Article
Engineering, Chemical
Christian D. Peters, Daniel Yee Fan Ng, Nicholas P. Hankins, Qianhong She
Summary: Membrane deformation in pressurized membrane processes can affect membrane transport and structural characteristics, leading to lower process performance. Accurate characterization of the membrane is essential for optimizing design and operation. A novel membrane characterization method, the integrated two-stage ABS method, provides more accurate predictions of membrane properties compared to the widely used RO-FO method.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Abdon Parra, Mario Noriega, Lidia Yokoyama, Miguel Bagajewicz
Summary: In this study, the design of reverse osmosis systems for desalination of water at different concentrations was explored, along with the impact of coupling reverse osmosis with a pressure-retarded osmosis unit on economics. Different configurations and scenarios were presented, showing that in the cases studied, the pressure-retarded osmosis unit did not improve the economic efficiency of reverse osmosis.
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Sandra Cordoba, Abhimanyu Das, Jorge Leon, Jose M. Garcia, David M. Warsinger
Summary: Energy consumption in reverse osmosis has decreased over the years, but further reduction is needed for wider adoption. The study introduced an enhanced double-acting batch reverse osmosis system utilizing a high-pressure tank with a reciprocating piston, showing potential for energy efficiency and reduced start-up time compared to traditional configurations.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Pirooz Pazouki, Hangyong Ray Lu, Ali El Hanandeh, Wahidul Biswas, Edoardo Bertone, Fernanda Helfer, Rodney A. Stewart
Summary: The study compared the conventional SWRO desalination process with two contemporary low-pressure membrane desalination processes, finding that environmental impacts are highly dependent on the clean in place process in dilution desalination systems, while energy flow plays a significant role in standalone RO systems. Overall, the ODD process with FO-RO hybrid membrane technology had the highest environmental impact.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Peng Xie, Tzahi Y. Cath, David A. Ladner
Summary: The combination of computational fluid dynamics modeling with solute transport evaluation is a reliable tool to predict water flux and study hydrodynamics and concentration polarization in osmotically driven membrane processes. Feed spacers have been found to impact the velocity and concentration distribution inside flow channels, potentially enhancing or reducing water flux depending on the specific conditions.
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Yanmei Jiao, Linhui Song, Cunlu Zhao, Yi An, Weiyu Lu, Bin He, Chun Yang
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review of membrane-based indirect power generation technologies, including the theoretical background, development, essential characterizations, challenges and optimizing strategies, as well as future applications.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Miguel-angel Aumesquet-Carreto, Bartolome Ortega-Delgado, Lourdes Garcia-Rodriguez
Summary: This work presents a performance assessment of three seawater reverse osmosis-pressure-retarded osmosis (SWRO-PRO) hybrid schemes for energy consumption reduction in seawater desalination applications. The study uses reverse osmosis system analysis software environments to select the best SWRO configuration and operating conditions, and a purposely developed model to evaluate the PRO system. The results demonstrate that hybrid SWRO-PRO systems can effectively reduce specific energy consumption if there is an industrial wastewater source with low osmotic pressure available.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zijing Mo, Christian D. Peters, Cheng Long, Nicholas P. Hankins, Qianhong She
Summary: Improving the recovery of desalination processes can bring economic benefits and reduce environmental concerns, but usually requires more energy and costs. However, the new high-recovery membrane process SF-OARO can lower operating pressure and energy consumption, resulting in a lower unit water cost in regions with varying electricity tariffs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jaehyun Ju, Seoyeon Lee, Yusik Kim, Hyeongrak Cho, Sangho Lee
Summary: This study presents a theoretical and experimental analysis of the application of osmotically assisted reverse osmosis (OARO) for achieving minimum liquid discharge (MLD). The results show that OARO has the potential to significantly improve water recovery compared to conventional reverse osmosis (RO) and reduce discharge volume.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
A. Ruiz-Garcia, I. Nuez
Summary: Reverse osmosis (RO) is the most widely used desalination technology, but it remains an energy intensive technology. This study evaluates the safe operating windows of 9 commercial spiral wound membrane modules (SWMMs) in a seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) system, aiming to find the optimal operating points for each module.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Sanjana Yagnambhatt, Saber Khanmohammadi, Jonathan Maisonneuve
