Off-shore wind power is the favoured renewable source to run a desalination plant.

The losses in converting wind - mechanical - electrical - mechanical, and the electrical transmission losses make this arrangement inefficient. Why not combine the desalination equipment with the wind turbine structure, and pipe the fresh water ashore.

Wind turbines tend to be low-speed high-torque machines, poorly suited to generating electricity, but ideal for driving a compressor for reverse osmosis desalination.

Desalination equipment is pretty compact - compact enough to fit inside the wind turbine tower, so no additional structure is required.
-- Frankx, Aug 09 2006

Supersimple reverse osmosis Supersimple_20reverse_20osmosis
One of my favorite ideas, and it would actually work. [ldischler, Aug 09 2006]

Wind Farm/Desalination Mill/Sea Salt Harvesting Center. (+)
-- jellydoughnut, Aug 09 2006


Thanks [jellydoughnut].

I dont think you'd be able to make sea salt at the same time - just some slightly saltier sea-water ('scuse my alliteration).
-- Frankx, Aug 09 2006


Well, sea salt or not, it's the thought that counts.
-- jellydoughnut, Aug 12 2006



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