Abstract
Solar chimney–desalination systems offer a promising approach for simultaneous freshwater and energy production; however, reported performance varies considerably with system configuration, scale, climatic conditions, and evaluation methods. Four architectures were considered: solar chimney–solar still systems (SCSS), solar chimney–reverse osmosis systems (SCROT), photovoltaic-integrated solar chimney desalination systems (PVCDS), and atmospheric vortex engine desalination systems (AVEDS). Enhanced SCSS configurations typically achieved water productivity of 4.7–6.2 L/m 2 ·day, while condenser and airflow modifications improved performance by approximately 8.8–9.1 %. Large-scale hybrid systems reported considerably higher water and energy outputs, although direct comparison is limited by differences in system scale, operating conditions, reporting units, and methodology. Strong site dependence was also observed, with annual electricity generation ranging from 347.6 to 676.2 MWh/year across different locations. SCROT provides high freshwater-production capacity but involves greater energy and brine-management requirements, whereas PVCDS improves combined energy–water utilization. AVEDS shows promising economic and scalability potential but requires further field validation. Numerical modeling and AI-based optimization also offer opportunities for performance enhancement, although experimental evidence remains limited. Overall, no single architecture is universally superior; system selection depends on climatic conditions, scale, water and energy demands, land availability, and economic constraints. Future research should prioritize standardized performance metrics, uncertainty analysis, pilot-scale validation, advanced thermal storage, and comprehensive techno-economic assessment.
Abstract by the authors, reproduced under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence. Original publication via the link below.