ABSTRACT
Abstract
The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system combines both forward osmosis and reverse osmosis techniques for the desalination of salt water, such as seawater. A feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit, such that seawater drawn through the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit is fed into the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit. The reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs product water extracted from the seawater from a permeate side thereof. The feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs a reject stream, which is fed to a draw side of the forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the forward osmosis desalination unit receives the reject stream and outputs concentrated brine.
Description
BACKGROUND
1. Field
The disclosure of the present patent application relates to water treatment, and particularly to a system for desalinating water using a pressure-reduced reverse osmosis system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Reverse osmosis (RO) is typically used in water purification systems. These systems typically include a semipermeable membrane to remove ions, molecules, and larger particles from water. In reverse osmosis, an applied pressure is used to overcome osmotic pressure, a colligative property that is driven by chemical potential differences of the solvent. Reverse osmosis can remove many types of dissolved and suspended species from water, including bacteria, and is used in both industrial processes and the production of potable water. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and the pure solvent is allowed to pass to the other side. The semipermeable membrane is considered to be âselectiveâ; i.e., the membrane does not allow large molecules or ions through its pores, but does allow smaller components of the solution (such as solvent molecules) to pass freely.
In reverse osmosis, the efficiency of the process is dependent on pressure, flow rate and other conditions. Reverse osmosis is most commonly known for its use in purification of seawater, e.g., for removing the salt and other effluent materials from the water. FIG. 4 illustrates a basic prior art reverse osmosis desalination unit 300 , where seawater S is fed into unit 300 for production of purified water PW. As shown in FIG. 4 , a high pressure pump 312 is used to force water across the semi-permeable reverse osmosis membrane 316 from the concentrated side 314 of the reverse osmosis desalination unit 300 . An efficient RO process can leave almost all (around 95% to 99%) of dissolved salts behind in the reject stream; i.e., output concentrated brine B. The amount of pressure applied by pump 312 depends on the salt concentration of the feed water. The more concentrated the feed water, the more pressure is required to overcome the osmotic pressure. The desalinated water that is demineralized or deionized (i.e., purified water PW) is typically referred to as the âpermeateâ or the âproduct waterâ.
In forward osmosis (FO), water flows through a semi-permeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration based on the osmotic pressure difference. A âdrawâ solution or solution of high concentration relative to that of the feed solution is used to induce a net flow of water through the membrane into the draw solution, thus effectively separating the feed water from its solutes. In contrast, the reverse osmosis process described above uses hydraulic pressure as the driving force for separation, which serves to counteract the osmotic pressure gradient. Thus, significantly more energy is required for reverse osmosis compared to forward osmosis.
FIG. 5 illustrates a basic prior art forward osmosis unit 400 , where the feed solution (i.e., seawater S) is fed into the feed side of unit 400 under pressure applied by pump 412 . The feed solution passing through the feed side 414 separates such that pure water passes through the semi-permeable membrane 416 , resulting in reject concentrated brine B exiting unit 400 . Concentrated draw solution CD fed into the draw side 420 of unit 400 under pressure applied by pump 418 draws in pure water from the feed side 414 due to the osmotic pressure gradient between the feed side and the draw side. Diluted draw solution DD, which has been diluted by the pure water flowing through the semi-permeable membrane 416 , is then drawn from the draw side 420 of unit 400 . In the reverse osmosis process illustrated in FIG. 4 , the permeate water PW is purified and ready for use. However, in the forward osmosis process illustrated in FIG. 5 , the membrane separation of the forward osmosis process results in a âtradeâ between the solutes of the feed solution S and the draw solution CD.
