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Offshore Desalination Using Wave Energy

Article in Advances in Mechanical Engineering · July 2013

DOI: 10.1155/2013/539857

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 Offshore desalination using wave energy
Álvaro Serna*, Fernando Tadeo

Universidad de Valladolid, Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas y

Automática, C/Doctor Mergelina s/n 47011, Valladolid, Spain.

Abstract- This paper evaluates the design of an offshore desalination plant currently under preliminary development. The
purpose is to test the feasibility of producing drinkable water using wave energy in out-of-sight installations, as an
alternative for those locations where land use, civil engineering works and/or environmental impact make a coast-based
solution inadequate. After describing the components, a proposal for sizing them is studied, based on using buoy-
measured data at the expected location and their mathematical models of the different sections of the plant. Finally, by
using measured buoy-data, the influence of sizing on the expected performance is studied for a specific location, and one
of the designs is developed in detail.

Keywords – Wave Energy Converters, Sustainable Desalination, Offshore systems.

*Corresponding author. Tel: +34 983184859

E-mail address: alvaro.serna@autom.uva.es (A. Serna)
1. Introduction
Offshore desalination plants powered by renewable energies are being proposed as an alternative for a coastal
desalination facility, for those locations where the lack of suitable land makes a land-based desalination plant inadequate
[1,2]. Different techniques of desalination have been studied in previous works. Among the most developed are reverse
osmosis and vapor compression desalination [3].

This paper studies a proposal to use an offshore wave platform as the sole energy source of a reverse osmosis (RO) plant
to produce drinkable water, which is then transported offshore (through pipes, water tank ships or bladders) [4].
Some economic studies have been published about the advantages of autonomous wave-powered desalination plants.
These works have discussed whether the real value of the system is enhanced due to its flexibility for deployment and
reduced environmental impact [5,6]. As renewable energy is the only source of energy, a central problem would be to
balance energy consumption with energy production: as energy production is variable and the electrical system is isolated
from the grid, the desalination plant has to be designed with variable production in mind [7,8]. Most of the works on
wave energy conversion have focused on electricity production. Any such converter could, in principle, be coupled to an
electrically-driven desalination plant, either with or without connection to the local electricity grid. Various concepts
have associated wave energy converters and RO [9].

The proposal presented here is based on dividing the plant into a few sections, which would be switched on or shutdown,
depending on the available energy [10,11]. All of this requires a specific control system, which is discussed later. Wave
energy converters are studied as they provide lower variability in energy production in comparison with other sources
[12]. Thus, power consumption adapts to power production by connecting or disconnecting sections of the plant
(following a Smart Grid approach for the microgrid in the plant), and using temporary storage of electricity for short-time
balances and an increase in autonomy.
The process diagram in Figure 1 presents the main blocks of our proposal: the wave energy converters (WECs),
batteries, the seawater pumps (SWPs), the seawater tank, the desalination plant, the fresh water tank and the water
transport facility (by tankers, bladders or pipes). After the introduction, a description of the different components is given
in section 2. A control system is proposed in section 3. Section 4 gives some guidelines for the system sizing
methodology. In section 5, a case study is presented. Section 6 depicts some results and finally, some conclusions are
provided in section 7.

Figure 1: Process diagram.

2. Description of components

2.1 Wave energy converters

The electrical power generated by a wave energy converter (WEC) is determined by its characteristics and the wave
weather in the location [13]. We assume here the use of a multibody floating WEC; the energy is extracted by the relative
motion of different parts of the structure. These devices are adequate for in deep water (>40m) [11].
More precisely, the device used is a floating heave-buoy array (F-HBA), which is represented in Figure 2. It is a
multibody floating WEC, composed of many heaving buoys connected to a common reference structure. This structure is
composed of an arrangement of a single support structure and a series of ballast baskets, connected through tension
wires. The total buoyancy force from the buoys is balanced by net gravity forces of the bridge and the ballast baskets.
The buoys are connected to the submerged structure via a hydraulic Power Take-Off (PTO) system, which converts the
mechanical energy of the device into electricity. In the case of wave activated body WECs, they can be based on
hydraulic components (hydraulic rams and motors) combined with an electrical generator [14], or they can be fully
electric [15,16]. The second proposal was assumed in this work due to the special conditions in offshore plants. The
microgrid designed in this paper has shedable loads (RO sections and SWP), so the consumed power adapts to the
varying input power. The battery controllers ensure the needed grid regulation.
One of the key points in the structural design and energy extraction capacity of the device is the response to different
periods and wave heights (Figure 3). To evaluate the energy produced by the WEC, water waves are considered to travel
along the surface of the sea with an approximate sinusoidal profile, characterized in terms of the time between successive
crests and the size of these crests [17]. Wave height and period are represented by statistical measurements, the most
common being the significant wave height, Hs(t) (around four time the root-mean square of the surface elevation during a
given window), and the wave period Tp(t). The devices have a maximum range of operation: The energy that can be used
by a device is limited to a maximum wave height and a minimum wave period. Multiplying the WEC power matrix
(Figure 3) by the buoy-measured data of the sea location, the mean absorbed power during a specific time period of the
device can be derived (Pw).

