Computational Modeling of Spacers Printed Directly Onto Reverse Osmosis Membranes for Enhanced Module Packing Capacity and Improved Hydrodynamics
In the recent decade, 3D printing technology has been under development for producing spacers in reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) modules. 3D printing may be advantageous because it can potentially handle complicated spacer geometries and simplify the manufacturing process. One manufacturing method uses 3D printing to directly attach spacers to the membrane surface. The novelty of this method is that thin spacers can be built, resulting in thin flow channels between membrane leaves. Within the same cylindrical module volume, more layers can be packed and more membrane surface area can be added to achieve higher permeate flow rates. The research goal of this paper is to design efficient models that help us discover the best parameters for 3D-printed spacers. Spacer heights and spacer patterns are directly related to longitudinal pressure drop and concentration polarization (CP). Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is useful in helping expedite the process of discovering the best designs with both low pressure drop and low CP. Simulations investigated spacer shapes including regular cylinders, elliptical cylinders, and airfoils. Ellipses with a length:width ratio of 2.4 while maintaining a between-feature distance of 6 mm were optimal for minimizing pressure drop. Spacer heights ranging from 200 µm to 500 µm were simulated to discover the height to achieve the same pressure drop as a 30 mil conventional spacer. Simulation results indicate that 3D-printed spacers with elliptical design can greatly increase water productivity in a spiral-wound module by increasing packing capacity. These designs also reduce CP by 21% by improving the hydrodynamics, compared to empty channels
Year of publication: |
[2022]
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Authors: | Zhou, Zuo ; Ladner, David A. |
Publisher: |
[S.l.] : SSRN |
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