Assessment of a solar-driven cogeneration system for electricity and desalination

The goal of the present paper is the investigation of a solar desalination system with an organic Rankine cycle system for power and freshwater production. This system is an environmentally friendly technology that is able to utilize solar energy properly in a novel cogeneration application. A parabolic trough concentrator with a smooth and corrugated receiver was employed as the heat source of the desalination system. A humidifier-dehumidifier desalination technology was used for producing freshwater. The electricity is produced by an organic Rankine cycle which is fed both by the solar field and by the hot brine. The present analysis is performed by using a detailed numerical model which is validated by experimental literature data. Based on the final results, the corrugated tube has a maximum performance of 66.59%, and it is more efficient than the smooth tube with 63.11%. The average freshwater productions were estimated equal to 13.09 kg hr(-1) and 12.71 kg hr(-1) for the corrugated and smooth tubes, respectively. The maximum net work production is found at 7.57 kW with R113, while the less efficient working fluid is R134a. It was found that the application of the developed desalination system leads to the production of high amounts of fresh water and a significant reduction of the equivalent CO2 emissions.

Automated summary

The study focuses on a solar desalination system incorporating an organic Rankine cycle for power and freshwater production, highlighting the efficiency and environmental benefits of the system. Through experimental and numerical analysis, it was found that the corrugated tube design outperformed the smooth tube in terms of freshwater production and CO2 emission reduction.