Quantifying osmotic membrane fouling to enable comparisons across diverse processes
In this study, a method of in situ membrane fouling quantification is developed that enables comparisons of foulant accumulation between desalination processes with different membranes, driving forces, and feed solutions. Unlike the conventional metric of flux decline, which measures the response of...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2016
|
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/102501 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2901-0638 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0606-713X |
| _version_ | 1826205900539428864 |
|---|---|
| author | Tow, Emily W. 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 Tow, Emily W. Lienhard, John H |
| author_sort | Tow, Emily W. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | In this study, a method of in situ membrane fouling quantification is developed that enables comparisons of foulant accumulation between desalination processes with different membranes, driving forces, and feed solutions. Unlike the conventional metric of flux decline, which measures the response of a process to fouling, the proposed method quantifies the foulant accumulation. Foulant accumulation is parameterized by two variables, cake structural parameter and hydraulic diameter, that are calculated from flux measurements using a model for salt and water transport through fouled reverse osmosis (RO) and forward osmosis (FO) membranes, including dispersive mass transfer in the FO membrane support layer. Model results show that pressure declines through the foulant layer and can, in FO, reach negative absolute values at the membrane. Experimental alginate gel fouling rates are measured within a range of feed ionic compositions where cake hydraulic resistance is negligible. Using both flux decline and cake structural parameter as metrics, the effect of feed salinity on RO fouling is tested and RO is compared to FO. When RO is fouled with alginate, feed salinity and membrane permeability affect flux decline but not foulant accumulation rate. Between FO and RO, the initial rates of foulant accumulation are similar; however, FO exhibits slower flux decline, which causes greater foulant accumulation over time. The new methodology enables meaningful quantification and comparison of fouling rates with the aim of improving fundamental understanding of fouling processes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T13:20:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/102501 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T13:20:49Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1025012023-02-17T02:05:37Z Quantifying osmotic membrane fouling to enable comparisons across diverse processes Tow, Emily W. 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. Tow, Emily W. Lienhard, John H. In this study, a method of in situ membrane fouling quantification is developed that enables comparisons of foulant accumulation between desalination processes with different membranes, driving forces, and feed solutions. Unlike the conventional metric of flux decline, which measures the response of a process to fouling, the proposed method quantifies the foulant accumulation. Foulant accumulation is parameterized by two variables, cake structural parameter and hydraulic diameter, that are calculated from flux measurements using a model for salt and water transport through fouled reverse osmosis (RO) and forward osmosis (FO) membranes, including dispersive mass transfer in the FO membrane support layer. Model results show that pressure declines through the foulant layer and can, in FO, reach negative absolute values at the membrane. Experimental alginate gel fouling rates are measured within a range of feed ionic compositions where cake hydraulic resistance is negligible. Using both flux decline and cake structural parameter as metrics, the effect of feed salinity on RO fouling is tested and RO is compared to FO. When RO is fouled with alginate, feed salinity and membrane permeability affect flux decline but not foulant accumulation rate. Between FO and RO, the initial rates of foulant accumulation are similar; however, FO exhibits slower flux decline, which causes greater foulant accumulation over time. The new methodology enables meaningful quantification and comparison of fouling rates with the aim of improving fundamental understanding of fouling processes. Center for Clean Water and Clean Energy at MIT and KFUPM (Project R4-CW-11) MIT Martin Family Society of Fellows for Sustainability National Science Foundation (U.S.). Graduate Research Fellowship (Grant 1122374) 2016-05-16T12:23:34Z 2016-05-16T12:23:34Z 2016-03 2016-03 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 03767388 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/102501 Tow, Emily W., and John H. Lienhard V. “Quantifying Osmotic Membrane Fouling to Enable Comparisons across Diverse Processes.” Journal of Membrane Science 511 (August 2016): 92–107. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2901-0638 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0606-713X en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2016.03.040 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 | Tow, Emily W. Lienhard, John H Quantifying osmotic membrane fouling to enable comparisons across diverse processes |
| title | Quantifying osmotic membrane fouling to enable comparisons across diverse processes |
| title_full | Quantifying osmotic membrane fouling to enable comparisons across diverse processes |
| title_fullStr | Quantifying osmotic membrane fouling to enable comparisons across diverse processes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantifying osmotic membrane fouling to enable comparisons across diverse processes |
| title_short | Quantifying osmotic membrane fouling to enable comparisons across diverse processes |
| title_sort | quantifying osmotic membrane fouling to enable comparisons across diverse processes |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/102501 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2901-0638 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0606-713X |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT towemilyw quantifyingosmoticmembranefoulingtoenablecomparisonsacrossdiverseprocesses AT lienhardjohnh quantifyingosmoticmembranefoulingtoenablecomparisonsacrossdiverseprocesses |