Optimal SWRO desalination network synthesis using multiple water quality parameters

Abstract This work introduces a systematic process synthesis and optimization approach that takes into consideration multiple water quality parameters in SWRO desalination network synthesis. Accounting for the multiple component feed water nature is particularly essential to gain insights into the distribution of components across the permeate and concentrate streams of the network, which is an important aspect of process performance. Building upon our previously developed synthesis representation and optimization scheme, we incorporate process models that are capable of addressing the multi-component nature of the problem. Analytical relations in terms of salt rejection capacities of individual ions, are developed to describe the performance of commercially available membrane elements. The designs are developed to maximize a detailed economic objective function so as to more closely resemble the costing for a commercial plant. We illustrate the approach using a case study numerical example involving four different feed water qualities with salinities ranging from 35,000 to 50,000 ppm.