In a joint venture with the Institute of Thermodynamics (TUM) of Munich University, the researcher center tests various designs of Reverse Osmosis (RO) desalination systems for use in off-grid communities. In this project, the energy efficiency of a solar powered RO desalination plant will be improved and, simultaneously, solve the challenge of transient power supply. Therefore, a small-scale RO transiently operated pilot system powered by renewable energy is to be systematically investigated with special focus on thermal control.
To achieve these goals, a new design of a seawater-proof PV/T collector was developed and constructed for testing in the Arava Institute Research Park. Several experiments were devised to confirm the ideas suggested.
