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Design and simulation of a heat-driven direct reverse osmosis device for seawater desalination powered by solar thermal energy

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  • Godart, Peter

Abstract

This paper presents the design and simulation of a high-performance, low-cost, and robust method for using solar thermal energy to power small-scale and short-term seawater desalination via reverse osmosis (RO). In this proposed approach, solar radiation heats a piston containing a saturated working fluid, which directly pressurizes a feed water reservoir connected to an RO membrane assembly. A dynamic simulation of this heat-driven direct reverse osmosis (HDRO) process was developed and used to perform a sensitivity analysis of the device’s performance over a range of system geometric parameters, component-level material properties, and ambient conditions. The results of this sensitivity analysis were used to configure a representative solar-powered HDRO device that could be constructed from cheap, off-the-shelf components and be carried by a single adult. The operation of this resultant device was simulated using historical solar irradiance and air temperature data provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Over a full day, the simulated portable system was able to produce 5.98 L of pure water from 35 g NaCl/L salinity seawater at a cycle-averaged performance ratio (PR) of 4.1 with a midday peak of 4.41. A first law efficiency analysis indicates that there is significant room for improving the system performance, should PR need to be optimized over manufacturability and portability instead. Consequently, the results presented here indicate the potential efficacy of HDRO as a solution for small-scale off-grid seawater desalination applications.

Suggested Citation

  • Godart, Peter, 2021. "Design and simulation of a heat-driven direct reverse osmosis device for seawater desalination powered by solar thermal energy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:284:y:2021:i:c:s0306261920314744
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.116039
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ghaffour, Noreddine & Lattemann, Sabine & Missimer, Thomas & Ng, Kim Choon & Sinha, Shahnawaz & Amy, Gary, 2014. "Renewable energy-driven innovative energy-efficient desalination technologies," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 1155-1165.
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    3. Dallas, Stewart & Sumiyoshi, N. & Kirk, J. & Mathew, K. & Wilmot, N., 2009. "Efficiency analysis of the Solarflow – An innovative solar-powered desalination unit for treating brackish water," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 397-400.
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    3. Ariana M. Pietrasanta & Mostafa F. Shaaban & Pio A. Aguirre & Sergio F. Mussati & Mohamed A. Hamouda, 2023. "Simulation and Optimization of Renewable Energy-Powered Desalination: A Bibliometric Analysis and Highlights of Recent Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-28, June.
    4. Yu, Xiyu & Huang, Maoquan & Wang, Xinyu & Sun, Qie & Tang, G.H. & Du, Mu, 2022. "Toward optical selectivity aerogels by plasmonic nanoparticles doping," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 741-751.

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