OPTIMIZATION OF DIRECT CONTACT MEMBRANE DESALINATION WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEMS USING COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMIC ANALYSIS. Master’s Project First Progress Report Jeremiah Jones RPI Hartford Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Hartford
Jan 12, 2016
OPTIMIZATION OF DIRECT CONTACT MEMBRANE DESALINATION WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEMS USING COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMIC ANALYSIS.
Master’s Project First Progress Report
Jeremiah Jones
RPI Hartford
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Hartford
Modeling Approach
• These pictures show one of the meshing patterns which were used in the evaluation.
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Membrane Pass Model FE Meshing
Modeling Approach
• This picture shows the other meshing patterns which were used in the evaluation.
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Membrane Pass Model FE Meshing
Results
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Water Concentration Profile for
v = 0.25 m/s, L = 0.1 m, h = 0.001 m, t = 0.0001 m, Tc=293 K, TH=328 K, cc=cP=55000mol/m3
Results
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Temperature Profile for
v = 0.25 m/s, L = 0.1 m, h = 0.001 m, t = 0.0001 m, Tc=293 K, TH=328 K, cc=cP=55000mol/m3
Results
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0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 54,000
54,200
54,400
54,600
54,800
55,000
55,200
55,400
55,600
Case 1 - Varying Inlet Velocity
Concentrate - Varied Df
Product - Varied Df
Concentrate - Const. Df
Product - Const. Df
Velocity (m/s)
Ou
tlet
Co
nce
ntr
atio
n (
mo
l/m
3)
Results
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312 314 316 318 320 322 324 326 328 330 54,500
54,600
54,700
54,800
54,900
55,000
55,100
55,200
55,300
Case 2 - Varying Inlet Hot Temperature
Concentrate
Product
Inlet Hot Temperature (K)
Ou
tlet
Co
nce
ntr
atio
n (
mo
l/m
3)
Results
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Hartford
0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.2 0.22 0.24 0.26 54,400
54,500
54,600
54,700
54,800
54,900
55,000
55,100
55,200
55,300
55,400
Case 3 - Varying Channel Length
Concentrate
Product
Channel Length (m)
Ou
tlet
Co
nce
ntr
atio
n (
mo
l/m
3)
Results
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Hartford
0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7 54,000
54,200
54,400
54,600
54,800
55,000
55,200
55,400
55,600
Case 4 - Varying Membrane Porosity
Concentrate
Product
Porosity
Ou
tlet
Co
nce
ntr
atio
n (
mo
l/m
3)
Results
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Old Total Fluxes in Y-direction along Membrane Boundary
Upper Boundary (between membrane and cold water)
Lower Boundary (between membrane and hot water)
Results
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New Total Fluxes in Y-direction along Membrane Boundary
Upper Boundary (between membrane and cold water)
Lower Boundary (between membrane and hot water)
Future WorkRensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Hartford
• Evaluating cases where the concentrate and product inlet velocities were not equal to each other.
• Evaluating counter-current flow cases. • Determining appropriate modeling conditions that would
allow an increase of salt and seawater to permeate the membrane with an increase of membrane porosity.
• Modeling a three-dimensional desalination system and compare to the two-dimensional results obtained herein. The three-dimensional model could evaluate a rectangular channel and compare that to the results of a cylindrical model.
References
1. Chapman-Wilbert, Michelle. The Desalting and Water Treatment Membrane Manual: A Guide to Membranes for Municiple Water Treatment. DIBR. Denver: U.S. Department of the Interior; Bureau of Reclamation, 1993.
2. General Electric. Cross Flow Filtration Method Handbook. General Electric Company, 2014.
3. Degremont Technologies Ltd. Reverse Osmosis Skids. 2015. 18 February 2015. <http://www.degremont-technologies.com/IMG/png/ro-diagram.png>.
4. Gozalvez-Zafrilla, J. M. and Santafe-Moros, A. "Design of a Flat Membrane Module for Fouling and Permselectivity Studies." COMSOL Conference 2010. Paris: COMSOL, 2010. 7.
5. General Electric Water & Process Technologies. Point of Use Drinking Water Components. Milwaukee: General Electric Company, 2006.
6. GE Power & Water; Water & Process Technologies. Electrodialysis (ED) and Bipolar Electrodialysis (BPED). 2013. 23 April 2015. http://www.gewater.com/products/electrodialysis-ed-bipolar-bped.html
7. Water King, "Water King's Genesis Reverse Osmosis System," 2012. 16 April 2015. http://www.waterkingwater.com/el_paso_reverse_osmosis.htm
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