Design of a small mobile PV-driven RO water desalination plant to be deployed at the northwest coast of Egypt

Abstract

AbstractWater desalination projects based on reverse osmosis (RO) technology are being introduced in Egypt to combat drinking water shortage in remote areas. RO desalination is a pressure-driven process. This paper focuses on the design of an integrated brackish water and seawater RO desalination and solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. A small Mobile PV-driven RO desalination plant prototype without batteries is designed and tested. Solar-driven RO desalination can potentially break the dependence of conventional desalination on fossil fuels, reduce operational costs, and improve environmental sustainability. Moreover, the innovative features incorporated in the newly designed PV–RO plant prototype are focusing on improving the cost effectiveness of producing drinkable water in remote areas. This is achieved by maximizing energy yield through an integrated automatic single axis PV tracking system with programmed tilting angle adjustment. An autonomous cleaning system for PV modules is adopted for maximizi...