Open-source industrial-scale module simulation: Paving the way towards the right configuration choice for membrane distillation

Abstract

Understanding the impact of configuration selection of industrial-scale membrane distillation (MD) is critical for a productive and energy-efficient operation of this emerging process for desalination. However, it is rarely considered even as new high flux membranes and wider applications are developed. In this context, three open-source simulators were developed on the Matlab GUI platform for the performance prediction of industrial-size direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD), submerged vacuum membrane distillation (S-VMD), and cross-flow vacuum membrane distillation (X-VMD). Using laboratory-scale experimental results as simulation inputs, the developed simulators were able to predict large-scale MD performance. Furthermore, design considerations on appropriate module scale-up for all three configurations were demonstrated. More importantly, the configuration that shows the optimal mass and heat transfer behaviour was revealed through the performance comparisons across different full-size MD configurations. In addition, these simulators are open-source allowing researchers to use these tools for the development of specific scale-up strategies of their own MD membranes — a critical step towards commercialisation.