Preliminary evaluation of the use of vacuum membrane distillation for the production of drinking water in Arica (Chile)

In the context of a national Chilean project, a pilot membrane distillation (MD) plant built by Aquaver using a novel configuration of vacuum multi-effect membrane distillation (V-MEMD) patented by memsys will be implemented in a rural area of Arica (northern Chile) called Cuya. The nominal production of the plant is 60 l h –1 and the heat is supplied with a hybrid system composed of a solar field and a diesel generator (i.e. its waste heat), working alternatively according to the solar radiation availability. The aim of this paper is to assess the feasibility of the system for supplying drinking water to the population. A prediction of the performance of the desalination system based on a similar unit has been used together with a typical meteorological year in order to dimension the solar field required. The simulations show that drinking water needs can be fully covered on a yearly basis using a field of stationary solar thermal collectors with a total area of 70.5 m 2 , to generate about 49% of the total heat required for a 24 h d –1 operation. The diesel generator can supply waste heat to cover the rest of the thermal energy demand, as well as an electricity production which can decrease the producing cost of water to about 1.2 $ m –3 .