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Performance studies of a solar thermal-electric hybrid desalination system: 4E (energy-exergy-economics-enviroeconomics) analysis

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Abstract

In this work, a hybrid desalination system uses solar thermal-electric clean energy to maximize production and consistency through optimum temperature management to deliver clean water for good health. It is an effort in the direction of aligning with few of UN’s sustainable developmental goals. BIPV system-powered thermoelectric modules boost evaporation and condensation rates in a unique bio-inspired butterfly roof design-based twin wedge solar still (TWSS). A microcontroller-based temperature control unit (TCU) regulates and maintains the hybrid system to provide practically constant higher yields. To understand system performance, 3 days of testing has been carried out. Average yield, energy efficiency, exergy efficiency, cost per liter of freshwater, and payback period of hybrid TWSS (hTWSS) and passive TWSS over 15 years are 8.64 l/m2/day, 61.93, 9.05, and 0.116 $/l in 44 months, and 1.3 l/m2/day, 23.06, 1.26, 0.068 $/l in 20 months. The hTWSS mitigated 5.1 tons and TWSS 59.6 tons of CO2. This hybrid technology utilizes clean energy to deliver clean water and electricity in green energy buildings with a small footprint. As a futuristic work, AI and machine learning are suggested to be used to enhance and commercialize this solar still desalination method.

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Data availability

Available upon request.

Change history

Abbreviations

4E:

Energy-exergy-economics-enviroeconomics

A basin :

Area of solar still basin (m2)

A PV :

Area of PV system (m2)

A water :

Area of water in solar still basin (m2)

ADC:

Analog-to-digital converters

AMC:

Annual maintenance cost

ASV:

Annual salvage value

ATC:

Annual total cost

ATY:

Annual total yield

BIPV:

Building integrated photovoltaics

CCE:

Net carbon credits earned

CCEAnnual :

Annual net carbon credits earned

CPL:

Cost per liter of fresh distilled water

CRF:

Capital recovery factor

DE :

Demolition energy

E in :

Embodied energy

Ė exevap :

Evaporative exergy (W)

Ė exin :

Input exergy (W)

Ė exsun :

Exergy from sun (W/m2)

E out :

Output energy

EEM :

Embodied energy of material

EET :

Embodied energy of transportation

EEC :

Embodied energy of construction

EEr :

Recurring embodied energy

EPBP:

Energy payback period

FAC:

Fixed annual cost

G solar :

Global solar radiation (W/m2)

h evap, water – glass,in :

Coefficient of evaporative heat transfer rate between the water and glass inner surface (W/m2.°C)

hTWSS:

Hybrid twin wedge solar still

i :

Percentage of interest rate (%)

L water :

Enthalpy of evaporation (J/kg)

LCD:

Liquid crystal display

m distillate :

Hourly distillate yield (L)

M T ,distillate :

Total distillate collected per day

n :

Lifetime of the solar still

P AC :

Power consumed by active components (W)

PBP:

Payback period

P PV :

Power generated by PV (W)

PV:

Photovoltaic

PV/T:

Photovoltaic thermal

Q evap ,water – glass,in :

Evaporative heat transfer rate between the water and glass inner surface (W/m2)

SFF:

Sinking fund factor

SP:

Selling price

SV:

Salvage value

t :

Time

T ambient :

Temperature of ambient surrounding (°C)

T glass ,in :

Temperature of glass inner surface (°C)

T sun :

Temperature of sun (°C)

T water :

Temperature of basin water (°C)

TCU:

Temperature control unit

TEC:

Thermoelectric cooler

TEH:

Thermoelectric heater

TEM:

Thermoelectric module

TWSS:

Twin wedge solar still

η ex :

Exergy efficiency (%)

η ex , hybrid :

Exergy efficiency of hybrid system (%)

η ex , passive :

Exergy efficiency of passive system (%)

η hybrid :

Efficiency of hybrid solar still system (%)

η passive :

Efficiency of passive solar still system (%)

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Funding

This work was supported in part by the Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE), File No. SR/PURSE/2021/65, Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamilnadu, India

    Wesley Jeevadason Aruldoss, Padmini Sankaramurthy & Bharatiraja Chokkalingam

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  1. Wesley Jeevadason Aruldoss
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  2. Padmini Sankaramurthy
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  3. Bharatiraja Chokkalingam
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Contributions

The material preparation, data collection, and design of solar still were performed by Wesley Jeevadason Aruldoss. The analysis was performed by Padmini Sankaramurthy, and interpretation of data was performed by Bharatiraja Chokkalingam. Wesley Jeevadason Aruldoss, Padmini Sankaramurthy, and Bharatiraja Chokkalingam have read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Padmini Sankaramurthy.

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Aruldoss, W.J., Sankaramurthy, P. & Chokkalingam, B. Performance studies of a solar thermal-electric hybrid desalination system: 4E (energy-exergy-economics-enviroeconomics) analysis. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 73451–73468 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-27612-y

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