Undoubtedly, we can expect clean and fresh water that is fit for commercial and domestic use through Efficient seawater desalination. However, it still remains a tad bit expensive. This acts as an obstacle to all the industrial or commercial units that want to install desalination plants to meet their everyday requirement. 

Mainly, reverse osmosis is heavy on the pocket due to the huge amount of electricity it consumes to pass water through the filter. Apart from that, another reason that makes the process expensive is the filters used to kill the microbes present in the water. Now let’s find out the latest technological innovations that could make the process of salt water desalination become cheaper. 

1. Graphene Nanopores 

Experts from the industry expect strong and lightly built graphene membranes to go a long way in curbing extra expenses. When compared to polymer membranes, it tends to last longer. Generally, Graphene rends to repel water. However, a given structure can effectively separate the water and salt without much complexity. Specialized teams have been established to conduct further research in the area. 

Scholars of the University of Manchester have modified the graphene membranes to have little capillaries stacked into the graphene oxide layers. Although the size of the opening currently allows the salt particles of less than one nanometer to pass through, experts are working on it constantly to bring further alterations. The modification is expected to expel even the smallest salt molecules and ensure Efficient seawater desalination. 

 Using a completely different technique, MIT researchers have developed a graphene membrane that has pores measuring less than a nanometer. Unlike the abovementioned team, this team focused on making holes inside one layer of atoms instead of altering multiple layers. When compared to the present polymer membrane, this membrane’s water-permeable capacity is fifty times more. This indicates that very less energy will be consumed to push the water through the filters. 

Lockheed Martin flaunts a patented graphene membrane that claims to desalinate seawater at the price of a fraction of what it costs today.

2.       Multitasking membrane

Undoubtedly, graphene membrane has become the talk of the town when it comes to reducing the cost of desalination of seawater. Meanwhile, a Singaporean researcher has spent considerable time looking into titanium dioxide. A profession from the Nanyang Technological University has advanced nanofibers curated from the crystals of titanium dioxide. It is further given the shape of membranes for water filtration. The membranes have a wide range of applications. One such application could be in the sector of forwarding osmosis for Efficient seawater desalination. 

There’s a strong belief among the experts that one day this will exceed the polymer membranes based on the performance. Membranes fabricated from titanium dioxide can effectively get rid of bacteria while bringing down the clogged pores that require frequent replacement.

3.       Electrochemical desalination

Apparently, the latest technology can effectively produce one cubic meter of freshwater by consuming only 1.7kw of energy per hour. The electricity consumption has been replaced with ionic species to carry out the process of desalination. The ions are crippled and then removed from the flowing stream of water through the desalination cell. It is cheaper because carbon electrodes are used, which is pretty light on the pocket. Plus, it has other benefits such as porosity, large surface area, and porosity. 

4.       Modified Pump designs

Yet another tactic to ensure Efficient seawater desalination at a cheaper price is by opting for the latest pump designs. Not only the compact ones but also the centrifugal ones have seen advancements for efficient results. In the manufacturing units, modifications like CFD or computational fluid dynamics software have brought down operational costs. The CFD software optimizes the hydraulic design, allowing pump manufacturers to model the hydraulic capacity precisely. Ultimately, it reduces internal energy consumption.    

Conclusion 

The constant development in the world of membranes used for the desalination of seawater can drastically reduce the cost of operation and installation. Even though there are a lot of debates and discussions going on around this topic, the experiments have been carried out on a small scale. A significant amount of funding and research is yet to be carried out. 

Are you looking to seek professional advice for Efficient seawater desalination? If so, you’ve landed at the right place. Keiken engineering hosts a team of experts who are ever-ready to deliver professional advice and customized solutions based on your unique problems. Coming from an engineering background, we put forward technologically advanced and innovative solutions to our clients. All the desalination-related queries are addressed here. For further queries, you can contact us via mail at info@keiken.es or call us at +34 910 577 254.  

How Israel combined desalination, water reuse and demand management to address water scarcity, and what other regions can learn from it.

Continue reading

We need water to survive. Life on Earth is impossible without water. Yet, we hear every now and then that the amount of fresh water on our planet isn’t enough. Yes, 71% of our Earth is water. However, only 2.5% of this is fresh water. To top it all, surface water makes up just 1.2% which is what we use for our daily needs. Rest is groundwater and ice, which isn’t always accessible. To increase this water supply, some countries have now started opting for efficient seawater desalination.

