Desalination using solar energy: Towards sustainability

This paper describes the theoretical rationale for a new low temperature phase-change desalination process, and six examples of applications to illustrate how this process can be engineered for sustainable desalination. In this process, brackish water is evaporated at near-ambient temperatures under near-vacuum pressures created by the barometric head without any mechanical energy input. Thermodynamic advantages and benefits of low temperature phase-change desalination are discussed and results from simulation studies and a prototype test system are presented. Three of the examples illustrate how the proposed process can be driven by solar energy: a) utilizing direct solar energy; b) inclusion of an external reflector; c) utilizing photovoltaic energy during non-sunlight hours. The other examples illustrate how the proposed process can be driven by waste heat: i) waste heat rejected by an absorption refrigeration unit driven by grid power; ii) waste heat rejected by an absorption refrigeration unit driven by solar collectors; and iii) waste heat rejected by an absorption refrigeration unit supported by a photovoltaic array. Merits of utilizing solar energy and process waste heat in reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are discussed in detail.