2000
Power poduced (kW)

1500

1000

500

8
0
6
16
14 4
12
10 2
8
6
Peak period (s) 4 0 Significant height (m)
Figure 2: Scheme of the WEC.
Figure 3: WEC Power matrix.

2.2 Water production

Different techniques for fresh water production have been developed. Nowadays, reverse osmosis and distillation
processes are the most used technologies. The required plant capacity, the annual and daily distribution of fresh water
demand, the product cost, the technology maturity and any problem related to the coupling of the renewable energy and
the desalination systems determine this selection [18]. The plant proposed in this paper is an offshore floating plant,
which makes the implementation of distillation processes difficult due to the strict limitations on space and movements.
Thus, RO was selected as the desalination technique as there is wide experience in this process in marine installations.
RO is based on the transport of water through a membrane by porosity and/or diffusion (see scheme in Figure 4). The
chemical and physical nature of the membrane determines its ability to allow for preferential transport of the solvent
(water) over the solute (salt ions). To ensure water flow through the RO membrane, a difference of pressure is needed
between the feed and permeate sides of the membrane, which must be significantly greater than the osmotic pressure: for
seawater this gives operating pressures around 60 bars [19]; the pressure of the brine is frequently recovered using
specific devices to improve energy efficiency.

Figure 4: Transport of water through a RO membrane.

 2.2.1 Desalination plant operation

As has already been mentioned, WEC energy production changes with time, which requires the power consumption (and
thus the production of power) to adapt to the available power. Changing the working point of the plant (thus, changing
the flow/pressure combination from a specific value) makes it possible to adapt the RO electrical load to the demand.
(this is challenging for RO plants, as they are normally designed to operate at an optimal working point).
A specific control system, discussed later, would be responsible for adapting power consumption to demand, always
trying to operate the plant at the best possible overall efficiency.
It was decided to partition the high pressure part of the RO plant into three sections (A, B and C) [4]: Each section
operates as a standard RO plant (producing water with maximum efficiency, at a fixed working point). Sections can
operate on an individual basis or together with one or more of the different sections. Seawater is taken from the sea by
the three independent pumps before being stored in a common seawater tank as can be seen in Figure 5 (ratings in this
figure correspond to the case study that will be presented in section 5). It is then desalinated and stored in a fresh water
tank in order to transport it offshore.

Figure 5: Structure of the proposed desalination plant.

2.3 Short-term energy storage

The proposed system is off-grid, so energy production and demand must be balanced. Short-term energy storage is used
to provide energy to the reverse osmosis plant and the SWPs when not enough power is provided by the WEC [20].
Several technologies have been proposed for temporary storage (see, for example, [21] for a review of technologies). In
this case, we will assume a standard Pb battery rack system, as there is wide experience in marine applications. A simple
mathematical model of this system is as follows (the nominal voltage of the lead-acid cell is 2 volts) [22]:

I (1)

where I is the current at the battery terminals, V is the voltage, Pw is the power supplied by the WEC, and PT is the total
power consumed by the SWPs and the RO. The equation relating the capacity of the battery and the amperage is as
follows [11]:

η (2)

where CR is the rated capacity at that discharge rate, t is the time (h), k is Peukert´s coefficient, and η is the efficiency of
the battery. The key decision variable, the depth of discharge (DOD) of a battery, is the percentage of capacity to which it
is discharged. Values approaching 1 correspond to the battery being almost discharged. The DOD is given by the
expression below, where CP is Peukert´s capacity.

DOD 1 (3)

The value of the % of battery charge is given by this simple equation:

% Battery charge 1 DOD ∙ 100 (4)

It is important to remark the fact that the constant discharging and charging of the batteries leads to them becoming
quickly ineffective, so DOD is an important parameter that will be used inside the control system, as in [23,24].
Therefore, the battery capacity that has finally been chosen in the simulation in section 6 aims to be the least harmful to
the system.