Summary: This study investigates the concept of using heat to enhance reverse osmosis (RO) desalination. The effect of temperature on water permeate flux, specific energy, permeate quality, and applied operating pressures is evaluated using an analytical model. The results suggest that under specific conditions, the tradeoff between savings in mechanical pump work and thermal energy input in thermally-enhanced RO can be favorable, leading to overall energy savings.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Sanjana Chintalacheruvu, Yiyang Ren, Jonathan Maisonneuve
Summary: The study explores the use of thermal energy from solar radiation and industrial waste heat to enhance the performance of membrane processes. It is found that using heat to improve pressure retarded osmosis can lead to significant improvements in water flux and power density. The temperature of the feed solution is found to be more important than the draw temperature. The results show that a hot feed solution can produce a warmer membrane, which increases permeability and reduces polarization, mainly due to the well-mixed nature of the feed boundary in pressure retarded osmosis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kian P. Lopez, Ruoyu Wang, Elizabeth A. Hjelvik, Shihong Lin, Anthony P. Straub
Summary: This review critically evaluates different membrane-based desalination technologies and provides a universal framework for comparing various driving forces and membrane types. It quantifies the thermodynamic driving forces resulting from pressure, concentration, and temperature gradients, examines the resistances experienced by water molecules as they traverse liquid and air-filled membranes, and quantifies water fluxes in different desalination scenarios. The results are synthesized to compare desalination processes, identifying specific scenarios where each process has fundamental advantages.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
A. Ruiz-Garcia, I Nuez
Summary: This study evaluated the performance and boron rejection of a single-stage seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) system under variable operating conditions. Results showed differences in boron rejection and water production between different membrane elements. When designing RES-powered SWRO systems, consideration should be given to the safe operating range of boron concentration and the variation of membrane permeability coefficients.
COMPUTERS & CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alejandro Ruiz-Garcia, Mudhar A. Al-Obaidi, Ignacio Nuez, Iqbal M. Mujtaba
Summary: Due to global water stress, desalination technologies are becoming increasingly important. Reverse osmosis (RO) is the most popular technology due to its reliability and efficiency. However, membrane fouling in RO systems can cause a decrease in water permeability coefficient (A) and impact system performance. This study analyzed the impact of A and the position of the spiral wound membrane modules (SWMMs) on RO system performance. The results showed that the SWMM in the first position had a more significant impact on system performance compared to modules in other positions.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Doriano Brogioli, Ngai Yin Yip
Summary: The study discusses the energy efficiency of direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) for utilizing low-temperature heat sources in distillation energy conversion. It finds that DCMD has lower efficiencies compared to traditional vacuum distillation, especially at higher concentrations. The main source of entropy production in membrane distillation is the unavoidable thermal conduction across the membrane.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ryan T. Berry, Elizabeth Dach, Jessica A. Melhorn, Ngai Yin Yip, Lindsay Soh
Summary: The promise of switchable solvents as green alternatives lies in their ability to change properties drastically based on an external trigger. In this study, a switchable hydrophilicity solvent, DMCHA, was found to exhibit different properties based on CO2 addition and temperature variations in the presence of water. The impact of temperature on the solvent properties, underlying the changes in water solubility, was quantified using Kamlet-Taft solvatochromic parameters and dielectric constants. The study validated and quantified the temperature swing effects of DMCHA, as well as its CO2-switching capabilities based on the Kamlet-Taft polarity scale. The binary mixtures of water in DMCHA showed promising tunability in terms of beta and pi* parameters induced by moderate temperature variations. The potential applications of this CO2-switchable and temperature-tunable solvent are discussed.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Gabriel D. Barbosa, Elizabeth Dach, Xiaoyang Liu, Ngai Yin Yip, C. Heath Turner
Summary: Rapid global urbanization and high-salinity wastewater disposal from industrial activities have put significant pressure on water resources. Temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) has been identified as a promising technique to desalinate hypersaline brines, but current research mainly relies on empirical insights and molecular simulation studies have focused mainly on NaCl brines.
