Solving the Energy Consumption Barrier in Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plants: A Genetic Algorithm and Energy Recovery Approach

Abstract

Reverse osmosis desalination is an effective technology for supplying potable water to regions facing water stress. However, this process consumes a significant amount of energy, limiting its widespread adoption globally. This study aims to analyze the variations in specific energy consumption (SEC) in the reverse osmosis desalination process for brackish water at a plant in Morocco, considering the feed water parameters. Additionally, the study examines energy consumption with and without the implementation of energy recovery devices at this plant, which produces 10 million cubic meters of water annually.
A genetic algorithm is utilized to identify the optimal combination of design and operational parameters to achieve the lowest SEC. The findings indicate that incorporating energy recovery devices in the future design of the plant could reduce the SEC by up to 30%.