Sea Level Rise Mitigation by Global Sea Water Desalination Using Renewable-Energy-Powered Plants

scarcity. Underground water is mostly saline and other sources are small seasonal rivers and dams that collect rain water for sprawling population. Desalination plants can alleviate this problem to an extent. This paper examines various desalination plants, provides detailed technical discussion of Passive Vacuum Flash Type Solar Thermal technology and compares it with Concentrating Solar Desalination technology. Comprehensive levelised cost of water calculations are laid out for conventional Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant, Photovoltaic (PV) RO plant, conventional thermal Multi Effect Desalination (MED) plant and solar thermal MED plant. PVRO with cost of PKR 0.39 per gallon is the most suitable option.

Fresh water production is one of the main concerns in the new century. Population grows fast and potable water resources are decreased. In the other hand energy crises would also be another issue that must be well addressed by the politicians and also scientists. Developing desalination plant with using renewable energy (particularly solar energy) is one of the important options to overcome these concerns. Thus many researchers have been working on different desalination plants to find the best conditions and to realize the most efficient performances for different cycles. Different approaches have been used to achieve the most efficient conditions or to find the optimum operation and design conditions. Some of the researchers used parametric study approach while many other adopted different conventional optimization algorithms for these tasks. The algorithms such as gradient based algorithm, genetic algorithm, search and pattern algorithm and neural network method have been used in the field of desalination. For instance; Ophir and Lokiec (2005) described the design principles of a MED plant and various energy considerations that result in an economical MED process and plant. Kamali and Mohebbinia (2007) showed that parametric study as one of the optimization methods on thermo-hydraulic data strongly helps to increase GOR value inside MED-TVC systems. Shamel and Chung (2006) used parametric study to find the optimum condition of a Reverse Osmosis (RO) system for sea water desalination. Metaiche et al (2008) developed optimization software, Desaltop, for RO system for water desalination. They used genetic algorithm to find suitable operating parameters and also to find appropriate type of membrane. Al-Shayji (1998) used neural network method for optimization of large-scale commercial desalination plants. Djebedjian et al. (2008) used genetic algorithm for optimization of a reverse osmosis desalination system. Mussati et al. (2003) used an evolutionary algorithm for the optimization of Multi Stage Flash (MSF) system. Finding the optimum conditions is a major challenge on the desalination plant studies. The plant performance depends on several different variables and constraints that need exhausting efforts to find the optimum conditions. This chapter introduces Design of Experiment (DOE) method as a statistical tool for optimization of desalination systems. Thus two different desalination plants; Multi-Effect Desalination (MED) system and solar desalination using humidification–dehumidification cycle (SDHD) have been considered to show the ability of DOE method for optimizing such systems. These both desalination plants could use the low graded heating energy sources

