Desalination

Description

This course introduces the principles, technologies, and applications of desalination as an important solution for addressing freshwater scarcity. It covers the characteristics of seawater and brackish water, pretreatment processes, and major desalination technologies, including thermal processes such as Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) and Multi-Effect Distillation (MED), as well as membrane-based processes such as Reverse Osmosis (RO). The course also examines energy requirements, operational challenges, economic considerations, brine management, environmental impacts, and emerging innovations for improving the sustainability and efficiency of desalination systems. By the end of the course, students will be able to: Explain the fundamental principles and importance of desalination. Identify and compare major thermal and membrane-based desalination technologies. Describe the main components and operational stages of desalination systems. Analyze factors affecting the efficiency and performance of desalination processes. Assess the economic, energy, and environmental implications of desalination. Evaluate challenges related to brine disposal and environmental protection. Propose sustainable and innovative approaches for improving desalination and freshwater resource management.

Program

Master of Science Degree in Sustainable Blue Economy and Management of Coastal Resources (MSc SBEM)

Objectives

• To provide students with a fundamental understanding of water scarcity and the importance of desalination as a source of freshwater. To introduce the main principles, technologies, and processes used in seawater and brackish water desalination. To examine conventional and advanced desalination methods, including thermal and membrane-based technologies. To develop students’ understanding of the technical, economic, energy, and environmental aspects of desalination systems. To analyze the challenges associated with desalination, including energy consumption, brine disposal, and environmental impacts. To promote sustainable and innovative approaches to freshwater production and water resource management.