Solar Thermal Desalination Technologies for Potable Water - Exploring Viable Options for Reliable and Sustainable Water Production

This book covers the basics and advancements in various solar thermal desalination systems that are highly affordable and viable even for applications in low-income countries. Fresh water is an essential natural resource needed for the continuous existence of living organisms on earth. Civilizations have started and flourished along riverbanks which can be understood from historical literature. This precious resource has also been a cause for a lot of past and current wars and conflicts among different ethnic groups and nations around the globe. In the current scenario, access to clean drinking water is getting harder and more expensive for most of the population in middle- and low-income countries. This volume provides detailed knowledge on effectively utilizing solar energy for desalination to fulfill clean water supply demands. The content presents detailed thermodynamic modeling of various solar thermal desalination systems and highlights the role of the solar thermal distillation process in wastewater treatment and improved sanitation through a case study. The book also provides a detailed methodology for assessing the economics, environmental footprints, and sustainability of desalination systems. The book will be highly beneficial for researchers, professionals, and activists dealing with water, energy, and the environment.

H. Sharon is an assistant professor in the mechanical engineering department of the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy, Visakhapatnam. Prior to this position, he worked as an ad-hoc faculty and assistant professor at the National Institute of Technology Andhra Pradesh and Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences Tamil Nadu, respectively. He has a Ph.D., in mechanical engineering with a specialization in solar energy from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. He received his Bachelor's in mechanical engineering and Master's in energy engineering from the Government College of Engineering Tirunelveli and Anna University of Technology Tirunelveli, respectively. His research interests include solar photovoltaic & thermal energy systems, desalination, waste valorization, and sustainability assessment of energy technologies. He has published about 26 peer-reviewed high-impact journal articles, 3 book chapters, and 1 Indian patent.

K. S. Reddy obtained his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in Energy Studies in 1999. Presently, Dr. Reddy is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and he is also an honorary professor at the University of Exeter, UK. Prof. Reddy is a Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering (FNAE) and a Fellow of the World Society of Sustainable Energy Technologies (FWSSET). He is a specialist in renewable energy with special research interests in concentrating solar power, energy efficiency, and the environment. He has 9 patent applications and more than 300 publications with more than 8000 citations and an h-index of 50. He has secured research funding of about USD15 Million as Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI in more than 30 research projects. Dr. Reddy has received the WSSET Innovation Award, the Mid-Career Level Institute Research and Development Award (IRDA), the Shri J.C.Bose Patent Award, and twice, the Bhagyalakshmi and Krishna Ayengar Awards. As a part of human resource developmental activities, he has supervised over 200 UG, PG, and Ph.D. students.