Design analysis of MVC desalination unit powered by a grid connected photovoltaic system

The use of solar energy especially for desalination of seawater is well adapted for the Saharan region where the fresh water is scarce and solar energy potential is high. This paper presents a design analysis of a single-effect mechanical vapor compression (MVC) desalination unit powered by a grid connected photovoltaic (PV) solar system. The aim of this work is to define, as function of the freshwater needs and site specificity, the embodiment of the MVC components and the PV panels' size. The proposed approach is based on MVC components models coupled with a solar energy estimation model. The results are illustrated using a case study in Dakhla city sited at the south of Morocco; they show that the embodiment of the global system depends greatly on the temperature of brine and distillate streams. A large gap between these design variables reduces the heat transfer area, but increases the size of the PV system.