Desalination Plant with and without Preheating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nuri Eshoul

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Desalination is the sole proven technique that can provide the necessary fresh water in arid and semi-arid countries in sufficient quantities and meet the modern needs of a growing world population. Multi effect desalination with thermal vapour compression (MED-TVC is one of most common applications of thermal desalination technologies. The present paper presents a comprehensive thermodynamic model of a 24 million litres per day thermal desalination plant, using specialised software packages. The proposed model was validated against a real data set for a large-scale desalination plant, and showed good agreement. The performance of the MED-TVC unit was investigated using different loads, entrained vapour, seawater temperature, salinity and number of effects in two configurations. The first configuration was the MED-TVC unit without preheating system, and the second integrated the MED-TVC unit with a preheating system. The study confirmed that the thermo-compressor and its effects are the main sources of exergy destruction in these desalination plants, at about 40% and 35% respectively. The desalination plant performance with preheating mode performs well due to high feed water temperature leading to the production of more distillate water. The seawater salinity was proportional to the fuel exergy and minimum separation work. High seawater salinity results in high exergy efficiency, which is not the case with membrane technology. The plant performance of the proposed system was enhanced by using a large number of effects due to greater utilisation of energy input and higher generation level. From an economic perspective, both indicators show that using a preheating system is more economically attractive.

The Physical, Chemical and Microbial Quality of Treated Water in Qom s Desalination Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. R. Yari

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Background and objectivesWater is the basis of life and health. The health of food and water supply plays an important role in human health. One of the methods of water desalination is membrane filter reverse osmosis method. This method is used for desalination of drinking water supply in Qom.MethodsThis is a descriptive, cross-sectional study designed to determine the quality of treated water in Qom desalination plant in year 2002. Inlet and outlet water samples of this plant were examined by the standard examination methods and the collected data were compared with national and international standards. Excel software was used for statistical analysis.ResultsThe results showed that the residual chlorine concentration, total hardness and fluoride concentration were lower than the minimum standard limit set for drinking water. The pH was also lower than the minimum standard limit. Microbial contamination was detected in 6% of samples.ConclusionThe results show that the acidity of water was lower than standard in whole plant. This gives corrosive properties to the water and increases the dissolution of materials, which are in contact with this water. In order to eliminate the secondary contamination, the concentration of residual chlorine should be 1 mg/l. But, none of the measurements showed a concentration as high as this value. As fluoride is an important element for health and growth of bone and teeth, especially in growing children, fluoride should be added to the drinking water. As the relationship between hardness of water and cardiovascular diseases has been established, it can be concluded that this drinking water supply can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases in long time. Dilution of this water is recommended to adjust various factors to the standard limits and keep the total dissolved solids low.Keywords: Qom ;Water; Reverse Osmosis; Desalination Plant; Water Quality

Nuclear Desalination Newsletter, No. 2, September 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-09-01

Seawater desalination is increasingly becoming a vital option for alleviating severe water shortages around the world, and especially in developing countries. Worldwide seawater desalination capacity is expected to increase beyond the current contracted estimate of about 60 million m3/d. The need for an adequate supply of potable water for growing populations and complex problems is now globally recognized. Desalination using nuclear energy could play a vital role in supplying the much needed potable water for sustainable development and alleviate some of the environment impact of using fossil fuels for desalination. The IAEA programme on nuclear desalination continues to provide support to Member States through various forums of information exchange, technical cooperation projects, and publications. In the last year, the IAEA launched a new coordinated research programme which aims at investigating new technologies for seawater desalination using nuclear energy; updated and released a new version of the IAEA DEEP software; released a newly developed toolkit on nuclear desalination; and organized (jointly with the International Centre for Theoretical Physics ICTP) a training workshop on Technology and Performance of Desalination Systems

Comparison of Configurations for High-Recovery Inland Desalination Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philip A. Davies

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Desalination of brackish groundwater (BW is an effective approach to augment water supply, especially for inland regions that are far from seawater resources. Brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO desalination is still subject to intensive energy consumption compared to the theoretical minimum energy demand. Here, we review some of the BWRO plants with various system arrangements. We look at how to minimize energy demands, as these contribute considerably to the cost of desalinated water. Different configurations of BWRO system have been compared from the view point of normalized specific energy consumption (SEC. Analysis is made at theoretical limits. The SEC reduction of BWRO can be achieved by (i increasing number of stages, (ii using an energy recovery device (ERD, or (iii operating the BWRO in batch mode or closed circuit mode. Application of more stages not only reduces SEC but also improves water recovery. However, this improvement is less pronounced when the number of stages exceeds four. Alternatively and more favourably, the BWRO system can be operated in Closed Circuit Desalination (CCD mode and gives a comparative SEC to that of the 3-stage system with a recovery ratio of 80%. A further reduction of about 30% in SEC can be achieved through batch-RO operation. Moreover, the costly ERDs and booster pumps are avoided with both CCD and batch-RO, thus furthering the effectiveness of lowering the costs of these innovative approaches.

Fusion power plant for water desalination and reuse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borisov, A.A.; Desjatov, A.V.; Izvolsky, I.M.; Serikov, A.G.; Smirnov, V.P.; Smirnov, Yu.N.; Shatalov, G.E.; Sheludjakov, S.V.; Vasiliev, N.N.; Velikhov, E.P.

