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Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Names: Johnson, Robert A. | Nguyen, Minh H.
Title: Understanding membrane distillation and osmotic distillation / Robert A. Johnson, Minh H. Nguyen.
Description: Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016052029 (print) | LCCN 2016053443 (ebook) | ISBN 9780470122167 (cloth) | ISBN 9781118880326 (pdf) | ISBN 9781118880395 (epub)
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016052029
Cover image: Valery_Plotnikov/Gettyimages
Cover design by Wiley
Preface
Distillation processes are at the center of numerous manufacturing facilities spanning a wide range of industries. Common applications include desalination, the manufacture of alcoholic beverages, fractionation of organic liquids, water removal in preparation for crystallization or spray drying, and the production of fruit juice concentrates. Several different types of industrial distillation processes are in use, the choice depending on process requirements. Membrane distillation (MD) and osmotic distillation (OD) are important additions to this range of processes as they represent the mergence of conventional distillation processing and modern membrane separation science. The advantages offered by these emerging processes include unprecedented product quality and substantial energy savings.
Accordingly, this book is intended to provide the reader with an understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of MD and OD. While these processes have overlapping areas of application, their individual development paths have largely been driven by their different operational requirements. Historically, the main interest in MD has arisen from growing desalination demands from a world in which 1 billion people are without safe drinking water. The main interest in OD on the other hand has come from the food industry in response to a growing consumer preference for high-quality liquid concentrates. Fruit and vegetable juices with their delicate aromas and prevalence of heat-sensitive vitamins and antioxidants have been at the forefront of this interest. These factors have been reflected by a rapid increase in the number of journal articles and conference presentations on MD and OD in recent years. Indeed, MD and OD have been transformed from laboratory novelties into processes that are now in the initial stages of industrial implementation in applications long accepted as being the exclusive domain of multiple-stage flash (MSF) distillation, multiple-effect distillation (MED), vapor compression distillation (VCD), freeze concentration (FC), and reverse osmosis (RO).
A major impetus for writing this book was a need to address the fact that most of this recently disseminated information has been individualistic in nature. That is, the experimental results and conclusions presented have been highly specific with respect to membrane type, module (membrane housing) type, operating conditions, nature of the feed material, and process objectives. The authors believe that a general text incorporating basic physical chemistry and chemical engineering theory presented in an uncomplicated format will assist researchers to unravel this web of information and provide the tools for further technological advancements. It is also intended that this book will find use as a general reference for those involved in the manufacture of industrial MD and OD plants.
The general introduction to this book includes a historical perspective of this current surge of interest in MD and OD. It also examines the operation of established desalination and concentrate production processes and attempts to provide the reader with an understanding of where MD and OD may potentially take their places among these processes. The theoretical aspects of MD and OD are then considered using a general approach that is readily adaptable to specific systems. Attention is then turned to more practical aspects and in particular the properties of the various types of membranes that are central to each process. This section includes a discussion of problems relating to membrane module design that have yet to be overcome. Specific examples of MD and OD applications are then discussed in sufficient detail to equip the reader with the knowledge to devise appropriate stand-alone or integrated membrane systems for any given application. Finally, some future prospects of both processes are proposed to stimulate the imagination of the reader.
Robert A. Johnson Brisbane, Australia 2016
Minh H. Nguyen Sydney, Australia 2016
Acknowledgments
Robert A. Johnson
I wish to thank the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) for the assistance provided during the preparation of this book. I also wish to thank my former postgraduate students who have made major contributions to the development of osmotic distillation and associated technologies over many years. Finally, I extend my deep appreciation to my wife Frances for her love, support, and patience during the several years spent writing this book.
Minh H. Nguyen
I thank all my friends and colleagues, including my graduate students who have worked with me over the years, from the industry and research laboratories in the areas of membrane and osmotic distillation.
About the Authors
Robert A. Johnson
Dr Robert A. Johnson, BSc, MSc, PhD (UQ), is a physical chemistry and chemical technology lecturer at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Prior to entering academia, he was a research director of Syrinx Research Institute where he oversaw the development of osmotic distillation from a laboratory novelty to the industrial pilot plant stage. He has published widely on the theoretical and practical aspects of osmotic distillation and associated technologies due largely to industry support for his postgraduate students, postdoctoral research fellows, research assistants, and visiting academics.
Minh H. Nguyen
Dr Minh H. Nguyen, BE, Grad Dip, MSc (UNSW), PhD (UTS), is a conjoint associate professor at the University of Newcastle and an adjunct associate professor at Western Sydney University. He has a life-time experience in scientific research and development in industry, research laboratories, and university teaching. He has over 200 technical and research publications and reports. He was among the pioneers in research and development in membrane technology, in particular osmotic and membrane distillation.
Nomenclature
a
activity
b
air gap thickness (m)
c
concentration (kg m−3, wt%, °Brix)
Cp
heat capacity (kJ kg−1 K−1)
D
diffusion coefficient (m2 s−1)
dh
hydraulic diameter (m)
dp
pore diameter (m)
ΔHv
latent heat of vaporization (kJ kg−1)
h
individual heat transfer coefficient (J m−2 s−1 K−1)
J
mass flux (kg m−2 s−1)
K
overall mass transfer coefficient (kg m−2 s−1 Pa−1)
k
individual mass transfer coefficient (kg m−2 s−1 Pa−1)