Generally, the operating pressures necessary for reverse osmosis are very high. The requirement of such high pressure for desired efficiency levels is costly, both in terms of power consumption and maintenance. With regard to the latter, high pressure operation causes rapid fouling and scaling in the membrane, requiring frequent replacement and/or maintenance. Additionally, all materials of the system must be rated for high pressure operation, often requiring the usage of expensive materials, such as stainless steel. It would obviously be desirable to be able to make use of reverse osmosis, assisted by forward osmosis, but operating at much lower pressures. Thus, a pressure-reduced saline water treatment system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY
The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system can include both forward osmosis and reverse osmosis units for the desalination of salt water, such as seawater. The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system includes a forward osmosis desalination unit, which has a feed side and a draw side, and a reverse osmosis desalination unit, which has a feed side and a permeate side, as are conventionally known. The feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit, such that seawater drawn through the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit is fed into the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit. A first pump may inject the seawater, under pressure, through the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit. A second pump may deliver the seawater from the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit to the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit.
The reverse osmosis desalination unit performs reverse osmosis desalination on the seawater fed into the feed side, outputting product water extracted from the seawater from the permeate side. The feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs a reject stream. The draw side of the forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the forward osmosis desalination unit receives the reject stream and outputs concentrated brine. Power for the first and second pumps may be provided by any suitable type of power source, such as at least one photovoltaic panel in electrical communication therewith for providing suitable electrical power. It should be understood that any suitable source of electrical power may be utilized, including other types of âgreenâ electrical generation systems.
The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system is a closed system, where the hydraulic pressure applied in the reverse osmosis desalination unit has an influence on the water transport mechanism within the forward osmosis desalination unit. Because of the hydraulic pressure associated with the reject stream coming from the reverse osmosis desalination unit, the water transport in the forward osmosis desalination unit takes place from a high osmotic pressure stream to a lower osmotic pressure stream, which is opposite the working principle of conventional forward osmosis processes; i.e., the reject stream passes through the draw side of the forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit.
In an alternative embodiment of the pressure-reduced saline water treatment system, a two-stage forward osmosis process is used. Both a first forward osmosis desalination unit, having a feed side and a draw side, and a second forward osmosis desalination unit, also having a feed side and a draw side, are used. As in the previous embodiment, a reverse osmosis desalination unit, having a feed side and a permeate side, is provided. The feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit, such that seawater drawn through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit is fed into the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit. The permeate side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs pure product water, and the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs a reject stream.
The feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit receives the reject stream from the reverse osmosis desalination unit and outputs a concentrated reject stream. The draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the draw side of the second forward desalination unit, such that the draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit receives the concentrated reject stream from the second forward osmosis desalination unit and outputs concentrated brine.
The feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the seawater flows through the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit to and through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit. The reject stream from the reverse osmosis desalination unit passes through the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit. The concentrated reject stream from the second forward osmosis desalination unit passes through the draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit. In an embodiment, the operating pressure of the system can about 15 bar.
As in the previous embodiment, a first pump delivers the seawater to the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit, and a second pump delivers the seawater from the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit to the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit. Also, as in the previous embodiment, the first and second pumps may be powered by at least one photovoltaic panel or any other suitable source of energy.
In a further alternative embodiment of the pressure-reduced saline water treatment system, a three-stage forward osmosis process is used. First, second and third forward osmosis desalination units are used, each having a feed side and a draw side. As in the previous embodiment, a reverse osmosis desalination unit, having a feed side and a permeate side, is provided. The feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit, such that seawater drawn through the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit is fed into the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit. The permeate side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs product water, and the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs a reject stream.
The draw side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit receives the reject stream and outputs a first concentrated reject stream. The draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the draw side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit receives the first concentrated reject stream and outputs a second concentrated reject stream. The draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit receives the second concentrated reject stream and outputs concentrated brine.
The feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the seawater flows through the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit to and through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit. The feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the seawater flows through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit to and through the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit. Similar td the previous embodiments, the reject stream of the reverse osmosis desalination unit passes through the draw side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit. The first concentrated reject stream passes through the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit. The second concentrated reject stream passes through the draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit.
As in the previous embodiments, a first pump delivers the seawater to the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit, and a second pump delivers the seawater from the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit to the feed side of the reverse osmosis unit. Also as in the previous embodiments, the first and second pumps may be powered by at least one photovoltaic panel or any other suitable source of energy.