<p indent="0mm">As the world’s population continues to grow and industry develops, the global demand for fresh water continues to increase, leading to global fresh water shortages. Desalination technology is one of the important means to solve global water shortages. The causes of global water shortages include but are not limited to: global population growth, climate change and excessive water use. In recent years, many desalination plants have been built in water-scarce areas to increase available water resources. Global desalination capacity has exceeded 100 million cubic meters per day. However, the rapid expansion of the desalination industry has also exposed many new problems, such as uneven technological development in various regions and low construction and operation efficiency. Regarding the future of seawater desalination, IDRA proposed that “reverse osmosis is moving towards a digital and standardized world” as one of the key development directions. In particular, the standardization of seawater desalination has gained significant attention as a pathway toward smarter desalination practices. The development and implementation of standards not only regulate and guide the desalination market and industry but also drive technological advancements. Furthermore, international standards in seawater desalination can foster innovation and the application of new technologies, processes, equipment, and materials while enhancing communication and cooperation among international organizations. This paper provides a systematic review of the seawater desalination industry and its technological advancements, highlighting its transition toward large-scale, eco-friendly, and standardized solutions. Since international standards for seawater desalination are primarily set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), this study focuses on the development and application of ISO standards in this field. The relevant ISO standards have been categorized into three groups: desalination-specific ISO standards, generic technology ISO standards, and process-applied ISO standards. In 2015, ISO established the Seawater Desalination Working Group (ISO/TC8/SC13/WG3) under the Ships and Marine Technology Committee/Marine Technology Subcommittee. To date, ISO/TC8/SC13/WG3 has published two desalination-specific ISO standards related to Reverse Osmosis (RO) product water and basic desalination vocabulary. Additionally, membrane desalination technologies such as RO, ultrafiltration (UF), and nanofiltration (NF) are applicable to other water treatment plants. As a result, generic technology ISO standards related to membrane filtration technologies can guide the design and evaluation of membrane-based seawater desalination. Moreover, seawater desalination engineering is a multidisciplinary integration system. Process-applied ISO standards help coordinate various aspects, including engineering management, operations, equipment, testing, and quality control, ensuring the efficient construction and operation of standardized desalination plants. Since all ISO standards are developed under the guidance of Technical Committees (TCs), this study conducts a comprehensive review of TCs relevant to seawater desalination, aligned with the desalination process flow, to provide deeper insights into the standards’ content and applications. Finally, this paper explores and proposes future prospects for developing and revising ISO standards in seawater desalination. The study aims to identify applicable ISO standards that facilitate regulatory desalination management, promote the sustainable development of desalination industries, enhance engineering efficiency, and drive technological innovation. Additionally, we encourage experts and stakeholders in the seawater desalination sector to actively participate in ISO/TC8/SC13/WG3 to contribute to drafting desalination standards, accelerating the standardization process, and fostering high-quality development in the industry.

Water is one of the most stressed resources on the planet. The limited availability of fresh water and the high cost of transportation have led to an increased interest in water desalination technologies. The two main categories of desalination techniques are membrane desalination and thermal desalination. Membrane technologies include pressure driven and electrical driven membranes. On the other hand, thermal desalination includes: multi-effect desalination (MED), multi-stage flash (MSF) desalination, and mechanical vapor compression desalination. Multi-effect desalination plants are usually made of a series of evaporators (also known as effects). In each effect, hot steam flows inside the tubes and evaporates the seawater that falls on the outside of the tubes. The vapor formed at each effect flows to the next effect and acts as the heating medium for the falling seawater. The prevailing flow mode of the falling seawater (i.e. droplet, jet, or sheet) influences heat and mass transfer as well as dry out in the evaporators of Multi-Effect Desalination (MED) plants. The objective of this paper is to predict and discuss the prevailing falling film flow modes in the evaporators of MED plants, under different operating conditions. The paper demonstrates the transitional Reynolds numbers between the main falling film modes for seawater. This closes a gap in the literature where there is a dearth of mode transition data for seawater. The effect of fluid properties and tube geometry on the transitions is discussed in details. The accuracy of the predicted transitional Reynolds numbers is evaluated via uncertainty quantification techniques.

The efficacy of seawater desalination has a profound impact in terms of reducing the water demand-supply gap especially in dry and arid countries. In UAE, 90% of the country’s water supply relies solely on desalinated water where a high share of the desalination plant’s output is aimed towards water supply for residential buildings. The hospitality sector consumes 50% more than the global average. The purpose of this paper is to determine the technical and economic viability for the integration of a concentrated photovoltaic thermal (CPV/T) system with a hybrid reverse osmosis (RO) and multi effect desalination (MED) plant. The system was designed to meet the water demand of a luxurious beach resort located in Fujairah. The resort accommodates about 110 occupancies per day. The estimated water consumption is 51m3/hr. The proposed system was analyzed with the aid of numerical simulation and reverse engineering calculations. The capacity of the CPV/T module, which represents the electrical and thermal energy output supplied to the RO and MED plant was determined using TRNSYS software. The results showed an efficient solar system providing electricity of 3500 kWh/year and thermal energy of 14,100 kWh/year, that is required to meet the water consumption of the hotel. In addition, the proposed system proved to be economically feasible, achieving a payback period of 3.6 years under an average lifetime of 20 years.

