International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)
e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 10 Issue: 04 | Apr 2023
p-ISSN: 2395-0072
www.irjet.net
Renewable Energy in Water Desalination: Route of Technology, Vulnerabilities and Solutions Towards Cyber Intrusion Aya Elshinawy1 and Dr. Abdulla Ismail2 1Graduate Student, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Dubai, UAE 2Professor, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Dubai, UAE
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Abstract - The diminishing of fossil fuels is inclining day by
day which poses a huge dilemma that possesses a challenge for researchers to try and unlock the key for technologies where energy is sustainable. Mankind was created in a self-sustaining planet where the Sun is the peak of the energy chain which branches out many renewable and sustainable energy sources. Scientists have been exploring the possibilities of exploiting the energy of the sun in many ways including, photovoltaics for electricity generation, solar thermal applications for heating as well as electricity generation, energy storage applications and Desalination. Water scarcity is one of the most problematic issues in the world, specifically in the Middle East, as fresh water is very rare and geographically allocated in specific regions. The energy sector is complicated and fraught with uncertainty. Geopolitical, economic, environmental, technological, and social factors are all present. Integration of RES in desalination plants triggers an additional vulnerability to cyber security threats. This report offers a comprehensive approach to cyber-attacks in desalination plants powered by RES and suggested solution are proposed that encompass the lessons learnt from many researchers within the last 30 years.
Fig. 1.1 Classification of water desalination processes.
Key Words: Renewable Energy Systems (RES), Water Desalination Plants, Cyber Security, Cyber Attacks.
1.1 Membrane Processes
1.INTRODUCTION TO WATER DESALINATION PLANTS
The membrane technologies depend mainly on using permeable membranes that water can pass through, while separating the salt. They separate water and salt into two different regions with different concentrations.
Desalination is a series of industrial processes performed to remove all or part of excess salts and minerals from water. Several methods of desalination were developed [1]. The most common processes can be classified under two main types as shown in Figs. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4, thermal processes and membrane processes.
There are three different methods in this category as described next.
1.1.1 Reverse Osmosis In reverse osmosis process, pressurized water is separated through a membrane without heating. The solvent is forced to flow from low solvent concentration to high solvent concentration opposite to the natural flow by applying pressure larger than osmotic pressure. Because of its simplicity and cheap energy cost in compared to distillationbased thermal processes, RO technology is used in more than half of the world's deployed desalination plants. Because of advancements in RO technology in terms of membrane material and energy usage, which has permitted a drop in
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