Modelling and automatic control in solar membrane distillation: Fundamentals and proposals for its technological development

Abstract

Membrane distillation is a termally-driven separation process under investigation. This technology stands out for the simplicity of the process and for its low operating temperature, which allows it to be combined with low grade solar energy. Thus, membrane distillation has become a promising, effcient and sustainable solution for the development of small-medium stand-alone desalination facilities to be implemented in offgrids areas with good irradiance conditions. However, in order to develop this technology on an industrial scale, research must continue to improve aspects related to both the design of membranes and modules and their operation. Regarding the operation, the development of models and control techniques play a fundamental role. This paper presents a review of the control and modeling techniques applied in this field, describing the main methodologies employed and the future challenges to be addressed, also including an illustrative example.

Keywords

• modelado
• control
• destilación por membranas
• desalación
• energía solar térmica