Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jintong Gao, Lenan Zhang, Jinfang You, Zhanyu Ye, Yang Zhong, Ruzhu Wang, Evelyn N. Wang, Zhenyuan Xu
Summary: Recent advances in multistage solar distillation have developed a solution for the challenges of long-term reliability and efficient treatment of hypersaline discharge in solar desalination. By utilizing thermohaline convection to mitigate salt accumulation and enhance heat transfer, the device achieves high freshwater production and extreme salt endurance, reducing water production costs and paving the way for the practical adoption of passive solar desalination for sustainable water economy.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yih-Hang Chen, Hwo-Gan Hung, Chii-Dong Ho, Hsuan Chang
Summary: This study presents a two-stage design approach for SDMD systems using steady state and dynamic simulation models to minimize total annual cost, exploring different membrane distillation configurations like AGMD, DCMD, and VMD. The unit production costs of optimal SDMD systems using different configurations decrease as membrane unit cost decreases, showing the potential for cost reduction in solar-driven desalination systems.
Article
Thermodynamics
Lu Zuo, Ziyang Yan, Ning Qu, Pengzhan Dai, Shi Chen, Yuan Zheng, Yunting Ge
Summary: This paper evaluates the techno-economic characteristics of the solar chimney power plant combined with membrane distillation (SCPPMD) under typical operating conditions. The results show that the system has positive net present value and is sensitive to inflation rate, loan interest rate, water price, and electricity price. Furthermore, reducing the inlet seawater temperature and increasing seawater thickness increase the water yield but decrease power generation, while reducing air gap spacing significantly increases water yield and power generation.
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
A. Marni Sandid, M. Bassyouni, Driss Nehari, Y. Elhenawy
Summary: Solar thermal energy for membrane distillation desalination is effective in producing fresh drinking water with reduced cost and carbon dioxide emissions, especially when using evacuated tube collectors for air gap membrane distillation.
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
J. A. Andres-Manas, I Requena, A. Ruiz-Aguirre, G. Zaragoza
Summary: In this study, the use of response surface methodology (RSM) to model and validate the performance of multi-envelope modules in vacuum enhanced air gap (V-AGMD) membrane distillation for seawater desalination was demonstrated. Models for permeate productivity (PFlux) and condenser outlet temperature (TCO) were developed and validated using steady-state experiments. The models were used to optimize the operating conditions of a large-scale MD plant to minimize the levelized cost of water (LCOW), considering different scenarios and costs of thermal and electrical energy.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
S. M. Shalaby, A. E. Kabeel, H. F. Abosheiasha, M. K. Elfakharany, E. El-Bialy, Areeg Shama, Radisav D. Vidic
Summary: Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising water desalination technology that can treat extremely high salinity water without the issue of bacterial accumulation. This review focuses on the types of solar collectors used for MD operation and compares different MD systems powered by solar energy.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nawel Mibarki, Zakaria Triki, Abd-Elmouneim Belhadj, Hichem Tahraoui, Abdeltif Amrane, Sabrina Cheikh, Amina Hadadi, Nasma Bouchelkia, Mohamed Kebir, Jie Zhang, Amine Aymen Assadi, Lotfi Mouni
Summary: Air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) is a widely used technology for producing drinking water, and this study numerically examines the energy and exergy performance indicators of a solar AGMD system for seawater desalination. The results show that the exergetic efficiency of the AGMD system components is the lowest in the solar field, with the concentrator having the lowest energy efficiency. The thermal and exergetic efficiency of the entire solar AGMD system also decreases with the increase of ambient temperature.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Farah Ejaz Ahmed, Boor Singh Lalia, Raed Hashaikeh, Nidal Hilal
Summary: In this study, intermittent electrical heating using electrically conductive carbon nanotube structure films was introduced to improve the performance and energy efficiency of air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) for desalination. The results showed that the intermittent heating significantly increased the feed outlet temperature and average permeate flux, while enhancing the thermal energy efficiency.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Lu Zuo, Ziyang Yan, Ning Qu, Pengzhan Dai, Tian Zhou, Yuan Zheng, Yunting Ge
Summary: This paper proposes a novel solar chimney power plant combined with membrane distillation (SCPPMD) that can generate power and produce freshwater. The system's performance is predicted using a transient heat and mass model, and the effects of unsteady weather conditions and seawater thickness are explored.