2001-01-01

Development of industry and agriculture demands a huge fresh water consumption. Exhaust of water sources together with pollution arises a difficult problem of population, industry, and agriculture water supply. Request for additional water supply in next 50 years is expected from industrial and agricultural sectors of many countries in the world. The presented study of fusion power plant for water desalination and reuse is aimed to widen a range of possible fusion industrial applications. Fusion offers a safe, long-term source of energy with abundant resources and major environmental advantages. Thus fusion can provide an attractive energy option to society in the next century. Fusion power tokamak reactor based on RF DEMO-S project [Proc. ISFNT-5 (2000) in press; Conceptual study of RF DEMO-S fusion reactor (2000)] was chosen as an energy source. A steady state operation mode is considered with thermal power of 4.0 GW. The reactor has to operate in steady-state plasma mode with high fraction of bootstrap current. Average plant availability of ∼0.7 is required. A conventional type of water cooled blanket is the first choice, helium or lithium coolants are under consideration. Desalination plant includes two units: reverse osmosis and distillation. Heat to electricity conversion schemes is optimized fresh water production and satisfy internal plant electricity demand The plant freshwater capacity is ∼6000000 m 3 per day. Fusion power plant of this capacity can provide a region of a million populations with fresh water, heat and electricity

Fusion power plant for water desalination and reuse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borisov, A.A.; Desjatov, A.V.; Izvolsky, I.M.; Serikov, A.G.; Smirnov, V.P.; Smirnov, Yu.N.; Shatalov, G.E.; Sheludjakov, S.V.; Vasiliev, N.N. E-mail: vasiliev@nfi.kiae.ru; Velikhov, E.P

2001-11-01

Development of industry and agriculture demands a huge fresh water consumption. Exhaust of water sources together with pollution arises a difficult problem of population, industry, and agriculture water supply. Request for additional water supply in next 50 years is expected from industrial and agricultural sectors of many countries in the world. The presented study of fusion power plant for water desalination and reuse is aimed to widen a range of possible fusion industrial applications. Fusion offers a safe, long-term source of energy with abundant resources and major environmental advantages. Thus fusion can provide an attractive energy option to society in the next century. Fusion power tokamak reactor based on RF DEMO-S project [Proc. ISFNT-5 (2000) in press; Conceptual study of RF DEMO-S fusion reactor (2000)] was chosen as an energy source. A steady state operation mode is considered with thermal power of 4.0 GW. The reactor has to operate in steady-state plasma mode with high fraction of bootstrap current. Average plant availability of {approx}0.7 is required. A conventional type of water cooled blanket is the first choice, helium or lithium coolants are under consideration. Desalination plant includes two units: reverse osmosis and distillation. Heat to electricity conversion schemes is optimized fresh water production and satisfy internal plant electricity demand The plant freshwater capacity is {approx}6000000 m{sup 3} per day. Fusion power plant of this capacity can provide a region of a million populations with fresh water, heat and electricity.

CO_2-assisted compression-adsorption hybrid for cooling and desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, Syed Muztuza; Chakraborty, Anutosh; Leong, Kai Choong

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Amalgamation of vapour compression and adsorption. • Thermodynamic frameworks of compression-adsorption hybrid. • 60% improvement in COP as compared with conventional CO_2 cooling system. • Energy recovery from CO_2 is used for cooling and desalination. • Energy from gas cooler accelerates the desalination process. - Abstract: This paper presents a novel compression-adsorption hybrid that symbiotically combines adsorption and CO_2 compression cooling devices. The seemingly low efficiency of each cycle individually is overcome by an amalgamation with the other. Hence, both heat and water vapour refrigerant mass are recovered for continuous cooling and desalination. Two different configurations are presented. The first configuration deals with a two-stage heat recovery system. At the first stage, heat is recovered from the compressed carbon dioxide to drive the adsorption device. The second stage heat recovery system internally exchanges heat between the low pressure and high pressure refrigerants of the CO_2 cycle. The second configuration is proposed with an additional third-stage heat recovery from the gas cooler to the high pressure evaporator of the adsorption cycle. The water vapour mass is recovered from bed-to-bed adsorption at relatively higher pressure. A detailed thermodynamic framework is presented to simulate the performances in terms of COP (coefficient of performance), SCP (specific cooling power), SDWP (specific daily water production), PR (performance ratio) and OCR (overall conversion ratio). It is found that the overall COP is improved by more than 60% as compared to the conventional CO_2 cycle, and in addition, the system generates 12.7 m"3 of desalinated water per tonne of silica gel per day as extra benefits. Furthermore, both the heat and mass recoveries improve the overall conversion ratio, which is almost double as compared to the conventional CO_2 cycle.

The techno-economic optimization of a 100MWe CSP-desalination plant in Arandis, Namibia

Science.gov (United States)

Dall, Ernest P.; Hoffmann, Jaap E.

2017-06-01

Energy is a key factor responsible for a country's economic growth and prosperity. It is closely related to the main global challenges namely: poverty mitigation, global environmental change and food and water security [1.]. Concentrating solar power (CSP) is steadily gaining more market acceptance as the cost of electricity from CSP power plants progressively declines. The cogeneration of electricity and water is an attractive prospect for future CSP developments as the simultaneous production of power and potable water can have positive economic implications towards increasing the feasibility of CSP plant developments [2.]. The highest concentrations of direct normal irradiation are located relatively close to Western coastal and Middle-Eastern North-African regions. It is for this reason worthwhile investigating the possibility of CSP-desalination (CSP+D) plants as a future sustainable method for providing both electricity and water with significantly reduced carbon emissions and potential cost reductions. This study investigates the techno-economic feasibility of integrating a low-temperature thermal desalination plant to serve as the condenser as opposed to a conventional dry-cooled CSP plant in Arandis, Namibia. It outlines the possible benefits of the integration CSP+D in terms of overall cost of water and electricity. The high capital costs of thermal desalination heat exchangers as well as the pumping of seawater far inland is the most significant barrier in making this approach competitive against more conventional desalination methods such as reverse osmosis. The compromise between the lowest levelized cost of electricity and water depends on the sizing and the top brine temperature of the desalination plant.

Present status of seawater desalination and problems of nuclear utilization. Aiming at coping with global shortage of water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-07-01

With recent global population increase and economic and life level improvement, water demand increases tremendously and in 2025 water scarcity will occur in almost the half of countries and regions in the world. Nuclear desalination is highly expected to cope with this issue. The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) established special committee on seawater desalination problems to discuss possibilities of nuclear desalination introduction. Present status of seawater desalination and problems of nuclear utilization were reviewed and the committee recommended the necessity of establishing medium and long-term plan on international business development of nuclear desalination and also the start of basic research on problems of nuclear utilization such as technical and institutional limits and efficient applicability of nuclear energy. (T. Tanaka)

Desalinated and blended water in Saudi Arabia: human exposure and risk analysis from disinfection byproducts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chowdhury Imran Rahman

