Optimum operating condition of a hollow fiber reverse osmosis desalination system

Y Sano,I Mahidul,Duc Pham

doi:10.1080/23311916.2018.1463898

Y Sano, I Mahidul + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2018.1463898

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Journal: Cogent Engineering	Publication Date: Jan 1, 2018
Citations: 1	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Shizuoka University, University of Birmingham

Abstract

A numerical simulation for an optimal operating condition of a hollow fiber reverse osmosis desalination system has been carried out by utilizing the membrane transport model based on the porous media theory. The validity of the present numerical simulation has been examined by comparing permeate salinity and flow rate obtained by the present method with the available experimental data. The three-dimensional numerical computations have revealed individual velocity and concentration distributions for brine, permeate and membrane phases in a hollow fiber reverse osmosis module containing a feeder core tube. Moreover, it has been found that optimal feed brine pressure exists in order to receive the maximum permeate flow rate under the same pumping power. The present numerical methods is useful to design a hollow fiber desalination module and find the operating conditions of a desalination system.

Highlights

Reverse Osmosis (RO) is one of the familiar technology for middle and large size desalination plants since the high quality fresh water can be created from sea water and brackish water with high efficiency as compared with other processes such as an evaporation process (Fritzmann, Löwenberg, Wintgens, & Melin, 2007)
A numerical simulation for an optimal operating condition of a hollow fiber reverse osmosis desalination system has been carried out by utilizing the membrane transport model based on the porous media theory
In the membrane transport model for a hollow fiber reverse osmosis module, individual velocities and salt concentrations are defined in three phases, namely, brine, permeate and membrane phases

Summary

Introduction

Reverse Osmosis (RO) is one of the familiar technology for middle and large size desalination plants since the high quality fresh water can be created from sea water and brackish water with high efficiency as compared with other processes such as an evaporation process (Fritzmann, Löwenberg, Wintgens, & Melin, 2007). The numerical simulation based on the membrane transport model has never established so that three-dimensional individual velocity and concentration fields for all phases (i.e. brine, permeate and membrane phases) has not captured yet. The three-dimensional numerical computations based on the membrane transport model introduced by Nakayama and Sano (2013) are proposed to determine an optimum operating condition in a hollow fiber reverse osmosis system. The present numerical simulation reveals individual velocity and concentration fields for all phases within a hollow fiber reverse osmosis module. In the membrane transport model for a hollow fiber reverse osmosis module, individual velocities and salt concentrations are defined in three phases, namely, brine, permeate and membrane phases. The dispersion diffusivity component for the permeate phase may be ignorable following Nakayama et al (2006)

Three-dimensional numerical computations

Results and discussions

Conclusions