Abstract
Reliable production of freshwater and energy is vital for tackling two of the most critical issues the world is facing today: climate change and sustainable development. In this light, a comprehensive review is performed on the foremost renewable energy-driven polygeneration systems for freshwater production using thermal and membrane desalination. Thus, this review is designed to outline the latest developments on integrated polygeneration and desalination systems based on multi-stage flash (MSF), multi-effect distillation (MED), humidification-dehumidification (HDH), and reverse osmosis (RO) technologies. Special attention is paid to innovative approaches for modelling, design, simulation, and optimization to improve energy, exergy, and thermo-economic performance of decentralized polygeneration plants accounting for electricity, space heating and cooling, domestic hot water, and freshwater production, among others. Different integrated renewable energy-driven polygeneration and desalination systems are investigated, including those assisted by solar, biomass, geothermal, ocean, wind, and hybrid renewable energy sources. In addition, recent literature applying energy, exergy, exergoeconomic, and exergoenvironmental analysis is reviewed to establish a comparison between a range of integrated renewable-driven polygeneration and desalination systems.
Highlights
Global energy and freshwater demands have risen hand-in-hand with population growth and economic development over the past decades
Part of the cooling brine is extracted from upper parts of the system and directly reinjected into flashing chambers of the down stages. This system modification demands extra piping since the extracted brine is not preheated before reinjection. While their modelling approach allows investigating single and multiple-point extractions of brine, the results show that the former is more suitable due to relative configuration simplicity and improved performance
A typical reverse osmosis (RO) unit used for Seawater desalination (SWD) with production capacity of energy are required for high-salinity feedwaters as a result of the higher osmotic pressures required in the process [21]
Summary
Global energy and freshwater demands have risen hand-in-hand with population growth and economic development over the past decades. As far as water scarcity issue is concerned, integrating desalination technologies to conventional polygeneration systems can be considered for meeting freshwater demands, in highly water-stressed countries In this light, the most promising alternatives include the integration of the thermal and membrane desalination technologies such as multi-stage flash (MSF), multi-effect distillation (MED), humidification-dehumidification (HDH), and reverse osmosis (RO). In this light, the most promising alternatives include the integration of the thermal and membrane desalination 2techof 29 nologies such as multi-stage flash (MSF), multi-effect distillation (MED), humidificationdehumidification (HDH), and reverse osmosis (RO).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
