Water desalination with concentrating photovoltaic/thermal (CPVT) systems

A coupled system is proposed, comprised of a concentrating photovoltaic/thermal collector field and a multi-effect evaporation desalination plant. The combined system produces solar electricity and simultaneously exploits the waste heat of the photovoltaic cells to desalinate water. A detailed simulation was performed to compute the annual production of electricity and water. The cost of desalinated water was estimated and compared to that of alternative conventional and solar desalination plants. Several economic scenarios were analyzed. The results indicate that the proposed coupled plant can have a significant advantage relative to other solar desalination approaches. In some cases, CPVT desalination is even more cost-effective than conventional desalination.

[1]  Lourdes García-Rodríguez,et al.  Thermo-economic analysis of a solar multi-effect distillation plant installed at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria (Spain) , 1999 .

[2]  Lourdes García-Rodríguez,et al.  Seawater desalination driven by renewable energies: a review , 2002 .

[3]  Daniel Feuermann,et al.  The Negev Radiation Survey , 2004 .

[4]  P. Riesch,et al.  A cost effective absorption chiller with plate heat exchangers using water and hydroxides , 1998 .

[5]  H. Zondag,et al.  PV thermal systems: PV panels supplying renewable electricity and heat , 2004 .

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

[7]  Lourdes García-Rodríguez,et al.  Exergy analysis of the SOL-14 plant (Plataforma Solar de Almería, Spain) , 2001 .

[8]  T. Fuyuki,et al.  Annual output estimation of concentrator photovoltaic systems using high-efficiency InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells based on experimental solar cell's characteristics and field-test meteorological data , 2006 .

[9]  Gabriel Sala,et al.  Some Results of the EUCLIDES Photovoltaic Concentrator Prototype , 1997 .

[10]  Abraham Kribus,et al.  Solar cooling with concentrating photovoltaic/thermal (CPVT) systems , 2007 .

[11]  G. Mittelman,et al.  Large-Scale Solar Thermal Desalination Plants: A Review , 2007 .

[12]  Soteris A. Kalogirou,et al.  The potential of solar industrial process heat applications , 2003 .

[13]  Swapnil Dubey,et al.  Thermal modeling of a combined system of photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) solar water heater , 2008 .

[14]  Abraham Kribus,et al.  A miniature concentrating photovoltaic and thermal system , 2006 .

[15]  Ali M. El-Nashar,et al.  The solar desalination plant in Abu Dhabi : 13 years of performance and operation history , 1998 .

[16]  J. Schmid,et al.  Feasibility study of brackish water desalination in the Egyptian deserts and rural regions using PV systems , 2002 .

[17]  J. Brau,et al.  Study of a new concept of photovoltaic-thermal hybrid collector , 2007 .

[18]  J. Walton,et al.  Desalination coupled with salinity-gradient solar ponds , 2001 .

[19]  Neil M. Wade,et al.  Distillation plant development and cost update , 2001 .

[20]  E. Tzen,et al.  Design and development of a hybrid autonomous system for seawater desalination , 2004 .

[21]  Eduardo Zarza,et al.  Advanced MED solar desalination plants. Configurations, costs, future — seven years of experience at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria (Spain) , 1997 .

[22]  Abraham Kribus,et al.  Cogeneration With Concentrating Photovoltaic Systems , 2005 .

[23]  Richard M. Swanson,et al.  The promise of concentrators , 2000 .

[24]  H. Ettouney,et al.  Fundamentals of Salt Water Desalination , 2002 .

[25]  Jürgen Rheinländer,et al.  Seawater reverse osmosis powered from renewable energy sources - hybrid wind/photovoltaic/grid power supply for small-scale desalination in Libya☆☆☆ , 2003 .

[26]  Peter N. Gorley,et al.  Photovoltaic solar cells performance at elevated temperatures , 2005 .