Numerical study of a novel concentrator photovoltaic-membrane distilled plate-type seawater desalination structure

Both solar energy utilization and desalination are critical needs in many parts of the world. To make more effective use of photovoltaic waste heat, a novel concentrator photovoltaic-membrane distilled plate type seawater desalination structure is proposed in this paper. To understand the performance of the photovoltaic module under natural cooling, a solar ray-tracing model is used to simulate it at different concentration ratios for the meteorological conditions of Wuhan, China. The structure is then modeled at different concentration ratios and mass flow rates, and the thermal and electrical properties of the photovoltaic module are analyzed. The performance of a hydrophobic membrane and distillation is evaluated, and the distillation performance is compared with that in the literature. The results show that the temperature of the silicon layer can exceed 150 degrees C at a concentration ratio of 10. When using seawater with a mass flow rate of 0.0007 kg center dot s- 1 for cooling, the temperature of the photovoltaic module can be controlled below 150 degrees C, even at a concentration ratio of 100. For a higher concentration ratio, the temperature of the photovoltaic module can be controlled within a reasonable range by regulating the mass flow rate of seawater. The distillate flow rate, distillation efficiency, and specific energy consumption are evaluated at different concentration ratios and mass flow rates. When the mass flow is 0.0007 kg center dot s- 1 and concentration ratio = 1, the distillate flow rate, distillation efficiency, and specific energy consumption are, respectively, 0.94 L center dot m- 2 center dot h- 1, 46.91 %, and 487.51 kWh center dot m- 3, which shows an advantage compared with that in the literature.

Automated summary

In this paper, a novel concentrator photovoltaic-membrane distilled plate type seawater desalination structure is proposed to effectively utilize photovoltaic waste heat. The performance of the photovoltaic module is simulated under different concentration ratios using a solar ray-tracing model for Wuhan, China. The thermal and electrical properties of the photovoltaic module are analyzed at different concentration ratios and mass flow rates. The performance of the hydrophobic membrane and distillation is evaluated and compared with that in the literature. The results show that the proposed structure has advantages in distillate flow rate, distillation efficiency, and specific energy consumption compared to previous studies.