These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification.
BRIEF
BACKGROUND
1. Field
The disclosure of the present patent application relates to water treatment, and particularly to a system for desalinating water using a pressure-reduced reverse osmosis system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Reverse osmosis (RO) is typically used in water purification systems. These systems typically include a semipermeable membrane to remove ions, molecules, and larger particles from water. In reverse osmosis, an applied pressure is used to overcome osmotic pressure, a colligative property that is driven by chemical potential differences of the solvent. Reverse osmosis can remove many types of dissolved and suspended species from water, including bacteria, and is used in both industrial processes and the production of potable water. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and the pure solvent is allowed to pass to the other side. The semipermeable membrane is considered to be âselectiveâ; i.e., the membrane does not allow large molecules or ions through its pores, but does allow smaller components of the solution (such as solvent molecules) to pass freely.
In reverse osmosis, the efficiency of the process is dependent on pressure, flow rate and other conditions. Reverse osmosis is most commonly known for its use in purification of seawater, e.g., for removing the salt and other effluent materials from the water. FIG. 4 illustrates a basic prior art reverse osmosis desalination unit 300 , where seawater S is fed into unit 300 for production of purified water PW. As shown in FIG. 4 , a high pressure pump 312 is used to force water across the semi-permeable reverse osmosis membrane 316 from the concentrated side 314 of the reverse osmosis desalination unit 300 . An efficient RO process can leave almost all (around 95% to 99%) of dissolved salts behind in the reject stream; i.e., output concentrated brine B. The amount of pressure applied by pump 312 depends on the salt concentration of the feed water. The more concentrated the feed water, the more pressure is required to overcome the osmotic pressure. The desalinated water that is demineralized or deionized (i.e., purified water PW) is typically referred to as the âpermeateâ or the âproduct waterâ.
In forward osmosis (FO), water flows through a semi-permeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration based on the osmotic pressure difference. A âdrawâ solution or solution of high concentration relative to that of the feed solution is used to induce a net flow of water through the membrane into the draw solution, thus effectively separating the feed water from its solutes. In contrast, the reverse osmosis process described above uses hydraulic pressure as the driving force for separation, which serves to counteract the osmotic pressure gradient. Thus, significantly more energy is required for reverse osmosis compared to forward osmosis.
FIG. 5 illustrates a basic prior art forward osmosis unit 400 , where the feed solution (i.e., seawater S) is fed into the feed side of unit 400 under pressure applied by pump 412 . The feed solution passing through the feed side 414 separates such that pure water passes through the semi-permeable membrane 416 , resulting in reject concentrated brine B exiting unit 400 . Concentrated draw solution CD fed into the draw side 420 of unit 400 under pressure applied by pump 418 draws in pure water from the feed side 414 due to the osmotic pressure gradient between the feed side and the draw side. Diluted draw solution DD, which has been diluted by the pure water flowing through the semi-permeable membrane 416 , is then drawn from the draw side 420 of unit 400 . In the reverse osmosis process illustrated in FIG. 4 , the permeate water PW is purified and ready for use. However, in the forward osmosis process illustrated in FIG. 5 , the membrane separation of the forward osmosis process results in a âtradeâ between the solutes of the feed solution S and the draw solution CD.
Generally, the operating pressures necessary for reverse osmosis are very high. The requirement of such high pressure for desired efficiency levels is costly, both in terms of power consumption and maintenance. With regard to the latter, high pressure operation causes rapid fouling and scaling in the membrane, requiring frequent replacement and/or maintenance. Additionally, all materials of the system must be rated for high pressure operation, often requiring the usage of expensive materials, such as stainless steel. It would obviously be desirable to be able to make use of reverse osmosis, assisted by forward osmosis, but operating at much lower pressures. Thus, a pressure-reduced saline water treatment system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY
The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system can include both forward osmosis and reverse osmosis units for the desalination of salt water, such as seawater. The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system includes a forward osmosis desalination unit, which has a feed side and a draw side, and a reverse osmosis desalination unit, which has a feed side and a permeate side, as are conventionally known. The feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit, such that seawater drawn through the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit is fed into the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit. A first pump may inject the seawater, under pressure, through the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit. A second pump may deliver the seawater from the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit to the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit.
