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New Technologies for Seawater Desalination Using Nuclear Energy
Closed for proposals
Project Type
Project Code
I35003CRP
1503Approved Date
Status
Start Date
Expected End Date
Completed Date
24 October 2012Description
Concomitant with the objectives of the IAEA programme A1 in support of nuclear desalination (In the IAEA terminology, nuclear desalination is defined to be the production of potable water from seawater in a facility in which a nuclear reactor is used as the source of energy for the desalination process) and pursuing the repeated resolutions in its general conferences to promote the development of nuclear desalination systems, the Agency has in the past organised 2 CRPs on the optimisation of coupling of nuclear reactors and desalination systems and on the economic research on, and the assessment of, selected nuclear desalination projects and case studies.
As desalination is a very rapidly evolving field, and as more and more countries are opting for dual purpose integrated nuclear desalination systems, the need for advances in technologies leading to more efficient and economic systems is obvious. It seems that it is the time to go beyond techno-economic studies, and invest in promoting R&D on new technologies that can be employed in nuclear desalination systems to make nuclear desalination a viable option. Hence, this CRP will focus on the introduction of innovative technologies which may help making nuclear desalination more safe and economical.
The new technologies are expected to enhance the harvesting of waste heat available in nuclear reactors (i.e. waste heat from the condenser of water cooled reactors, or from the precooler and intercooler of High Temperature Gas Reactors HTGR) and utilize it for seawater desalination. New technologies may involve technologies related to the desalination processes such as Low Temperature-Horizontal Tube Multi Effect Distillation LT-HT MED, others related to the efficient and maximising heat recovery systems such as heat pipes, or the optimization of coupling configuration between nuclear reactors and desalination systems. Additional dimensions of the CRP are to analyze the economics of cogeneration systems (i.e. for electricity and water production), and improve the IAEA DEEP software.
Objectives
Address new innovative technologies which enables seawater nuclear desalination to be more viable and attractive
Specific objectives
Analyse of economics of cogeneration systems (i.e. for electricity and water production),
Analysis of innovative technologies suitable for harvesting waste heat available in nuclear reactors for seawater desalination using different technologies (Heat Pipes as heat exchangers, LT-HT MED, and recovery of heat from High Temperature Reactors (HTR), others),
Analysis of optimized coupling schemes including waste heat recovery systems and performing thermodynamics and economics aspects of such couplings.
Development of innovative or improved integrated desalination systems, with the lowest possible costs and a high potential for sustainability
Development of a decision support system (DSS), based on improved DEEP models, for integrated system design and cost performance assessment.
Furnishing important economic data to decision makers for the choice of technical and economical options; economic assessment results for various desalination systems chosen for specific sites in the Mediterranean; evaluation of the sustainability of most promising solutions
Impact
The positive impact of the CRP has been demonstrated throughout the enhancement of collaboration among Member States especially on feasibility studies, and introduction of new technologies e.g. heat pipes based heat exchangers for low temperature desalination processes. The foremost important impact of this CRP has resulted in the development of new models (such as the model for bankable feasibility studies of desalination projects) for the IAEA desalination economic evaluation programme (DEEP). These models are currently being introduced in DEEP, hence it will enhance the status of DEEP as an international software for the economic assessment of desalination systems. The new version of DEEP, with up-to-date information relevant to economic data are of importance to Member States.
Relevance
The expected CRP output is going to support relevant SMRs projects that are of particular interest also for non-electrical energy, particularly in the desalination of seawater. Other relevance of the CRP lies in the overall conclusions, recommendations and is proven through the above mentioned impacts and results.