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On the performance limitation of reverse osmosis water desalination systems
The performance of Reverse Osmosis (RO) water desalination processes was investigated using a simulated brackish water plant based on spiral-wound membranes. A semi-rigorous mathematical model was employed in the simulation to calculate the water and salt fluxes at any point along the filtration channel. The effects of two key parameters, namely the transmembrane pressure and membrane surface area, on the performance of the process were investigated. Some insights into the performance limitation of RO processes were obtained. The rapid increase in the osmotic pressure of the brine was found to be the main factor which limits the performance of
the plant. The study has also revealed that any attempts to develop new membranes for brackish water desalination which withstand higher operating pressures than 4.5 MPa will not result in significant gains in the plant performance. For seawaters having high salinity, the development of membranes, which operate at a pressure of up to 10 MPa, will significantly improve the membrane’s productivity.
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Abbas, A. (2007) ‘On the performance limitation of reverse osmosis water desalination systems’, Int. J.
Nuclear Desalination, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp.205–218.
| Contact information |
Abderrahim Abbas, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Bahrain, P.O. Box 32038, Isa Town, Bahrain
(email: arabbus@eng.uob.bh ; arabbus@yahoo.com) |
|---|---|
| News type | Inbrief |
| File link | n/a |
| File link local |
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| Source of information | Int. J. Nuclear Desalination, Vol. 2, No. 3, 2007 205, Copyright © 2007 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. |
| Keyword(s) | desalination, reverse osmosis, reverse osmosis performance,reverse osmosis simulation, membranes |
| Subject(s) | ANALYSIS AND TESTS , SANITATION -STRICT PURIFICATION PROCESSES , DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION : COMMON PROCESSES OF PURIFICATION AND TREATMENT , ENERGY , INFRASTRUCTURES , MEASUREMENTS AND INSTRUMENTATION , CHARACTERISTICAL PARAMETERS OF WATERS AND SLUDGES |
| Relation | http://www.semide.net/topics/Desalination |
| Geographical coverage | Bahrain |
| News date | 24/02/2009 |
| Working language(s) | ENGLISH |