3. Control System
A central component to ensure the smooth operation of the facility is the control system, which should balance electricity
production and consumption by adapting the consumed loads: the power of the seawater pumps (SWPs) and the pumps
working in the different sections of the RO. Battery controllers regulate the local grid frequency and voltage. The control
system is based on the two following ideas:

Six control variables are used, that correspond to the connection/disconnection of each sections A, B and C in the RO and
each SWP (See Figure 6).
 When the production is higher than the consumption, the energy is stored until the temporary storage system is
nearly full; then different sections of the RO and the SWPs are switched on.
 When the storage system is almost empty, sections of the RO and the SWPs are switched off (these sections are
then automatically cleaned and maintenance operations are carried out).
A control subsystem decides the connection/disconnection of the three SWPs in specific cases of safety.
 When the level of the seawater tank is higher than a certain value, the three SWPs are switched off
simultaneously until the level is again between safety limits.
 When the level of the seawater tank is lower than a certain value, the three SWPs are switched on
simultaneously until the level is again between safety limits.

Figure 6: Proposed control system.

 The control logic is summarized in the Sequential Function Chart in Figure 7, where the different stages in the operation
can be seen. There is one different combination of RO sections (A, B and C) in each stage. Therefore, for each range of
DOD values, there is a certain operating stage. Furthermore, in each stage, the three SWPs are switched on/off one by
one, depending on the value of the DOD, as detailed in Figure 8, where the Sequential Function Chart in the stage A is
shown.

From C+B
or A+C

To C+B

A.0
DOD ≥ 0.5
Idle

L ≤ Lmax AND DOD ≤ 0.45

A
L ≥ Lmax
SWP1

L ≤ Lmax AND DOD ≤ 0.4

A
DOD ≥ 0.4
SWP1+2

L ≤ Lmax AND DOD ≤ 0.35

A
SWP1+2+3 DOD ≥ 0.35

L ≤ Lmax AND DOD ≤ 0.3

Stage A

To A+C

Figure 7: Sequential Function Chart Figure 8: Detail of the Sequential Function Chart
of the Control Logic of the operation. (Stage A).

4. Sizing
A central aspect of the design is the selection of the sizes of components. A parallel approach to the one presented in [11]
is presented here. The following parameters are selected:

 The fresh water produced, QT (m3).

 The RO plant capacity FT (m3/h).
 The total rated power consumption of the process, P (kW).
 The volume of the seawater tank, VS (m3).
 The battery capacity, CP (Ah).

For correct sizing, we assume that a significant record of data measured in the location is available [11]. Sizing of the
proposed facility can be carried out based on the Rated Power PW of the WECs and the measured data:

i. Using the measured data, the evolution of the power produced by the WECs PW (t) is estimated.
ii. The total rated power consumption of the process P is selected to ensure that one or more of the different sections of
the RO operate for at least % of the time.
iii. The tank size VS is selected to ensure autonomy at all times.
iv. The battery capacity CP is selected to ensure Wa hours of autonomy at all times and that the DOD is always between
given limits DOD DOD.
5. Case Study
As an example, the proposed structure of an RO plant designed to operate consuming between 95 kW and 665 kW of
electricity is shown in Figure 5: section A is designed to produce 150 m3/h with a consumption of 340 kW, whereas
section B is designed to produce 70 m3/h with a consumption of 150 kW, and C produces 40 m3/h and it consumes 95
kW. The energy consumption of the RO units is about 2.4 kWh/m3 and the plant recovery ratio is of 50%.
There are three seawater pumps (SWPs) that provide water from the seawater intake to the seawater tank. Each pump
works with a power of 45 kW and a flow rate of 80 m3/h. These pumps are on-off pumps that work (or not) while the
tank level is between certain values: if the tank level is higher than a safety value, all the pumps immediately switch off.
Thus, the tank level can be controlled as has been detailed in section 3.

6. Results and discussion

To validate the proposed offshore platform and the sizing methodology, a case-study was carried out for a specific
location in the Atlantic Ocean, selected for its good wave regime. For this location, buoy data was measured for 165 days
(wave heights, periods, water salinity and temperature, etc.). Based on the available data, a platform was designed using
the sizing methodology proposed in section 4. This design was then tested assuming different platform parameters.
The simulation was modeled and performed using MATLAB ® and Simulink ®.

