SOLAR-ENERGY EXPLOITATION FOR REVERSE-OSMOSIS DESALINATION PLANTS

Solar energy exploitation for assisting the operation of reverse osmos is (RO) seawater desalination plants was investigated. A hybrid solar- assisted steam cycle was designed in order to provide the required sha ft work to drive the RO plant high pressure pump. Two problems have be en analyzed. The design problem concerned the determination of the opt imum plant characteristics with respect to membrane modules and solar system size for different capacity levels and various sites. Operation al aspects of already installed solar assisted desalination plants wit h respect to plant capacity and regional climatological particularitie s were also studied. The methodology adopted was based on an appropria te mathematical formulation of the climatological effects on the solar -assisted desalination plant efficiency. The optimization problems stu died were solved using mathematical programming techniques. Generalize d design curves were produced for process, structural, and operational variables, while the effect of secondary plant parameters was also st udied.