On the potential of forward osmosis to energetically outperform reverse osmosis desalination
We provide a comparison of the theoretical and actual energy requirements of forward osmosis and reverse osmosis seawater desalination. We argue that reverse osmosis is significantly more energy efficient and that forward osmosis research efforts would best be fully oriented towards alternate applic...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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Elsevier
2016
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/102494 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2901-0638 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3808-8824 |
| _version_ | 1811077768683716608 |
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| author | McGovern, Ronan Killian Lienhard, John H |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Abdul Latif Jameel World Water & Food Security Lab |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Abdul Latif Jameel World Water & Food Security Lab McGovern, Ronan Killian Lienhard, John H |
| author_sort | McGovern, Ronan Killian |
| collection | MIT |
| description | We provide a comparison of the theoretical and actual energy requirements of forward osmosis and reverse osmosis seawater desalination. We argue that reverse osmosis is significantly more energy efficient and that forward osmosis research efforts would best be fully oriented towards alternate applications. The underlying reason for the inefficiency of forward osmosis is the draw-dilution step, which increases the theoretical and actual energy requirements for draw regeneration. As a consequence, for a forward osmosis technology to compete with reverse osmosis, the regeneration process must be significantly more efficient than reverse osmosis. However, even considering the optimisation of the draw solution and the benefits of reduced fouling during regeneration, the efficiency of an optimal draw regeneration process and of reverse osmosis are unlikely to differ significantly, meaning the energy efficiency of direct desalination with reverse osmosis is likely to be superior. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T10:48:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/102494 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T10:48:07Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1024942023-02-17T02:05:36Z On the potential of forward osmosis to energetically outperform reverse osmosis desalination McGovern, Ronan Killian Lienhard, John H Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Abdul Latif Jameel World Water & Food Security Lab Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering Lienhard, John H. McGovern, Ronan Killian Lienhard, John H. We provide a comparison of the theoretical and actual energy requirements of forward osmosis and reverse osmosis seawater desalination. We argue that reverse osmosis is significantly more energy efficient and that forward osmosis research efforts would best be fully oriented towards alternate applications. The underlying reason for the inefficiency of forward osmosis is the draw-dilution step, which increases the theoretical and actual energy requirements for draw regeneration. As a consequence, for a forward osmosis technology to compete with reverse osmosis, the regeneration process must be significantly more efficient than reverse osmosis. However, even considering the optimisation of the draw solution and the benefits of reduced fouling during regeneration, the efficiency of an optimal draw regeneration process and of reverse osmosis are unlikely to differ significantly, meaning the energy efficiency of direct desalination with reverse osmosis is likely to be superior. 2016-05-16T11:49:10Z 2016-05-16T11:49:10Z 2014-06 2014-05 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 03767388 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/102494 McGovern, Ronan K., and John H. Lienhard V. “On the Potential of Forward Osmosis to Energetically Outperform Reverse Osmosis Desalination.” Journal of Membrane Science 469 (November 2014): 245–50. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2901-0638 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3808-8824 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2014.05.061 Journal of Membrane Science Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ application/pdf Elsevier Prof. Lienhard via Angie Locknar |
| spellingShingle | McGovern, Ronan Killian Lienhard, John H On the potential of forward osmosis to energetically outperform reverse osmosis desalination |
| title | On the potential of forward osmosis to energetically outperform reverse osmosis desalination |
| title_full | On the potential of forward osmosis to energetically outperform reverse osmosis desalination |
| title_fullStr | On the potential of forward osmosis to energetically outperform reverse osmosis desalination |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the potential of forward osmosis to energetically outperform reverse osmosis desalination |
| title_short | On the potential of forward osmosis to energetically outperform reverse osmosis desalination |
| title_sort | on the potential of forward osmosis to energetically outperform reverse osmosis desalination |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/102494 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2901-0638 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3808-8824 |
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