Two engineers from Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar have developed a modular desalination system that can also provide electricity, hydrogen, and cool air for refrigeration, Tech Xplore reported.
By removing salt from seawater or brackish groundwater sources, desalination can help provide clean water for drinking, cooking, and washing where it's a scarce resource. Saudi Arabia, with a population of around 35 million people, gets around 50% of its drinking water from desalination projects, according to a United Nations report.
In arid desert areas, groundwater sources are more readily available than seawater, and the process could help bolster agricultural development in those regions. Groundwater is also better suited for freshwater production because of its temperature stability, lower salinity, and less fouling potential, the study explained.
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Totally 💯 Although the process is energy-intensive and usually taps into dirty fuels for power, this newly proposed system would use sustainable solar, reducing the planet-warming pollution released into the atmosphere.
The modular system starts with a bifacial solar array that covers about 116,000 square feet, with the daily potential of creating 1.5 megawatts of electricity. According to Tech Xplore, about 100 kilowatts of that energy will power the integrated system's electrical needs, while the rest will be used to precool groundwater and run water pumps.
The next phase uses a vapor compressor module, where the saline water is cooled to create freshwater ice crystals that can be separated from the mix easily. Blowing air over that ice can provide air conditioning as part of the process. When it melts, it can be used for drinking or crop irrigation, the report continued, with 52.8 cubic meters of water created daily.
The last segment of the system uses a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer to deionize a remaining portion of the water, which produces hydrogen gas. This can be collected and used to power a fuel cell that will help the system run overnight.
Some of the water generated could support local agrivoltaic projects, which are dual-purpose agriculture and photovoltaic zones, making better use of the solar array's ground space and increasing food security for local inhabitants.
This sustainable, integrated system could revitalize desert areas and help residents combat the droughts and heat waves that are increasingly common in our changing climate.
This development could be a turning point for people who live there, especially if it is paired with crops that have been engineered to be more resistant to extreme weather.
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