Ilaria Rosella Pagliaro A revolutionary modular system designed by researchers in Qatar: desalination, energy and hydrogen generation with integrated air conditioning
@Dall-E/GreenMe
With climate change widening the swath of drought and heat through so many regions, the world needs increasingly versatile technologies capable of taking on multiple problems at once. For example, in Qatar, engineers at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University have created a modular system with three key foci: desalinating seawater into fresh water, creating renewable energy, and building cooling for indoor spaces.
How the multi-purpose desalination system works
The system consists of a series of 600-watt, 23.2%-efficient bifacial c-Si solar panels. The panels will be laid out over a total area of approximately 116,000 square feet, generating up to 1.5 MW of electricity daily. The energy will be distributed intelligently: 100 kW powers the system itself, while the rest supports the cooling of the groundwater and the operation of the water pumps.
Another module uses a vapor compressor with refrigerant to chill the saltwater until ice crystals form. These crystals, so to speak, are freshwater that gets separated from the remaining salt. The gathered ice is reserved for a storage system that cools the air; this cold air can then be pumped into buildings for air conditioning purposes. Once the ice has melted, it provides fresh water suitable for human consumption or irrigation.
Another module combines the produced water and electrical energy to produce hydrogen. The further treatment of water by a proton exchange membrane electro-deionization system produces hydrogen as a byproduct, which can be stored and used as a clean energy source.
Amazing data and practical applications
It has been designed to work in the daytime and at night but with different modes of operation. During the day, the system focuses on the process of desalination and air cooling, while it produces hydrogen at night. In a typical day, this system can deliver:
- 2.4 MWh electricity,
- 13,950 gallons of fresh water,
- 21.5 MMBtu of energy for air conditioning,
- 390 pounds of hydrogen for energy storage to support nighttime operations.
This modular system represents a novel and scalable response to the needs of regions with limited water resources and high temperatures. The versatility in its design allows it to adapt to industrial and residential applications, hence offering a comprehensive solution for energy and water demands.
Source: Desalination
