Publication: Performance analysis of concentrated solar power flash desalination system and optimization of process variables using response surface methodology
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Date
2024-06-01
Authors
Faizan, Ahmed
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Abstract
The demand for fresh water supply across the globe is on the rise and is projected to keep rising in the future due to its heavy utilization across various sectors such as agriculture, industry, aquatic life and human consumption. To meet this demand, focus is placed on improving the existing desalination systems and exploring ways in which renewable energy components can be integrated into desalination systems to make them more efficient and sustainable. The present thesis explores a novel single-stage spray flash desalination system integrated with concentrating solar-powered technology. The work involves performing experimental investigations, energy and exergy analysis, mathematical models development, statistical analysis (Analysis of Variance-ANOVA, Fit Statistics) of developed models, optimization of system performance using Response Surface Methodology (RSM), and evaluation of
various performance metrics such as gain output ratio (GOR), energy utilization factor (EUF), and specific energy consumption (SEC) for the proposed system. The experimental setup was designed, manufactured, assembled and tested at Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd University in Al-Khobar city of Saudi Arabia. The influence of four critical process parameters on system performance was examined, namely, feed temperature, flow rate, salinity, and vacuum pressure. Results reveal that feed temperature and vacuum pressure positively impact distillate production, while salinity negatively influences productivity. However, the flow rate was found to have an optimum setting. The optimum factor setting for the flow rate is 0.016 kg/s, feed temperature is 55 °C, salinity is 15 g/kg, and vacuum pressure is 70 kPa, for which the system exhibits an optimum distillate production of 0.0025 kg/s. The maximum energy efficiency of the brine heater is 67.2%, while the maximum exergy efficiencies of the condenser, brine heater, and flash chamber are 89.2%, 17.4%, and 44.3%, respectively. Results indicate that the proposed system is capable of attaining a maximum GOR of 19.2, a maximum EUF of 4.8, and a minimum SEC of 100.8 kWh/m 3. The device does not use any fossil fuels or other non-renewable sources to heat the brine, thus caters for zero emissions and a cleaner environment. Moreover, with the integration of concentrating solar power technology in the proposed system, the device is expected to contribute significantly towards cleaner and sustainable water production.