Prospect of the Seawater Desalination Technology

This article classifies the seawater desalination technology into four types of hot method, membrane method, electric field method and solvent method. Electric field method and solvent method still remain experimental stage, while hot method and membrane method have been realized in commercialization but are difficult to be promoted. The problem lies in high water-producing cost. It is difficult for membrane method seawater desalination technology to reduce the water-producing cost. The heat utilization efficiency is not high for the current hot method seawater desalination technology and there is large amount of heat lost with the emission of concentrated seawater. The new hot method seawater desalination technology and new solar-powered seawater desalination technology can divide the seawater into fresh water and solid salt without any emission of concentrated seawater so that the heat utilization efficiency can reach theoretical limit to multiply reduce the water-producing cost. They will become the mainstream technology for seawater desalination and can totally eliminate the global water crisis.