Seawater Reverse Osmosis Research Articles

Synergistic optimization of membrane distillation-reverse electrodialysis for sustainable desalination and salinity gradient power generation

Synergistic optimization of membrane distillation-reverse electrodialysis for sustainable desalination and salinity gradient power generation

Critical challenges in high-salinity seawater reverse osmosis systems: Technical, energy, and environmental reviews

Critical challenges in high-salinity seawater reverse osmosis systems: Technical, energy, and environmental reviews

Performance enhancement and integrating renewable energy into reverse osmosis seawater desalination system in the Moroccan coastal region

Performance enhancement and integrating renewable energy into reverse osmosis seawater desalination system in the Moroccan coastal region

Sustainable Water Management in the ITDC Nusa Dua Area, Bali: Strategies, Impacts, and Hotel Awareness Levels

Abstract Water scarcity has become a critical issue in Bali, exacerbated by mass tourism, which has led to water pollution, freshwater shortages, and environmental degradation. In response, the Nusa Dua area, managed by the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), has implemented several water management strategies aimed at mitigating these challenges and promoting sustainable tourism. The aim of this study is to examine the water management efforts implemented by hotels in the Nusa Dua ITDC area, Bali, in response to water scarcity and wastewater pollution. Specifically, it seeks to explore the strategies hotels use to conserve water, manage wastewater, and mitigate environmental impacts. This study employs a qualitative research approach with a case study design to explore wastewater management practices and their impact on environmental sustainability in the Nusa Dua ITDC tourism area, Bali. The research involves several data collection methods, including in-depth interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGD), participatory observation, and document analysis, to gain a comprehensive understanding of water management efforts in the area. This study investigates the efforts made by hotels in the Nusa Dua ITDC area to address water scarcity and wastewater management. The research explores the role of wastewater recycling systems, the use of Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) technology, and the implementation of water-saving equipment. It highlights the positive impacts, such as cost reductions and environmental benefits, while also addressing challenges like high investment costs and the potential environmental risks associated with advanced water treatment technologies. The findings underscore the importance of integrated water management and collaboration among stakeholders, including the government, tourism managers, and local communities, to ensure long-term sustainability. The study concludes that while significant progress has been made, further innovation and policy support are essential to maintaining Bali’s status as an eco-friendly tourism destination amidst increasing water demand.

Evaluating physico-chemical and biological impacts of brine discharges for a sustainable desalination development on South America's Pacific coast.

Evaluating physico-chemical and biological impacts of brine discharges for a sustainable desalination development on South America's Pacific coast.

Exploring the Potential of Pressure Retarded Osmosis: A Review on Case-Based Analysis of Energy Recovery Technologies

Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO) is a promising salinity gradient energy technology that harnesses the osmotic pressure difference between freshwater and saline sources to generate renewable energy. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the theoretical basis, thermodynamic principles, membrane technologies, and real-world applications of PRO systems. It examines case studies of hybrid implementations with seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) and wastewater treatment facilities, focusing on energy efficiency, brine dilution, and environmental benefits. Additionally, the paper addresses critical challenges such as membrane fouling, internal concentration polarization, and system scalability. Through a systematic analysis of Scopus-indexed studies, this work identifies key technological advancements and future research directions essential for commercializing PRO technology. The findings suggest that with continued innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration, PRO can become a vital contributor to the sustainable energy mix and water resource management strategies.

Energy savings in SWRO desalination via PRO hybridization: a parametric study

This study investigates the potential for energy reduction in a full-scale Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant through hybrid integration with Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO). A pilot test using a 60 m2 PRO membrane kit helped determine key operating parameters, including draw solution (DS) pressure and resulting dilution fluxes. Subsequently, a full-scale analysis was conducted with 650 m2 of PRO membrane area. The integration demonstrated up to 12.56% reduction in specific energy consumption under optimized conditions. Energy savings were found to correlate positively with lower feed pressures, higher brine availability, and optimal dilution rates, while being negatively impacted by pressure losses and high DS-to-FS flow ratios. The study confirms the viability of PRO-SWRO hybridization as a method for enhancing desalination energy efficiency, and highlights areas for further optimization in membrane design and hydraulic configuration.

