Energy and Exergy Analysis of Hybrid RO-Freeze Desalination Integrated with an Evaporation Pond

As international desalination capacities have increased, brine from desalination plants has become an environmental danger to ecosystems. Thus, it is essential to treat such hypersaline brines. This case study uses a hybrid RO-freeze desalination system and an evaporation pond to treat desalination brine. A thermodynamic analysis based on the mass and energy balances is initially performed for the proposed system. Then, RO-freeze Desalination and Reverse Osmosis desalination have been compared from the viewpoint of energy consumption and the amount of brine discharge. The effects of temperature and salinity in the feedwater and the Fs factor on energy consumption and the quantity of brine discharge are under investigation. The results show a 30% increase in recovery in RO-FD compared to reverse osmosis desalination, while SEC has only a 40% increase. The specific energy consumption, second-law efficiency, and evaporation pond area are 6–12 kWh/m3, 7–12 %, and 20000-52000 m2, respectively. It is coupled with a CO2 cooling system that freezes seawater in a crystallizer and melts ice in a chamber. The evident rise in water product and decreased residual brine amount create an exceptionally appealing desalination process.