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Process modeling and design of reverse osmosis membrane system for seawater desalination

  • Process Systems Engineering, Process Safety
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Abstract

Reverse osmosis desalination membranes can be utilized to purify seawater creating clean water. To meet purity requirements multiple membrane modules are typically required and the configuration should be chosen to minimize energy consumption and costs. Here a numerical model is proposed based on a tanks-in-series formulation of model equations. This model was validated against reverse osmosis system analysis (ROSA®) simulation software and used to investigate the performance of a number of different configurations. Systematic evaluation was made on how the performance of membrane systems is influenced by the arrangement of multiple vessels for the multi-module design of membranes systems.

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Abbreviations

C:

concentration [kg m−3]

dh :

hydraulic diameter [m]

D:

diffusivity [m2 s−1]

i:

index or tank number in tanks-in-series model

JW :

water flux [m s−1]

J S :

salt flux [kg m−2 s−1]

JB :

boron flux [kg m−2 s−1]

k:

mass transfer coefficient [m s−1]

k dc C td A′ n:

coefficients used in Eqs. (13) and (14) [dimensionless]

l :

length of membrane mesh spacer [m]

L:

length of membrane unit [m]

M:

empirical parameter defined by Eq. (9)

N:

number of tanks used in the tanks-in-series model

Q:

volume flow rate [m3h−1]

P:

pressure [Pa]

PW :

waterpermeability[m s−1Pa−1]

r:

relation coefficient between salt and boron mass transfer [dimensionless]

Re:

Reynolds number [dimensionless]

Sh:

Sherwood number [dimensionless]

u:

linear velocity [m s−1]

T:

temperature [C]

Pm :

water permeability [m s−1Pa−1]

Ps :

salt permeability [m s−1]

PBborate :

borate ion permeability [s m−1]

PBboric :

boric acid permeability [s m−1]

Rm :

membrane resistance to water [Pa s m−1]

Rs :

membrane resistance to salt [s m−1]

π :

osmotic pressure [Pa]

ρ :

density [kg m−3]

f:

feed

r:

retentate

p:

permeate

b:

bulk (average value inside a tank)

B:

boron

m:

value at the membrane wall

W:

water

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) (No 2019R1A2C2002263) funded by the Korea government (MSIT).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Wangsimni-ro 222, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Korea

    Miae Kim & Jin-Kuk Kim

  2. Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Dongguk University-Seoul, 30 Pildong-ro 1-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, 04620, Korea

    Michael Binns

Authors
  1. Miae Kim
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  2. Michael Binns
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  3. Jin-Kuk Kim
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Correspondence to Michael Binns or Jin-Kuk Kim.

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Kim, M., Binns, M. & Kim, JK. Process modeling and design of reverse osmosis membrane system for seawater desalination. Korean J. Chem. Eng. 39, 1375–1383 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-022-1086-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-022-1086-3

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