Using quasi-static model for water/power management of a stand-alone wind/photovoltaic/BWRO desalination system without batteries

Abstract

This paper is focused on modeling and energy management of one particular type of Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis (BWRO) desalination unit: a small-scale unit installed in remote areas. This kind of system, involving several water subsystems (hydro-mechanical processes), is powered by an intermittent energy source (PV-Wind turbine) via a DC bus. Such an autonomous system is characterized by a hydraulic storage instead of an electric storage. This issue has been dealt with through a specific Energy Management (EM) strategy. The latter enables to manage simultaneously the power and water flows in the hydro-mechanical subsystems. For this purpose, a quasi-static modeling has been proposed for the hydromechanical processes. This model has been validated through an experimental characterization of a BWRO desalination experimental test bench. The EM simulation results have been provided to show the correct operation of the desalination unit with the given rule-based-power sharing strategy.