Reverse osmosis incorporated into existing cogenerating systems as a sustainable technological alternative for United Arab Emirates

Abstract

The proposed manuscript contains a techno-economic evaluation of a triple hybrid desalination scheme using systemic methodology. According to the systemic approach the system has been represented as a set of submodels of various hierarchy levels. There are three groups of models underlying the system, they are: (a) models describing power-generating technology; (b) model describing RO-desalination, and (c) models describing MSF desalination. Any group of individual models, in turn, consists of a set of submodels of different hierarchy levels, they are: (1) technological submodel, (2) fuel or energy submodel, (3) ecological submodel and (4) economic submodel. A load-dependent cost of thermal and electrical energy produced by a power generating system and consumed by RO and MSF is considered in the study. The manuscript contains a set of calculated projections for the cost of water produced by RO and MSF within the triple scheme. The manuscript contains the analysis of the behavior at various technological parameters and economic assumptions such as load, specific fuel consumption, cost of primary energy and carbon tax. Upon calculated results the following conclusions have been drawn: (1) A decrease of the load of a power generating system from 100 to 20% will increase the water cost from $0.94/m 3 to $1.27/m 3 and from $0.69/m 3 to $0.87/m 3, desalted by MSF and RO respectively; (2) Growth of cost of primary fuel from $I/GJ to $4/GJ will increase the water cost from $0.94/m 3 to $1.37/m 3, and from $0.69/m' to $0.821m' of water desalted by MSF and RO respectively. The array of calculated data and projections is attached.