Optimization of renewable energy-based seawater desalination systems

PIETRASANTA, ARIANA; SERGIO MUSSATI,; AGUIRRE, PIO; IGNACIO SCHMIDHALTER; MOROSUK, TATIANA; MIGUEL C MUSSATI

VARSOVIA

Congreso; 7" International Conference on Contemporary Problems of Thermal Engineering CPOTE 2022, 20-23 September 2022, Poland; 2022

SILESIAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

This paper investigates the optimal integration of a hybrid renewable energy system consisting of windturbines and/or photovoltaic solar panels with membrane-based desalination units used to obtainfreshwater from seawater or brackish water with zero brine production. The minimization of the totalannual cost is proposed as the objective function. In the first case study, no grid connection isconsidered and wind turbines and/or photovoltaic panels can be only used for providing the electricalpower required by the desalination processes to meet variable freshwater demand. Then, in a secondstudy, a grid-connected hybrid renewable energy system is investigated. The possibility of variablefreshwater storage is considered in order to conveniently accommodate the renewable energygeneration towards a cost-effectiveness process design. To show the model powerful, renewableenergy sources available in the South of Argentina are assumed. Data taken from NASA are used tocharacterize the weather conditions, such as solar irradiance and wind speed. Also, data taken fromcatalogue are considered for the wind turbines. The proposed model has the potential to assess to whatextent variable water demands can be covered by wind and solar energy in any site of the world withonly changing the input information associated to the freshwater demand and meteorological wind andsolar data.