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Desalination Processes by Renewable Energy (RE)
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Desalination Processes by Renewable Energy (RE)

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2022) | Viewed by 14992

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Agustin M. Delgado-Torres

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of La Laguna (ULL), La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain
Interests: Solar Organic Rankine Cycle and its use in desalination and poligeneration, Concentrated Solar Power + Desalination (CSP+D), Tidal/solar desalination
Prof. Dr. Lourdes García-Rodríguez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Energy Engineering, University of Seville, 41092 Seville, Spain
Interests: solar desalination based on solar micro gas turbines and other processes; hybrid tidal/solar-driven desalination; wind-powered desalination; reverse osmosis and distillation processes; applications of forward osmosis and pressure retarded osmosis to seawater desalination
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The practice of global water desalination has experienced an extraordinary expansion, with a fourfold increase in total installed capacity in the last two decades. However, the energy required by this process is still obtained from conventional fuels. Given the expected growth of the desalination sector in the future and the mandatory efforts to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, the use of renewable energy (RE) to produce freshwater has become an increasingly important goal in regions where water shortages are expected in the future. Reverse osmosis (RO) is the membrane-based process that currently dominates the desalination sector, but other desalination techniques are being researched. Solar desalination is one of the most important desalination strategies based on RE under research, and ocean energy seems to be an interesting option in the medium term to produce freshwater.

This Special Issue on “Desalination Processes by Renewable Energy (RE)” aims to address recent advances in membrane desalination processes driven by RE, such as solar desalination and ocean energy desalination.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Innovations in membrane-based desalination processes (Reverse Osmosis, Membrane Distillation, Forward Osmosis, integration of Pressure-Retarded Osmosis) driven by RE.
  • Innovative solar heat-driven desalination processes
  • Innovative Solar Power Cycles for desalination (Organic Rankine Cycle, Micro Gas Turbine, Supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle)
  • Ocean energy for seawater desalination

Dr. Agustin M. Delgado-Torres
Prof. Dr. Lourdes García-Rodríguez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Solar desalination
  • Membrane distillation
  • Reverse Osmosis
  • Forward Osmosis
  • Pressure Retarded Osmosis
  • Wave energy
  • Tidal energy
  • Supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle
  • Solar micro gas turbines
  • Organic Rankine cycle