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Kinnari M. Shah, Ian H. Billinge, Xi Chen, Hanqing Fan, Yuxuan Huang, Robert K. Winton, Ngai Yin Yip
Summary: This review examines the treatment of hypersaline brines, including the sources and driving factors of high-salinity desalination. It evaluates the prospects and challenges of various alternative technologies and emphasizes the importance of a range of different techniques to meet the diverse needs of the high-salinity desalination market.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Stephanie N. McCartney, Hanqing Fan, Nobuyo S. Watanabe, Yuxuan Huang, Ngai Yin Yip
Summary: There is a critical need to shift to a more sustainable circular P economy, reducing reliance on phosphate mining and alleviating P pollution. Donnan dialysis (DD) shows promising potential for orthophosphate recovery from source-separated urine, but the presence of sulfate and chloride ions in fresh urine negatively impacts the recovery process.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Kinnari M. Shah, Elizabeth Dach, Robert Winton, Hanqing Fan, Ngai Yin Yip
Summary: This study investigates the influence of temperature on the equilibrium partitioning of water, salt, and solvent in temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) desalination. The findings reveal a tradeoff between selectivity and productivity and provide a new framework for evaluating TSSE performance. Salt is shown to be a key factor in the partitioning process, affecting the ability of the solvent to extract water at lower temperatures and causing the amines to separate from the aqueous phase. Na+ and Clions are consistently distributed into the solvent phase in equimolar ratios. Furthermore, the study establishes a linear correlation between the natural logarithms of salt activity coefficients and water contents in the organic phase. These results suggest that water-ion interactions are more important than amine-ion interactions in the organic phase, addressing a critical knowledge gap in salt transport understanding.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yuxuan Huang, Hanqing Fan, Ngai Yin Yip
Summary: This study investigates the impact of different electrolytes on the tradeoff between conductivity and permselectivity in ion-exchange membranes. The results show that the conductivity is determined by the valency and mobility of the counterion, while the permselectivity decreases with higher valency of the counterion and lower valency of the co-ion. The study reveals the factors governing the tradeoff and advances the understanding of achievable performance in practical applications.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Hanqing Fan, Yuxuan Huang, Ngai Yin Yip
Summary: This article reviews the applications and selectivity of ion-exchange membranes (IEMs) in the fields of water, energy, and the environment. It analyzes and evaluates the five different types of IEM selectivity and discusses the efforts to enhance selectivity by tuning membrane properties and suppressing undesired crossover. Deepening the understanding of transport phenomena and structure-property-performance relationships is crucial for the development of more selective IEMs.
FRONTIERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kinnari M. Shah, Ian H. Billinge, Elizabeth Dach, Ngai Yin Yip
Summary: Temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) is a membrane-less and nonevaporative approach to hypersaline desalination, but its performance is limited by the trade-off between water recovery yield and salt rejection. This study introduces a novel intermediate release step (TSSE-IR) that enhances the desalination capability of TSSE by improving salt rejection while minimizing sacrifices in water recovery yields.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zi Hao Foo, Caleb Stetson, Elizabeth Dach, Akshay Deshmukh, Hyeonseok Lee, Akanksha K. Menon, Ravi Prasher, Ngai Yin Yip, John H. Lienhard, Aaron D. Wilson
Summary: Solvent-driven separation processes have the potential to extract water and high-value minerals from brines, reducing environmental impact and enabling resource recovery. Fractional crystallization can selectively extract ions, allowing for critical materials to be recycled and promoting sustainable wastewater treatment.
TRENDS IN CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xi Chen, Rhea Verbeke, Chanhee Boo, Marcel Dickmann, Werner Egger, Kalisa Ndamage, Ivo F. J. Vankelecom, Ngai Yin Yip
Summary: There is a tradeoff relationship between permeability and selectivity in reverse osmosis and nanofiltration aqueous separation membranes. This study investigates the influence of membrane structural properties on this tradeoff behavior. It is found that the size of the free volume element (FVE) and the effective transport pathway have different effects on permeability and selectivity. The findings provide fundamental insights for understanding transport phenomena in aqueous separation membranes.
ACS ES&T ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hanqing Fan, Yuxuan Huang, Ian H. Billinge, Sean M. Bannon, Geoffrey M. Geise, Ngai Yin Yip
Summary: In this study, a transport framework is proposed to describe counterion migration mobility in ion-exchange membranes. The model considers the spatial effect of available fractional volume and electrostatic interaction between mobile ions and fixed charges. Experimental characterization of counterions with different valencies is conducted. The insights obtained can guide the development of IEMs and membrane processes.
ACS ES&T ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hanqing Fan, Ngai Yin Yip
Summary: Couples Donnan dialysis (DD) with thermally-recoverable solutes and utilizes low-grade heat as energy input. The experimental results showed good salt removal performance, and module-scale analysis demonstrated that countercurrent DD operation can achieve higher desalination performance.
ACS ES&T ENGINEERING
(2022)