But, the question here is, will the Earth really run out of fresh water soon?

Let us decode this mystery!

The Story Behind Freshwater Running Out On Earth

Truth be told, the Earth isn’t going to run out of water. The water present on Earth has no way to escape the planet. The amount is the same as that was millennia ago. However, this isn’t to say that the water is usable. As per environmentalists, Earth can soon run out of freshwater supplies, given the increasingly low reserves of fresh water on Earth.

Factors such as population, pollution, and global warming have led to faster consumption of fresh water. At this speed, there might come a time when we won’t have enough fresh water to sustain life on Earth. To tackle this issue, salt water desalination is the modern-day solution. Opting for efficient seawater desalination can be the go-to move as the world deals with freshwater problems.

How Does Desalination Help With Earth’s Water Crisis?

With the rising freshwater demand, growing population, & global warming, there is enormous pressure on existing fresh water resources. According to a survey, 1 in every 9 people doesn’t have access to drinkable safe water. Given the rate of water consumption, the need for fresh water in 2030 can increase exponentially by 40 percent.

Implementation of the desalination process can help scientists turn saltwater from the seas and oceans into fresh, drinking water that is safe as well. In most cases, the process of efficient seawater desalination can either be membrane-based or thermal-based.

So, why hasn’t desalination been implemented on a global scale?

Well, the first thing is desalination does have some economic or environmental challenges. Although efficient seawater desalination is an amazing option to aid with the freshwater crisis, it does have its fair set of challenges that require proper research to be dealt with the right way. Things such as brine, which is a byproduct of efficient seawater desalination, can essentially disrupt the ocean ecosystem unless disposed of the right way.

However, scientists have been experimenting with different processes that can help take care of this problem. As the global freshwater shortage worsens, we must work on finding effective solutions to make desalination more effective. This can help provide good-quality portable water for countries that are in desperate need.

But, how does efficient seawater desalination work?

Let us learn more about it!

Desalination: How Does It Work?

In the desalination process, salt & other minerals are removed from sea/ocean water. You can opt for efficient seawater desalination via thermal desalination or reverse osmosis method. Let us learn more about the process.

Thermal Desalination

The process of thermal desalination requires the use of heat to get rid of the salt present in water. Evaporating water vapor is collected via the condensation process with the salt settled at the bottom. Now, in this process, about 75 percent of this water is disposed of as brine. So, thermal desalination might not be a reliable method for efficient seawater desalination. The thermal desalination process requires extensive use of energy and heat to ensure thorough vaporization. Moreover, the process is also less effective and more expensive as compared to the RO process.

So, you might be better off refraining from the use of thermal desalination.

Reverse osmosis

If you are looking for a reliable desalination method, RO or Reverse Osmosis is the way to go. It is efficient and popular for efficient seawater desalination process. Moreover, this process ensures that 50 percent of the seawater becomes potable.

Here are the key steps of the RO process:

· First, intake structures start the extraction of water from a nearby sea or ocean

· Next, the salty water is filtered via multimedia filters. It also gets rid of large particles such as rocks or seawater

· The cartridge filters help get rid of small and solid particles such as clay or sand

· Next, the high-pressure water pumps apply pressure to ensure that it passes properly through the RO membranes

· The membranes ensure that the salt molecules are left behind, allowing the desalinated liquid to pass to the next stage

The desalinated water is then collected & treated for any remnants

· Finally, the concentrated brine is sent back via the brine outfall to a nearby ocean or sea

Desalination For The Future

Desalination works best as a reliable source of fresh water. It provides us with a low-risk supply of fresh water. It isn’t susceptible to issues such as natural depletion, drought, or disasters as compared to other sources of fresh water like rainfall, rivers, or groundwater.

For 40 percent population that lives in a coastal community, desalination helps provide a great water supply. It is also a reliable solution for land-bound or dry countries such as Israel for domestic water supply. It is an attractive choice when dealing with water scarcity or climate change.

Conclusion

With these benefits in mind, desalination is the perfect solution for the future years. The only thing to take care of is to ensure the effective disposal of the byproducts from the process. Plus, the effective use of energy resources is also important for a sustainable future. As good as efficient seawater desalination is, the key is to ensure better use of our existing resources while minimizing waste.