As freshwater sources become increasingly stressed,
many coastal communities are looking to seawater
desalination to augment their supplies and meet growing
demand. Seawater desalination is an energy-intensive
process, however, with energy expenses accounting
for a significant part of the process operating cost. This
article looks at the factors affecting energy consumption
for seawater desalination and discusses design and technological
developments that can improve efficiency.
Although the salinity of the feedwater affects the
energy consumed during desalination, energy consumption
is also influenced by such factors as recovery, flux,
membrane type, ancillary processes, type of equipment,
and energy-recovery devices. To improve efficiency,
utilities must take into account design and operation of
all these components.
Recent advances in desalination technology are
making the process more energy-efficient and cost-effective.
Water providers can do their part by optimizing
system design to foster energy efficiency so that,
ultimately, more communities can economically tap
into untapped sources of supply. Includes 19 references, table, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. 99 - No. 6 |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 960 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 12 |
| Published : | 06/01/2007 |
