A comprehensive review of solar-driven desalination systems and its advancements

The abrupt rise in the human population and the simultaneous shortage of the available resources of natural water have created the dearth of fresh drinkable water. This has turned out to be a critical issue of fresh water availability, which needs to be resolved at the earliest. The best solution to this problem can be saline water desalination, but that is purely dependent upon its availability. It requires huge energy, which is supplied by fossil fuels. So, all the above-mentioned reasons compel us to extract alternative way of fresh water extraction by using renewable energy. One potential way to eliminate the necessity for fossil fuel sources is by combining the desalination systems along with the solar energy technologies. In the recent few years, there has been enormous research conducted by many eminent researchers over solar thermal desalination system. In this review, firstly the technologies associated with desalination are reviewed. Two different technologies, namely direct and indirect desalination, have been proposed. Indirect desalination methods are better to be used in medium- to large-scale desalination, and direct desalination methods are more suitable for small-sized desalination. This review is further stretched to deliver a wide spread summary of solar thermal desalination systems. The introduction about principle, energy, exergy, and economic analysis of the systems associated with solar thermal desalination are demonstrated. At the end, the factors influencing performance present challenges, and major issues of such system are outlined.

Automated summary

The rapid increase in human population and the scarcity of natural water resources have led to a shortage of fresh drinkable water. Saline water desalination is the best solution, but it requires huge amounts of energy supplied by fossil fuels. This review focuses on the combination of desalination systems and solar energy technologies as an alternative way to extract fresh water using renewable energy. The review also provides an overview of different desalination technologies and discusses the principles, energy, exergy, and economic analysis of solar thermal desalination systems. The challenges and major issues of such systems are outlined as well.