Optimizing energy efficiency in desalination: Performance evaluation of seawater reverse osmosis and pressure retarded osmosis hybrid systems

Optimizing energy efficiency in desalination: Performance evaluation of seawater reverse osmosis and pressure retarded osmosis hybrid systems

Specific energy consumption of seawater reverse osmosis desalination plants using machine learning

Specific energy consumption of seawater reverse osmosis desalination plants using machine learning

A Critical Comparative Study of Boron Removal from Synthetic Single-Stage Seawater Reverse Osmosis Permeate by BPM- and AEM-Assisted Electrosorption

A Critical Comparative Study of Boron Removal from Synthetic Single-Stage Seawater Reverse Osmosis Permeate by BPM- and AEM-Assisted Electrosorption

Design and optimization of hybrid seawater reverse osmosis-solar-driven desalination-pressure retarded osmosis system for energy efficient desalination maximizing economic potential.

Design and optimization of hybrid seawater reverse osmosis-solar-driven desalination-pressure retarded osmosis system for energy efficient desalination maximizing economic potential.

Experimental investigation of the performance of a seawater Reverse Osmosis spiral wound membrane under variable feed water temperature

Experimental investigation of the performance of a seawater Reverse Osmosis spiral wound membrane under variable feed water temperature

Experimental investigation of the performance of a seawater reverse osmosis desalination system operating under variable feed flowrate pressure and temperature conditions

Experimental investigation of the performance of a seawater reverse osmosis desalination system operating under variable feed flowrate pressure and temperature conditions

Bio-inspired coating for feed spacers: Managing biofouling and controlling biofilm populations in seawater RO systems

Bio-inspired coating for feed spacers: Managing biofouling and controlling biofilm populations in seawater RO systems

Precise biofilm thickness prediction in SWRO desalination from planar camera images by DNN models

Detecting and quantifying biofouling is a challenging process inside a seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) module due to its design complexity and operating obstacles. Herein, deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models were developed to accurately calculate the cross-sectional biofilm thickness (vertical plane) through membrane surface images (horizontal plane). Models took membrane surface image as input; the classification model (CNN-Class) predicted fouling classification, while the regression model (CNN-Reg) predicted the average biofilm thickness on the membrane surface. CNN-Class model showed 90% accuracy, and CNN-Reg reached a moderate mean difference of ±24% in predicting the classification and biofilm thickness, respectively. Both models performed well and validated with 80% accuracy in classification and a mean difference of ±18% in biofilm thickness prediction from a new set of unseen live OCT images. The developed CNN models are a novel technology that has the potential to be implemented in desalination plants for early decision-making and biofouling mitigation.

Transforming end-of-life SWRO desalination membranes into nanofiltration membranes for the treatment of brackish water and wastewater

In this study, we explore the possibility of reusing end-of-life seawater reverse osmosis (RO) membranes to treat brackish water and industrial effluent. Prior to cleaning the end-of-life RO membranes, we conducted several autopsies in order to assess the extent of degradation. Based on these results, three cleaning protocols were tested and Ultrasil10 and/or chlorine solution were selected for further investigation. The cleaning capacity of the chlorine treatment at 4000 ppm.h was tested but proved inefficient as it leads to a denser cake and a significant decrease in hydraulic permeability. Therefore, we recommend commencing chemical cleaning with Ultrasil10 to remove foulants, thereby reconditioning the end-of-life RO membranes to meet nanofiltration membrane specifications. The cleaned end-of-life RO membranes exhibited enhanced hydraulic permeability (1.97 L·h⁻¹·m⁻²·bar⁻¹) and achieved a salt rejection of 85% for brackish water (6 g/L NaCl). With a molecular weight cutoff of 86 Da, these membranes effectively reduced brackish water conductivity to below 1000 µS/cm at 10 bars, complying with Tunisian drinking water standards (300–2500 µS/cm). Additionally, they demonstrated high efficiency in treating industrial effluents, achieving turbidity levels below 2 NTU and conductivity of 180 µS/cm. Operating at lower pressures, these membranes provided cost-effective, sustainable solutions and performed comparably to commercial new NF membranes, validating their potential for reuse in brackish water and wastewater treatment applications.

