- 25 January 2008 -

Small desal plants for arid regions

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) have successfully tested a range of small, decentralised water treatment plants which work with an autonomous power supply.

The compact plants can produce about 120 to 150 litres of pure drinking water per day, transforming either salty seawater or brackish water. They consist of six square metres of thermal solar collectors, a small photovoltaic module to power a pump, and the desalination module itself. They work by membrane distillation by which salt water evaporates and passes through the membrane, leaving desalinated water vapour which condenses. According to the company, membrane distillation is more efficient than reverse osmosis (RO) or solar water distillation in this type of application.

The plants are reportedly designed for arid and semi-arid regions of Africa and India, where drinking water is scarce but large industrial desalination plants are not viable due to their need to increased maintenance.

www.fraunhofer.de

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