Data-Monitoring Solution for Desalination Processes: Cooling Tower and Mechanical Vapor Compression Hybrid System

Area of Science:

• Water Treatment Technologies
• Environmental Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate data measurement and recording are vital for novel water treatment technologies.
• Sensor data enables precise control of chemical dosages, optimizing water quality and corrosion inhibition.
• Efficient data management minimizes chemical usage and operational costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a sensoring and monitoring solution for a hybrid cooling tower (CT) and mechanical vapor compression (MVC) system.
• To detail the use of sensors and a data logger (Almemo 2890-9) for monitoring key variables.
• To demonstrate remote control and real-time data visualization capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of sensors for temperature, humidity, pressure, and flow rate.
• Utilizing the Almemo 2890-9 data logger for data acquisition.
• Establishing remote monitoring and control via GateManager and TightVNC server.

Main Results:

• The proposed solution enables real-time data visualization and remote system control.
• Collected data on temperature, valve status, level, and power demand were analyzed.
• The system facilitates forecasting of brine concentration values.

Conclusions:

• The developed sensoring and monitoring solution effectively supports hybrid desalination systems.
• The system allows for optimized operation and potential cost savings.
• This approach is adaptable to various desalination processes and locations.