A new Performance evaluation method for an energy-saving high recovery RO seawater desalination process was investigated.
First of all, analytical solution for the flow of a single hollow fiber was formulated from the longitudinal flow and pressure distributing equation of the permeated water.
As a result, it was discovered that permeated water flow was in proportion to the effective driving pressure, assuming the permeated water pressure was zero, and that the permeated water pressure could be treated as the correction coefficient of this driving pressure.
The correction coefficient is a characteristic value of the module, and independent of the temperature.
Secondly, using the fundamental formula derived for numeral calculation of one-dimensional flow, the distribution of the flux, the density, etc., in the module were calculated.
Finally, based on the above fundamental formula, a new approximate analysis applicable to the high recovery rate was formulated.
Considering the high recovery rate, the permeated water pressure was closely analogous to the quadratic equation of saline density.
Though the equation was a little complicated, the calculation error in comparison to the numerical solution was found to be 0.5% or less.
This calculation error was decreased to 1/10 of the former simple calculation method.
In conclusion, the new approximate analysis equation was confirmed to be useful.
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