Search Results (14)

Water scarcity and increasing energy demand are critical challenges that often characterize Mediterranean regions, especially islands such as Crete. A sustainable solution for a combined water and energy supply lies in the domain of hybrid renewable energy systems. This research study evaluates a large-scale wind-driven desalination system with pumped-hydro energy storage for the Regional Unit of Rethymno, Crete, focusing on climate-driven demand and air temperature variation. The proposed system integrates wind energy production, seawater desalination, pumped-hydro storage, and water supply both for domestic and for irrigation purposes. Four scenarios, each with increasing air temperature, are examined in order to assess their effect on water demand and system performance. The analysis evaluates electricity allocation, the production of desalinated water, domestic and irrigation coverage, as well as the economic performance of the system. The results indicate that domestic water demand is almost fully covered in all four scenarios, reaching nearly 99.9%, while irrigation water coverage decreases from 82% under present conditions to 67% under higher-temperature scenarios. Wind-generated electricity is mainly used for water-related processes, with a constant share supplied to the grid. The economic assessment indicates that the system can operate under break-even conditions using realistic water and electricity prices. Full article

Desalination is a vital solution to global water scarcity, yet its substantial energy demand persists as a major challenge. As the core energy-consuming components, pumps are fundamental to both membrane and thermal desalination processes. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of renewable energy source (RES)-driven pumping systems for desalination, focusing on the integration of solar photovoltaic and wind technologies. It examines the operational principles and efficiency of key pump types, such as high-pressure feed pumps for reverse osmosis, and underscores the critical role of energy recovery devices (ERDs) in minimizing net energy consumption. Furthermore, the paper highlights the importance of advanced control and energy management systems (EMS) in mitigating the intermittency of renewable sources. It details essential control strategies, including maximum power point tracking (MPPT), motor drive control, and supervisory EMS, that optimize the synergy between pumps, ERDs, and variable power inputs. By synthesizing current technologies and control methodologies, this review aims to identify pathways for designing more resilient, energy-efficient, and cost-effective desalination plants, supporting a sustainable water future. Full article

Water scarcity and the growing demand for sustainable energy solutions have driven the need for renewable-powered desalination. This study evaluates three scenarios for reverse osmosis (RO) desalination powered by photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT), and hybrid PV–WT systems, aiming to minimize the levelized costs of electricity (LCOE) and water (LCOW) while reducing grid dependence. The city studied is Zahedan, Iran, which has high potential in renewable energy. A multi-objective optimization approach using the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II), a popular evolutionary algorithm, is employed to determine the optimal number of PV panels and wind turbines. The results show that the hybrid system outperforms single-source configurations, supplying 34.79 MWh of electricity and 34.19 m³ of desalinated water, while achieving the lowest LCOE (2.73 cent/kWh⁻¹) and LCOW (35.33 cent/m⁻³). The hybrid scenario covers 65.49% of the electricity demand and 58.54% of the water demand, significantly reducing reliance on the grid compared to the PV and WT scenarios. Additionally, it ensures greater energy stability by leveraging the complementary nature of PV and WT. These findings highlight the techno-economic feasibility of hybrid renewable-powered desalination as a cost-effective and sustainable solution. Future research should focus on integrating energy storage to further enhance efficiency and minimize grid dependency. Full article

This paper examines the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in desalination. The study explored AI techniques, including machine learning, neural networks, and genetic algorithms, to enhance system efficiency and reduce energy costs. Case studies assessed the impact of AI on desalination systems, including those powered by renewable energy sources. Key findings revealed that AI-driven systems improved water quality, reduced energy consumption by up to 50%, and enabled predictive maintenance, minimizing downtime. Challenges in integrating AI with renewable energy-powered water treatment and desalination systems were addressed by analyzing hybrid setups combining solar, wind, and battery storage with reverse osmosis (RO) and multi-stage flash (MSF) technologies. These systems demonstrated critical improvements in energy efficiency, making desalination more viable for arid and remote areas. Fault detection algorithms and predictive maintenance emerged as pivotal AI applications, significantly reducing maintenance costs and enhancing reliability. This study was concluded by identifying challenges such as the intermittent nature of renewable energy and the complexities of designing scalable hybrid AI systems. Future research should further refine AI techniques, advancing sustainable and energy-efficient water treatment solutions. Full article

Water is one of the most valuable and essential resources for human life, yet its scarcity has become a pressing global issue exacerbated by climate change and population growth. To address the increasing demand for water driven by urbanization, industrial expansion, tourism, and agricultural needs, many countries are turning to desalination as a viable solution. This study investigates the integration of renewable energy sources (RES) with desalination technologies to enhance both sustainability and efficiency. A comprehensive review of major desalination methods has been conducted, with a particular focus on the application of solar and wind energy. Additionally, the challenges associated with renewable energy-powered desalination, including the need for effective energy storage systems and the inherent volatility of power supply, were explored. Our findings indicate that coupling renewable energy with desalination not only significantly reduces carbon emissions but also enhances the sustainability of water supply systems. The study also emphasizes the importance of emerging technologies, such as hybrid energy storage systems (HESS) and machine learning (ML), in optimizing RES powered desalination processes. Ultimately, this study aims to guide future research and development initiatives, promoting the global adoption of desalination systems powered by renewable energy. Full article

