A Computational Model Study of Brine Discharges from Seawater Desalination Plants at Barka, Oman

Background. Uneven distribution of fresh water sources on the land surface encourages a search for effective techniques of potable water preparation by desalination of seawater. Hygienic issues of such desalination methods as distillation, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, and ion exchange have been investigated by now and appropriate limitations, requirements, and additional measures to ensure safety of desalinated drinking water have been established. Objective. To summarize and systematize the results of studying characteristics of various methods of seawater desalination for its further use for drinking and household purposes. Materials and methods. We conducted a systematic review of studies published in Russian and in English, found in the PubMed and Web of Science databases, and selected 40 literary sources containing an empirical assessment of effectiveness of seawater desalination and preparation of drinking water. We also scrutinized regulatory documents and guidelines of domestic sanitary legislation. The research results were systematized by the main desalination methods. Results and discussion. We established that the use of seawater for the preparation of fresh water for drinking and household purposes is becoming increasingly widespread around the world. Drinking water obtained from seawater, in all cases, requires additional treatment and measures to optimize its mineral composition and protect against microorganisms. Conclusion. The main challenges of ensuring sanitary and epidemiological wellbeing of the population when using desalinated seawater for drinking and household purposes include selection of a source, arrangement of sites of water intake properly protected from natural and man-made pollution, substantiation of techniques and modes of preliminary preparation of source seawater adequate to its composition, basic desalination, ensuring safety of products of destruction and migration of toxic substances from reagents and materials of desalination plants, additional conditioning with the necessary elements and disinfection of the prepared water, as well as environmental protection from desalination waste.

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Optimization of Energy Efficiency, Operation Costs, Carbon Footprint and Ecological Footprint with Reverse Osmosis Membranes in Seawater Desalination Plants

Membranes ◽

10.3390/membranes11100781 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. 781

Author(s):

Federico Leon ◽

Alejandro Ramos ◽

S. Ovidio Perez-Baez

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Energy Consumption ◽

Reverse Osmosis ◽

Ecological Footprint ◽

Energy Savings ◽

Seawater Desalination ◽

Operation Costs ◽

Private And Public ◽

Desalination Plants ◽

Reverse Osmosis Membranes

This article shows the optimization of the reverse osmosis process in seawater desalination plants, taking the example of the Canary Islands, where there are more than 320 units of different sizes, both private and public. The objective is to improve the energy efficiency of the system in order to save on operation costs as well as reduce the carbon and ecological footprints. Reverse osmosis membranes with higher surface area have lower energy consumption, as well as energy recovery systems to recover the brine pressure and introduce it in the system. Accounting for the operation, maintenance and handling of the membranes is also important in energy savings, in order to improve the energy efficiency. The energy consumption depends on the permeate water quality required and the model of the reverse osmosis membrane installed in the seawater desalination plant, as it is shown in this study.

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Impacts of seawater desalination plants on the marine environment of the Gulf

Protecting the Gulf’s Marine Ecosystems from Pollution ◽

10.1007/978-3-7643-7947-6_10 ◽

2008 ◽

pp. 191-205 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sabine Lattemann ◽

Thomas Höpner

Keyword(s):

Marine Environment ◽

Seawater Desalination ◽

Desalination Plants

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Rate versus time representation of high‐frequency spectral notches in the peripheral auditory system: A computational model study

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America ◽

10.1121/1.4782449 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 121 (5) ◽

pp. 3198-3198

Author(s):

Enrique A. Lopez‐Poveda ◽

Ana Alves‐Pinto ◽

Almudena Eustaquio‐Martin ◽

Alan R. Palmer

Keyword(s):

Computational Model ◽

Auditory System ◽

High Frequency ◽

Time Representation ◽

System A ◽

Model Study ◽

Rate Versus ◽

Peripheral Auditory System

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Characterization of the Agricultural Supply of Desalinated Seawater in Southeastern Spain

Water ◽

10.3390/w11061233 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1233 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Victoriano Martínez-Alvarez ◽

Jose F. Maestre-Valero ◽

Manuel J. González-Ortega ◽

Belén Gallego-Elvira ◽

Bernardo Martin-Gorriz

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Development ◽

High Energy ◽

Water Sources ◽

Irrigation District ◽

Energy Requirements ◽

Irrigated Agriculture ◽

Seawater Desalination ◽

Alternative Source ◽

Production And Distribution ◽

Desalination Plants

The increasing shortage of water for crop irrigation in arid and semiarid regions is encouraging the use of non-conventional resources. In the last decade, seawater desalination has consolidated its position as an alternative source to increase the supply for agricultural irrigation in Spain and Israel, where the farmers’ acceptance is progressively rising, despite the supply price being much higher than that of other conventional water sources. This article describes the current situation of desalinated seawater production and supply to agriculture in the southeast of Spain, and analyzes key questions such as its role in regional water planning, the infrastructure needed for conveyance and distribution, the energy requirements, the production and distribution costs, and the final price to farmers. The study is based on descriptive and quantitative data collected from desalination plants and irrigation district managers through technical questionnaires and personal interviews. The results show how seawater desalination is effectively alleviating the regional constraints in the irrigated agriculture supply, and why it is becoming strategic to maintaining food production and socioeconomic development. However, the high-energy requirements and associated costs in comparison with other water sources limit a more widespread use for agriculture, and for this reason desalinated water still only plays a complementary role in most irrigation districts.

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