Commercial Thermal Technologies for Desalination of Water from Renewable Energies: A State of the Art Review

Abstract

Thermal desalination is yet a reliable technology in the treatment of brackish water and seawater; however, its demanding high energy requirements have lagged it compared to other non-thermal technologies such as reverse osmosis. This review provides an outline of the development and trends of the three most commercially used thermal or phase change technologies worldwide: Multi Effect Distillation (MED), Multi Stage Flash (MSF), and Vapor Compression Distillation (VCD). First, state of water stress suffered by regions with little fresh water availability and existing desalination technologies that could become an alternative solution are shown. The most recent studies published for each commercial thermal technology are presented, focusing on optimizing the desalination process, improving efficiencies, and reducing energy demands. Then, an overview of the use of renewable energy and its potential for integration into both commercial and non-commercial desalination systems is shown. Finally, research trends and their orientation towards hybridization of technologies and use of renewable energies as a relevant alternative to the current problems of brackish water desalination are discussed. This reflective and updated review will help researchers to have a detailed state of the art of the subject and to have a starting point for their research, since current advances and trends on thermal desalination are shown.

Comparison of Desalination Technologies Using Renewable Energy Sources with Life Cycle, PESTLE, and Multi-Criteria Decision Analyses

“…As with MF and UF, NF has been applied as a pre-treatment for desalination; however, its Figure 4 shows the current contribution of installed desalination technologies all over the world. The most commercially used thermal technology is MSF, with 18% of the market share of commercial desalination plants [3,36]. It is a process applied in many places, in which it is possible to obtain sufficiently clean drinking water; an additional advantage is that it requires just few additives.…”

“…The low energy consumption is also an advantage compared to other systems. However, the trend of desalination technology development is energy saving, processes, and equipment optimizing, while the current limitations of thermal desalination processes are reducing, the hybridization of technologies, and the combination of renewable energies [3]. Some solutions to the brine discharge problem have been considered, such as near-field and far-field modeling approaches, dilution with cooling water from power plants, environmental monitoring plans (EMPs), zero liquid discharge (ZLD), resource recovery (brine mining), and minimal liquid discharge (MLD).…”

“…In addition to the increasing water consumption, the human population is also anticipated to increase. It is predicted that only 60% of the demanded water will be available for consumption in 2030 [3]. The Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has predicted that about 40% of the population will live in water-stressed regions by 2050 [4].…”

Efficient photothermal supports from carbonized agave flower stalk for solar water evaporation

“…Considering that fresh water corresponds to only 2.5% of the total water available on the planet, it is necessary to use viable technologies since an energetic, economic, social, and ecological point of view, to mitigate the deficit of drinking water. Classic water evaporation technologies such as thermal (distillation, evaporation in boilers, etc) involve high energy consumption that developing countries cannot sustain, in addition to their negative effects on the environment 3 …”

Full bagasse bio-waste derived 3D photothermal aerogels for high efficient solar steam generation

“…Therefore, obtaining clean and hygienic water from seawater or wastewater is an urgent issue. Traditionally utilized water puri cation strategies, such as reverse osmosis membranes and thermal distillation technologies, require high cost and consume large amounts of energy (Feria-Díaz et al 2021a;Feria-Díaz et al 2021b). Solar energy, as a green and renewable resource, is inexhaustible and freely available on earth.…”