Abstract
Forward osmosis (FO) and pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO) have gained attention recently as potential processes to solve water and energy scarcity problems with advantages over pressure-driven membrane processes. These processes can be designed to produce bioenergy and clean water at the same time (i.e., wastewater treatment with power generation). Despite having significant technological advancement, these bioenergy processes are yet to be implemented in full scale and commercialized due to its relatively low performance. Hence, massive and extensive research has been carried out to evaluate the variables in FO and PRO processes such as osmotic membrane, feed solutions, draw solutions, and operating conditions in order to maximize the outcomes, which include water flux and power density. However, these research findings have not been summarized and properly reviewed. The key parts of this review are to discuss the factors influencing the performance of FO and PRO with respective resulting effects and to determine the research gaps in their optimization with the aim of further improving these bioenergy processes and commercializing them in various industrial applications.
Highlights
The demand for water and energy has been raising continuously and their shortage has resulted in the development of alternative renewable energies and water treatment systems which require less energy
Feed waters with different qualities have been researched to determine the major foulants since water flux and osmotic power generation are reduced by membrane fouling, making the overall cost as high as other membrane processes [80]
There is an extensive potential in osmotically driven membrane processes (ODMPs), Forward osmosis (FO) and pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO), to act as a sustainable bioenergy solution on water and energy scarcity
Summary
The demand for water and energy has been raising continuously and their shortage has resulted in the development of alternative renewable energies and water treatment systems which require less energy. Reverse osmosis (RO) employs hydraulic pressure differential as its driving force to move water from the saltwater to the freshwater, resulting in a negative flux across the membrane. This occurrence is relatively due to the large pressure (∆P > ∆π) exerted to the concentrated side. The sections focus on the feed solutions and draw solutions which provide the osmotic pressure difference to drive the ODMPs. Operating conditions including cross-flow rate and temperature are studied for their effects on the performance of FO and PRO. This review provides insights into the concerned researches in practically designing an optimum osmotic membrane system for bioenergy production
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