Abstract
In this work, process simulation and cost analysis of an osmotic-driven process for simultaneous clean water and power generation from seawater using the concept of solute-gradient method are developed, with the aim of determining its potential application at the industrial scale. The simulations were carried out by Aspen Plus® software, considering a plant size corresponding to 1 MW power generation, using ethanol–water as the draw solution. Different draw solution regeneration techniques are investigated with the aim of minimizing the thermal requirements while respecting the threshold purity of the extracted water. It is shown that, by optimizing the inlet draw solution flow rate and concentration, power densities of about 5 W/m2 can be obtained using hollow fine fiber membrane, with a projected cost of electricity around 152 €/MWh. Economic analysis, based on Saudi Arabia water cost, shows that the process profitability is strongly affected by the water selling price, which needs to be at least 1.7 €/m3 in order to have the cumulative cash position equal to zero at the end of the plant lifetime (25 years). Nevertheless, it is suggested that both water and power could be industrially produced in a profitable way (DPBP less than 5 years) with a drinking water selling price equal to 2 €/m3, which is about 30% higher than the current value yet a realistic one in the near future.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
IPCC (2014) Climate Change 2014 Synthesis Report
IEA, World Energy Outlook (2017). http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/WEB_WorldEnergyOutlook2015ExecutiveSummaryEnglishFinal.pdf
Aaberg RJ, Statkraft SF (2003) Osmotic power. Refocus:48–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1471-0846(04)00045-9
Sharif AO, Merdaw AA, Sanduk MI, Al-Aibi SM, Rahal Z (2011) The potential of chemical-osmotic energy for renewable power generation. World Renew Energy Congr 44:2190–2197
Achilli A, Cath TY, Childress AE (2009) Power generation with pressure retarded osmosis: an experimental and theoretical investigation. J Membr Sci 343:42–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2009.07.006
Altaee A, Sharif A (2015) Pressure retarded osmosis: advancement in the process applications for power generation and desalination. Desalination 356:31–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2014.09.028
Altaee A, Zaragoza G, Sharif A (2014) Pressure retarded osmosis for power generation and seawater desalination: performance analysis. Desalination 344:108–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2014.03.022
Skilhagen SE, Dugstad JE, Aaberg RJ (2008) Osmotic power—power production based on the osmotic pressure difference between waters with varying salt gradients. Desalination 220:476–482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2007.02.045
Gerstandt K, Peinemann KV, Skilhagen SE, Thorsen T, Holt T (2008) Membrane processes in energy supply for an osmotic power plant. Desalination 224:64–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2007.02.080
Thorsen T, Holt T (2009) The potential for power production from salinity gradients by pressure retarded osmosis. J Membr Sci 335:103–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2009.03.003
Han G, Zuo J, Wan C, Chung T-S (2015) Hybrid pressure retarded osmosis–membrane distillation (PRO–MD) process for osmotic power and clean water generation. Environ Sci Water Res Technol 1:507–515. https://doi.org/10.1039/C5EW00127G
Badran A, Murad S, Baydoun E, Daghir N (2017) Water, energy & food sustainability in the middle east. Springer International Publishing, New York
Greenlee LF, Lawler DF, Freeman BD, Marrot B, Moulin P (2009) Reverse osmosis desalination: water sources, technology, and today’s challenges. Water Res 43:2317–2348. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.WATRES.2009.03.010
Elimelech M, Phillip WA (2011) The future of seawater desalination: energy, technology, and the environment. Science 333:712–717. http://science.sciencemag.org/content/333/6043/712.abstract
woo Kim T, Kim Y, Yun C, Jang H, Kim W, Park S (2012) Systematic approach for draw solute selection and optimal system design for forward osmosis desalination. Desalination 284:253–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2011.09.008
Geisler P, Hahnenstein FU, Krumm W, Peters T (1999) Pressure exchange system for energy recovery in reverse osmosis plants. Desalination 122:151–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0011-9164(99)00036-3
World Health Organization (2011) Guidelines for drinking-water quality, 4th edn. WHO, Geneva. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1462-0758(00)00006-6
Grande CA, Rodrigues AE (2007) Biogas to fuel by vacuum pressure swing adsorption I. behavior of equilibrium and kinetic adsorbents. Ind Eng Chem Res 46:4595–4605
Smith JM, Van Ness HC, Abbott MM (2005) Introduction to chemical engineering thermodynamics. McGraw-Hill Education, New York
Hamer WJ, Wu Y (1972) Osmotic coefficients and mean activity coefficients of uni-univalent electrolytes in water at 25°C. J Phys Chem Ref Data Monogr 1:1047–1100. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3253108
Straub AP, Deshmukh A, Elimelech M (2016) Pressure-retarded osmosis for power generation from salinity gradients: is it viable? Energy Environ Sci 9:31–48. https://doi.org/10.1039/C5EE02985F
McCormick P, Pellegrino J, Mantovani F, Sarti G (2008) Water, salt, and ethanol diffusion through membranes for water recovery by forward (direct) osmosis processes. J Membr Sci 325:467–478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2008.08.011
Sharif AO, Arayfar M (2013) A Thermal regeneration forward osmosis process, UK patent application number GB1321711.2
Sabah M, Atwan AF, Mahood HB, Sharif A (2013) Power generation based on pressure retarded osmosis: a design and an optimisation study. Int J Appl Innov Eng Manag 2:68–74
Fritzmann C, Löwenberg J, Wintgens T, Melin T (2007) State-of-the-art of reverse osmosis desalination. Desalination 216:1–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.DESAL.2006.12.009
Dehwah AHA, Missimer TM (2016) Subsurface intake systems: green choice for improving feed water quality at SWRO desalination plants, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Water Res 88:216–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.WATRES.2015.10.011
Turton R, Bailie RC, Whiting WB, Shaeiwitz JA, Bhattacharyya D (2012) Analysis, synthesis, and design of chemical processes. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ
Douglas J (1988) Conceptual design of chemical processes. McGraw-Hill, New York
Towler G, Sinnot RK (2012) Chemical engineering design: principles, practice and economics of plant and process design, 2nd edn. Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford
https://www.intratec.us/. Accessed Feb 2018
https://www.modon.gov.sa/. Accessed Feb 2018
AlYahya S, Irfan MA (2016) The techno-economic potential of Saudi Arabia’s solar industry. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 55:697–702. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.RSER.2015.11.017
Ramli MAM, Hiendro A, Al-Turki YA (2016) Techno-economic energy analysis of wind/solar hybrid system: case study for western coastal area of Saudi Arabia. Renew Energy 91:374–385. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.RENENE.2016.01.071
https://www.payscale.com/. Accessed Feb 2018
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Barbera, E., Zorzetto, L., Sharif, A.O., Bertucco, A. (2020). Simultaneous Clean Water and Power Production from Seawater Using Osmosis: Process Simulation and Techno-economic Analysis. In: Sayigh, A. (eds) Renewable Energy and Sustainable Buildings. Innovative Renewable Energy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18488-9_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18488-9_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-18487-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-18488-9
eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)