Seawater Desalination Energy Minimization Using Nanocomposite and Semi Batch RO

Seawater desalination is a promising option for a steady supply of high-quality water from the abundantly avialable source of ocean water, but the process is energy intensive. In this paper, nanocomposite RO and semi batch RO were evaluated at the pilot scale for energy minimzation during seawate desalination. The objecties were to: 1) compare the specific energy consumption (SEC) of these two innovative technologies with conventional RO, and 2) evaluate their performance and applicability at the full-scale. The SEC was evaluated at several operating conditions and treated water qualite was assessed and compared with conventional RO technologies employed at various full scale locations. Based on pilot testing data, feed pressure requirements were reduced by 10% using nanocomposite RO membranes when compared to commercially available RO membranes and it resulted in energy savings of up to 7% using nanocomposite RO membranes.

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