Harnessing Physics-Informed Neural Networks for Performance Monitoring in SWRO Desalination

Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination is a critical technology for addressing global water scarcity, yet its performance can be hindered by complex process dynamics and operational inefficiencies. This study investigates the revolutionary potential of Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) for modeling SWRO desalination processes. PINNs are subsets of machine learning algorithms that incorporate physical information to help provide physically meaningful neural network models. The proposed approach is here demonstrated using operating data collected over several months in a Seawater RO plant. PINN-based models are presented to estimate the effects of operating conditions on the permeate TDS and pressure drop. The focus is on the feed water temperature variations and progressive membrane deterioration caused by fouling. Predictive models generated using PINNs showed high performances with a determination coefficient of 0.96 for the permeate TDS model and 0.97 for the pressure drop model. Results show that the use of PINNs significantly enhances the ability to predict membrane fouling and produced water quality, thereby supporting informed decision-making for RO process control.

Spacer Designs for Improved Hydrodynamics and Filtration Efficiency in Sea Water Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis (RO) filtration performance is heavily influenced by the design of the feed spacer. Spacer design impacts hydrodynamic patterns within the system, affecting water production and concentration polarization. Two spacer designs, namely pillar (P) and standard (S), were investigated to improve the performance of a commercially available spacer design (C) in the RO process. Two approaches were employed to evaluate spacer performance. First, direct numerical simulation (DNS) was utilized to fundamentally understand the hydrodynamics generated by each spacer design. Second, laboratory RO experiments were conducted to confirm the simulation results. The P and S spacers induced higher flow velocity and vorticity than the C spacer, as confirmed by simulations and experiments. Reduced dead zones were also demonstrated using P and S spacers. However, the standard spacer design exhibited a clear advantage in promoting more efficient mixing within the filtration channels. This enhanced mixing substantially reduced salt concentration at the membrane surface, improving the filtration performance. In agreement with the permeation velocity computation, the S spacer achieved the highest improvement (13%) in both flux yield and specific flux relative to the C spacer. This finding confirms the S spacer’s ability to enhance RO performance while reducing energy consumption.

A techno-economic study on the utilisation of airborne wind energy for reverse osmosis seawater desalination.

Airborne wind energy is an emerging technology that can harness stronger and more consistent winds in higher altitudes using less mechanical and civil infrastructures than conventional wind energy systems. This article outlines a techno-economic study on using this technology for reverse osmosis seawater desalination in which a semi-permeable membrane process is used to remove salts and contaminants from water. To understand the techno-economic feasibility of such a system, this research work studies a 2MW airborne wind-driven reverse osmosis plant. Different energy recovery devices are also studied to find their impact on improving the desalination plant's techno-economic performance. Results show the techno-economic practicality of an airborne wind-driven reverse osmosis plant with a competitive levelised-cost-of-water compared to similar-sized wind and solar energy-driven seawater desalination systems.

Review of Pretreatment of Reverse Osmosis Seawater Desalination

Over the past decade, the age-old and peaceful method of membrane preprocessing has seen a markedly accelerated improvement in its usefulness for artificial speech naturalness. Profitable operation of the SWRO process requires a reliable pretreatment method as the main disadvantages are membrane fouling related to particles, organic, inorganic colloids material and organic growth. The older pre-treatment methods like active and particulate filtration are widely used in seawater desalination by RO techniques; there is a growing trend to use ultrafiltration/microfiltration as an alternative to older treatment technologies. Research highlights that both mass-based methods and UF/MF membrane pretreatment techniques offer distinct benefits and limitations. This evaluation shows that, given the excellent condition of the feed water, an appropriate integration of 1 or 2 pretreatment technologies can also be considered justified, as this can benefit from each individual pretreatment.