29-08-2017, 11:08 AM
The use of solar energy in the processes of thermal desalination is one of the most promising applications of renewable energies. Solar desalination can be direct; use solar energy to produce distillate directly in the solar collector, or indirectly; combining conventional desalination techniques such as multistage instantaneous desalination (MSF), vapor compression (VC), reverse osmosis (RO), membrane distillation (MD) and electrodialysis, with solar collectors for the generation of heat. Direct solar desalination compared to indirect technologies requires large areas and has relatively low productivity. However, it is competitive for indirect desalination plants in small scale production because of its relatively low cost and simplicity.
Solar desalination is a rapidly growing field of research. The next global oil crisis implies that alternatives to conventional desalination plants based on fossil fuels must be developed. Solar desalination can be direct, with collectors and condensers integrated with each other, or indirectly, with capacitors connected externally to the capacitors. Direct solar desalination requires large areas and has relatively low productivity compared to indirect technologies. However, it is competitive for indirect desalination plants in small-scale production because of its relatively low cost and simplicity. Indirect solar desalination usually means combining conventional desalination techniques, such as MSF, ME or RO, with solar collectors for heat generation. This state-of-the-art report presents the principles and characteristics of some of the recently developed direct and indirect solar desalination techniques.
Solar desalination is a rapidly growing field of research. The next global oil crisis implies that alternatives to conventional desalination plants based on fossil fuels must be developed. Solar desalination can be direct, with collectors and condensers integrated with each other, or indirectly, with capacitors connected externally to the capacitors. Direct solar desalination requires large areas and has relatively low productivity compared to indirect technologies. However, it is competitive for indirect desalination plants in small-scale production because of its relatively low cost and simplicity. Indirect solar desalination usually means combining conventional desalination techniques, such as MSF, ME or RO, with solar collectors for heat generation. This state-of-the-art report presents the principles and characteristics of some of the recently developed direct and indirect solar desalination techniques.