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Saudi Arabia produces the largest amount of desalinated water as a single country. The desalinated water is typically blended with treated groundwater, pH adjusted and chlorinated prior to supply to the communities. The desalinated seawater and/or blended water contains various types of disinfection byproducts (DBPs, some of which may induce cancer risks to human through lifetime exposure. In this study, occurrences of trihalomethanes (THMs in desalinated and blended water in Saudi Arabia were investigated and their exposure and risks were predicted. The chronic daily intakes of CHCl3, BDCM, DBCM and CHBr3 were estimated to be 8.38×10−5, 7.57×10−5, 2.54×10−5 and 4.32×10−4 mg/kg-day respectively. The overall cancer risk was 1.78×10−5 with the range of 7.40×10−7 – 9.26×10−5 and the average hazard index was 3.49×10−2 with the range of 1.20×10−3 – 2.34×10−1. The loss of disability adjusted life years (DALY were estimated to be 25.1 per year and the average cancer risk had 8.48×10−7 DALY per person per year. The financial burden was estimated to be US$2.72 million with the range of US$2.52–2.91 million. The findings may assist in better understanding and reducing cancer risks from DBPs in desalinated and blended water.

Nuclear desalination activities in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharjee, B.

1999-01-01

The main emphasis of this article is on utilization of nuclear energy for desalination. Nuclear desalination is cheaper, eco-friendly and assists in sustainable growth of total energy generation programme in a country. PHWR type reactors are the main stay of nuclear energy programme in India. Nuclear waste heat for desalination is available in the moderator system of the 220 MW(e) and 500 MW(e) PHWRs. The low temperature evaporation technology (LET) for producing pure water from sea water is also discussed

Water treatments of the future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poon, John; Moore Kenneth

2011-01-01

This article discusses and reviews nine water technologies. They are solar desalination, synthetic aquaporin membranes, microbial fuel cell and desalination, forward osmosis, resource recovery and brine managment, 'Smart' water grids, micropollutant treatment, the Cities of the Future program and high retention membrane bioreactors.

The application of nuclear energy for seawater desalination. The Candesal nuclear desalination system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Humphries, J.R.; Sweeney, C.B.

1997-01-01

As the global consumption of water increases with growing population and rising levels of industrialization, major new sources of potable water production must be developed. Desalination of seawater is an energy intensive process which brings with it a demand for additional energy generation capacity. The Candesal nuclear desalination/cogeneration system has been developed to address both requirements, providing improved water production efficiency and lower costs. To meet large scale water production requirements the Candesal system integrates a nuclear energy source, such as the CANDU reactor, with a reverse osmosis (ro) desalination facility, capturing the waste heat from the electrical generation process to improve the efficiency of the ro process. By also using advanced feed water pre-treatment and sophisticated system design integration and optimization techniques, the net results is a substantial improvement in energy efficiency, economics, and environmental impact. The design is also applicable to a variety of conventional energy sources, and applies over the full range of desalination plant sizes. Since potable water production is based on membrane technology, brackish water and tertiary effluent from waste water treatment can also be used as feed streams to the system. Also considered to be a fundamental component of the Candesal philosophy is a technology transfer program aimed at establishing a complete local capability for the design, fabrication, operation and maintenance of these facilities. Through a well defined and logical technology transfer program, the necessary technologies are integrated into a nation's industrial capability and infrastructure, thus preparing local industry for the long term goal of manufacturing large scale, economical and environmentally benign desalination facilities. (author). 8 refs, 3 figs

Water desalination price from recent performances: Modelling, simulation and analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metaiche, M.; Kettab, A.

2005-01-01

The subject of the present article is the technical simulation of seawater desalination, by a one stage reverse osmosis system, the objectives of which are the recent valuation of cost price through the use of new membrane and permeator performances, the use of new means of simulation and modelling of desalination parameters, and show the main parameters influencing the cost price. We have taken as the simulation example the Seawater Desalting centre of Djannet (Boumerdes, Algeria). The present performances allow water desalting at a price of 0.5 $/m 3 , which is an interesting and promising price, corresponding with the very acceptable water product quality, in the order of 269 ppm. It is important to run the desalting systems by reverse osmosis under high pressure, resulting in further decrease of the desalting cost and the production of good quality water. Aberration in choice of functioning conditions produces high prices and unacceptable quality. However there exists the possibility of decreasing the price by decreasing the requirement on the product quality. The seawater temperature has an effect on the cost price and quality. The installation of big desalting centres, contributes to the decrease in prices. A very important, long and tedious calculation is effected, which is impossible to conduct without programming and informatics tools. The use of the simulation model has been much efficient in the design of desalination centres that can perform at very improved prices. (author)

Renewable energy-driven desalination technologies: A comprehensive review on challenges and potential applications of integrated systems

KAUST Repository

Ghaffour, Noreddine

2015-01-01

Despite the tremendous improvements in conventional desalination technologies, its wide use is still limited due primarily to high energy requirements which are currently met with expensive fossil fuels. The use of alternative energy sources is essential to meet the growing demand for water desalination. In the last few decades a lot of effort has being directed in the use of different renewable energy (RE) sources to run desalination processes. However, the expansion of these efforts towards larger scale plants is hampered by several techno-economic challenges. Several medium-scale RE-driven desalination plants have been installed worldwide. Nevertheless, most of these plants are connected to the electrical grid to assure a continuous energy supply for stable operation. Furthermore, RE is mostly used to produce electric power which can be used to run desalination systems. This review paper focuses on an integrated approach in using RE-driven with an emphasis on solar and geothermal desalination technologies. Innovative and sustainable desalination processes which are suitable for integrated RE systems are presented. An assessment of the benefits of these technologies and their limitations are also discussed.

