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Assessment of pilot direct contact membrane distillation regeneration of lithium chloride solution in liquid desiccant air-conditioning systems using computer simulation

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Abstract

Membrane distillation (MD) has been increasingly explored for treatment of various hyper saline waters, including lithium chloride (LiCl) solutions used in liquid desiccant air-conditioning (LDAC) systems. In this study, the regeneration of liquid desiccant LiCl solution by a pilot direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) process is assessed using computer simulation. Unlike previous experimental investigations, the simulation allows to incorporate both temperature and concentration polarisation effects in the analysis of heat and mass transfer through the membrane, thus enabling the systematic assessment of the pilot DCMD regeneration of the LiCl solution. The simulation results demonstrate distinctive profiles of water flux, thermal efficiency, and LiCl concentration along the membrane under cocurrent and counter-current flow modes, and the pilot DCMD process under counter-current flow is superior to that under cocurrent flow regarding the process thermal efficiency and LiCl concentration enrichment. Moreover, for the pilot DCMD regeneration of LiCl solution under the counter-current flow, the feed inlet temperature, LiCl concentration, and especially the membrane leaf length exert profound impacts on the process performance: the process water flux halves from 12 to 6 L/(m2·h) whilst thermal efficiency decreases by 20% from 0.46 to 0.37 when the membrane leaf length increases from 0.5 to 1.5 m.

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Data availability

The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to regulations of the funding but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

C m :

Membrane mass transfer coefficient, kg/(m2·h·Pa)

C p :

Specific heat capacity, kJ/(kg·K)

D :

Water diffusion coefficient, (m2/s)

dm :

Water mass flow through an incremental membrane area, kg/h

dQ :

The heat flux through an incremental membrane area, kJ/h

dx :

The length of an incremental membrane area, m

h d :

Mass transfer coefficient of the distillate stream, W/(m2·K)

h m :

Mass transfer coefficient of the membrane, W/(m2·K)

h f :

Mass transfer coefficient of the feed stream, W/(m2·K)

i :

Incremental membrane area index

J :

Water flux, kg/(m2·h)

k :

Water transfer coefficient, m/s

k g :

Gas thermal conductivity, W/(m·K)

k m :

Membrane thermal conductivity, W/(m·K)

k s :

Membrane polymer thermal conductivity, W/(m·K)

L :

Membrane module channel length, m

M :

Molecular weight of water, kg/mol

m d.in :

Distillate inlet mass flow, kg/h

m f.in :

Feed inlet mass flow, kg/h

P :

Total pressure inside membrane pores, Pa

P a :

Partial pressure of air inside membrane pores, Pa

P m.f :

Water vapour pressure at the feed membrane surface, Pa

P m.d :

Water vapour pressure at the distillate membrane surface, Pa

Q :

Heat flux through the membrane, kJ/(m2·h)

R :

Universal gas constant, J/(mol·K)

r :

Membrane pore radius, m

S b.f :

LiCl weight concentration in the bulk feed, %

Sm .f :

LiCl weight concentration at the feed membrane surface, %

S f.in :

LiCl weight concentration at the feed inlet, %

S f.out :

LiCl weight concentration at the feed outlet, %

T :

Mean water vapour temperature inside the membrane pores, K

T b.d :

Temperature in the bulk distillate stream, K

T b.f :

Temperature in the bulk feed stream, K

T m.d :

Temperature at the distillate membrane surface, K

T m.f :

Temperature at the feed membrane surface, K

δ :

Membrane thickness, m

ε :

Membrane porosity

τ :

Membrane pore tortuosity

μ :

Dynamic viscosity, kg/(m·s)

ρ :

Density of the LiCl solution, kg/m3

ΔH v :

Latent heat of evaporation, kJ/kg

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Funding

This research is funded by Vietnam National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) under the grant number 105.08-2019.08.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Engineering, Le Quy Don Technical University, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Hung Cong Duong & Thao Dinh Vu

  2. Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology, Broadway, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia

    Hung Cong Duong & Long Duc Nghiem

  3. Strategic Water Infrastructure Laboratory, School of Civil Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

    Ashley Joy Ansari

  4. Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi 334 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Khai Manh Nguyen

Authors
  1. Hung Cong Duong
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  2. Long Duc Nghiem
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  4. Thao Dinh Vu
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  5. Khai Manh Nguyen
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Contributions

HCD: Conceptualisation, Methodology, Software, Formal Analysis, Resources, Writing-Original Draught;

LDN: Conceptualisation, Methodology, Review & Editing

AJA: Methodology, Validation, Formal Analysis

TDV: Validation, Writing, Review & Editing

KMN: Methodology, Validation, Formal Analysis, Review & Editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hung Cong Duong.

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The authors declare no competing interests

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Duong, .C., Nghiem, L.D., Ansari, A.J. et al. Assessment of pilot direct contact membrane distillation regeneration of lithium chloride solution in liquid desiccant air-conditioning systems using computer simulation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 41941–41952 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15783-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15783-5

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