Sustainable low temperature desalination: A case for renewable energy

In this paper, different configurations for running a low temperature desalination process at a production capacity of 100 liters/day are presented. Renewable energy sources such as solar and geothermal energy sources are evaluated as renewable, reliable, and suitable energy sources for driving the low temperature desalination process round the clock. A case study is presented to evaluate the feasibility of sustainable recovery of potable water from the effluent streams of wastewater treatment plant. Results obtained from theoretical and experimental studies demonstrate that the low temperature desalination unit has the potential for large scale applications using renewable energy sources to produce freshwater in a sustainable manner. The following renewable energy/waste heat recovery configurations may produce around 100 liters/day of desalinated water: (1) solar collector area of 18 m2 with a thermal energy storage (TES) volume of 3 m3; (2) photovoltaic thermal collector area of 30 m2 to provide 14–18 k...

[1]  Nagamany Nirmalakhandan,et al.  Desalination Using Low-Grade Heat Sources , 2007 .

[2]  Nagamany Nirmalakhandan,et al.  Renewable and sustainable approaches for desalination , 2010 .

[3]  D. Yogi Goswami,et al.  Analysis of an innovative water desalination system using low-grade solar heat☆ , 2003 .

[4]  H. P. Garg,et al.  SOME ASPECTS OF A PV/T COLLECTOR/FORCED CIRCULATION FLAT PLATE SOLAR WATER HEATER WITH SOLAR CELLS , 1995 .

[5]  F. Lokiec,et al.  Low-temperature distillation processes in single- and dual-purpose plants☆ , 2001 .

[6]  S. R. Bull,et al.  Renewable energy today and tomorrow , 2001, Proc. IEEE.

[7]  Zeinab S. Abdel-Rehim,et al.  Experimental and theoretical study of a solar desalination system located in Cairo, Egypt , 2007 .

[8]  Soteris A. Kalogirou,et al.  Seawater desalination using renewable energy sources , 2005 .

[9]  T. Bergene,et al.  Model calculations on a flat-plate solar heat collector with integrated solar cells , 1995 .

[10]  Nagamany Nirmalakhandan,et al.  Combined desalination and solar-assisted air-conditioning system , 2008 .

[11]  Patrick Hofer-Noser,et al.  Technical and economic aspects of small-scale solar-pond-powered seawater desalination systems , 1999 .

[12]  Nagamany Nirmalakhandan,et al.  Low temperature process to recover impaired waters , 2010 .

[13]  Nagamany Nirmalakhandan,et al.  Desalination at low temperatures and low pressures , 2009 .

[14]  A. E. Kabeel,et al.  Performance of solar still with a concave wick evaporation surface , 2009 .