Component sizing for an autonomous wind-driven desalination plant

Objective of this paper is to provide insight in the component selection criteria of an autonomous wind-driven desalination plant. For this purpose, a suitable logistic model of such a system is developed, which simulates its steady-state operation, taking into account the power and energy equilibrium in the system. The simulation of the system operation is performed employing two alternative control strategies and a variety of different configurations with respect to the size of its main components (wind turbine, desalination plant and batteries). For each case, the annual water production is calculated and an economic assessment is performed to estimate the expected water production cost, which is the ultimate measure of the feasibility of the stand-alone system. Other important factors, such as the desalination unit start/stop operations are also calculated. Based on the simulation results, conclusions are drawn regarding the optimal sizing of the system components and its recommended operating strategy.