Volume 20: Sustainable Energy Solutions for a Post-COVID Recovery towards a Better Future: Part III

Experimental Performance Evaluation of Vacuum Membrane Distillation Seawater Desalination System Combined With LCPV/T Module Zhenghao Liu, Na Wang, Heng Zhang, Haiping Chen

Abstract

In this paper, a stable and efficient thermal-electric seawater desalination system based on vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) technology and utilizing the energy of solar low concentrated photovoltaic/thermal (LCPV/T) module is established. The new membrane distillation unit has a smaller and more convenient size and higher fresh water yield. The total surface area of the membrane component was 0.22m2. The experiment was carried out under the condition of all-day variable irradiation. The detailed temperature variation was recorded and analyzed. Results show that the system can achieve a maximum temperature difference of 7°C in the membrane distillation without electric heating and other heat source, and the water yield of membrane distillation is 2.73 L/(m2▪h), besides it can realize 99.9% desalting rate of simulated seawater.

Keywords desalination, water yield, vacuum membrane distillation, PV/T, cogeneration system, heat utilization