Investigate the potential of using trilateral flash cycle for combined desalination and power generation integrated with salinity gradient solar ponds

This paper examines the concept of using the trilateral flash cycle for combined desalination and power generation from salinity gradient solar ponds in the salt affected areas of Australia. Firstly causes of the high salinity in the ground waters of northern Victoria, Australia are discussed. Existing salinity mitigation schemes are introduced and the integration of solar ponds with those schemes is discussed. Further the basic working principle of the combined desalination and power generation system is discussed followed by discussion of the governing equation and thermodynamics used in the desalination and power generation process. Experimental setup and the test results are briefly explained to give an idea of the performance of the present system. Later it is shown how a combined desalination and power generation system can be coupled with a solar pond for fresh water production and power generation. Following the introduction of this concept the preliminary design is presented for a demonstration of a combined desalination and power plant coupled with a solar pond of 10000 m2 surface area and a depth of 3 m located in the northern region of Victoria. The performance, including fresh water output, power output and efficiency of the proposed plant operating in northern Victoria is analysed and the results are discussed.