Optimal design of solar collector network in novel hybrid desalination plant

Abstract

In this study, a new hybrid system for producing fresh water from seawater using solar energy is proposed. It suggests a modified and optimized approach to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and decrease pollutants by also harnessing solar energy. The system includes flat-plate solar collectors, a multi-effect distillation through thermal vapor compression (MED-TVC) desalination unit, a pump, and a boiler. The flow rate of the produced fresh water and the specific cost of generating fresh water volume were considered objective functions and the system was optimized using as evolutionary algorithm. The algorithm was employed to determine 12 design variables. Series, parallel, and series-parallel configurations were examined as layouts for flat plate collectors. The results indicated that the series-parallel arrangement was the most effective layout for the collectors. The modeling was carried out for the city of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan Province, Iran. The production of fresh water in series-parallel mode has increased by 12.15 % and 27.83 %, respectively, compared to the parallel and series configurations at the ideal point. An assessment of the results suggests that choosing the design point within the flow rate range of 4.19 L/s to 4.65 L/s is preferable.