Microbial Electrodialysis Cell for Simultaneous Water Desalination and Hydrogen Gas Production

KAUST Repository

Mehanna, Maha

2010-12-15

A new approach to water desalination is to use exoelectrogenic bacteria to generate electrical power from the biodegradation of organic matter, moving charged ions from a middle chamber between two membranes in a type of microbial fuel cell called a microbial desalination cell. Desalination efficiency using this approach is limited by the voltage produced by the bacteria. Here we examine an alternative strategy based on boosting the voltage produced by the bacteria to achieve hydrogen gas evolution from the cathode using a three-chambered system we refer to as a microbial electrodialysis cell (MEDC). We examined the use of the MEDC process using two different initial NaCl concentrations of 5 g/L and 20 g/L. Conductivity in the desalination chamber was reduced by up to 68 ± 3% in a single fed-batch cycle, with electrical energy efficiencies reaching 231 ± 59%, and maximum hydrogen production rates of 0.16 ± 0.05 m3 H2/m3 d obtained at an applied voltage of 0.55 V. The advantage of this system compared to a microbial fuel cell approach is that the potentials between the electrodes can be better controlled, and the hydrogen gas that is produced can be used to recover energy to make the desalination process self-sustaining with respect to electrical power requirements. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Microbial Electrodialysis Cell for Simultaneous Water Desalination and Hydrogen Gas Production

KAUST Repository

Mehanna, Maha; Kiely, Patrick D.; Call, Douglas F.; Logan, Bruce. E.

2010-01-01

A new approach to water desalination is to use exoelectrogenic bacteria to generate electrical power from the biodegradation of organic matter, moving charged ions from a middle chamber between two membranes in a type of microbial fuel cell called a microbial desalination cell. Desalination efficiency using this approach is limited by the voltage produced by the bacteria. Here we examine an alternative strategy based on boosting the voltage produced by the bacteria to achieve hydrogen gas evolution from the cathode using a three-chambered system we refer to as a microbial electrodialysis cell (MEDC). We examined the use of the MEDC process using two different initial NaCl concentrations of 5 g/L and 20 g/L. Conductivity in the desalination chamber was reduced by up to 68 ± 3% in a single fed-batch cycle, with electrical energy efficiencies reaching 231 ± 59%, and maximum hydrogen production rates of 0.16 ± 0.05 m3 H2/m3 d obtained at an applied voltage of 0.55 V. The advantage of this system compared to a microbial fuel cell approach is that the potentials between the electrodes can be better controlled, and the hydrogen gas that is produced can be used to recover energy to make the desalination process self-sustaining with respect to electrical power requirements. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Solar-Cooled Hotel in the Virgin Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Harber, H.

1982-01-01

Performance of solar cooling system is described in 21-page report. System provides cooling for public areas including ball rooms, restaurant, lounge, lobby and shops. Chilled water from solar-cooling system is also used to cool hot water from hotel's desalinization plant.

High performance hydrophilic pervaporation composite membranes for water desalination

KAUST Repository

Liang, Bin

2014-08-01

A three-layer thin film nanofibrous pervaporation composite (TFNPVC) membrane was prepared by sequential deposition using electrospraying/electrospinning. The poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) top barrier layer was first electrosprayed on aluminum foil and its thickness can be easily controlled by adjusting the collecting time. Next a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibrous scaffold was deposited by electrospinning as a mid-layer support. A nonwoven PET layer is used to complete the composite membrane. The pervaporation desalination performance of TFNPVC membranes was tested using NaCl solutions at 100. Pa and at room temperature. The TFNPVC membranes show excellent desalination performance (high water flux and salt rejection >. 99.5%) for different salt concentrations with virtually no change in performance after 50. h of operation. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Economic competitiveness of seawater desalinated by nuclear and fossil energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Li; Wang Yongqing; Guo Jilin; Liu Wei

2001-01-01

The levelized discounted production water cost method and the new desalination economic evaluation program (DEEP1.1) were used to compare the economics of desalination using nuclear or fossil energy. The results indicate that nuclear desalination is more economic than fossil desalination with reverse osmosis (RO), multi-effect distillation (MED) and multi-stage flash (MSF). The desalination water cost varies depending on the desalination technology and the water plant size from 0.52-1.98 USD·m -3 with the lowest water price by RO and the highest by MSF. The sensitivity factors for the economic competitiveness increases in order of the discounted rate, desalination plant scale, fossil fuel price, specific power plant investment, seawater temperature and total dissolve solid (TDS). The highest water cost is about 22.6% more than the base case

Performance Improvement of Roof Transparent Solar Still Coupled With Agriculture Greenhouse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alaa H. Salah

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In Egyptian desert, growing plants is difficult due to harsh climate (hot at the daytime and cold at the night, infertile  soil,  low  average  rainfall  and  lack  of  fresh  water  for  irrigation  purposes. A set of simple transparent solar stills are integrated with a new solar driven agriculture greenhouse (GH. The stills are placed at the GH roof to use the extra solar radiation (above that required for plant photosynthesis process for water desalination. In addition to water desalination concept the solar still units even reduce the cooling load during the daytime. A net of aluminum metal coated with black colour is placed on the base of the solar still units to raise the water temperature (enhance desalination process and provide partially shading for the GH. Using aluminum net decreases also the number of solar still units required to produce the required amount of GH  fresh water leading to a significant cost reduction.The main objectives of this work are sizing of the aluminum net, spacing between solar still units to obtain the threshold of plant requirements. Also fresh water production and greenhouse climatic conditions that plant needs (temperature, relative humidity, air velocity and amount of oxygen are simulated.Numerical simulation was carried out for the hottest day of Borg Elarab, Alexandria (Egypt. 

Theory of pH changes in water desalination by capacitive deionization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dykstra, J.E.; Keesman, K.J.; Biesheuvel, P.M.; Wal, van der A.

2017-01-01

In electrochemical water desalination, a large difference in pH can develop between feed and effluent water. These pH changes can affect the long-term stability of membranes and electrodes. Often Faradaic reactions are implicated to explain these pH changes. However, quantitative theory has not

Impact of socio-economic growth on desalination in the US.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziolkowska, Jadwiga R; Reyes, Reuben

2016-02-01

In 2013, around 1336 desalination plants in the United States (US) provided purified water mainly to municipalities, the industry sector and for power generation. In 2013 alone, ∼200 million m(3) of water were desalinated; the amount that could satisfy annual municipal water consumption of more than 1.5 million people in the US. Desalination has proven to be a reliable water supply source in many countries around the world, with the total global desalination capacity of ∼60 million m(3)/day in 2013. Desalination has been used to mitigate water scarcity and lessen the pressure on water resources. Currently, data and information about desalination are still limited, while extensive socio-economic analyses are missing. This paper presents an econometric model to fill this gap. It evaluates the impact of selected socio-economic variables on desalination development in the US in the time span 1970-2013. The results show that the GDP and population growth have significantly impacted the desalination sector over the analyzed time period. The insights into the economics of desalination provided with this paper can be used to further evaluate cost-effectiveness of desalination both in the US and in other countries around the world. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prospects of water desalination in conjunction with nuclear power stations in Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, M.