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Muhammad Usman Farid, Jehad A. Kharraz, Alicia Kyoungjin An
Summary: This study demonstrates the desalination performance of a solar-driven membrane distillation process, utilizing plasmonic titanium nitride nanoparticles for localized heating. The photothermal membrane efficiently induces vapor generation at the feed-membrane interface under solar irradiation. The engineered TiN layer exhibits high mechanical stability and excellent light-to-heat conversion properties, making it a promising material for solar-driven membrane distillation applications.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Qiuming Ma, Zhenyuan Xu, Ruzhu Wang
Summary: Membrane distillation (MD) shows promise in solar-driven desalination, but faces challenges such as limited production and energy performance, unclear relation between solar collecting and membrane areas, and lack of discussion on efficient condensation. Future research directions include enhancing solar energy utilization through solar direct heating and concentration, reducing energy consumption through module stacking and heat recovery, and exploring enhanced vapor condensation. Field tests on small distributed solar-driven MD systems are also crucial for the future.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Ning Zhang, Shao-You Yin, Kambiz Vafai
Summary: The study focuses on a dynamic model and regulation strategy of a solar humidification-dehumidification desalination system based on hollow fiber membrane. It is found that adjusting parameters such as pore diameter, membrane porosity, solar collector area, and humidifier packing fractions can significantly reduce startup time and increase freshwater production. The model introduces an hour-by-hour adjustment method to enhance water production and reduce energy consumption by adjusting seawater flow rates and cooling water flow rates.
JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yasser Elhenawy, Mohamed Bassyouni, Kareem Fouad, Abdelfatah Marni Sandid, Mostafa Abd El-Rady Abu-Zeid, Thokozani Majozi
Summary: A novel solar hybrid AGMD-HDD unit was designed and studied, using photovoltaic panels as the electrical source. The performance of the hybrid system was experimentally explored within 12 months and numerically simulated using TRNSYS software. The produced purified water flowrate from the solar AGMD-HDD system was 21.29 kg/h in summer and 11.76 kg/h in winter. The specific thermal energy consumption varied from 60 kWh/m3 to 310 kWh/m3 in summer and 87.12 kWh/m3 to 605.2 kWh/m3 in winter. The freshwater cost estimation showed a significant decrease up to USD 14.32/m3. The GOR reached 5.33 and the system efficiency was 91.03% in summer with a seawater flow rate of 600 kg/h. The total reduction in CO2 emissions was 32 tons in winter and 43 tons in summer seasons.
Article
Thermodynamics
Y. Elhenawy, Kareem Fouad, M. Bassyouni, Thokozani Majozi
Summary: Water shortage due to population growth and industrial activities has become a burden on governments. Innovative systems are urgently needed to provide affordable potable water. The presence of seawater and desalination technologies offers solutions, such as the novel air gap membrane/humidification-dehumidification (AGMD/HDH) hybrid system studied here. Operational parameters were investigated to optimize freshwater productivity and cost, with the hybrid system achieving significant improvements in total water productivity at a low cost.
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Alejandro Espejo Sanchez, Nipun Goel, Todd Otanicar
Summary: The study introduces a hybrid device combining direct contact membrane desalination with photovoltaic cells, enhancing desalination performance and reducing costs.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Ling Yu, Kuiling Li, Yong Zhang, Jun Wang, Guoliang Zhang
Summary: The development of acid resistant nanofiltration membranes (ARNFMs) with high metal rejection, high flux, and low molecule weight cut-off (MWCO) is a challenge. In this study, a novel post-treatment method using citric acid (CA) was used to enhance the separation performance of dually charged polyamine ARNFMs. The CA treatment effectively removed oligomers and reacted with redundant amino, imine, and hydroxyl groups. The treated membranes showed significantly improved flux, high MgCl2 rejection, and low MWCO. The CA treatment did not affect the acid stability of the membranes, and even protected them from the harmful effects of hydrochloric acid. This study demonstrates the potential application of CA-treated polyamine ARNFMs in acidic wastewater treatment.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yongliang Yang, Ling Yu, Tiancheng Chu, Hongyun Niu, Jun Wang, Yaqi Cai
Summary: Covalent linkages are crucial for covalent organic frameworks (COFs). This study focuses on the synthesis of crystalline and ultrastable 4-carboxyl-quinoline linked COFs via Doebner reactions using both one-pot and post-synthetic modification methods. The authors demonstrate the application of these COFs in nanofiltration, showing desirable separation capacity, high water permeance, and tolerance of extreme conditions. This work opens up new possibilities for constructing robust and functional COFs materials for practical applications.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhiyong Wang, Kuiling Li, Jingjing Guo, Hongxin Liu, Zimou Liu, Yong Zhang, Jun Wang
