CONSIDERATION OF DESIGN SYSTEMS FOR SOLAR POWERED REVERSE OSMOSIS SEAWATER DESALINATION

Solar-powered reverse osmosis (RO) seawater desalination systems are one of the best solutions for providing fresh, clean water. This paper presents research concerning solar-powered reverse osmosis (RO) seawater desalination. The research consists of a review of solar-powered RO desalination, previous designs of solar-powered RO seawater desalination systems, and a design of a solar-powered RO seawater desalination system in Durban. The review includes solved issues regarding the cost and efficiency of the RO seawater desalination system. The review also focuses on how to make the RO desalination portable and how to improve the RO system processes. The main aim and objective of this research was to conduct research on previous findings regarding solar-powered RO seawater desalination, and to propose a design system that will provide a reasonable amount of water for the community of Durban. The proposed design system produces 16 830 000 L of water per year using solar energy with super-capacitors and battery as a power source. The solar powered RO seawater desalination systems can be improved by having a two-stage RO process, and by having three energy sources (solar energy, battery/capacitor, and wind energy) in order to increase freshwater produced per annum . Although having a battery in a system creates energy losses and batteries are a reliable source of energy.