1978-01-01

The paper reviews Pakistan's land and water resources vis-a-vis the present and projected demand of water to sustain its economy which is predominantly based on irrigated agriculture. As expected, the per capita agricultural land and the corresponding diversion of irrigation supplies per capita are all along declining due to increasing population pressure, however, it is shown that further development of irrigated agriculture will be increasingly constrained by water availability rather than the land resources. A glance at the nation's culturable land potential and the projected water budget would fully demonstrate this fact. In this context the paper discusses the likely role which the desalination technology can be called upon to play in supplementing the existing means of fresh water supply. Studies have also indicated fast-growing demands both for electric power and potable water in the Karachi area, on the sea coast, where the possibility of having dual-purpose nuclear power-cum-seawater desalination plant(s) in the late 1980's is being investigated. (author)

Wave Power as Solution for Off-Grid Water Desalination Systems: Resource Characterization for Kilifi-Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Francisco

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Freshwater scarcity is one of humanity’s reoccurring problems that hamper socio-economic development in many regions across the globe. In coastal areas, seawater can be desalinated through reverse osmosis (RO and transformed into freshwater for human use. Desalination requires large amounts of energy, mostly in the form of a reliable electricity supply, which in many cases is supplied by diesel generators. The objective of this work is to analyze the wave power resource availability in Kilifi-Kenya and evaluate the possible use of wave power converter (WEC to power desalination plants. A particular focus is given use of WECs developed by Uppsala University (UU-WEC. The results here presented were achieved using reanalysis—wave data revealed that the local wave climate has an approximate annual mean of 7 kW/m and mode of 5 kW/m. Significant wave height and wave mean period are within 0.8–2 m and 7–8 s respectively, with a predominant wave mean direction from southeast. The seasonal cycle appeared to be the most relevant for energy conversion, having the highest difference of 6 kW/m, in which April is the lowest (3.8 kW/m and August is the peak (10.5 kW/m. In such mild wave climates, the UU–WEC and similar devices can be suitable for ocean energy harvesting for water desalination systems. Technically, with a capacity factor of 30% and energy consumption of 3 kWh/m3, a coastal community of about five thousand inhabitants can be provided of freshwater by only ten WECs with installed capacity of 20 kW.

Potential effects of desalinated water quality on the operation stability of wastewater treatment plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Lew, Beni; Cochva, Malka; Lahav, Ori

2009-03-15

Desalinated water is expected to become the major source of drinking water in many places in the near future, and thus the major source of wastewater to arrive at wastewater treatment plants. The paper examines the effect of the alkalinity value with which the water is released from the desalination plant on the alkalinity value that would develop within the wastewater treatment process under various nitrification-denitrification operational scenarios. The main hypothesis was that the difference in the alkalinity value between tap water and domestic wastewater is almost exclusively a result of the hydrolysis of urea (NH(2)CONH(2), excreted in the human urine) to ammonia (NH(3)), regardless of the question what fraction of NH(3(aq)) is transformed to NH(4)(+). Results from a field study show that the ratio between the alkalinity added to tap water when raw wastewater is formed (in meq/l units) and the TAN (total ammonia nitrogen, mole/l) concentration in the raw wastewater is almost 1:1 in purely domestic sewage and close to 1:1 in domestic wastewater streams mixed with light industry wastewaters. Having established the relationship between TAN and total alkalinity in raw wastewater the paper examines three theoretical nitrification-denitrification treatment scenarios in the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The conclusion is that if low-alkalinity desalinated water constitutes the major water source arriving at the WWTP, external alkalinity will have to be added in order to avoid pH drop and maintain process stability. The results lead to the conclusion that supplying desalinated water with a high alkalinity value (e.g. > or =100 mg/l as CaCO(3)) would likely prevent the need to add costly basic chemicals in the WWTP, while, in addition, it would improve the chemical and biological stability of the drinking water in the distribution system.

The sea water desalination by the nuclear reactors; Le dessalement de l'eau de mer par les reacteurs nucleaires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nisan, S. [CEA Cadarache, Dir. du Developpement et de l' Innovation Nucleares DDIN, 13 - Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France)

2002-07-01

This document underlines the importance of water shortage in many areas in the world in the future. The water sea desalination can be a efficient solution to this problem. The desalination methods are presented. In this context the desalination reactors appear as a competitive solution, facing the fossil energies systems not only for the simultaneous electric power and drinking water production, but also for the minimization of greenhouse gases. (A.L.B.)

Energy Implications of Seawater Desalination (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Cooley, H.; Heberger, M. G.

2013-12-01

Freshwater has traditionally come from rivers, lakes, streams, and groundwater aquifers. As demand increases and climate change alters the location and timing of water supply, these traditional sources are becoming unavailable, more difficult, or increasingly expensive to develop. As a result, many communities are switching to alternative sources of water. Interest in pursuing seawater desalination is high in many coastal communities. In California, for example, 17 plants are proposed for development along the California coast and two in Mexico. Water managers are pursing desalination because is a local supply that can help diversify the water supply portfolio. Additionally, it is a reliable supply, which can be especially valuable during a drought. But removing the salt from seawater is an energy-intensive process that consumes more energy per gallon than most other water supply and treatment options. These energy requirements are key factors that will impact the extent and success of desalination in California. Energy requirements for seawater desalination average about 4.0 kWh per cubic meter (m3) of water produced. By comparison, the least energy-intensive options of local sources of groundwater and surface water require 0 - 0.90 kWh per m3; wastewater reuse, depending on treatment levels, may require from 0.26 - 2.2 kWh per m3. Beyond the electricity required for the desalination facility itself, producing any new source of water, including through desalination, increases the amount of energy required to deliver and use the water produced as well as collect, treat, and dispose of the wastewater generated. Energy is the largest single variable cost for a desalination plant, varying from one-third to more than one-half the cost of produced water. Building a desalination plant may reduce a water utility's exposure to water reliability risks at the added expense of an increase in exposure to energy price risk. In dependent on hydropower, electricity prices tend to

Desalination Brine Discharge Impacts on Coastal Biology and Water Chemistry - A Case Study from Carlsbad Southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, K. L.; Heck, N.; Potts, D. C.; Paytan, A.

