TITLE:
Analysis of Temperature and Concentration Polarizations to Improve the Performance of Vacuum Membrane Distillation
AUTHORS:
Junfeng Zhu, Xingtian Wang, Yingjie Wu, Junkui Niu, Danping Wang, Shiwen Hou
KEYWORDS:
Vacuum Membrane, Temperature Polarization, Concentration Polarization, Hollow Fibre, Membrane Flux
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.12 No.11,
November
29,
2024
ABSTRACT: Vacuum membrane distillation technology shows considerable promise for the treatment of mine water. Nevertheless, the current vacuum membrane distillation technology’s significant reliance on a heat source presents a challenging equilibrium between its energy consumption and thermal efficiency. Consequently, the present study employed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations and analyses to examine the phenomena of temperature-differential polarisation and concentration-differential polarisation generated during the membrane distillation process, and to ascertain the extent to which the operating parameters affect them. Furthermore, it was observed that CPC and TPC exhibited a notable decline with the elevation of feed inlet temperature, while the polarisation phenomenon was diminished with the augmentation of feed inlet flow rate. The optimal equilibrium between membrane flux and thermal efficiency is intimately associated with the operating parameters. Additionally, this study offers a theoretical rationale for the enhancement of vacuum membrane distillation performance.