Design of a 1.4 mgd desalination plant based on MSF and RO processes for an arid area in India

Design of a 1.4 mgd desalination plant based on MSF and RO processes for an arid area in India

Impact of solar energy cost on water production cost of seawater desalination plants in Egypt

This article deals with the desalination of seawater and brackish water, which can deal with the problem of water scarcity that threatens certain countries in the world; it is now possible to meet the demand for drinking water. Currently, among the various desalination processes, the reverse osmosis technique is the most used. Electrical energy consumption is the most attractive factor in the cost of operating seawater by reverse osmosis in desalination plants. Desalination of water by solar energy can be considered as a very important drinking water alternative. For determining the electrical energy consumption of a single reverse osmosis module, we used the System Advisor Model (SAM) to determine the technical characteristics and costs of a parabolic cylindrical installation and Reverse Osmosis System Analysis (ROSA) to obtain the electrical power of a single reverse osmosis module. The electrical power of a single module is 4101 KW; this is consistent with the manufacturer's data that this power must be between 3900 kW and 4300 KW. Thus, the energy consumption of the system is 4.92 KWh/m3.Thermal power produced by the solar cylindro-parabolic field during the month of May has the maximum that is 208MWth, and the minimum value during the month of April, which equals 6 MWth. Electrical power produced by the plant varied between 47MWe, and 23.8MWe. The maximum energy was generated during the month of July (1900 MWh) with the maximum energy stored (118 MWh).

Techno-economic analysis of a combined concentrated solar power and water desalination plant

Advanced MED process for most economical sea water desalination

Membranes are widely used in industrial separation processes, particularly for gas separation and desalination processes. To develop membrane materials with improved permeability, selectivity can achieve more energy-efficient membrane separations and reduce costs. Since composite membranes offer improved performance, the aim of this research is to develop polymer-based composite membranes with improved performance for gas separation and water desalination applications. First, in order to obtain a composite membranes with high chlorine tolerance, a carbonaceous poly(furfuryl alcohol) (PFA) composite membrane was synthesized at a low temperature carbonation by formation and post-treatment of a thin PFA layer on porous polymer substrates. The carbonaceous PFA membrane exhibits high selectivity and excellent chemical stability in seawater desalination. The low-temperature carbonization method developed in this study is promising for developing a wide range of other carbonaceous polymer composite membranes for water desalination. Next, in order to apply PFA to other applications, understanding the effects of polymerization conditions on the properties of the PFA composite membrane is required. The PFA membrane was fully characterized in terms of microstructure and separation properties. Suitable synthesis conditions for the preparation of PFA composite membranes with smooth surfaces and uniform structure were (1) FA/ H2SO4 molar ratios: 74-300, (2) polymerization temperatures: 80-100°C and (3) solvents: ethanol and acetone. The preparation conditions were also optimized. The PFA composite membrane prepared with a FA/ H2SO4 molar ratio of 250, a polymerization temperature of 80°C and with ethanol as the solvent exhibited the highest H2/N2 ideal selectivity (αH2/N2=24.9), and a H2 permeability of 206 Barrers. This work led to a better understanding of the effect of the preparation procedures on the membrane performance. In order to investigate the effects of the incorporation of molecular sieve nanoparticles on the membrane structure and membrane performance, silicalite-poly(furfuryl alcohol) (PFA) mixed matrix composite membranes were successfully synthesized based on the best synthesis condition obtained previously. The silicalite-PFA mixed matrix composite membrane with 20% w/w silicalite loading had a high ideal selectivity (αo2/N2= 3.5 and αco2/N2= 5.4) and a good permeability (Po2= 821.2, Pco2= 1263.7, PN2= 233.3 Barrers) at room temperature. This membrane can be a good candidate for oxygen enrichment applications. Finally, in order to investigate the effects of the incorporation of silicalite nanocrystals on the desalination property of polyamide membranes, silicalite nanocrystals were also incorporated into polyamide matrix to synthesize silicalite-polyamide mixed matrix membranes. With an increase in the loading of silicalite nanocrystals, the water flux of silicalite-polyamide mixed matrix composite membranes increased whereas the salt selectivity significantly decreased. The silicalite-polyamide mixed matrix composite membrane prepared from TMC-hexane with 0.5% (w/v) silicalite had water flux of 2.7×10-6 m3/m2·s and NaCl rejection of 50% at a feed pressure of 34.5 bar which 2000 ppm salt solution was used as the feed. The silicalite-polyamide mixed matrix composite membrane is promising for developing high water flux composite membranes for water desalination. In this research, composite membranes with improved permeability, selectivity and chemical resistance were successfully synthesized for desalination and gas separation. For desalination, carbonaceous PFA composite membranes with high chlorine tolerance and silicalite-PA mixed matrix composite membranes with high salt rejection and water flux were successfully obtained. For gas separation, an optimized composite membranes PFA synthesis condition was found and silicalite-PFA mixed matrix composite membranes with high O2/N2 separation were successfully synthesized.

