Integration between concentrated solar power plant and desalination

Abstract

AbstractFresh water and electricity production in desert areas via the use of solar radiation represent examples of sustainability. The concentration of solar power by means of parabolic trough (PT-CSP) technology has a great potential not yet exploited in the realm of renewable energy production. A new technology for the solar energy section is being proposed by the authors which uses air as a working fluid. The use of air allows the cycle to be coupled with an inter-cooled compression section and a re-heated expansion section which is called Discrete Ericsson Cycle, (DEC-based plant). The paper presents an integration of such a CSP-DEC plant with desalination: where freshwater is produced according to a Low Temperature Multi Effect Distillation (LT-MED) technology. The LT-MED plant operates on the heat from the air coolers in the inter-stage cooling of the DEC-based plant. This heat is normally expelled to atmosphere. In fact, the heated air has the same temperature ranges required for the operation of ...