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Content archived on 2024-05-07

Solar-thermally driven desalination system with corrosion free collectors and 24-hours-per-day storage

Objective



OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

1. To design, set up, operate, evaluate and finally assess a solar thermally driven distillation system that works at 80 C. In the project a pilot system will be operated that has a capacity of 30 litres per hour. The system will be driven by thermal solar energy.

2. To develop, design, construct and operate corrosion-free solar collectors that are suitable and appropriate for the distillation system.
3. To develop and optimize a strategy for operating the solar driven systems for 24 hours-per-day by including a thermal heat storage into the system. The aim is to increase the daily distilled
water production from about 150 (without storage) to 600 litres per day.
4. To gather operation experiences and to fully assess the performance and cost results (ECU/m3 potable water) of this system. Additionally, a study will be elaborated to estimate application potentials and water production costs for the case that the distillation unit is driven by diesel waste heat instead of solar collectors. Finally the aim is to evaluate the possibilities for; the application and dissemination a these systems, especially in the Mediterranean countries.

TECHNICAL APPROACH

The general technical approach to achieve the project goals is based on experimental investigations and developments. The necessary different tasks of the project will be conducted by partners that are specialists in their field of work. This concerns the development of the collector (ISE), the development of the operation strategy (ZAE), the installation and monitoring of the pilot system (CIEA and OS) and the investigations on the water treatment USE). The full technical and economic assessment of the complete desalination system with special concern of the Mediterranean application potential will be carried out by all partners, including AUA. A dissemination workshop will be conducted within the project.

EXPECTED ACHIEVEMENT

- A technical achievement will be that a collector will developed with a non-corrosive absorber that is suitable to be operated with sea water at temperatures of 80 C and that is adopted to be used with the distillation unit.
- An operating strategy will be developed to run the desalination system with a heat storage tank on a continuous 24-hours-per-day basis. The target is to reach a production rate of 600 liters per day.
- A pilot system will be set up at the test site 'Pozo Izquierdo' in Gran Canaria, Spain. The newly developed collector with non-corrosive absorber and the new operating strategy with storage tank will be applied he pilot system is operated and monitored for a full year The
achievement will be that a sound bask of data and operating experience exits for a technical evaluation.
- During the monitored operation of the system investigations on the necessary installations for the sea water pre-treatment and the treatment of the distilled water to reach drinking water quality will be conducted. The achievement is that not only the technical assessment of the desalination system but also a full economic assessment is possible.
- The final target of the project is a full technical and economic assessment of the desalination system. The aim is to achieve distilled water costs of 25 ECU/m3 for a system that uses the components and the operating strategy developed in the project.

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.*
EU contribution
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Address
Heidenhofstrasse 2
79110 FREIBURG (IN BREISGAU)
Germany

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Total cost
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Participants (4)