Biomass Fueled Multiple Effect Distillation Unit for Water Desalination

2016 AIChE Annual Meeting, San
Francisco, CA, Nov 13, 2016

Biomass Fueled Multiple Effect Distillation Unit for Water
Desalination

Ali Amiri, Kwabena
Addae Sarpong, Michael
Smith, O. John Idowu, Catherine E. Brewer

Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, New
Mexico State University

Water
Science & Management Program, New Mexico State University

Department
of Plant & Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University

Abstract

Brackish well water is an issue that many New Mexico farmers
face, and clean water for agricultural use can be expensive and difficult to
obtain. The cost of clean water can affect the profitability of many crops and
even influence what type of crops can be grown in certain areas. Thermal
desalination is one method used to obtain clean water from available water
sources. However, this method also requires a source of energy. Currently, desalination
systems employ the use of sunlight, wind, and geothermal energy as potential energy
sources. One resource that many farmers have available, but has not been thoroughly
studied as an energy source for water desalination, is biomass. Through inert
slow pyrolysis, biomass can be converted to bio-oil and biochar which can be
used as fuel for a thermal desalination unit and a soil amendment, respectively.

The purpose of this project is to determine the feasibility of
a multiple effect distillation (MED) water desalination unit using biomass as
an energy source. Results from this research will be useful for those with
large amounts of unused biomass feedstock and are located in an area with
brackish ground water.