Monitoring, modeling, and controlling membrane fouling and concentration polarization in reverse osmosis systems
type: CreativeWork
description: Reverse osmosis (RO) has emerged as an important technology in the field of water purification and desalination, offering a highly efficient and sustainable solution for addressing the global water scarcity challenges. The development of thin-film composite (TFC) membranes recently with improved selectivity, permeability, and durability has significantly enhanced the efficiency and reliability of the RO systems. Despite these advantages, membrane fouling and concentration polarization (CP) remain as the key obstacles, diminishing membrane performance and necessitating frequent maintenance and cleaning. Membrane fouling stems from the deposition and accumulation of foulants, including colloids, inorganic particles, organic matter, and microorganisms, on the membrane surface and within its pores. The accumulation of foulant reduces permeate flux, increases transmembrane pressure, and elevates energy consumption. On the other hand, the phenomenon of CP arises from the accumulation of solutes on the membrane surface during filtration, leading to a decline in water flux and salt rejection. This is primarily attributed to the balance of convective and diffusive mass transport within the boundary layer adjacent to the membrane surface. An extensive understanding of the components of fouling and CP layer and their interaction holds potential for improving RO membrane performance. Additionally, modeling the energy consumption related to fouling and CP in full-scale RO facilities provides insights into potential energy savings by applying antifouling and CP reduction methods. Consequently, the main purpose of this dissertation is to enhance the understanding of monitoring, controlling, and modeling membrane fouling and CP in RO processes. Membrane fouling has received intense attention in research because of its clear and visible impact on permeate flux and energy consumption. Regarding fouling control, monitoring of biofilm formation poses a significant challenge because of …
abstract: Reverse osmosis (RO) has emerged as an important technology in the field of water purification and desalination, offering a highly efficient and sustainable solution for addressing the global water scarcity challenges. The development of thin-film composite (TFC) membranes recently with improved selectivity, permeability, and durability has significantly enhanced the efficiency and reliability of the RO systems. Despite these advantages, membrane fouling and concentration polarization (CP) remain as the key obstacles, diminishing membrane performance and necessitating frequent maintenance and cleaning. Membrane fouling stems from the deposition and accumulation of foulants, including colloids, inorganic particles, organic matter, and microorganisms, on the membrane surface and within its pores. The accumulation of foulant reduces permeate flux, increases transmembrane pressure, and elevates energy consumption. On the other hand, the phenomenon of CP arises from the accumulation of solutes on the membrane surface during filtration, leading to a decline in water flux and salt rejection. This is primarily attributed to the balance of convective and diffusive mass transport within the boundary layer adjacent to the membrane surface. An extensive understanding of the components of fouling and CP layer and their interaction holds potential for improving RO membrane performance. Additionally, modeling the energy consumption related to fouling and CP in full-scale RO facilities provides insights into potential energy savings by applying antifouling and CP reduction methods. Consequently, the main purpose of this dissertation is to enhance the understanding of monitoring, controlling, and modeling membrane fouling and CP in RO processes. Membrane fouling has received intense attention in research because of its clear and visible impact on permeate flux and energy consumption. Regarding fouling control, monitoring of biofilm formation poses a significant challenge because of …
author: Bai, Weiliang, 1994-
language: English
keywords: Membrane fouling, Reverse osmosis, Concentration polarization
date published: 2024-08
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:00:54Z
provider: University of Texas
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: The University of Texas at Austin

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/2152/130072

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.26153/tsw/56572