Summary: The trade-off between micropollutant abatement and bromate formation is inevitable during the ozonation of bromide-containing water. To overcome this compromise, a novel adsorption enhanced membrane contact ozonation (AEMCO) process was developed, which accelerated the oxidation of micropollutants and reduced the formation of bromate. In the AEMCO process, the removal efficiency of ciprofloxacin was 97.15% while the yield of bromate was 0.7 μg/L, compared to 39.96% and 8.3 μg/L in the conventional MCO process. Additionally, a reformative Hatta number (Ha-CIP) was used to evaluate the relationship between interface adsorption and chemical reactions, guiding the adjustment of operating parameters. These findings provide a potent strategy to balance micropollutant abatement and bromate formation during the ozonation process.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhiyong Wang, Kuiling Li, Jingjing Guo, Hongxin Liu, Yong Zhang, Ping Dang, Jun Wang
Summary: We developed a novel gas-solid-liquid reaction interface dominated triphase ozonation system using a functional hydrophobic membrane, which significantly enhanced the chemical reactions between ozone (O3) and target pollutants. The triphase system showed a higher removal efficiency and reaction rate constant compared to traditional O3 processes and demonstrated excellent degradation performance of multiple emerging pollutants.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Junhui Zhang, Kuiling Li, Mengfei Xie, Qi Han, Li Feng, Dan Qu, Liqiu Zhang, Ke Wang
Summary: A comprehensive investigation was conducted to unravel the low membrane fouling tendency and underlying mechanism of liquid-liquid hollow fiber membrane contactor (LL-HFMC) for capturing ammonia from human urine. The results showed that the ammonia flux decline trend and membrane fouling propensity significantly strengthened with the decrease of feed urine pH. This was consistent with the decrease in foulant-membrane thermodynamic interaction energy. Microscale force analysis revealed that the absence of hydrodynamic water permeate drag force and operating at high pH condition minimized the membrane fouling during the LL-HFMC ammonia capture process.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lie Liu, Huachun Lan, Yuqi Cui, Xiaoqiang An, Meng Sun, Huijuan Liu, Jiuhui Qu
Summary: In this study, a polypyrrole-based active membrane with switchable multi-affinity was created for simultaneous separation of small ionic and organic contaminants from water. The designed smart membrane showed high permeability, good single-pass filtration efficiency, and the ability to regenerate and self-clean by applying a reversible potential.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kuiling Li, Sichao Zhu, Zimou Liu, Zhiyong Wang, Hongxin Liu, Yong Zhang, Lili Xu, Yu Zhang, Jianbing Wang, Jun Wang
Summary: In this study, electro-Fenton and membrane distillation were combined to remove salt and TOC from glyphosate wastewater. A membrane-based electrode was used to transfer vapor and oxygen bidirectionally and synthesize H2O2 electrochemically. The operating conditions of membrane distillation promoted Fenton reactions and greatly improved glyphosate removal. The deposition of Fe species on the membrane-based electrode enhanced its catalytic activity and adsorptive capacity, leading to a 6-fold increase in the apparent reaction rate constant of glyphosate. This novel process simultaneously removed organics and concentrated inorganics, reducing subsequent crystallization costs and producing high-quality crystal salts.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lie Liu, Xiaoqiang An, Yuqi Cui, Qingwen Tang, Huachun Lan, Huijuan Liu, Jiuhui Qu
Summary: In this study, an electrically controlled adsorptive membrane (ECAM-L) was prepared for efficient removal of Cr(VI) in water. The adsorption and desorption of Cr(VI) were modulated by varying the electrostatic interactions between ECAM-L and Cr(VI), enabling its cyclic use without additional additives.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yong Zhang, Tiancheng Chu, Ling Yu, Kuiling Li, Zhiyong Wang, Hongxin Liu, Dan Qu, Jun Wang
Summary: In this study, a low-chemical consumption hybrid DD-MS process was developed by combining energy-efficient Donnan dialysis (DD) as a pretreatment process with membrane stripping (MS). The process effectively recovered NH4+-N from wastewater while reducing chemical consumption.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhichao Zhao, Yong Zhang, Ling Yu, Deyin Hou, Xiaohui Wu, Kuiling Li, Jun Wang
Summary: This study demonstrated that Fenton pretreatment without pH neutralization effectively alleviated membrane fouling during membrane distillation (MD) treatment of landfill leachate membrane concentrate (LLMC). The synergistic mechanism between oxidation and acidification for fouling mitigation was elucidated and a satisfactory total organic carbon (TOC) rejection rate was achieved during the combined Fenton-MD process.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jingjing Guo, Kuiling Li, Zhiyong Wang, Dan Qu, Ping Dang, Jun Wang
Summary: The conventional microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) shows low efficiency in removing nitrobenzene (NB) due to insufficient mass transfer. Electrochemical filtration (EF) was combined with MEC to form an EF-MEC system, which increased the NB removal rate by 6.5 times compared to conventional MEC. EF enhanced the convection mass transfer of NB, leading to its increased removal. The EF-MEC system relieved the toxic effects on anode biofilms, enriched electroactive microorganisms, and promoted NB removal.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lie Liu, Huachun Lan, Yuqi Cui, Xiaoqiang An, Meng Sun, Huijuan Liu, Jiuhui Qu
Summary: A polypyrrole-based active membrane with a switchable multi-affinity was created for simultaneous separation of small ionic and organic contaminants from water. The membrane exhibited high filtration efficiency, permeability, and the ability for membrane regeneration and self-cleaning through reversible potential switching.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