The necessity for transitioning to renewable energy sources and the intermittent nature of the natural variables lead to the integration of storage units into these projects. In this research paper, wind turbines and solar modules are combined with pumped hydro storage, batteries, and green hydrogen. Energy management strategies are described for five different scenarios of hybrid renewable energy systems, based on single or hybrid storage technologies. The motivation is driven by grid stability issues and the limited access to fresh water in the Greek islands. A RES-based desalination unit is introduced into the hybrid system for access to low-cost fresh water. The comparison of single and hybrid storage methods, the exploitation of seawater for the simultaneous fulfillment of water for domestic and agricultural purposes, and the evaluation of different energy, economic, and environmental indices are the innovative aspects of this research work. The results show that pumped hydro storage systems can cover the energy and water demand at the minimum possible price, 0.215 EUR/kWh and 1.257 EUR/m³, while hybrid storage technologies provide better results in the loss of load probability, payback period and CO₂ emissions. For the pumped hydro–hydrogen hybrid storage system, these values are 21.40%, 10.87 years, and 2297 tn/year, respectively. Full article

The paper presents a wind–photovoltaic-thermal hybrid-driven two-stage humidification and dehumidification desalination system for remote island regions lacking access to electricity and freshwater resources. By conducting an analysis of the wind and solar energy resources at the experimental site, a suitable wind power station and photovoltaic power station are constructed. The performance of the wind–solar complementary power generation system is then evaluated based on factors such as output power, seawater desalination load power, battery compensation output, system energy consumption, and water production costs. A variable step gradient disturbance method based on the power–duty ratio is proposed for tracking the maximum power point (MPPT) of wind power generation. The output power of the photovoltaic power generation system is optimized, employing a fuzzy logic control (FLC) method to track the MPPT of photovoltaic power generation. This approach effectively addresses the issues of slow speed and low accuracy encountered by traditional MPPT algorithms in tracking the maximum power point (MPP) of both photovoltaic and wind power generations. In order to ensure that the desalination system can operate stably under different weather conditions, eight working modes are designed, and a programmable logic controller (PLC) is used to control the system, which provides a guarantee for stable water production. Experimental results demonstrate that the system exhibits stable performance, achieving a maximum water output of 80.63 Kg/h and daily water yield is 751.32 Kg, the cost of desalination equipment is 1.4892 USD/t. Full article

Recently, water desalination (WD) has been required for the supply of drinking water in a number of countries. Various technologies of WD utilize considerable thermal and/or electrical energies for removing undesirable salts. Desalination systems now rely on renewable energy resources (RERs) such as geothermal, solar, tidal, wind power, etc. The intermittent nature and changeable intensity constrain the wide applications of renewable energy, so the combination of energy storage systems (ESSs) with WD in many locations has been introduced. Thermal energy storage (TES) needs a convenient medium for storing and hence reuses energy. The present work provides a good background on the methods and technologies of WD. Furthermore, the concepts of both thermal and electrical energy storage are presented. In addition, a detailed review of employing ESSs in various WD processes driven by RERs is presented. The integration of energy storage with water desalination systems (WDSs) based on renewable energy has a much better capability, economically and environmentally, compared with conventional desalination systems. The ESSs are required to guarantee a constant supply of fresh water over the day. Full article

New trends and future prospects for small capacity systems of Renewable Energy-driven DESalination (REDES) are reviewed and assessed in this paper over a nominal desalination capacity range of 3–1000 m³/d. A thorough literature review is reported in order to evaluate current research and developing activities. Outstanding commercial prospects in the near future are identified for two off-grid REDES technologies under development. First, wave energy converters with direct coupling to seawater desalination. Second, solar micro gas turbines with biofuel backup coupled to reverse osmosis (RO) desalination and/or zero liquid discharge water treatment. These systems, as well as mature REDES plants (namely PV/RO and wind turbines/RO), will benefit from forthcoming advances in energy efficiency in the RO process itself. The Closed Circuit RO desalination (CCRO^TM) concept may be a key configuration for enhancing RE-driven RO desalination. Additionally, opportunities for innovation in seawater RO desalination with variable power consumption are highlighted. On the other hand, our conclusions highlight opportunities for developing novel portable REDES systems based on solar membrane distillation with a portable linear Fresnel concentrator manufactured by SOLATOM. Additionally, the concept of portable systems could foster the commercial development of microbial desalination cells combined with solar PV energy and RO powered by tidal currents. Full article

This work addresses the design of an online control system that continuously regulates a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant driven by wind power aided by water storage tanks. The control objective is to produce the exact hourly water demand in the presence of wind power intermittency, disturbances, and operational limitations. The manipulated variables are the RO feed pressure and the active number of RO vessels. The control system helped to decrease the annual water deficit by 20% under nominal conditions and when the plant is under the influence of disturbances. Moreover, the control system managed to decrease the annual water deficit by 73% when the plant operated under a shortage of an active number of wind turbines and RO vessels. The loss of redistributed production ratio (LPb) and the loss of raw production ratio (LP) were used as the controlled variables representing the proposed control objective. LPb was superior to LP by creating conservative control actions that produce the required water demand without violating the required water purity. Full article

