Affiliation:
1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Computing, Engineering & Media, School of Engineering and Sustainable Development, De Montfort University Dubai, Dubai 294345, United Arab Emirates
Abstract
Rising population levels exert significant pressure on available freshwater resources. Scientists and researchers from various countries are diligently seeking a long-lasting solution using solar-powered desalination. This research paper investigates the current advancements in solar desalination research by utilizing the method of “scientometrics”. Scientometrics employs traditional methodologies, including bibliometrics, which entails quantifying the number of research papers published, and citation analysis, which involves examining the frequency with which other researchers cite these papers. By integrating these two approaches, scientometrics provides invaluable information about the most influential countries, institutions, and individual researchers in the field. Utilizing the software program VOSviewer, a comprehensive analysis was conducted on 1855 research papers published between 2010 and 2024. These papers were selected based on a predetermined set of ten key search terms. The results of the analysis indicate that China is the leading country in this field, as it boasts the highest number of published papers and the most citations received overall. Notably, Egyptian research institutions have been identified as the most influential in this area. Moreover, a single author has notably amassed 3419 citations for their 54 published works on solar desalination. This analysis unveiled past and contemporary advancements in the field and identified current trends through keyword analysis. It also offers recommendations based on bibliometric findings, including suggestions for addressing the challenges faced by solar-derived systems and addressing research area saturation.