Desalination and its potential for harnessing brine and solar energy in the US Virgin Islands

A review was conducted of potential methods for achieving desalination sustainability with specific reference to the US Virgin Islands. Thermodynamic efficiency, industrial ecology, and renewable energy were assessed for their application in desalination and contextual relevance to specific desalination processes. Renewable energy was determined to provide the greatest near-term potential for moving towards sustainable desalination. High desalination energy requirement and near-complete dependence on fossil fuels, the applicability of renewable energy to any desalination process and the advanced level of renewable energy technologies were key factors in this determination. An analysis was then performed of three renewable energy technologies for a mechanical vapor compression desalination plant on St. John, USVI. Solar pond, photovoltaic, and wind turbine energy were evaluated for their feasibility and the benefits towards sustainability they provide. Wind turbine energy was determined most suitable for the St. John plant in both respects.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2003

Author dc:creator

• Miilu, Michelle, 1975-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• E. Eric Adams.

• Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/29560

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/29560