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The application of wind energy systems to desalination

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7012329
The impact of rapidly increasing fuel costs has all but made saline water conversion uneconomical. However, the application of wind energy systems to membrane processes for brackish water conversion offers an economical solution. Commercially available wind turbines and those under development appear promising for producing electrical energy at costs ranging from five cents down to 1.8 cents per kilowatt hour. It is still possible to reach costs for desalting brackish water at less than $1.00 per thousand gallons with large wind energy/desalination systems. The coupling of wind energy turbines to electrodialysis and reverse osmosis also offers technological advantages, such as variable energy outputs from wind turbines, to optimize variable fluid flows in the desalination processes for maximum, economic production of potable water. Research and development efforts in this direction are indicated.
Research Organization:
Williamson Engineering Associates, Inc., Navarre, FL (USA)
OSTI ID:
7012329
Report Number(s):
PB-276174
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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