Solar Powered Desalination 
Energy Systems – Fall 2004 
Devyn Haycox & Jeff Taisch
Solar Powered Desalination 
World Water Resources 
Fresh Water The Worlds Water 
Salt Water 
 97% Sea Water 
 3% Fresh Water 
California Coastline 
http://www.windycityart.com/californiawallpap 
er/ocean%20wallpaper.jpg
Solar Powered Desalination 
World Fresh Water Resources 
Ice 
Ground Water 
Riparian Areas 
The Worlds Fresh Water 
 77% Ice 
 22% Ground Water 
 1% Rivers, Lakes and Streams
Solar Powered Desalination 
Desalination 
The separation and 
removal of ions, salts and 
other dissolved solids 
from water. 
 Heat Based 
 Membrane Based 
Evaporation pool (Saudi Arabia) 
http://www.cea.fr/gb/publications/Clefs44/an-clefs44/ 
clefs4481a.html
Solar Powered Desalination 
Topic 
 Desalination powered by 
renewable energy using 
photovoltaic cells, possibly in 
conjunction with a fuel cell. 
Photovoltaic cells 
http://www.greenfield-hydroponics.com/
Solar Powered Desalination 
Motivation 
 People need access to clean 
drinking water 
 1/3 of the world population 
lacks this access 
 This is expected to affect 
2/3 of the population 
within 20 years 
Water scarcity 
http://news.bbc.co.uk
Solar Powered Desalination 
Research Question 
Is it possible to build a small 
scale low maintenance 
desalination unit using 
current methods with power 
requirements able to be 
supplied by photovoltaic 
cells? 
Photovoltaic cell 
http://members.aol.com/norfloat/fotsol2.jpg
Solar Powered Desalination 
Corollary Questions 
 What are the power requirements associated with 
various desalination methods? 
 What quantity of power can be feasibly supplied by 
photovoltaic cells? 
 What are the potential geographic and temporal 
limitations? 
 At what scale would various desalination methods be 
compatible with PV cells while still producing water 
at a reasonable rate?
Solar Powered Desalination 
Hypotheses 
 If we use photovoltaic cells then we can replace 
conventional power sources using current 
desalination methods. 
 If we use photovoltaic cells then we can offset a 
significant portion of the conventional power 
requirements using current desalination methods. 
 Photo voltaic cells are incompatible with current 
desalination methods.
Solar Powered Desalination 
Strategies For Investigation 
Research 
 Current methods 
 Energy requirements 
 Scalability 
 Intermittent power compatibility 
 Cost comparison 
Coastline 
http://pantransit.reptiles.org/images/1996-07- 
28/ocean-shore.jpg
Solar Powered Desalination 
Strategies For Investigation 
Calculations and analyses 
 Comparison of energy requirements with power 
output of various PV cells 
 Array size 
 Water production rate 
 Water quality 
 Effective operational range variations with time 
 Market analysis
Solar Powered Desalination 
Strategies For Investigation 
Conceptual unit design and construction 
 Schematic 
 Product design 
 Prototype construction 
Example of a desalination schematic 
http://www.commonwealthknowledge.net/Desalntn/binfds3.jpg
Solar Powered Desalination 
Current Desalination Research 
 As fresh water scarcity concerns have risen, research 
and development in desalination has increased 
 A large portion of the research is being done in the 
United States, the Middle East, and Japan 
 The most commonly used desalination method is 
multi-flash distillation 
 The most commonly used solar powered desalination 
method is passive evaporation
Solar Powered Desalination 
Current Desalination Research Examples 
 Boehner discusses solar powered distillation 
desalination using large scale plants using a low 
technology intensive system 
 His system is 100% powered by the sun but is an 
example of passive distillation
Solar Powered Desalination 
Current Desalination Research Examples 
 El-Nashar is a researcher in the UAE working on 
a solar assisted vacuum freezing ejector 
adsorption system with a million gallon a day 
capacity 
 This is an example of a system in which solar 
power can only supply a portion of the energy 
requirements needed.
