Solar-Assisted Thermal-Driven Membrane Distillation

Dear Colleagues,

Membrane desalination (MD) is a nonisothermal separation process that operates under pressure-driven conditions, enabling the transport of water vapor or volatile molecules through a microporous hydrophobic membrane. The growing interest in seawater desalination technologies, particularly when integrated with renewable energy or low-grade waste heat, highlights MD's attractive features. Renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and geothermal energies, offer effective temperature modulation schemes for MD systems. Among these sources, integrated solar-assisted, thermal-driven MD systems—utilizing solar thermal, photovoltaic (PV), or hybrid thermal/PV energy—are particularly promising. These systems can preheat seawater and generate the thermal energy needed for phase-change processes. The use of commercially available polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes has been proven technically feasible and is widely recognized in saline water desalination. Technological assessments, including evaluations of equipment, energy consumption, and fouling issues, are crucial to determining the process's technical feasibility and economic benefits. These assessments aim to optimize system design and predict overall performance. This Special Issue of Membranes, entitled “Solar-Assisted Thermal-Driven Membrane Distillation”, aims to provide comprehensive coverage of advanced MD applications using solar energy resources, offering insights into large-scale MD process design for industrial applications. Both original research articles and review submissions are welcome, and all contributions will undergo the normal peer review process. 

Prof. Dr. Chii-Dong Ho
Dr. Yi-Wun Wang
Guest Editors

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