ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews wind technology, its development, and its utilization for the production of fresh or potable water via desalination systems. Wind turbines can be used to supply electricity or mechanical power to desalination plants for the desalination of brackish water or seawater. In rural and remote areas, the use of small wind turbines in mini-grids or stand-alone (off-grid) applications is essential for the improvement of inhabitants' lives and their socioeconomic development. Wind turbines to drive reverse osmosis (RO) units are the second most-used combination, following that of photovoltaic RO systems. In addition, a small number of applications exist around the combination of wind technology with mechanical vapor compression and electrodialysis desalination technology. Wind turbines are basically classified by the position of their rotational axis. Thus there is the horizontal-axis wind turbine and the vertical-axis wind turbine.
