A solar driven hybrid photovoltaic module/direct contact membrane distillation system for electricity generation and water desalination

Abstract

A novel hybrid system primarily consisting of a photovoltaic module (PVM) and a direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) is proposed, where the relatively long wavelength sunlight transmitted through the PVM is converted into heat and then supplied to the DCMD for water purification. The models of both PVM and DCMD are mathematically formulated and validated, and the performance of the hybrid system is evaluated by considering the benefits of the addition of DCMD. Numerical calculation results predict that maximum energy efficiency (MEE) and maximum power density (MPD) of the hybrid system are, respectively, 60.73% and 607.29 W m−2, which are dramatically greater than that of the single PVM of 11.15% and 111.48 W m−2. The proposed hybrid system is demonstrated to be an effective architecture to enhance the energy conversion efficiency. Extensive parametric analyses are undertaken to explore how the hybrid system performance is affected by some important operating conditions, including feed water temperature, permeate water temperature, flow velocities of feed water and permeate water. Furthermore, the specific performances of the hybrid system and DCMD are studied under the maximum power condition.