CFD prediction of concentration polarization phenomena in spacer-filled channels for reverse electrodialysis

Abstract Salinity Gradient Power generation through Reverse Electrodialysis (SGP-RE) is a promising technology to convert the chemical potential difference of a salinity gradient into electric energy. In SGP-RE systems, as in most membrane processes, concentration polarization phenomena may affect the theoretical driving force and thus the performance of the process. Operating conditions, including the feed solution flow rate and concentration and the channels׳ geometrical configuration, may greatly influence both the polarization effect and the pumping energy consumption. The present work uses CFD to investigate the dependence of concentration polarization and pressure drop on flow rate, feeds concentration, current density and spacer features. Concentration polarization effects were found to be significant at low feed solution concentration (river water), but only secondary at higher concentrations (seawater and brine), thus suggesting that different optimization strategies should be employed depending on the feeds concentration. The features that a spacer-filled channel should possess for high efficiency and high current density SGP-RE applications were identified.

[1]  M. Collins,et al.  Investigation of flow and heat transfer in corrugated passages—II. Numerical simulations , 1996 .

[2]  Matthias Wessling,et al.  Practical potential of reverse electrodialysis as process for sustainable energy generation. , 2009, Environmental science & technology.

[3]  E. Brauns,et al.  Salinity gradient power by reverse electrodialysis: effect of model parameters on electrical power output , 2009 .

[4]  Michele Ciofalo,et al.  CFD Simulation of Mass Transfer Phenomena in Spacer Filled Channel for Reverse Electrodyalisis Applications , 2013 .

[5]  S. Phillips,et al.  VISCOSITY OF AQUEOUS SODIUM CHLORIDE SOLUTIONS FROM 0 - 150oC , 1977 .

[6]  Matthias Wessling,et al.  Current status of ion exchange membranes for power generation from salinity gradients , 2008 .

[7]  Alessandro Galia,et al.  Investigation of electrode material – Redox couple systems for reverse electrodialysis processes. Part I: Iron redox couples , 2012 .

[8]  R. E. Pattle.  Production of Electric Power by mixing Fresh and Salt Water in the Hydroelectric Pile , 1954, Nature.

[9]  Andrea Cipollina,et al.  CFD analysis of the fluid flow behavior in a reverse electrodialysis stack , 2012 .

[10]  Endre Nagy,et al.  Membrane mass transport by nanofiltration: Coupled effect of the polarization and membrane layers , 2011 .

[11]  A. B. de Haan,et al.  Optimization of commercial net spacers in spiral wound membrane modules , 2002 .

[12]  J. Post,et al.  Energy recovery from controlled mixing salt and fresh water with a reverse electrodialysis system. , 2008, Environmental science & technology.

[13]  Andrea Cipollina,et al.  Modelling the Reverse ElectroDialysis process with seawater and concentrated brines , 2012 .

[14]  A. Albanese,et al.  Investigation of electrode material – redox couple systems for reverse electrodialysis processes. Part II: Experiments in a stack with 10–50 cell pairs , 2013 .

[15]  V. Vitagliano,et al.  Diffusion Coefficients for Aqueous Solutions of Sodium Chloride and Barium Chloride , 1956 .

[16]  Michele Ciofalo,et al.  CFD prediction of scalar transport in thin channels for reverse electrodialysis , 2015 .

[17]  Don W. Green,et al.  Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook , 2007 .

[18]  Herve Morvan,et al.  CFD simulations of flow and concentration polarization in spacer-filled channels for application to water desalination , 2008 .

[19]  Michele Ciofalo,et al.  Experimental Analysis via Thermochromic Liquid Crystals of the Temperature Local Distribution in Membrane Distillation Modules , 2013 .

[20]  M. Shakaib,et al.  CFD modeling for flow and mass transfer in spacer-obstructed membrane feed channels , 2009 .

[21]  L. Smits,et al.  Transport Numbers of Concentrated Sodium Chloride Solutions at 25 , 1966 .

[22]  E. Brauns.  Towards a worldwide sustainable and simultaneous large-scale production of renewable energy and potable water through salinity gradient power by combining reversed electrodialysis and solar power? , 2008 .

[23]  G. J. Harmsen,et al.  Reverse electrodialysis : Performance of a stack with 50 cells on the mixing of sea and river water , 2009 .

[24]  Kuo-Lun Tung,et al.  CFD simulation of fluid flow through spacer-filled membrane module : selecting suitable cell types for periodic boundary conditions , 2008 .

[25]  Kenneth S. Pitzer,et al.  Thermodynamics of electrolytes. I. Theoretical basis and general equations , 1973 .

[26]  Ashkan Iranshahi,et al.  Static mixing spacers for spiral wound modules , 2013 .

[27]  Matthias Wessling,et al.  On the resistances of membrane, diffusion boundary layer and double layer in ion exchange membrane transport , 2010 .

[28]  R. Lacey.  Energy by reverse electrodialysis , 1980 .

[29]  G. Schock,et al.  Mass transfer and pressure loss in spiral wound modules , 1987 .

[30]  Dianne E. Wiley,et al.  Spacer characterization and pressure drop modelling in spacer-filled channels for ultrafiltration☆ , 1994 .

[31]  E. Brauns,et al.  Finite elements-based 2D theoretical analysis of the effect of IEX membrane thickness and salt solution residence time on the ion transport within a salinity gradient power reverse electrodialysis half cell pair , 2013 .

[32]  M. Shakaib,et al.  Study on the effects of spacer geometry in membrane feed channels using three-dimensional computational flow modeling , 2007 .

[33]  Michael Papapetrou,et al.  REAPOWER – USE OF DESALINATION BRINE FOR POWER PRODUCTION THROUGH REVERSE ELECTRODIALYSIS , 2015 .

[34]  E. Brauns,et al.  An alternative hybrid concept combining seawater desalination, solar energy and reverse electrodialysis for a sustainable production of sweet water and electrical energy , 2010 .

[35]  Dorothea C. Nijmeijer,et al.  Theoretical power density from salinity gradients using reverse electrodialysis , 2012 .

[36]  Andrea Cipollina,et al.  Development of a Membrane Distillation module for solar energy seawater desalination , 2012 .

[37]  Shyam S. Sablani,et al.  Concentration polarization in ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis: a critical review , 2001 .

[38]  S. G. Yiantsios,et al.  Direct numerical simulation of flow in spacer-filled channels: Effect of spacer geometrical characteristics , 2007 .

[39]  Michele Ciofalo,et al.  CFD simulation of channels for direct and reverse electrodialysis , 2012 .

[40]  Michele Ciofalo,et al.  A Thermochromic Liquid Crystals Image Analysis technique to investigate temperature polarization in spacer-filled channels for Membrane Distillation , 2013 .

[41]  Kitty Nijmeijer,et al.  Doubled power density from salinity gradients at reduced intermembrane distance. , 2011, Environmental science & technology.

[42]  Dc Kitty Nijmeijer,et al.  Power generation using profiled membranes in reverse electrodialysis , 2011 .

[43]  Viriato Semiao,et al.  Hydrodynamics and concentration polarization in NF/RO spiral-wound modules with ladder-type spacers , 2003 .