Design and Construction of a Solar-Powered Seawater Desalination System for Remote Areas in India

Abstract

Solar energy, a renewable energy source with zero emissions, has attracted attention all over the world as a supplier of sustainable energy. The present study, is to develop a sustainable and cost-effective solution for producing fresh water using renewable energy resource and desalination method, addressing minimal electricity generation and water shortage in coastal and arid regions, respectively. Solar stills are simple to build, can be executed by indigenous folks using locally provided accoutrements, uncomplicated in procedure by untrained manpower, no stringent conservation conditions and almost no operating cost, However, they have the drawbacks of being expensive initially, requiring a lot of land for installation, and being reliant on the amount of solar radiation available. The work serves as the initial reference for identifying electricity generation and the quality of fresh water production, which contributes to overall environmental sustainability.

Introduction

Introduction

Water is a vital resource for life, but much of it is brackish or contaminated, especially in coastal and rural India. Diseases like cholera and typhoid cause thousands of deaths due to poor water quality. Reverse Osmosis (RO) is the most effective purification method, and solar energy can make this process more accessible in off-grid areas.

Literature Review

Several studies were reviewed:

1. Gowtham et al. (2012): Compared efficiency of solar distillers with latent heat storage.

2. Ozuomba et al. (2012): Tested a solar water distillation kit in Nigeria.

3. Prof. Mehta et al. (2011): Achieved 1.5L pure water from 14L brackish water using solar stills.

4. Zhang (2019): Developed simulation models for optimizing solar desalination.

5. Khan et al. (2015): Used banana ash for iron removal from water.

6. Smith et al. (2018): Built solar-powered RO system producing 5L/hr.

7. Kaushal et al. (2010): Studied multiple solar still techniques to optimize efficiency.

Methodology

A solar-powered RO system was developed with:

• Solar panel generating electricity.

• Controller managing battery charge.

• Booster pump increasing water pressure.

• RO membrane filtering contaminants.

• Battery storing power for non-sunny conditions.

This setup supports clean, off-grid water purification, especially during environmental emergencies.

CAD Design & Components

CAD models using SolidWorks coordinated the system design. Key components include:

• Solar panel (20W)

• Solar charge controller

• Booster pump

• RO membrane

• 12V battery

Fabricated System

A compact, stainless-steel-mounted system was fabricated and tested for real-world use in rural India. It aims to be portable, efficient, and environmentally friendly.

Results & Discussion

1. TDS Reduction: TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) dropped from 5600 ppm at 10:00 AM to 545 ppm by 5:30 PM, indicating strong purification performance.

2. System Stability: Over 10 days, output voltage remained stable (8.8V–9.5V) and TDS levels stayed consistently low (502–530 ppm), reflecting reliable operation.

3. Battery-Solar Comparison: Solar panel output and battery voltage decreased throughout the day, suggesting that charging and usage are balanced but decline with sunlight intensity.

Conclusion

In situations where electricity supplies and water purification infrastructure are unavailable, this solar-powered system provides an accessible, low-cost solution for water disinfection. The integrated structure uses a motor powered by solar energy to facilitate filtration, effectively removing viruses, minerals, bacteria, and other contaminants to produce potable water. The data reveals a gradual decline in both solar panel output and battery voltage throughout the day, indicating that energy harvesting efficiency decreases as daylight wanes, which is crucial information for optimizing the system\'s operational hours and storage capacity for reliable water purification in remote areas.

References

[1] Ozuomba J.O. et al. (2012). Fabrication and demonstration of a roof-type solar water distillation kit. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16(5), 3141-3147. [2] Zhang, Y. (2019). Numerical simulation of solar powered multi-effect distillation desalination systems. Desalination, 460, 92-102. [3] M. Z. H. Khan, M. R. Al-Mamun, S. C. Majumder, and M. Kamruzzaman (2015).Removal of iron from water using banana residue ash. Journal of Environmental Management, 162, 26-32. [4] Smith, et al. (2018). Design and construction of a solar-powered reverse osmosis desalination plant. Journal of Renewable Energy, 126, 511-518. [5] International Journal of Pure and Water Applied Mathematics, Volume 119, No. 12, Dr.Prakash,TeepakToppo, \"Solar Energy Water Purification System.\" 78637873. [6] sWater Filtration by E.K. Jacobsen, Journal of Chemical Education, Vol. 81, No. 2, p. 224A, 2004 [7] \"A Brief Review on Process and Applications of Reverse Osmosis,\" by Garud R. M. and KulkarniG.S.Environmental Research Journal Universal and 2011; Technology 1(1): 233-238. [8] Drake, \"Reverse osmosis powered by humans to produce portable water for countries\" \"Latin American and Caribbean Conference\" Aug. 3-5, 2011, 1-6. [9] Gowtham M., et al. (2012). Performance comparison of solar concentrated distillers with latent heat storage and trays. Renewable Energy, 47, 154-159. [10] Prof. Alpesh Mehta et al. (2011). Experimental study on solar distillation for brackish water purification. International Journal of Sustainable Energy, 30(1), 1-12. [11] Nimal, R.The impact of deep cryogenic treatment on EN24 steel was examined by J.G.R. and Hussain, J.H. in the International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics, V-116, I-17 Special Issue, PP113-116, 2017.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Amol Dupare, Kunjan Raut, Ganesh Raut, Rupesh Sokande, Prof. Govind Chavan. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.