Researchers at Algeria’s University of Biskra have developed a single-stage solar and battery desalination system for treating brackish water, combining a hybrid spotted hyena optimizer with MPPT for efficient operation.
The system integrates a hybrid spotted hyena optimizer (SHO) with a perturb and observe (P&O) MPPT algorithm, enabling precise 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 employs 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,” corresponding author Olena Rubanenko told pv magazine. “The full model was validated experimentally through hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, ensuring accurate real-time performance.”
The system was first simulated in MATLAB/Simulink, featuring 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 boosts and inverts the voltage to drive a 750 W 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 enhance overall system stability.
“The P&O method is computationally simple but has limitations,” the researchers noted. “To overcome these, nature-inspired optimization algorithms like the SHO have been explored. SHO mimics the cooperative hunting behavior of spotted hyenas, using the prey’s position 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 shading and variable irradiance with constant temperature. The partial shading case included four scenarios: one standard test condition (STC) and three mixed irradiance patterns. The variable irradiance scenario used a profile changing every 0.9 seconds. The system was further validated via HIL testing using real solar irradiation data from Biskra, with load demand based on the permeate flow required by a local hospital.
“The hybrid SHO–P&O MPPT achieved 99.9% tracking efficiency, a response time of 0.08 s, and negligible power oscillations, outperforming standalone P&O and SHO methods,” Rubanenko stated. “The LQR controller delivered just 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 steady permeate flow of 0.2 m³ h⁻¹ and product-water salinity of approximately 5.2 g m⁻³ under real solar conditions in Biskra.”
The system was presented in “A smart single stage solar battery driven 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 Arabia’s University of Business and Technology, and Ukraine’s Vinnytsia National Technical University have participated in the research.
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