Design optimization of desalination systems power-supplied by PV and W/G energy sources

In this paper, a methodology for the optimal sizing of desalination systems, power-supplied by Photovoltaic modules and Wind-Generators, is presented. The purpose of the proposed methodology is to derive, among a list of commercially available system devices, the optimal number and type of units such that the 20-year round total system cost is minimized, while simultaneously the consumer's water demand is completely covered. The total cost function minimization is implemented using genetic algorithms, which have the ability to calculate the global optimum in the overall state space with relative computational simplicity. The proposed method has been applied for the design of desalination systems, which cover the potable water demands of a small community and of a residential household, respectively, in order to prove its effectiveness in various desalination system size scales. According to the corresponding optimal sizing results presented in this paper, the total cost of the desalination system is highly affected by the operational characteristics of the devices comprising the system, which affect the degree of exploitation of the available solar and wind energy potentials. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.