2017-12-01

Fresh water demand is increasing world-wide due to on-going droughts, climate change and increasing human population and associated demand for food and water. Desalination of seawater is a reliable source of potable water; however the effects of byproduct brine discharge from desalination plants on coastal areas have not been thoroughly assessed. Here we report results from in-situmeasurements of the effects of brine discharge on water chemistry and coastal biology from a desalination plant in Carlsbad, Southern California. We compared select parameters in the coastal zone around the discharge site before and after operation began and conducted additional controlled laboratory incubations with key coastal species and brine effluent. Our in-situ data shows differences in salinity and temperature between the discharge area and a control site both before and after the desalination plant started operation. The discharge water is warmer by 3-5 Co than the ambient seawater and a temperature gradient is seen around the discharge channel. This is likely a result of mixing of the desalination brine with power plant cooling water for dilution prior to discharge and the higher temperatures are not directly attributed to the desalination. Our post-discharge results show a decipherable salinity plume at the bottom of the water column ( 6 m depth) reaching up to 600 m offshore from the discharge site. This indicates inefficient mixing of the brine in the coastal discharge zone. No significant differences are found in nutrient levels, organic carbon or chlorophyll a concentrations around the discharge. The benthic biology assemblage post-discharge is significantly different from the pre-discharge organisms' assemblage. However, the role of seasonal changes in temperature may also have impacted the data as the sampling was conducted during different seasons. Controlled incubation experiments of brittle stars (Ophiothrix spiculata) shows no significant difference in growth or

Review on the science and technology of water desalination by capacitive deionization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Porada, S.; Zhao, R.; Wal, van der A.; Presser, V.; Biesheuvel, P.M.

2013-01-01

Porous carbon electrodes have significant potential for energy-efficient water desalination using a promising technology called Capacitive Deionization (CDI). In CDI, salt ions are removed from brackish water upon applying an electrical voltage difference between two porous electrodes, in which the

IRIS Reactor a Suitable Option to Provide Energy and Water Desalination for the Mexican Northwest Region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alonso, G.; Ramirez, R.; Gomez, C.; Viais, J.

2004-10-03

The Northwest region of Mexico has a deficit of potable water, along this necessity is the region growth, which requires of additional energy capacity. The IRIS reactor offers a very suitable source of energy given its modular size of 300 MWe and it can be coupled with a desalination plant to provide the potable water for human consumption, agriculture and industry. The present paper assess the water and energy requirements for the Northwest region of Mexico and how the deployment of the IRIS reactor can satisfy those necessities. The possible sites for deployment of Nuclear Reactors are considered given the seismic constraints and the closeness of the sea for external cooling. And in the other hand, the size of the desalination plant and the type of desalination process are assessed accordingly with the water deficit of the region.

IRIS Reactor a Suitable Option to Provide Energy and Water Desalination for the Mexican Northwest Region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, G.; Ramirez, R.; Gomez, C.; Viais, J.

2004-01-01

The Northwest region of Mexico has a deficit of potable water, along this necessity is the region growth, which requires of additional energy capacity. The IRIS reactor offers a very suitable source of energy given its modular size of 300 MWe and it can be coupled with a desalination plant to provide the potable water for human consumption, agriculture and industry. The present paper assess the water and energy requirements for the Northwest region of Mexico and how the deployment of the IRIS reactor can satisfy those necessities. The possible sites for deployment of Nuclear Reactors are considered given the seismic constraints and the closeness of the sea for external cooling. And in the other hand, the size of the desalination plant and the type of desalination process are assessed accordingly with the water deficit of the region

Eukaryotic community diversity and spatial variation during drinking water production (by seawater desalination) and distribution in a full-scale network

KAUST Repository

Belila, Abdelaziz; El Chakhtoura, Joline; Saikaly, Pascal; Van Loosdrecht, M. C M; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S.

2016-01-01

community structure in water during the (i) production of drinking water in a seawater desalination plant and (ii) transport of the drinking water in the distribution network. The desalination plant treatment involved pre-treatment (e.g. spruce filters

Use of nuclear reactors for seawater desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-09-01

The last International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) status report on desalination, including nuclear desalination, was issued nearly 2 decades ago. The impending water crisis in many parts of the world, and especially in the Middle East, makes it appropriate to provide an updated report as a basis for consideration of future activities. This report provides a state-of-the-art review of desalination and pertinent nuclear reactor technology. Information is included on fresh water needs and costs, environmental risks associated with alternatives for water production, and data regarding the technical and economic characteristics of immediately available desalination systems, as well as compatible nuclear technology. 68 refs, 60 figs, 11 tabs

Nuclear water desalination technology as a tool for achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dahunsi, S. O. A.; Ala, A.

2011-01-01

Potable water is regarded as one of the essential needs for the attainment of the target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but every year new countries are affected by growing water problems and Climate change is likely to further stress regions already facing dire water shortages. Recent statistics also shown that 2.3 billion people currently live in water-stressed areas and among them 1.7 billion live in water-scarce areas where the water availability per person is less than 1000 m 3 /year. Only large-scale commercially available desalination processes will be a solution to the menace of this water shortage. This paper therefore focuses on the results and applications of results of research and development in water desalination using nuclear technology which is evolving as an important option for safe, economic and sustainable supply of large amounts of portable water to meet the ever-increasing worldwide water demand.