 Figure 9 shows the effect of battery capacity on system performance: RO plant capacity and switch on-off times
of the SWPs and the different sections of the RO for a tank volume (VS) of 5500 m3. It shows that the amount of
fresh water produced increases until a battery capacity value of 2400 Ah. It remains constant after this value.
The value of the number of times that the SWPs are switched on-off is independent with the battery capacity.
The number of times that the RO is switched on-off decreases with the increase of the battery capacity.
Therefore, a battery capacity of 2400 Ah will be chosen to evaluate the effect of tank size on system
performance.

 Figure 10 shows the effect of the seawater tank volume with the same system parameters. It shows that the
amount of fresh water produced is independent with the seawater tank volume. The same behavior has been seen
with the number of times that the sections of the RO are switched on-off. As expected, the number of times that
the SWPs are switched on-off decreases with the battery capacity.

Effect of battery capacity on system performance

120000 90
118000 80
116000 70
Fresh water m3/month

114000 60
On‐Off SWP/RO

112000
50
110000
40
108000
106000 30
104000 20
102000 10
100000 0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500
Battery capacity (Ah)

Water produced (m3/month) On‐Off SWP On‐Off RO

Figure 9: Effect of battery capacity on system performance (VS = 5500 m3).

 Effect of tank volume on system performance
120000 30
118000
25
116000
Fresh water m3/month

114000
20

On‐Off SWP/RO
112000
110000 15
108000
10
106000
104000
5
102000
100000 0
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000
Tank volume (m3)

Water produced m3/month On‐Off SWP On‐Off RO

Figure 10: Effect of seawater tank volume on system performance (Cp = 2400 Ah).

Finally, an operating point was selected, which is presented in Table 1.

Battery Tank Fresh water On-Off SWP On-Off RO

capacity (Ah) volume (m3) (m3/month) (times/month) (times/month)
2400 7700 106693 4.8 20.6
Table 1: Selected operating point.

Figures 11 to 16 show different parameters at the operating point on 165 days with buoy measurements. It can be seen
that the proposed system operates adequately:

 Figure 11 represents the power produced by the WEC. Power produced depends on the values of the wave´s
height and period (see Figure 3).
 Figure 12 shows that the value of the fresh water produced in each RO section varies along time according to
the stages of the RO illustrated in Figure 7.
 Figures 13 shows the total fresh water produced, which is the sum of sections A, B and C. It can be seen that
this value increases if the value of power produced (Figure 11) is high.
 Figure 14 depicts the total power consumed. It is proportional to the total fresh water produced plus the power
consumed by the SWPs.
 Figure 15 shows the stored seawater. The value is between the minimum and maximum safety levels.
 Finally, Figure 16 depicts the % Battery charge. As expected, this value varies between 30% and 100%,
therefore it never gets discharged.

Power produced
1500
Power produced (kW)

1000

500

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Time (days)
Figure 11: Power produced by the WEC.
 Fresh water produced
150 Section A
Flow rate (m3/h) Section B
Section C
100

50

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Time (days)

Figure 12: Fresh water produced in each RO section.

Total fresh water produced

300

250
Flow rate (m3/h)

200

150

100

50

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Time (days)

Figure 13: Total fresh water produced by the RO sections.

Total power consumed

800
Power consumed (kW)

600

400

200

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Time (days)

Figure 14: Total power consumed by the RO sections and SWPs.

Stored seawater
8000
Stored seawater (m3)

6000

4000

2000

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Time (days)

Figure 15: Stored seawater in the seawater tank.

 % Battery charge
100

80
% Battery charge

60

40

20

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Time (days)

Figure 16: % Battery charge (100%-DOD in percentage).

7. Conclusions
Using wave energy to produce desalinated water in offshore plants is studied, based on a system completely isolated from
the electrical grid. Power consumption adapts to power production by connecting or disconnecting sections of the reverse
osmosis and the seawater pumps. After presenting the proposed facility which consists of a desalination system, a
seawater supply and short-term energy storage, a controller has been proposed, and some guidelines for sizing the plant
for a specific location have been given. Using buoy data at the proposed location and a multi-component model-based
simulation makes possible to predict the water production.
This proposal has been evaluated for one specific location (Atlantic Ocean), using buoy-measured data for sizing and
predicting the production at this location. The design was then evaluated showing how the proposed design methodology
makes it possible to desalinate water in a sustainable way. Further work must be done to optimize the sizing of
components based on an advanced control system.

Acknowledgments
This work was partly supported by MiCInn (DPI2010-21589-c05-05) and the European Commission (7th Framework
Programme, grant agreement 288145, Ocean of Tomorrow Joint Call 2011). We also acknowledge GRUPO SETA S.L.
for designing the Reverse Osmosis system and the Marine Institute of Ireland for collaboration in buoy measurements.

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