Development of innovative components and cycles for WAter TrEatment from Renewable thermal energY

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The demand of fresh water is constantly growing worldwide. So far, this need is satisfied through high exergy-inputs, driven by electricity or high-temperature source. The development of innovative low-exergy solutions is then urgent. By a holistic approach, the WATERY project intends to develop and validate at lab-scale (TRL4) a thermally-driven sorption process to provide desalinated water using low-grade heat sources (<60°C). The activity will comprise: detailed sorption modelling (PoliTo), materials and sorption components design and testing (CNR-ITAE), heat transfer fluid performance enhancement (CNR-ITC), numerical model of phase change processes (UniTs) and experimental testing of high-performance super-hydrophobic condensing surfaces (UniPd).