5th International Symposium on the Desalination of Sea and Salt Water

The desalination of sea and salty water is one of the alternatives in solving the problem of freshwater recourses shortage. Reverse osmosis and distillation desalination methods are widely used for industrial, household and potable water supply. Each method requires definite energy and material costs. That’s why the problem of developing and researching the most effective energy and financial desalination plants is up to date. The aim of our research is the analysis of self-sufficient hygroscopic desalination plant operation efficiency. The comparative analysis of the most popular desalination methods has been carried out. The authors describe the desalination plant components and its operation principle. The main factors that influence plant intensity are determined. The plant developed efficiency is to increase the performance due to additional steam generation on the basis of steam-gas-liquid balanced condition law. Energy effectiveness increase is reached thanks to heat energy recycling in a condenser-separator and in a fresh water coil. The authors state that one of the best ways to accelerate the hygroscopic desalination process is to increase the initial temperature of water in barbotage area. The plant developed is characterized with high energy effectiveness, low costs and high quality of fresh water obtained.

Identification of the mixing processes in brine discharges carried out in Barranco del Toro Beach, south of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands)

Desalination and the environment

Desalination and the environment

Both brackish water desalination and seawater desalination processes are well established and in common use around the globe to create new water supply sources. The farther the location of the source water from the ocean or seashore, the lower the salinity (TDS) of the water and the lower the osmotic pressure that needs to be overcome when desalinated water is produced. This is one of the major reasons that brackish desalination is often considered less costly than seawater desalination. A number of project considerations, however, indicate that seawater desalination can be beneficial and more cost-effective than brackish water desalination. To make a fair comparison, we need to properly compare all major aspects of both types of projects to define the best and most appropriate desalination technology. While brackish water has less feed water TDS, it is more challenging to dispose of the produced concentrate. Also, although brackish water desalination needs less energy to overcome osmotic pressure, it usually requires more energy to draw the water from the well than it takes to pump seawater from the open ocean intake. Another factor is that the temperature of the brackish well water may be lower than the temperature of ocean water, giving seawater desalination an advantage in energy demand. In comparing brackish to seawater desalination, these major aspects should be evaluated: (1) Locations of seawater and brackish water plants, relative to the major consumers of the desalinated water, (2) Transportation (pumping and disposal) costs of the feed water and produced water, (3) Potential colocation of a seawater plant with a large industrial user (e.g., power plant) of the seawater for cooling or other purposes, (4) Produced quality of brackish water and seawater desalination in terms of major minerals and emerging contaminants, (5) Sustainability of the water source: capacity and depth of the brackish water wells, as well as the type of soil. (6) Technical and economic aspects of produced concentrate disposal, (7) Permitting process costs for brackish and seawater desalination, and (8) The economics of both brackish and seawater desalination treatment processes: capital costs, operational and maintenance (O&M) costs, lifetime water cost, and total water cost (TWC). This paper discusses the major evaluation criteria and considerations involved in properly comparing the economic and technical aspects of brackish and seawater desalination to determine the more favorable desalination technology for a given desalination project.

Multi-effect still for hybrid solar/fossil desalination of sea- and brackish water

§ 1 - Production of potable and industrial water

Desalination of sea and geothermal water on commercial membranes using pervaporation

Heat recovery from sulphuric acid plants for seawater desalination

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Historic background of desalination and renewable energies

Boron behavior during desalination of sea and underground water by electrodialysis

Brackish and seawater pretreatment processes: A systematic literature review

The development of an energy-sufficient desert settlement may be one of the most challenging tasks facing engineers today. Such a settlement requires considerable amounts of energy not only for conventional food production needs, such as water pumping and irrigation, but also for the production of fresh water and for modifying the harsh summer environment for human habitation as well as food production. A typical site for a desert settlement is often characterized by its long hot summers, its remoteness (away from any electric grid), and the presence of little or no fresh water suitable for humans or food production. In such areas, the only means of obtaining fresh water is through the desalination of sea or brackish waters using oil and natural gas. Such a dependence on an exhaustible resource is not only expensive, but also unwise, in the long run. The only permanent, inexhaustible source of energy available for desert areas is the sun. It is also the excessive solar radiation that is responsib...

Water stress is an important issue throughout India today, and ways to augment water are needed urgently. One of the methods is the desalination of sea and brackish water. There are various desalination techniques, and both thermal and membrane systems have been addressed in this chapter. The negative impact of the desalination system is discussed. National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) under Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has developed a technology called Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD), which has been successfully operating in the Lakshadweep islands for several years with no visible environmental impact. An offshore barge-mounted plant and one in a power plant using the condenser reject heat have also been demonstrated successfully. To reduce the usage of fossil fuels for powering desalination systems, it may be prudent to use renewable energies. Lastly, the ecological and environmental costs should be considered to arrive at the cost of any technology. MoES through its institute NIOT thus has made a tremendous societal impact through this technology developed for the first time in the world and implemented in Indian waters.