Waste heat recovery from diesel engines for water desalination

Desalination is vital to overcome water scarcity and provide a reliable freshwater supply. Current desalination methods require significant energy, resulting in high costs and notable environmental pollution. Utilizing waste heat (WH) in desalination systems can lower energy consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and operational costs. The WH can be driven directly by thermal energy or indirectly through various waste-heat recovery methods. This paper reviews waste heat recovery from diesel engines in desalination systems. The paper categorizes the application of WH for thermal desalination technologies, including multi-stage flash desalination (MSF), humidification and dehumidification (HDH), and multi-effect desalination (MED). Additionally, it classifies waste heat recovery techniques, such as thermoelectric generators, power cycles, waste heat-to-heat conversion, and thermal energy storage systems. Waste-to-power energy recovery systems can generate the power required to drive desalination processes. When combined with the WHR system, the freshwater production rate reached 146 kg⋅h -1 , and a net power of 354.65 kW was recovered. Thus, using WH to desalinate water has demonstrated significant economic and environmental benefits in many industries, especially maritime vessels. It reduces the need for large storage tanks and regular supplies, ultimately increasing sustainability.