Access to potable water is needed for every human. Desalination of seawater is a reliable method to ensure this necessity is provided. As renewable generators are pollution free, they are gaining importance in powering reverse osmosis (RO) plants. Penetration of renewable energy into the desalination industry bought new operational challenges. This manuscript aims at maximizing the renewable energy utilization and reducing the operational cost of an RO desalination plant using unit commitment incorporated with co-operative demand side management (DSM). For the flexible operation of the RO plant, it is proposed to design the system as a number of independent units. Partial operation of RO units is also considered in the present study. The proposed unit commitment with DSM schedules both generators and RO units with minimum operational costs. The proposed method is applied to grid-connected and islanded RO plant. PV, wind turbines, diesel generator, and battery are the generators considered for the study. The results obtained are compared with the conventional unit commitment scheduling algorithm.

Water scarcity represents one of the most critical environmental and economic challenges worldwide, especially in arid and semi-arid regions lacking access to reliable freshwater sources. In response, seawater desalination has emerged as a strategic solution to ensure a sustainable and secure supply of potable water for various applications. Among desalination technologies, Reverse Osmosis (RO) stands out for its high efficiency and widespread adoption, primarily due to its relatively low specific energy consumption compared to thermal-based methods. However, high operational costs particularly those related to energy consumption remain a barrier, as most conventional desalination plants rely on fossil fuels, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. In this context, integrating renewable energy sources, specifically solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy, offers a viable pathway to reduce operational expenditures and minimize environmental impact. Several studies have demonstrated that hybrid renewable energy systems can enhance the sustainability and energy autonomy of desalination plants, aligning with Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study conducts a techno-economic analysis of a Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) plant located in Al Wajh, Saudi Arabia. Detailed Capital expenditures (CAPEX) and Operational Expenditures (OPEX) were estimated for both conventional electricity-based operation and for configurations utilizing solar and wind energy in the same location. An energy simulation model was conducted to determine the optimal number of wind turbines required to maximize energy efficiency while minimizing excess power generation. The analysis revealed that the SWRO powered by renewable energy achieved an energy efficiency of 99%, compared to its conventional electricity-powered counterpart, with an energy surplus of no more than 4%. CAPEX and OPEX cost projections were calculated for both scenarios: conventional grid electricity and renewable energy sources. The findings indicated that the unit production cost per cubic meter of the SWRO plant was 0.59–0.76 $/m3 in the case of grid electricity, whereas it was 0.74–1.12 $/m3 under renewable energy integration. This cost disparity is primarily attributed to the higher CAPEX required for the renewable energy-powered SWRO system, which amounted to 0.28–0.36 $/m3, in contrast to a significantly lower CAPEX of only 0.06–0.09 $/m3 for the electricity-based SWRO configuration. Moreover, artificial intelligence (AI) was employed to support the results and forecast future water demand based on regional climate conditions and consumption patterns. The study concludes with a set of recommendations aimed at optimizing the integration of renewable energy technologies into desalination systems to enhance long-term economic and environmental sustainability.

Desalination technologies and their environmental impacts: A review