Desalination Design Capacity vs Actual Output in Libya

This study examines the difference between the design capacity and actual output of desalination plants in Libya. It explores the challenges faced by the water management program and proposes a new technology to address these issues. The research focuses on the Tobrouk desalination plant and suggests the use of fouling membrane as a solution. The study highlights the importance of desalination in Libya and the need for efficient water treatment and management.

DESALINATION DESIGN CAPACITY VS ACTUAL OUTPUT IN LIBYA
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Abstract
It is usually known that the water generated from the program of desalination is able to be
delivered by the spots in Libya. Clean and safe water management in Libya can therefore be
achieved through the acknowledgement of this specific potential and this would help reduce the
dependency of the country of Libya on the imported treated water.. The program has been
affected by different factors such as inefficient data; the expenses incurred in the development of
water treatment plants are quite amazing, high costs in sponsored project, insufficient experts
who are experienced in the preparation of salinized water treatment and proper management of
the processing plants. The study focuses on the improvement on these factors through close
analysis of Tobrouk desalination plant. A new technology of using fouling membrane is thus
suggested by the study as a means addressing the current challenges.

Introduction
The utilization breakdown of desalination technique shoulders the requirement networks of
sustainable water source consolidation and advancement. After total overseeing of the ideas, an
improvement on the entrance of the sources of water to the population nearby can be achieved.
In countries like Libya, the faster rates in the developments of water sector are just as a result of
the devised ideas using social and natural consideration approaches for execution obligation. The
particular laws and techniques recognized are normally for improving and advancement
inexhaustible water wellsprings utilization [2]. The technique for the water desalination contains
the components that have been shared below.
Figure 1: Major components of the Desalination Units in Libya[4].
Water wellsprings which are sustainable are also seen to have stable features and can undergo
continuous renewal. The various well-known sustainable wellspring of water includes seas,
oceans, boreholes, wells and rivers which cannot be depleted since they undergo continuous

recharge. The salinized sea water is however where the investigation is based. Tapping of
salinized sea water as a source is done by the structures which are regularly set at top of the
houses referred to as sun powered boards.
Background
Roles played by desalination plants in solving the scarcity in the supply of water in Libya
Desalination plants have been seen to help in solving the problems of water scarcity in various
nations. However, the government of Libya has placed little considerations on it. Putting
resources in the desalination field should be encouraged regarding the observations which were
made concerning the artificial stream venture of flow states on the past areas. This will probably
help boost up the supply of water in Libya[5]. There are various reasons for making desalination
in Libya the best and also the fast method for the emergency of water include
o Compared to some African countries, it has the longest Mediterranean coastline.
o Spatial improvement requires creation of open doors.
o The sea water provided should be free from mechanical poisons and of high volumes
o Libya has most of its urban population along the coast.
o Excessive consumption of groundwater[1]
o Water harvesting programs expansion
The expenses incurred in the water creation can be brought down by the accessible desalinated
water
Research questions
 Does desalination have importance at all?

 Why are most plant not working as per the capacity especially Tubrouk Sea Water
Desalination?
 What is the ranging of applications of desalination program?
 What are the possible technology research holes or what is generally regarded as research
gaps?
Literature review
The state of operation at Tubrouk Sea Water Desalination Plant
The research focused on the status of the current desalination plants in Libya in order to identify
the possible challenges before a proposal could be generated[8]. The first site that was identified
for the evaluation was Tubrouk Sea Water Desalination Plant. This particular plant is located at
the city of Tubrouk[1]. The plant has three steamers in total which uses the technique of drop
MED With the production capacity of 40000 cubic meters /day. This constitutes the three boilers
of Ton.90/Hour rate. The subsystem involved includes cooling as well as the air system. Such
systems use heavy fuel to assist in the provision of the clean water for use in the city and other
surrounding areas.

Figure 2: Tabrouk desalination plant[1]
Capacity of the Plants of desalination versus the actual output
According to the data available, there is very big difference between the capacity of the plants
and the actual output at Tubrouk Sea Water Desalination Plant .Although the plant was design
to produce 40000 cubic meters per day, actual output has been almost half (23000 cubic meters
per day) This particular variation is as a result of the following reasons:
 Delay of the plant overhaul due to its complexity
 There is general requirement for the fuel tanks as well as the boilers to be overhauled
 The approvals for the overhauling program usually delay[15].
This variation has ben summarized in the table below:
This particular information can be analyzed graphically so as to get the result indicated below.

Figure 3: Production capacity at Tubrouk Sea Water Desalination Plant[4].
According to the data sources its evident that there is variation or fluctuation in the rates of the
units being produced despite desalination being non-conventional water source in Libya. Taking
for example the information collected between 1975 to 1992,the units increases and decreases
significantly. The thermal processes used dominated the percentage through that particular
period. This was followed by the reverse osmosis (RO) as well as ED as shown in the table
below.
Figure 4: Unit variation[8]

Figure Variation of the unit rates as from the year 1975-1992
Notably the above tabled data may be disputed on the basis on being too general. However
singular studies have confirmed the above trend as the truth whose basis of conclusion has
numerical support. This was the basis of the decision to have roughly 13 plants of desalination
constructed with tye total fix capacity of 70500 cubic meters in the year 1998-2006 as indicated
below
Figure 5: Amount production rate on daily basis[3]
The second plant that was identified for the research work included the Bombah Gulf Sea
Water Desalination Plant which is located at the Derna City[11] .This planted was inaugurated in
the year 1987 and the plant operates by the use of the three steamers with the total capacity of