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 2990 KiB  
Article
Main Technical and Economic Guidelines to Implement Wind/Solar-Powered Reverse-Osmosis Desalination Systems
by Vicente J. Subiela-Ortín, Baltasar Peñate-Suárez and Juan A. de la Fuente-Bencomo
Processes 2022, 10(4), 653; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10040653 - 28 Mar 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3627
Abstract
The use of renewable energy for desalination started in the 1980s, in order to provide a sustainable water supply in windy/sunny areas with water shortages. Nevertheless, this initiative has been generally limited to the R&D field and prototypes, with few units operating under [...] Read more.
The use of renewable energy for desalination started in the 1980s, in order to provide a sustainable water supply in windy/sunny areas with water shortages. Nevertheless, this initiative has been generally limited to the R&D field and prototypes, with few units operating under real conditions. The research tradition in this field carried out by the Canary Islands Institute of Technology, based on pilot facilities, resulted in wide expertise on practical issues, as well as a deep knowledge on the state of the art. This paper deals with the most relevant technical aspects to be considered in the optimal design and operation of wind/photovoltaic (PV)-powered reverse-osmosis (RO) systems, focusing on practical indications: appropriate pre-treatment, the use and selection of the RO energy recovery system (ERD), the selection of an energy storage system, key recommendations for the O&M actions in wind- and PV-powered RO systems (extracted from the experience of operating different units in remote locations (PV and RO) and coastal areas (wind and RO)), and an identification of the pros and cons of hybrid systems. A selection of economic data is given, indicating the main aspects of the minimization of the cost of water. Finally, the paper mentions the latest advances in the involved technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Desalination Processes by Renewable Energy (RE))
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15 pages, 2582 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Time Step Influence in the Yearly Simulation of Integrated Seawater Multi-Effect Distillation and Parabolic trough Concentrating Solar Thermal Power Plants
by Bartolomé Ortega-Delgado, Patricia Palenzuela and Diego-César Alarcón-Padilla
Processes 2022, 10(3), 573; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10030573 - 15 Mar 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1637
Abstract
The joint demand for power and freshwater is continuously increasing due to population growth, the rise of economic activity, and climate change. Integrated concentrating solar thermal power and desalination (CSP+D) plants may provide a key solution for the pressing freshwater deficit and energy [...] Read more.
The joint demand for power and freshwater is continuously increasing due to population growth, the rise of economic activity, and climate change. Integrated concentrating solar thermal power and desalination (CSP+D) plants may provide a key solution for the pressing freshwater deficit and energy problems in many regions of the world. Simulation tools with an accurate prediction of the yearly electric energy and freshwater production are needed. This paper analyzed the influence of the time step in the annual simulation of a CSP+D plant composed of a seawater multi-effect distillation unit and a parabolic trough concentrating solar thermal power plant, considering the location of Tabernas (Spain). A dynamic simulation tool of this system was developed, implementing the models in Engineering Equation Solver. The annual electricity and water productions obtained for the study case considered were 154 GWh and 3.45 hm3, respectively, using 5 min time steps, and 94 GWh and 2.1 hm3, respectively, with 1 h time steps. The results obtained show that a short time step interval (5 min) is recommended when using the detailed CSP model considered, which is prepared for simulation with short time steps. Step times of 1 h lead to excessive errors (about 30% in summer and 100% in winter), which underestimate the actual production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Desalination Processes by Renewable Energy (RE))
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21 pages, 3120 KiB  
Article
Market Opportunities of Water Treatments Powered by Solar Micro Gas Turbines: Chile and Ecuador Case Studies
by Blanca Petit, Eva Sánchez-Carceller, Jesús Montes-Sánchez, Rafael González-Almenara and David Sánchez
Processes 2022, 10(3), 556; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10030556 - 11 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2798
Abstract
Throughout the last decades the developments on desalination field have been focused on energy consumption and costs reduction. However, water recovery and brine disposal are becoming a matter of concern to desalination industry. In this work, a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) unit coupled [...] Read more.
Throughout the last decades the developments on desalination field have been focused on energy consumption and costs reduction. However, water recovery and brine disposal are becoming a matter of concern to desalination industry. In this work, a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) unit coupled with a Solar Micro Gas Turbine (SMGT) system is presented to address, among others, the challenges of mining industry in remote areas, in particular, fossil fuel dependence, water availability and pollution derived from effluents disposal. As a way to assess the feasibility of the proposal, a techno-economic analysis of the application in two Southern American regions (Chile and Ecuador) of photovoltaic modules, wind turbines and Solar Micro Gas Turbines is performed. Afterwards, the main novel feature of the new system—i.e., the ZLD unit—is described and a sensitivity analysis on its functioning whilst coupled with the SMGT is carried out. The aim is to propose a preliminary design of the ZLD process. The selection of the optimal ratio between exhaust gases and brine mass flow rates is analyzed, as well as variation in inlet salinity and temperatures. Furthermore, the water which could be recovered from effluents, at the same time that the heat of exhaust gases from SMGT is harvested, is quantified. Lastly, according to the results obtained, a preliminary design of a 10 kWe rated power SMGT system, coupled to Reverse Osmosis (RO) and ZLD units, is proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Desalination Processes by Renewable Energy (RE))
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15 pages, 720 KiB  
Article
Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Cycles for Concentrated Solar Power Plants: A Possible Alternative for Solar Desalination
by Rafael González-Almenara, Pablo Rodríguez de Arriba, Francesco Crespi, David Sánchez, Antonio Muñoz and Tomás Sánchez-Lencero
Processes 2022, 10(1), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10010072 - 30 Dec 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2829
Abstract
This manuscript investigates the supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycle employed in the power block of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants—solar tower—as an alternative for solar desalination, developed with either distillation or reverse osmosis. This concept is investigated as a possible [...] Read more.
This manuscript investigates the supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycle employed in the power block of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants—solar tower—as an alternative for solar desalination, developed with either distillation or reverse osmosis. This concept is investigated as a possible up-scaling of the SOLMIDEFF project, originally based on a hot-air micro gas turbine combined with a solar dish collector. For the upscaled concept, five different sCO2 cycles are considered, chosen amongst the best-performing configurations proposed in the literature for CSP applications, and modelled with Thermoflex software. The influence of ambient conditions is studied, considering two minimum cycle temperatures (35 °C and 50 °C), corresponding to Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Abu Dhabi, respectively. The results show that the low temperatures at the inlet of the heat rejection unit compromise the viability of distillation technologies. On the other hand, the high thermal efficiency achieved by these cycles, especially with the recompression and partial cooling layouts, reduces the specific energy consumption when combined with reverse osmosis (RO), below that of photovoltaic (PV)+RO. Feed-water preheating is explored as a solution to further reduce energy consumption, concluding that its actual interest is not clear and strongly depends on the location considered and the corresponding water quality standards. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Desalination Processes by Renewable Energy (RE))
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Review

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23 pages, 2969 KiB  
Review
Solar Desalination Driven by Organic Rankine Cycles (Orc) and Supercritical CO2 Power Cycles: An Update
by Agustín M. Delgado-Torres and Lourdes García-Rodríguez
Processes 2022, 10(1), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10010153 - 13 Jan 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2977
Abstract
In the field of desalination powered by renewable energies, the use of solar power cycles exhibits some favorable characteristics, such as the possibility of implementing thermal energy storage systems or a multi-generation scheme (e.g., electricity, water, cooling, hydrogen). This article presents a review [...] Read more.
In the field of desalination powered by renewable energies, the use of solar power cycles exhibits some favorable characteristics, such as the possibility of implementing thermal energy storage systems or a multi-generation scheme (e.g., electricity, water, cooling, hydrogen). This article presents a review of the latest design proposals in which two power cycles of great potential are considered: the organic Rankine cycle and the supercritical CO2 power cycle, the latter of growing interest in recent years. The designs found in the literature are grouped into three main types of systems. In the case of solar ORC-based systems, the option of reverse osmosis as a desalination technology is considered in medium-temperature solar systems with storage but also with low-temperature using solar ponds. In the first case, it is also common to incorporate single-effect absorption systems for cooling production. The use of thermal desalination processes is also found in many proposals based on solar ORC. In this case, the usual configuration implies the cycle’s cooling by the own desalination process. This option is also common in systems based on the supercritical CO2 power cycle where MED technology is usually selected. Designs proposals are reviewed and assessed to point out design recommendations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Desalination Processes by Renewable Energy (RE))
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