Engineering Doctorate Improving Wind powered Reverse Osmosis at Delft University of Technology

At the forefront of tackling two of the most pressing global challenges—water scarcity and the transition to renewable energy—DOT, Delft Offshore Turbine, is driving innovative solutions. Given the expansion of offshore wind farms, there is a critical need for alternatives to traditional electrical carriers. Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) in combination with wind energy is one of the solutions, significantly reducing the CO2 footprint of traditional SWRO and producing fresh water. DOT has pioneered a unique pump technology that enables wind turbines to directly pressurize water, eliminating the intermediate step of electricity generation. This pressurized water is then utilized to power SWRO installations for desalination. However, coping with the wind variability is still a challenge.

The EngD candidate will work closely together with DOT and will design, implement and test solutions to cope with the wind variability, while producing a constant flow of fresh water under acceptable pressures for transport. In addition, risk assessments, asset management plans and techno-economic evaluations will be executed to test the feasibility of the designed solutions.

The candidate will combine theoretical knowledge with professional experience and apply it to pilot installations inside and outside the Netherlands. The candidate will, apart from scientific research, co-operate with the partners to identify the needs and to implement prototypes of the developed methods and tools. Regular visits to the partners is part of the project.