EXERGY OF A HYBRID SOLAR-WIND REVERSE OSMOSIS-MSF DESALINATION SYSTEM

A novel hybrid solar-wind reverse-osmosis (RO) multistage flash (MSF) distillation desalination system was manufactured and tested in actual conditions in Iran. Solar energy was used to provide both thermal and electrical power and wind energy was used to provide electrical power. Exergy analysis can be used to design more efficient energy systems by reducing inefficien-cies, and indicates opportunities for improving performance in existing systems. The exergy involved in the hybrid solar-wind RO-MSF desalination system is analyzed below using data obtained from theoretical and experimental studies. The RO and MSF systems, powered by wind and solar energy, achieved increases in the reliability and flexibility of the system and in the quality of the resulting drinking water. According to the exergy analysis, the irreversible losses from the hybrid solar-wind RO-MSF plant are concentrated in the solar collector and the multistage flash chamber. These exergy losses can be reduced by isolating the collector, coating the pipes and MSF walls, selecting the parameters for the vapor compressor and RO membrane and pumps, and improving the flash process. By optimizing the performance of the hybrid solar-wind RO-MSF system, the amount of water recovery should increase, and the energy consumption should decrease, which should improve the overall efficiency of the system.