(31e) Development of a Renewable Energy-Based Solution for Saline Waters Desalination

The main source of potable water in the arid United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the desalination of seawater and the brackish or hypersaline groundwater found along the Arabian Gulf coastline. The Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) currently produces potable water and electricity by using a variety of fossil fuels, including natural gas and diesel to desalinate seawater and/or brackish groundwater. Due to affects on environmental, sustainability, foreseeable energy scarcity, etc., there is a pressing need for sustainable solutions for the future. It is vital to identify and develop diverse and sustainable energy alternatives to overcome the current and future energy shortage. Energy costs can be greatly reduced by utilizing a natural and "free" source of energy In this work, we present the findings of using renewable energy sources (solar) as a potential solution to meet the potable water needs. This project addresses these issues by examining a multi-effect distillation (MED) system approach for desalination using solar heating and the sensible heat that can be extracted from a Salinity Gradient Solar Pond (SGSP). This project involved comprehensive testing and analysis over a broad range of operational conditions, with the thermal energy derived from a SGSP. The relationship between system performance and operating conditions was analyzed to determine the economic and technical viability of the system. Mathematical and computer models have been developed to describe the physical behavior of the system and to predict its performance.