Scale-Up of Membrane Distillation Systems Using Governing Equations and Dimensionless Groups Analysis

Abstract

This study seeks to develop a performance prediction methodology for the direct contact membrane distillation systems utilizing dimensionless numbers deduced from the main governing equations describing the DCMD process. Despite significant advancements in computational models within membrane research, a substantial divergence exists between experimental and theoretical outcomes because of the numerous assumptions and exclusions in the simulation process within any software. Consequently, this work enables us to ascertain the performance of the full-scale membrane prototype based on the laboratory-scale analogous model. The establishment of these similarity laws in this study will significantly reduce expenditures associated with constructing experimental models for evaluating and examining DCMD performance; additionally, it will conserve considerable time and resources allocated to computational analysis. The results derived by normalizing the governing equations demonstrated the significant relevance of Reynolds and Strouhal numbers. This scaling-up strategy will effectively link laboratory-scale results with actual large-scale outcomes, facilitating the investigation of several scales with minimal effort.

On the other hand, spacers are a primary option for augmenting the permeate flux in DCMD. This study seeks to elucidate the impact of spacers in DCMD by using dimensionless numbers derived from the fundamental governing equations. This study introduces a novel method for quantifying spacer effectiveness through dimensionless groups, establishing a consistent reference for assessing spacer performance in DCMD for the first time. This work presents the first-time investigation of the Strouhal number dimensionless group in DCMD with various spacers, resulting in a novel and comprehensive definition of spacer effectiveness.

Date of Award	30 Apr 2025
Original language	American English
Supervisor	MOHAMED Ali (Supervisor)