OVERVIEW OF OPTIONS AND CHALLENGES IN DESALINATION OF SEA WATER

Abstract

During the last several decades, a variety of saltwater desalination technologies have been created to
increase the availability of water in dry parts of the world. One of the most crucial answers to these issues
is desalination, a method that turns salt water into pure water. Seawater that has been desalinated is split
into two streams: one of fresh water with little dissolved salts and the other of concentrated brine.
Desalination techniques may be divided into two categories: membrane processes and heat approaches.
Thermal technologies are based on the principle of using evaporation and distillation processes and
includes Multi-stage flash desalination (MSF), Multiple-effect desalination (MED), Vapor compression
desalination (VC). A method that shows promise for desalinating heavily salinized waters is membrane
distillation (MD). Only vapour molecules are permitted to pass through a porous hydrophobic membrane
during this thermally-driven separation (microfiltration) process. Reverse osmosis (RO) is one method that
employs the osmosis phenomenon, or the difference in osmotic pressure between saltwater and pure water,
to remove salts from water. Even though desalination technologies are established enough to be a
dependable supply of fresh water from the ocean, a sizable amount of research and development 
has been done in an effort to continuously advance the technology and lower the cost of desalination. This
essay examines the state of seawater desalination technology today, as well as its methods and
technological advancements. This study also includes a summary of R& D efforts and difficulties
encountered during sea water desalination, including site selection, sea water input, brine disposal, and
energy costs. Expenses for capital, operations, and maintenance are also included.