Research Projects

Renewable energy resources, such as solar energy, have become a significant alternative to fossil fuels due to their pollution-free nature and potential for water desalination. Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising technique for producing fresh water, but its conventional method has drawbacks such as large energy consumption and poor thermal efficiency. This project aims to use photothermal membrane distillation (PMD) to purify saline water for drinking water. The membrane, which is a key component in PMD, is influenced by its properties, and various nanoparticles are incorporated to facilitate solar irradiation absorption and optimize distillate production. The solar energy-integrated photothermal membrane distillation system will be the main focus of the investigation. The system will be tested at varying feed-rates, salinity levels, membrane characteristics, and geometrical dimensions to determine the optimum operation parameters. The key parameters will be the amount of distillate produced and energy consumption. The system is expected to operate in a stand-alone mode, providing fresh water even at remote locations and using clean energy sources.