Multi-stage solar desalination system for water production in coastal areas of Ecuador

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29019/enfoqueute.781

Keywords:

desalination, distillation, multi-stage, solar collector, simulation

Abstract

A solar desalination system with heat recovery has been developed for coastal areas of Ecuador with a shortage of freshwater. The prototype consists of a 3-stage distillation tower connected to a flat plate solar collector. The solar energy absorbed by the collector is transferred by natural circulation to the distillation tower, wherein the heat of condensation of water is recovered in each stage to increase distillate output. The modular design of the equipment allows water production to be varied, from a few liters to more than a cubic meter per day. The prototype has few moving parts and can be rapidly disassembled and assembled, greatly facilitating its operation and maintenance. The average monthly production of the desalination unit varies between 4.3 and 5.8 liters per day (2.44 and 3.29 kg/m2). A mathematical model was created to analyze system performance. The accuracy of this model was improved by experimentally evaluating the convection heat transfer coefficients in the distillation tower. A simulation program was developed in Matlab-Simulink to predict the temperature profiles, distillate output, and heat flows in the unit. The simulation results for one day of prototype operation were very satisfactory, with a difference of only 7.7 % between theoretical and experimental data. The simulation was also used to analyze improvements in equipment performance, which determined that freshwater yield could be increased by up to 107 %.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abdullah, A. S., et al. (2020). Improving the trays solar still performance using reflectors and phase change material with nanoparticles. Journal of Energy Storage, 31: 101744. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2020.101744

Al-Mutaz, I. S., y Wazeer, I. (2014). Comparative performance evaluation of conventional multi-effect evaporation desalination processes. Applied Thermal Engineering, 73(1): 1194-1203. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2014.09.025

Buckalew, J. O., James, M., Scott, L., y Reed, P. (1998). Water resources assessment of Ecuador. US Army Corp of Engineers, Mobile District and Topographic Engineering Center.

Cando, A. X. A., Sarzosa, W. Q., y Toapanta, L. F. (2020). CFD Analysis of a solar flat plate collector with different cross sections. Enfoque UTE, 11(2): 95-108. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.29019/enfoque.v11n2.601

Duffie, J. A., y Beckman, W. A. (2013). Solar engineering of thermal processes. John Wiley & Sons.

Dunkle, R. V. (1961). Solar water distillation: the roof type still and a multiple effect diffusion still, International Developments of Heat Transfer, ASME. In Proceedings of International Heat Transfer, University of Colorado, 8(5): 895

El-Dessouky, H. T., y Ettouney, H. M. (2002). Fundamentals of Salt Water Desalination. Elsevier Science.

Feilizadeh, M., et al. (2015). Year-round outdoor experiments on a multi-stage active solar still with different numbers of solar collectors. Applied Energy, 152: 39-46. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.04.084

Kalogirou, S. A. (2014). Solar energy engineering: processes and systems (Second). Academic Press.

NASA Langley Research Center. (2020). POWER Data Access Viewer. NASA Langley Research Center. https://power.larc.nasa.gov/data-access-viewer/

Parsa, S. M., et al. (2020). First approach on nanofluid-based solar still in high altitude for water desalination and solar water disinfection (SODIS). Desalination, 491: 114592. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2020.114592

Rahbar, N., y Esfahani, J. A. (2013). Productivity estimation of a single-slope solar still: Theoretical and numerical analysis. Energy, 49: 289-297. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2012.10.023

Reddy, K. S., et al. (2012). Performance analysis of an evacuated multi-stage solar water desalination system. Desalination, 288: 80-92. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2011.12.016

Reddy, K. S., & Sharon, H. (2016). Active multi-effect vertical solar still: Mathematical modeling, performance investigation and enviro-economic analyses. Desalination, 395: 99-120. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2016.05.027

Sampathkumar, K., Arjunan, T. V, Pitchandi, P., y Senthilkumar, P. (2010). Active solar distillation. A detailed review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 14(6): 1503-1526. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2010.01.023

Schwarzer, K., da Silva, E. V., Hoffschmidt, B., y Schwarzer, T. (2009). A new solar desalination system with heat recovery for decentralised drinking water production. Desalination, 248(1–3): 204-211. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2008.05.056

Schwarzer, K., da Silva, M. E. V., y Schwarzer, T. (2011). Field results in Namibia and Brazil of the new solar desalination system for decentralised drinking water production. Desalination and Water Treatment, 31(1-3): 379-386. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2011.2339

Secretaría del Agua (SENAGUA). (2017). Boletín de la estadística sectorial del agua.

Soliman, H. S. (1976). Solar still coupled with a solar water heater. Mosul University, Mosul, Iraq, 43.

Tiwari, G. N., y Sahota, L. (2017). Advanced Solar-Distillation Systems: Basic Principles, Thermal Modeling and Its Application (First). Springer. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4672-8

Tiwari, G. N., y Tiwari, A. K. (2008). Solar distillation practice for water desalination systems. Anshan Pub.

Xue, Y., Du, X., Ge, Z., y Yang, L. (2018). Study on multi-effect distillation of seawater with low-grade heat utilization of thermal power generating unit. Applied Thermal Engineering, 141: 589-599. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2018.05.129

Published

2022-01-14

How to Cite

Urresta, E. ., Moya Cajas, M. ., Campana, A., & Rodríguez, D. (2022). Multi-stage solar desalination system for water production in coastal areas of Ecuador. Enfoque UTE, 13(1), pp. 1 – 22. https://doi.org/10.29019/enfoqueute.781

Issue

Section

Miscellaneous