Techno-Economic Optimization of a Solar–Wind Hybrid System to Power a Large-Scale Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant

A M Soliman,Mohamed A Sharaf Eldean,Abdullah G Alharbi

doi:10.3390/su132011508

A M Soliman, Mohamed A Sharaf Eldean + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011508

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Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: Oct 18, 2021
Citations: 10	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Al Jouf University, Suez University

Abstract

Solar-wind hybrid systems have grown to become a pivotal option for powering membrane desalination processes, especially because they have zero harmful emissions. In this work, solar photovoltaic (PV) and horizontal wind turbine (HWT) systems were used to drive a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination process to produce large-capacity fresh water. Moreover, an investigation into a hybrid PV–HWT system combined with RO was also conducted. The proposed systems are compared technically and economically with the solar organic Rankine cycle (SORC) for RO. Technical and analytical optimization methods were performed to minimize the unit product cost (USD/m3). The results revealed that photovoltaic-powered RO is recommended over wind energy operations. However, for large capacities, both thermal and wind farms dominate.

Highlights

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have the world’s lowest per capita availability of water resources [1]
The main performance indicator studied in this work was the unit product cost (UPC) in USD/m3
Previous results indicated that the PV–reverse osmosis (RO) system had the lowest UPC; such a result needs more investigation based on many factors such as the number of wind turbines, modules of watts of PV, and RO operating conditions

Summary

Introduction

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have the world’s lowest per capita availability of water resources [1]. Most MENA countries have a renewable energy potential that encourages the application of solar and wind to drive desalination units. Renewable energy to drive the desalination units is a vital solution to water scarcity in remote areas that lack conventional energy sources like heat and electricity grid [2]. Reverse osmosis (RO) is a modern process to desalinate water for a wide range of applications [3]. For this technique, mechanical energy in the form of a high-pressure pump, not thermal energy, is required. The number of RO plants has increased and the capacity of the units has reached

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Conclusion