Researchers at IIT Guwahati Develop Nanofluid-Based Heat Transfer Liquid For Sustainable Solar-Powered Desalination

Guwahati: In a recent development on Desalination, the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) have produced a novel heat transfer fluid based on nanofluids, which is capable of efficiently transferring heat generated using solar power to desalination systems. The research team led by Prof. Tamal Banerjee of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Institute of the project.

This advancement promises a practical solution for producing potable water from seawater, addressing the pressing issue of global water scarcity. The demand for desalination arises a time when there is severe water shortage due to population growth. According to the press release on the official website of the Institute, this process extracts freshwater from saltwater.

Conventional desalination methods use heat generated by burning fossil fuels, leading to economic and environmental challenges. Meanwhile Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) uses sunlight to generate heat. which is a promising solution to this problem.

However, the challenge of using CSP for desalination lies in transferring the generated heat from CSP systems to the desalination plants.

Common heat transfer fluids:

Common heat transfer fluids, such as molten salts and synthetic oils, present drawbacks, including high melting points and low heat transfer efficiencies. India's dependence on imported heat transfer fluids escalates capital costs and to address these issues, the researchers at the premiere institute explored the use of nanofluids, suspensions of nanoparticles in Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES), as an efficient alternative.

The researchers leveraged the exceptional thermal conductivity and stability of graphene oxide dispersed in a DES , a safe and environmentally friendly solvent. By modifying graphene oxide with an amine functionality, they achieved enhanced dispersion stability, overcoming the tendency of nanoparticles to clump together.

Elaborating on their work, Mr Nipu Kumar Das, "We developed a nanoparticle-dispersed deep eutectic solvent (NDDES) through precise mixing, demonstrating outstanding thermal conductivity and stability. This breakthrough has immense potential for sustainable energy applications, particularly in solar energy and desalination."

The study has demonstrated the superior thermal properties of nanofluids in heat transfer applications. The researchers have also proposed an innovative desalination system utilizing nanofluids and a heat exchanger. This system aims to achieve a Gain Output Ratio (GOR) of around  10, indicating the potential for generating a larger quantity of freshwater.