Desalination is a well-established technology used all over the world to mitigate freshwater scarcity. Wind-powered reverse osmosis plants are one of the most promising alternatives for renewable energy desalination, particularly for coastal areas and islands. Wind energy can satisfy the high energy consumption of desalination while reducing costs and CO${}_2$ emissions. However, the mismatch between the intermittent availability of the wind resource and the desalination’s power demand makes the integration between the two technologies critical. This paper presents a review of wind-powered desalination systems, focusing on the existing topologies and technological advances. An overview of the advantages and disadvantages are analysed based on the theoretical and experimental cases available in the scientific literature. The goal of this work is to show the current status of wind-powered desalination and to present the technical challenges that need to be overcome in order to ensure a sustainable freshwater source. Full article

Over recent years, the concept of waste heat recovery from the generators of wind turbines for driving a thermal-driven desalination system was introduced, and its advantages were highlighted. However, any selection of a bottoming thermal-driven desalination system among different existing technologies should be taken under consideration before making an ultimate recommendation. Unfortunately, no comprehensive comparison is available in the literature to compare the performance as well as the cost aspects of using the waste thermal energy of the generator of a wind turbine for desalinating seawater, comparing them with those of a layout where the power of the wind turbine is directly supplied to a mechanically driven desalination system for the same amount of drinkable water production. This study aims at analyzing the economic aspects of waste heat recovery from the generators of wind turbines for seawater desalination via the humidification-dehumidification (HDH) approach, versus the reverse osmosis (RO) unit. For this purpose, a closed-air water-heater HDH unit, directly coupled with a RO unit (called a hybrid HDH-RO unit) is employed, in which thermal energy is provided by the heat dissipating from the generator of the wind turbine while its power is supplied directly by the wind turbine. The energetic and exergetic performance, along with the cost aspects of a hybrid HDH-RO unit driven by the wind turbine, are compared with those of a solo RO unit. The results of the study were extended for six different types of wind turbines, and we concluded that the unit cost associated with the freshwater produced by the waste heat recovery approach is astronomically higher than that of the solo RO system for all wind turbine models, and hence is not practically feasible. It was found that more power can be recovered from the discarded brine from the solo RO unit than the hybrid HDH-RO unit. In addition, the solo RO desalination system, working directly with the power of the wind turbine, has a less complex configuration, and hence its investment cost rate is significantly lower than that needed for setting up an HDH-RO unit. At high wind speeds, however, the cost penalty associated with the freshwater produced by the HDH-RO unit decreases, but it is still huge. Among all screened wind turbines, the GW-136/4.8 is most appealing in terms of greater power generation, but its investment cost rate is the highest among all models due to its high rated power value. However, the freshwater unit cost of the GW-136/4.8 is significantly lower than the values obtained for other models. Finally, the two locations of Manjil and Zabol are selected as a benchmark and the results of the simulation are extended for these locations. Full article

Reliable production of freshwater and energy is vital for tackling two of the most critical issues the world is facing today: climate change and sustainable development. In this light, a comprehensive review is performed on the foremost renewable energy-driven polygeneration systems for freshwater production using thermal and membrane desalination. Thus, this review is designed to outline the latest developments on integrated polygeneration and desalination systems based on multi-stage flash (MSF), multi-effect distillation (MED), humidification-dehumidification (HDH), and reverse osmosis (RO) technologies. Special attention is paid to innovative approaches for modelling, design, simulation, and optimization to improve energy, exergy, and thermo-economic performance of decentralized polygeneration plants accounting for electricity, space heating and cooling, domestic hot water, and freshwater production, among others. Different integrated renewable energy-driven polygeneration and desalination systems are investigated, including those assisted by solar, biomass, geothermal, ocean, wind, and hybrid renewable energy sources. In addition, recent literature applying energy, exergy, exergoeconomic, and exergoenvironmental analysis is reviewed to establish a comparison between a range of integrated renewable-driven polygeneration and desalination systems. Full article

This work aimed to carry out an optimal investigation of the design and operation of a large capacity reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant powered by wind energy. Different scenarios involving two design options, such as using storage tanks or batteries, and operation options, such as using variable or fixed feed pressure, were analyzed and optimized. In addition, another operation option, of using a fixed number of RO vessels or a varying number of active RO vessels, was also considered. It was found that an optimized plant using storage tanks can provide a less expensive water cost and a less complicated plant structure. Moreover, the use of a variable feed pressure can help in attenuating the disturbances incurred in the form of wind intermittency. Conversely, the use of fixed feed pressure and constantly supplied power per vessel can run the RO units smoothly, leading to a predictable production rate. However, this requires operating the plant on different active sets of vessels each hour, which mandates additional automatic control systems. The water cost when storage tanks are utilized can be as low as 7.42 $/m³, while it is around 19.7 $/m³ when a battery is used. Full article