Desalination of Seawater Using Solar Energy

The article is devoted to the method of desalination of salty or polluted water. The essence of the method is to use the energy of the sun to heat and evaporate the original, non-pure water. A feature of the method is the minimization of heat exchangers in the desalination process, which is provided by heating and evaporation of the source water directly in the solar collector. To reduce heat losses, the boiling point is lowered by vacuuming the space inside the collector. The separation of wet steam from the vapor-air mixture inside the collector housing is carried out by a vacuum pump. The removal of concentrated saline solution or concentrate of contaminated water from the boiling area is carried out by vacuum, which is created by a second vacuum pump or is carried out by one pump by switching the discharged pressure line to the concentrate discharge channel. A diagram of a desalination plant is presented, which shows the main elements of the desalination system. In the process of water evaporation, pressure constantly arises inside the collector, according to the sensor signal, the first vacuum pump is turned on and off, maintaining the pressure in the range of 10–30 kPa. To control the liquid in the collector, its sensor is used, along the way the salt water supply level valve opens and closes, at the same time the first vacuum pump is turned on to increase the pressure in the working volume.