30000 cubic meters per day. This is equivalent to 60ton per hour. The units of this particular
plants operates by the use of the heavy as well as the heavy fuels in the provision of the clean
water that is use in the Urban areas in the Ras Etteen Zones as well as Ahfein. As a result of the
corrosion effects, this particular plant has been blocked completely. Remedial measures have
been put in place to ensure that the plant is revived to a production rate of 5000/day[12].
The third plant which was identified for the study was Derna Sea Water Desalination
Plant. This particular plant is located at Derna City and its inauguration consisted two steamers
that used technique of MED-TVC with the production of 40000 per day including two boilers.
This translates as 126.Ton per hour. The system therefore uses air systems; cooling systems and
finally fuel with the main aim being clean water provision to the city population. Components
arrangement used in management of mineral salt water in controlling the pH is what is referred
to as the technology program of desalination[13]. The sites where the equipment is generally
placed are points which are raised along the sea shore on both public and private structures. The
clear context includes chambers for mixing chemicals, piping module, links and other plant
basis.
In comparison, the mounted frameworks on the sea usually appear smaller than the frames
that are mounted on the ground. Particularly, the limit desalination frameworks used by private
spots per day ranges between 1000 L and 3000 L. Libya colossal development in the technology
of desalination has tried to give some explanation in the past decade. Innovation has also not ben
left out, it is topographically scattered and adapt faster. The work has also highlighted the
expansion on the water treatment generation in the past few years. This innovation in water
treatment has been realized to be the fast among other innovations[14].
Methodology adopted for the study

The research work of the proposal will employ the use of the experiment to effectively
mitigate the reverse osmosis commonly known as RO fouling of the membrane. The very first
experiment was to be carried out while collaborating with the department of the civil works,
geometric engineers work and finally environmental department of the University. The
equipment that is in the University laboratory was used in the determination of the effectiveness
of this particular technique. One of such equipment that the proposed research work intended to
use was the Eco soft Robust Eco Reverse Osmosis System[5].
This particular system is usually made up of the horizontal as well as vertical membranes
as illustrated in the figure. The type of the membrane that has been used is the unique spiral
membrane called Dow Film Tech. Considering that the fouling process is usually sluggish, the
experiments of fouling was performed in an accelerated way whereby inorganic colloids of SiO2
as well as sodium alginate was treated with the feed of the sea water in order to speed up the
process. There was application of the pressure transducers in the measurement of the pressure in
the system itself. It was actually discovered that after some week’s formation of the fouling film
which necessitated the autopsy of the membrane[9]. The membrane piece was viewed under the
Scanning Electron Microscope that is commonly refered to as SEM. It was from such studies that
characterization as well as the effects of factors like salt retention which was found to be
responsible for the blockage of majority of the desalination plants in Libya.
Proposed Techniques (Criterion 3)
Significance of the proposed technology of Fouling

This particular technique has the ability to secure the system components from the effects
of the corrosion since it incorporates the use of the technology of the dechlorination which
affects the entire system of the membrane. Also this particular technique allows for the
chlorination as well as the filtration to be carried out almost in the same unit. This will not only
save on the cost of the treatment but also on the time and the volume of the production. The issue
of the reverse osmosis was completely sorted out[10].
The above challenges can be solved effectively in case the new technology above is fronted
for implementation.. In the nation of Libya, desalination is seen as a non-regular asset of water
which is more dangerous. Since the mid-1960s, the desalination innovation has been in
utilization regardless of scares establishment of desalination plants from those years onwards.
Currently, desalination plants in operation are around 21 with 525.680 m3 absolute limit per day.
In the year 2002, a representation of 1.4% of desalination commitment generally to the supply of
waters nearby was observed. The experts and the national co-activities in Libya have reported
few weaknesses regarding the exact number of desalination plants currently in operation.
Analysis and reflection on the topic/Linking theory with the practical approach (Criterion
4)
Use of Membrane Scaling as well as Fouling strategies of control
In this particular technique, there is pretreatment which is performed in the plants of the
desalination. The type or the method used in the pretreatment will entirely depend on the quality
as well as the characteristics of the feed[17]. The most widely used chemical in the process of the
treatment is called chlorine. This particular chemical serves as a disinfectant.It is important to
note that before this water is allowed into the system of the RO, it must be dechlorinated so as to

avoid rapid rate of the membrane degradation. Also in some cases ozone may be used as an
oxidizing agent or chemical. .
Small changes have been observed regardless of the processing plants usage in the water
sector this may be related to the laxity in considering such a potential on the program. The
program has been affected by different factors such as inefficient data; the expenses incurred in
the development of water treatment plants are quite amazing, high costs in sponsored project,
insufficient experts who are experienced in the preparation of salinized water treatment and
proper management of the processing plants[4]. The technique of fouling has identified the
potentiality of the ozone to effectively remove microorganisms.
This will be followed by the processes of the coagulation and flocculation before
granular media filtration as well as filtration. The process of the pretreatment is however never
efficient that much. This is why when this technique will be applied; traces of the scalants as
well as foulants ate usually found in the membrane of RO[15].
Future Study
In the event that funding can be availed for similar studies, similar studies should be carried out
to determine the effect of the parameter variation on the process. Some of the parameters that
need to be varied include velocity as well as pressure. In such studies the pressure can be
effectively be varies by the use of the valves. This will then assist in the reduction of the
corrosion effect as had been witnessed in the case of the reviewed desalination plans including
Tubrouk Sea Water Desalination.
Conclusion

The paper work displays the regular and unpredictable water assets from the significant survey
carried out in Libya which shows that for the extreme crisp water deficiency, there is a resulting
beeline in Libya. This is likely to occur from the lack of strong stand by the legislature prior to
this serious impact. The extracted recommendations on the proposals and factors are as discussed
below.. Different national experts therefore need to cooperate in solving the problem of water
supply shortage[17]. The targets incorporated within the implementation programs need to be
genuine in that they can easily be met on the basis of budget allocation by the government of
Libya.

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