By: Carlos Armenta-Déu
Professor, Department of Matter Structure, Thermal Physics and Electronics, Faculty of Physical Sciences, Complutense,University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
This work focuses on a new engineering design for water resources application. The system includes a
hybrid reverse osmosis desalination plant, a solar pond set, and a thermal power plant, which receives
energy from the pond set and powers the desalination plant. The solar pond set is modular and adaptive,
facing variable working conditions and energy demands. The engineering design is feasible and
energetically viable since it uses renewable energy as a power source with a positive or null energy
balance. The system is especially suitable for arid, semi-arid, and desert areas with high solar radiation
levels. A set of seven solar ponds of 100 m diameter and a smaller one with half the area for a global
area of 30 Ha collects 5.4 kWh of solar radiation to supply hot water to a thermal power plant that
generates enough energy to maintain operative the desalination plant throughout the whole day. The
system operates 24 hours a day due to the solar pond heat capacity retention, whose design avoids
thermal losses by convection. The solar pond set generates more than 250 MWh per day, with an energy
factor coverage slightly higher than 100%. The desalination plant produces fresh water for one million
people, with an average daily consumption of 100 liters per person. The system avoids brine disposal
to seawater at higher concentrations than water intake, preserving marine life and the ecosystem and
reducing the risk of high environmental impact
Citation:
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