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Session 3662

Proposal for Alternative Energy Applications in the Field of Desalination

Saeed D. Foroudastan, Ph.D., Professor, Jared Odom, Research Assistant, Olivia Dees, Research Assistant

Engineering Technology and Industrial Studies Department Middle Tennessee State University

Abstract

Many parts of the world are currently suffering from such an intense deficiency in ground and surface water, that this life sustaining treasure often makes the “black gold” of oil resources look unimportant by comparison. Whether it is from overuse, neglect, or lack of sufficient resource development and management, demands for potable water continue to grow. Water is a crucial factor in the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, and it’s also extensively addressed in Israel’s treaty with Jordan. Political problems throughout the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, and even North and South America hinge upon this resource, and in the coming decades it is conceivable that wars might be fought over water in much the same way they were fought over oil during the 20th century.

Many countries are currently pursuing a range of desalination procedures in order to cope with this shortage. Such procedures may utilize evaporative processes that require inputs of heat to aid in separation of potable water from water sources that have high total dissolved solid concentrations. This external heat source can be a costly process, and desalination processes are sometimes coupled with power generation plants to increase efficiency by using waste heat from electric generation to aid in the process of water separation. Similarly, power generation plants are sometimes coupled with solid waste incineration, or more recently, solar magnification processes in order to use the heat of combustion or intensified solar radiation to create steam for driving the power generation equipment. With this interconnection between generation processes, the positive results of incorporating waste incineration and/or other renewable resources with desalination for environmental protection, as well as energy efficiency, is worthy of investigation. Engineering education is ideal for this facilitation. By educating future engineers with this important environmental topic, class discussions will provide the initiative for creating projects outside the classroom with industrial collaboration for alternative solutions of this increasingly problematic global condition.

Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education

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Odom, J., & Foroudastan, S. (2005, June), Proposal For Alternative Energy Applications In The Field Of Desalination Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--15188