TY - JOUR
T1 - Hybrid solar energy/desalination using spectrally selective membrane distillation
AU - Kinzer, Bryan
AU - Smith, Kirk
AU - Otanicar, Todd
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 International Heat Transfer Conference. All rights reserved.
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - In recent years, direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) has been shown to be more effective for desalination of high-salinity feed streams compared to the more conventional reverse osmosis process. DCMD works by utilizing the vapor pressure difference between a heated feed stream and a colder permeate stream to drive water vapor from the feed side to the permeate side. A noted way of increasing the temperature gradient between the two sides and/or adding heat to the feed side is to directly expose the membrane to solar flux. One approach for absorbing energy within the membrane is through the addition of solar absorbing nanoparticles. While bulk solar absorption can be achieved easily with carbon or graphite, it is also possible to add nanoparticles that selectively absorb limited portions of the solar spectrum. By combining a selective nanoparticle membrane in conjunction with a photovoltaic (PV) cell, it is possible to hybridize water desalination and electrical energy production. The nanoparticles absorb photons below the PV bandgap, decreasing the PV operating temperature, while still permitting power generation. In this paper a hybrid PV-DCMD system is simulated. Results indicate that such a system can supply significant amounts of water flux although increases in water flux must be balanced with decreases in electric energy production.
AB - In recent years, direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) has been shown to be more effective for desalination of high-salinity feed streams compared to the more conventional reverse osmosis process. DCMD works by utilizing the vapor pressure difference between a heated feed stream and a colder permeate stream to drive water vapor from the feed side to the permeate side. A noted way of increasing the temperature gradient between the two sides and/or adding heat to the feed side is to directly expose the membrane to solar flux. One approach for absorbing energy within the membrane is through the addition of solar absorbing nanoparticles. While bulk solar absorption can be achieved easily with carbon or graphite, it is also possible to add nanoparticles that selectively absorb limited portions of the solar spectrum. By combining a selective nanoparticle membrane in conjunction with a photovoltaic (PV) cell, it is possible to hybridize water desalination and electrical energy production. The nanoparticles absorb photons below the PV bandgap, decreasing the PV operating temperature, while still permitting power generation. In this paper a hybrid PV-DCMD system is simulated. Results indicate that such a system can supply significant amounts of water flux although increases in water flux must be balanced with decreases in electric energy production.
KW - Desalination
KW - Mass transfer
KW - Nanoparticles
KW - Solar energy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068312144&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1615/ihtc16.nee.023330
DO - 10.1615/ihtc16.nee.023330
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:85068312144
SN - 2377-424X
VL - 2018-August
SP - 7643
EP - 7650
JO - International Heat Transfer Conference
JF - International Heat Transfer Conference
T2 - 16th International Heat Transfer Conference, IHTC 2018
Y2 - 10 August 2018 through 15 August 2018
ER -