Editing Desalination (section)

===Cogeneration===
[[Cogeneration]] is generating useful heat energy and electricity from a single process. Cogeneration can provide usable heat for desalination in an integrated, or "dual-purpose", facility where a power plant provides the energy for desalination. Alternatively, the facility's energy production may be dedicated to the production of potable water (a stand-alone facility), or excess energy may be produced and incorporated into the energy grid. Cogeneration takes various forms, and theoretically any form of energy production could be used. However, the majority of current and planned cogeneration desalination plants use either [[fossil fuels]] or [[nuclear power]] as their source of energy. Most plants are located in the Middle East or North Africa, which use their petroleum resources to offset limited water resources. The advantage of dual-purpose facilities is they can be more efficient in energy consumption, thus making desalination more viable.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1016/j.desal.2005.03.095| title = Overview of hybrid desalination systems – current status and future prospects| journal = Desalination| volume = 186| issue = 1–3| page = 207| year = 2005| last1 = Hamed | first1 = O. A. | bibcode = 2005Desal.186..207H| citeseerx = 10.1.1.514.4201}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1016/j.desal.2004.06.053| title = The role of nuclear desalination in meeting the potable water needs in water scarce areas in the next decades| journal = Desalination| volume = 166| page = 1| year = 2004| last1 = Misra | first1 = B. M. | last2 = Kupitz | first2 = J.| bibcode = 2004Desal.166....1M}}</ref>

[[File:Shevchenko BN350 desalinati.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.25|The [[BN-350 reactor|Shevchenko BN-350]], a former nuclear-heated desalination unit in Kazakhstan]]
The current trend in dual-purpose facilities is hybrid configurations, in which the permeate from reverse osmosis desalination is mixed with distillate from thermal desalination. Basically, two or more desalination processes are combined along with power production. Such facilities have been implemented in Saudi Arabia at [[Jeddah]] and [[Yanbu]].<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1016/S0011-9164(04)00151-1| title = Hybrid systems in seawater desalination – practical design aspects, present status and development perspectives| journal = Desalination| volume = 164| page = 1| year = 2004| last1 = Ludwig | first1 = H. | issue = 1| bibcode = 2004Desal.164....1L}}</ref>

A typical [[supercarrier]] in the US military is capable of using nuclear power to desalinate {{convert|1500000|L|abbr=on}} of water per day.<ref>Tom Harris (August 29, 2002) [http://science.howstuffworks.com/aircraft-carrier2.htm How Aircraft Carriers Work]. Howstuffworks.com. Retrieved May 29, 2011.</ref>