Comparative study of economic competitive for nuclear seawater desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Li; Wang Yongqing

2001-01-01

The method of levelized discounted production water cost and the new desalination economic evaluation program (DEEP1.1) are used. Many cases of seawater desalination by nuclear energy or fossil energy combined with reverse osmosis (RO), Multi-effect distillation (MED) or multi-stage flash (MSF) technology in south-east Asia is performed and their economic competitive is analyzed. Their results indicate, the nuclear desalination plants have stronger economic competitive comparing to the fossil in the RO, MED and MSF technology. The desalination water cost is very changeable depending on the difference of desalination technology and water plant size. Its range is 0.56 dollar · m -3 - 1.89 dollar · m -3 , the lowest desalination water cost is product by RO and the highest is by MSF. The sensitive factors of the economic competitive are orderly the discounted rate, desalination plant size, seawater temperature and total dissolved solids (TDS), fossil fuel price and specific power plant investment. The highest rate of water cost is about 19.3% comparing to base case

Design of nuclear desalination concentrate plant by using zero discharge desalination concept for Bangka Island

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erlan Dewita, Siti Alimah

2015-01-01

Nuclear desalination is a process to separate salt of seawater by using nuclear energy. Desalination concentrate is a problem in nuclear desalination. Desalination concentrate is sometimes discharged directly into the seawater, therefore it can affects the water quality of beach and rise negative effects on the biota in the vicinity of the output. ZDD (Zero Discharge Desalination) concept can be applied to minimized environment impact. This study is conducted by using PWR type NPP as nuclear heat source and using ZDD concept to process desalination waste. ZDD is a concept for processing of desalination concentrate into salt and chemical products which have economic values. Objectives of this study is to design nuclear desalination concentrate processing plant in Bangka Island. The methodology is literature assessment and calculation with excel programme. The results of this study shows that the main the products are NaCl (pharmaceutical salt) and cakes BaSO4, Mg(OH)2BaCO3 as by products. (author)

Water permeability of nanoporous graphene at realistic pressures for reverse osmosis desalination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cohen-Tanugi, David; Grossman, Jeffrey C. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

2014-08-21

Nanoporous graphene (NPG) shows tremendous promise as an ultra-permeable membrane for water desalination thanks to its atomic thickness and precise sieving properties. However, a significant gap exists in the literature between the ideal conditions assumed for NPG desalination and the physical environment inherent to reverse osmosis (RO) systems. In particular, the water permeability of NPG has been calculated previously based on very high pressures (1000–2000 bars). Does NPG maintain its ultrahigh water permeability under real-world RO pressures (<100 bars)? Here, we answer this question by drawing results from molecular dynamics simulations. Our results indicate that NPG maintains its ultrahigh permeability even at low pressures, allowing a permeate water flux of 6.0 l/h-bar per pore, or equivalently 1041 ± 20 l/m{sup 2}-h-bar assuming a nanopore density of 1.7 × 10{sup 13} cm{sup −2}.

Health effects of desalinated water: Role of electrolyte disturbance in cancer development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nriagu, Jerome, E-mail: jnriagu@umich.edu [Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Darroudi, Firouz [Centre of Human Safety and Environmental Research, Department of Health Sciences, College of North Atlantic, Doha (Qatar); Centre of Human Safety & Health and Diagnostic Genome Analysis, Red Crescent Hospital, Dubai (United Arab Emirates); Shomar, Basem [Qatar Environmental and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), Qatar Foundation, Doha (Qatar)

2016-10-15

This review contends that “healthy” water in terms of electrolyte balance is as important as “pure” water in promoting public health. It considers the growing use of desalination (demineralization) technologies in drinking water treatment which often results in tap water with very low concentrations of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Ingestion of such water can lead to electrolyte abnormalities marked by hyponatremia, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia and hypocalcemia which are among the most common and recognizable features in cancer patients. The causal relationships between exposure to demineralized water and malignancies are poorly understood. This review highlights some of the epidemiological and in vivo evidence that link dysregulated electrolyte metabolism with carcinogenesis and the development of cancer hallmarks. It discusses how ingestion of demineralized water can have a procarcinogenic effect through mediating some of the critical pathways and processes in the cancer microenvironment such as angiogenesis, genomic instability, resistance to programmed cell death, sustained proliferative signaling, cell immortalization and tumorigenic inflammation. Evidence that hypoosmotic stress-response processes can upregulate a number of potential oncogenes is well supported by a number studies. In view of the rising production and consumption of demineralized water in most parts of the world, there is a strong need for further research on the biological importance and protean roles of electrolyte abnormalities in promoting, antagonizing or otherwise enabling the development of cancer. The countries of the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) where most people consume desalinated water would be a logical place to start this research. - Highlights: • Ingestion of low-mineral waters disrupts electrolyte homeostasis and cellular processes. • Electrolyte imbalance can affect the tumor microenvironment and many stages of tumorigenesis. • Electrolyte

Health effects of desalinated water: Role of electrolyte disturbance in cancer development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nriagu, Jerome; Darroudi, Firouz; Shomar, Basem

2016-01-01

This review contends that “healthy” water in terms of electrolyte balance is as important as “pure” water in promoting public health. It considers the growing use of desalination (demineralization) technologies in drinking water treatment which often results in tap water with very low concentrations of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Ingestion of such water can lead to electrolyte abnormalities marked by hyponatremia, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia and hypocalcemia which are among the most common and recognizable features in cancer patients. The causal relationships between exposure to demineralized water and malignancies are poorly understood. This review highlights some of the epidemiological and in vivo evidence that link dysregulated electrolyte metabolism with carcinogenesis and the development of cancer hallmarks. It discusses how ingestion of demineralized water can have a procarcinogenic effect through mediating some of the critical pathways and processes in the cancer microenvironment such as angiogenesis, genomic instability, resistance to programmed cell death, sustained proliferative signaling, cell immortalization and tumorigenic inflammation. Evidence that hypoosmotic stress-response processes can upregulate a number of potential oncogenes is well supported by a number studies. In view of the rising production and consumption of demineralized water in most parts of the world, there is a strong need for further research on the biological importance and protean roles of electrolyte abnormalities in promoting, antagonizing or otherwise enabling the development of cancer. The countries of the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) where most people consume desalinated water would be a logical place to start this research. - Highlights: • Ingestion of low-mineral waters disrupts electrolyte homeostasis and cellular processes. • Electrolyte imbalance can affect the tumor microenvironment and many stages of tumorigenesis. • Electrolyte

Mechanical vapor compression Desalination plant at Trombay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adak, A.K.; Kishore, G.; Srivastava, V.K.; Tewari, P.K.

