CFD Investigations on a Plate-and-Frame Forward Osmosis Module: Effects of Novel System Parameters

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India

2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi-110016, INDIA

Abstract

We undertake a two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study to evaluate the performance of a plate-and-frame forward osmosis (FO) module. The performance was primarily quantified by the transmembrane water flux. We used the ratios of inlet concentrations and speeds to conduct parametric assessments on the module. The base case was tested for flux consistency with co-current and countercurrent configurations. The influence of the support’s pure water permeability (κ) on water flux was assessed, and an optimal range for κ-sensitivity (ORKS) was proposed. The ORKS was found to be a configuration-invariant performance control parameter for FO system performance and is critical to preventing overdesign situations. We conclude by suggesting a membrane modeling index, S*, which can be compared to the conventional membrane structural parameter, S, to make informed decisions about the physical model that could be used to model fluid flow inside the porous support.

Graphical Abstract

CFD Investigations on a Plate-and-Frame Forward Osmosis Module: Effects of Novel System Parameters

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Journal of Membrane Science and Research
Volume 9, Issue 4
October 2023

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History

  • Receive Date: 03 April 2023
  • Revise Date: 10 July 2023
  • Accept Date: 18 August 2023

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