Solar Powered Desalination 
Looking Towards The Future 
 Due to the impending global water scarcity crisis, 
many human rights organizations are funding 
research on desalination in order to provide 
people with adequate drinking water. 
Everyone need water 
http://news.bbc.co.uk

Solar powered desalination final

  • 1.
    Solar Powered Desalination Energy Systems – Fall 2004 Devyn Haycox & Jeff Taisch
  • 2.
    Solar Powered Desalination World Water Resources Fresh Water The Worlds Water Salt Water  97% Sea Water  3% Fresh Water California Coastline http://www.windycityart.com/californiawallpap er/ocean%20wallpaper.jpg
  • 3.
    Solar Powered Desalination World Fresh Water Resources Ice Ground Water Riparian Areas The Worlds Fresh Water  77% Ice  22% Ground Water  1% Rivers, Lakes and Streams
  • 4.
    Solar Powered Desalination Desalination The separation and removal of ions, salts and other dissolved solids from water.  Heat Based  Membrane Based Evaporation pool (Saudi Arabia) http://www.cea.fr/gb/publications/Clefs44/an-clefs44/ clefs4481a.html
  • 5.
    Solar Powered Desalination Topic  Desalination powered by renewable energy using photovoltaic cells, possibly in conjunction with a fuel cell. Photovoltaic cells http://www.greenfield-hydroponics.com/
  • 6.
    Solar Powered Desalination Motivation  People need access to clean drinking water  1/3 of the world population lacks this access  This is expected to affect 2/3 of the population within 20 years Water scarcity http://news.bbc.co.uk
  • 7.
    Solar Powered Desalination Research Question Is it possible to build a small scale low maintenance desalination unit using current methods with power requirements able to be supplied by photovoltaic cells? Photovoltaic cell http://members.aol.com/norfloat/fotsol2.jpg
  • 8.
    Solar Powered Desalination Corollary Questions  What are the power requirements associated with various desalination methods?  What quantity of power can be feasibly supplied by photovoltaic cells?  What are the potential geographic and temporal limitations?  At what scale would various desalination methods be compatible with PV cells while still producing water at a reasonable rate?
  • 9.
    Solar Powered Desalination Hypotheses  If we use photovoltaic cells then we can replace conventional power sources using current desalination methods.  If we use photovoltaic cells then we can offset a significant portion of the conventional power requirements using current desalination methods.  Photo voltaic cells are incompatible with current desalination methods.
  • 10.
    Solar Powered Desalination Strategies For Investigation Research  Current methods  Energy requirements  Scalability  Intermittent power compatibility  Cost comparison Coastline http://pantransit.reptiles.org/images/1996-07- 28/ocean-shore.jpg
  • 11.
    Solar Powered Desalination Strategies For Investigation Calculations and analyses  Comparison of energy requirements with power output of various PV cells  Array size  Water production rate  Water quality  Effective operational range variations with time  Market analysis
  • 12.
    Solar Powered Desalination Strategies For Investigation Conceptual unit design and construction  Schematic  Product design  Prototype construction Example of a desalination schematic http://www.commonwealthknowledge.net/Desalntn/binfds3.jpg
  • 13.
    Solar Powered Desalination Current Desalination Research  As fresh water scarcity concerns have risen, research and development in desalination has increased  A large portion of the research is being done in the United States, the Middle East, and Japan  The most commonly used desalination method is multi-flash distillation  The most commonly used solar powered desalination method is passive evaporation
  • 14.
    Solar Powered Desalination Current Desalination Research Examples  Boehner discusses solar powered distillation desalination using large scale plants using a low technology intensive system  His system is 100% powered by the sun but is an example of passive distillation
  • 15.
    Solar Powered Desalination Current Desalination Research Examples  El-Nashar is a researcher in the UAE working on a solar assisted vacuum freezing ejector adsorption system with a million gallon a day capacity  This is an example of a system in which solar power can only supply a portion of the energy requirements needed.
  • 16.
    Solar Powered Desalination Looking Towards The Future  Due to the impending global water scarcity crisis, many human rights organizations are funding research on desalination in order to provide people with adequate drinking water. Everyone need water http://news.bbc.co.uk