2007-01-01

Desalination plants based on Mechanical Vapour Compression (MVC) technology are inherently the most thermodynamically efficient. The thermodynamic efficiency of the MVC process is derived from the application of the heat pump principle. A single unit of two-effect MVC desalination pilot plant of capacity 50 m3/day has recently been commissioned at Trombay, Mumbai. The desalination unit is very compact and unique of its kind in the seawater desalination technologies and is being operated by using electricity only. Horizontal tube thin film spray desalination evaporators are used for efficient heat transfer. It is suitable for a site, where feed water is highly saline and condenser cooling water is absent and where a thermal heat source is not available. The unit produces high quality water, nearly demineralized (DM) quality directly from seawater. There is no need of polishing unit and product water can be utilized directly as make up of boiler feed and for other high quality process water requirements in the industries. This paper includes the design and highlights the technical features of this unit. (author)

Water desalination with a single-layer MoS2 nanopore

OpenAIRE

Heiranian, Mohammad; Farimani, Amir Barati; Aluru, Narayana R.

2015-01-01

Efficient desalination of water continues to be a problem facing the society. Advances in nanotechnology have led to the development of a variety of nanoporous membranes for water purification. Here we show, by performing molecular dynamics simulations, that a nanopore in a single-layer molybdenum disulfide can effectively reject ions and allow transport of water at a high rate. More than 88% of ions are rejected by membranes having pore areas ranging from 20 to 60??2. Water flux is found to ...

Integrating desalination to reservoir operation to increase redundancy for more secure water supply

Science.gov (United States)

Bhushan, Rashi; Ng, Tze Ling

2016-08-01

We investigate the potential of integrating desalination to existing reservoir systems to mitigate supply uncertainty. Desalinated seawater and wastewater are relatively reliable but expensive. Water from natural resources like reservoirs is generally cheaper but climate sensitive. We propose combining the operation of a reservoir and seawater and wastewater desalination plants for an overall system that is less vulnerable to scarcity and uncertainty, while constraining total cost. The joint system is modeled as a multiobjective optimization problem with the double objectives of minimizing risk and vulnerability, subject to a minimum limit on resilience. The joint model is applied to two cases, one based on the climate and demands of a location in India and the other of a location in California. The results for the Indian case indicate that it is possible for the joint system to reduce risk and vulnerability to zero given a budget increase of 20-120% under current climate conditions and 30-150% under projected future conditions. For the Californian case, this would require budget increases of 20-80% and 30-140% under current and future conditions, respectively. Further, our analysis shows a two-way interaction between the reservoir and desalination plants where the optimal operation of the former is just as much affected by the latter as the latter by the former. This highlights the importance of an integrated management approach. This study contributes to a greater quantitative understanding of desalination as a redundancy measure for adapting water supply infrastructures for a future of greater scarcity and uncertainty.

Multi-objective Optimization of a Solar Humidification Dehumidification Desalination Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Rafigh, M.; Mirzaeian, M.; Najafi, B.; Rinaldi, F.; Marchesi, R.

2017-11-01

In the present paper, a humidification-dehumidification desalination unit integrated with solar system is considered. In the first step mathematical model of the whole plant is represented. Next, taking into account the logical constraints, the performance of the system is optimized. On one hand it is desired to have higher energetic efficiency, while on the other hand, higher efficiency results in an increment in the required area for each subsystem which consequently leads to an increase in the total cost of the plant. In the present work, the optimum solution is achieved when the specific energy of the solar heater and also the areas of humidifier and dehumidifier are minimized. Due to the fact that considered objective functions are in conflict, conventional optimization methods are not applicable. Hence, multi objective optimization using genetic algorithm which is an efficient tool for dealing with problems with conflicting objectives has been utilized and a set of optimal solutions called Pareto front each of which is a tradeoff between the mentioned objectives is generated.

An investigation of desalination by nanofiltration, reverse osmosis and integrated (hybrid NF/RO) membranes employed in brackish water treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Talaeipour, M; Nouri, J; Hassani, A H; Mahvi, A H

2017-01-01

As an appropriate tool, membrane process is used for desalination of brackish water, in the production of drinking water. The present study aims to investigate desalination processes of brackish water of Qom Province in Iran. This study was carried out at the central laboratory of Water and Wastewater Company of the studied area. To this aim, membrane processes, including nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO), separately and also their hybrid process were applied. Moreover, water physical and chemical parameters, including salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), electric conductivity (EC), Na +1 and Cl -1 were also measured. Afterward, the rejection percent of each parameter was investigated and compared using nanofiltration and reverse osmosis separately and also by their hybrid process. The treatment process was performed by Luna domestic desalination device, which its membrane was replaced by two NF90 and TW30 membranes for nanofiltration and reverse osmosis processes, respectively. All collected brackish water samples were fed through membranes NF90-2540, TW30-1821-100(RO) and Hybrid (NF/RO) which were installed on desalination household scale pilot (Luna water 100GPD). Then, to study the effects of pressure on permeable quality of membranes, the simulation software model ROSA was applied. Results showed that percent of the salinity rejection was recorded as 50.21%; 72.82 and 78.56% in NF, RO and hybrid processes, respectively. During the study, in order to simulate the performance of nanofiltartion, reverse osmosis and hybrid by pressure drive, reverse osmosis system analysis (ROSA) model was applied. The experiments were conducted at performance three methods of desalination to remove physic-chemical parameters as percentage of rejections in the pilot plant are: in the NF system the salinity 50.21, TDS 43.41, EC 43.62, Cl 21.1, Na 36.15, and in the RO membrane the salinity 72.02, TDS 60.26, EC 60.33, Cl 43.08, Na 54.41. Also in case of the rejection in

Solar heating - a major source of renewable energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bosselaar, L.

2001-01-01

Actions that can be taken to increase the uptake of technology for solar water heaters and solar buildings are discussed. An overview of existing technology covers solar water heating, solar buildings, space heating, solar cooling, solar drying, solar desalination. Solar water heating, solar buildings and solar crop drying are discussed individually under the sub-headings of (a) the technology; (b) the market; (c) potential; (d) economics and (e) market acceleration strategies. Other subjects discussed are market acceleration, main opportunities, R and D needs and conclusions. The IEA solar heating and solar cooling programme is described

Adsorption Characteristics of Water and Silica Gel System for Desalination Cycle