Algerian researchers have built a single-stage solar and battery desalination system for brackish water that uses a hybrid spotted hyena optimizer and an MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) algorithm to improve efficiency. Simulations and real-time tests demonstrated high performance, stable water production and low salinity under changing solar conditions.
Researchers from Algeria’s University of Biskra have developed a single-phase solar and battery desalination system for the treatment of brackish water, combining a hybrid spotted hyena optimizer with MPPT for efficient operation.
The system integrates a hybrid spotted hyena optimizer (SHO) with a perturbation and observation (P&O) MPPT algorithm, enabling accurate convergence to the global maximum power point (GMPP) even under fluctuating sunlight conditions.
“Unlike conventional two-stage photovoltaic (PV) reverse osmosis (RO) systems, our configuration uses a Quasi-Z-Source inverter (QZSI) to perform both DC-DC boosting and DC-AC conversion in a single stage, reducing conversion losses, component count and overall system cost,” shared corresponding author Olena Rubanenko. pv magazine. “The entire model was experimentally validated through hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, ensuring accurate real-time performance.”
The system was first simulated in MATLAB/Simulink, with a four-panel PV array arranged in a 2×2 configuration, with each panel rated at 175 W. It also included a 110 Ah, 300 V Li-ion battery. The QZSI steps up and inverts the voltage to drive a 750W three-phase induction motor, which powers the RO unit equipped with a polyamide thin-film composite membrane. A Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) controller was implemented to minimize transient errors, reduce settling time, and improve overall system stability.
“The P&O method is computationally simple, but has limitations,” the researchers noted. “To overcome these, nature-inspired optimization algorithms such as SHO have been explored. SHO mimics the cooperative hunting behavior of spotted hyenas, using the position of the prey as the optimal solution, while other agents adjust their positions to improve search efficiency and convergence speed.”
The team simulated the system under two conditions: partial shade and variable irradiation with constant temperature. The partial shading case included four scenarios: one standard test condition (STC) and three mixed irradiation patterns. The variable irradiance scenario used a profile that changed every 0.9 seconds. The system was further validated through HIL testing using real solar radiation data from Biskra, with the load demand based on the permeate flow required by a local hospital.
“The hybrid SHO-P&O MPPT achieved 99.9% tracking efficiency, 0.08 s response time and negligible power oscillations, outperforming standalone P&O and SHO methods,” said Rubanenko. “The LQR controller provided only 2% overshoot and 0.1 s settling time for RO variables, exceeding the transient performance of PID, fractional order PID (FOPID) and sliding mode controllers. Overall, the system maintained a stable permeate flow of 0.2 m³ h⁻¹ and product water salinity of approximately 5.2 gm⁻³ under real solar conditions in Biskra.”
The system was presented in “A smart single-stage solar desalination system with hybrid MPPT and optimal control for brackish water treatment”, published in Scientific reports.
Scientists from Algeria’s University of Biskra, India’s Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), Jordan’s Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Saudi University of Business and Technology and Ukraine’s Vinnytsia National Technical University participated in the study.
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