Heat and mass transport analysis of membrane distillation using thermal network method

In this study, we investigate membrane distillation (MD), which is a promising desalination technology. Conventional evaporation methods require seawater to be heated to its boiling point, and reverse osmosis (RO) methods require the liquid to be pressurized to a high pressure. MD is a technology th...

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Main Authors: Yuki ONO, Chihaya SATO, Kaoru HANABUSA, Takaaki MORITA, Naoki ONO
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers 2025-02-01
Series:Journal of Thermal Science and Technology
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Online Access:https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jtst/20/1/20_24-00225/_pdf/-char/en
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author Yuki ONO
Chihaya SATO
Kaoru HANABUSA
Takaaki MORITA
Naoki ONO
author_facet Yuki ONO
Chihaya SATO
Kaoru HANABUSA
Takaaki MORITA
Naoki ONO
author_sort Yuki ONO
collection DOAJ
description In this study, we investigate membrane distillation (MD), which is a promising desalination technology. Conventional evaporation methods require seawater to be heated to its boiling point, and reverse osmosis (RO) methods require the liquid to be pressurized to a high pressure. MD is a technology that enables freshwater production without imposing high temperature and pressure conditions. This technology uses the phase transition of water in seawater to separate the generated water vapour from seawater using separation membranes with nanoscale pores. The driving force of the water vapour is the difference in water vapour pressure before and after passing through the separation membranes, which depends on the temperatures near both ends of the separation membrane surfaces. We analysed heat and mass transport by using a thermal network method assuming a 1D steady state. The network models were applied to a direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) and a permeate gap membrane distillation (PGMD) and compared with experimental values for distillation simply using pure water. The results show that, for the temperatures, the experimental and calculated values agreed about the membrane surface temperatures within approximately 7.5 % to 15 % of the temperature difference between the hot water and cooling water temperatures, and for the permeate fluxes, the experimental and calculated values were consistent within 25 % of the calculated values.
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id doaj-art-cd3a456475614b11bc2dbc69371672d5
institution DOAJ
issn 1880-5566
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
record_format Article
series Journal of Thermal Science and Technology
spelling doaj-art-cd3a456475614b11bc2dbc69371672d52025-08-20T02:44:29ZengThe Japan Society of Mechanical EngineersJournal of Thermal Science and Technology1880-55662025-02-0120124-0022524-0022510.1299/jtst.24-00225jtstHeat and mass transport analysis of membrane distillation using thermal network methodYuki ONO0Chihaya SATO1Kaoru HANABUSA2Takaaki MORITA3Naoki ONO4Shibaura Institute of TechnologyShibaura Institute of TechnologyShibaura Institute of TechnologyTokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.Shibaura Institute of TechnologyIn this study, we investigate membrane distillation (MD), which is a promising desalination technology. Conventional evaporation methods require seawater to be heated to its boiling point, and reverse osmosis (RO) methods require the liquid to be pressurized to a high pressure. MD is a technology that enables freshwater production without imposing high temperature and pressure conditions. This technology uses the phase transition of water in seawater to separate the generated water vapour from seawater using separation membranes with nanoscale pores. The driving force of the water vapour is the difference in water vapour pressure before and after passing through the separation membranes, which depends on the temperatures near both ends of the separation membrane surfaces. We analysed heat and mass transport by using a thermal network method assuming a 1D steady state. The network models were applied to a direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) and a permeate gap membrane distillation (PGMD) and compared with experimental values for distillation simply using pure water. The results show that, for the temperatures, the experimental and calculated values agreed about the membrane surface temperatures within approximately 7.5 % to 15 % of the temperature difference between the hot water and cooling water temperatures, and for the permeate fluxes, the experimental and calculated values were consistent within 25 % of the calculated values.https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jtst/20/1/20_24-00225/_pdf/-char/endesalinationmembrane distillationnanopore membraneporous materialknudsen diffusionthermal network method
spellingShingle Yuki ONO
Chihaya SATO
Kaoru HANABUSA
Takaaki MORITA
Naoki ONO
Heat and mass transport analysis of membrane distillation using thermal network method
Journal of Thermal Science and Technology
desalination
membrane distillation
nanopore membrane
porous material
knudsen diffusion
thermal network method
title Heat and mass transport analysis of membrane distillation using thermal network method
title_full Heat and mass transport analysis of membrane distillation using thermal network method
title_fullStr Heat and mass transport analysis of membrane distillation using thermal network method
title_full_unstemmed Heat and mass transport analysis of membrane distillation using thermal network method
title_short Heat and mass transport analysis of membrane distillation using thermal network method
title_sort heat and mass transport analysis of membrane distillation using thermal network method
topic desalination
membrane distillation
nanopore membrane
porous material
knudsen diffusion
thermal network method
url https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jtst/20/1/20_24-00225/_pdf/-char/en
work_keys_str_mv AT yukiono heatandmasstransportanalysisofmembranedistillationusingthermalnetworkmethod
AT chihayasato heatandmasstransportanalysisofmembranedistillationusingthermalnetworkmethod
AT kaoruhanabusa heatandmasstransportanalysisofmembranedistillationusingthermalnetworkmethod
AT takaakimorita heatandmasstransportanalysisofmembranedistillationusingthermalnetworkmethod
AT naokiono heatandmasstransportanalysisofmembranedistillationusingthermalnetworkmethod