The reverse osmosis desalination unit performs reverse osmosis desalination on the seawater fed into the feed side, outputting product water extracted from the seawater from the permeate side. The feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs a reject stream. The draw side of the forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the forward osmosis desalination unit receives the reject stream and outputs concentrated brine. Power for the first and second pumps may be provided by any suitable type of power source, such as at least one photovoltaic panel in electrical communication therewith for providing suitable electrical power. It should be understood that any suitable source of electrical power may be utilized, including other types of âgreenâ electrical generation systems.
The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system is a closed system, where the hydraulic pressure applied in the reverse osmosis desalination unit has an influence on the water transport mechanism within the forward osmosis desalination unit. Because of the hydraulic pressure associated with the reject stream coming from the reverse osmosis desalination unit, the water transport in the forward osmosis desalination unit takes place from a high osmotic pressure stream to a lower osmotic pressure stream, which is opposite the working principle of conventional forward osmosis processes; i.e., the reject stream passes through the draw side of the forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit.
In an alternative embodiment of the pressure-reduced saline water treatment system, a two-stage forward osmosis process is used. Both a first forward osmosis desalination unit, having a feed side and a draw side, and a second forward osmosis desalination unit, also having a feed side and a draw side, are used. As in the previous embodiment, a reverse osmosis desalination unit, having a feed side and a permeate side, is provided. The feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit, such that seawater drawn through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit is fed into the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit. The permeate side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs pure product water, and the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs a reject stream.
The feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit receives the reject stream from the reverse osmosis desalination unit and outputs a concentrated reject stream. The draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the draw side of the second forward desalination unit, such that the draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit receives the concentrated reject stream from the second forward osmosis desalination unit and outputs concentrated brine.
The feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the seawater flows through the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit to and through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit. The reject stream from the reverse osmosis desalination unit passes through the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit. The concentrated reject stream from the second forward osmosis desalination unit passes through the draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit. In an embodiment, the operating pressure of the system can about 15 bar.
As in the previous embodiment, a first pump delivers the seawater to the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit, and a second pump delivers the seawater from the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit to the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit. Also, as in the previous embodiment, the first and second pumps may be powered by at least one photovoltaic panel or any other suitable source of energy.
In a further alternative embodiment of the pressure-reduced saline water treatment system, a three-stage forward osmosis process is used. First, second and third forward osmosis desalination units are used, each having a feed side and a draw side. As in the previous embodiment, a reverse osmosis desalination unit, having a feed side and a permeate side, is provided. The feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit, such that seawater drawn through the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit is fed into the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit. The permeate side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs product water, and the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs a reject stream.
The draw side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit receives the reject stream and outputs a first concentrated reject stream. The draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the draw side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit receives the first concentrated reject stream and outputs a second concentrated reject stream. The draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit receives the second concentrated reject stream and outputs concentrated brine.
The feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the seawater flows through the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit to and through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit. The feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the seawater flows through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit to and through the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit. Similar td the previous embodiments, the reject stream of the reverse osmosis desalination unit passes through the draw side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit. The first concentrated reject stream passes through the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit. The second concentrated reject stream passes through the draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit.
As in the previous embodiments, a first pump delivers the seawater to the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit, and a second pump delivers the seawater from the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit to the feed side of the reverse osmosis unit. Also as in the previous embodiments, the first and second pumps may be powered by at least one photovoltaic panel or any other suitable source of energy.
These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a pressure-reduced saline water treatment system.
FIG. 2 diagrammatically illustrates an alternative embodiment of the pressure-reduced saline water treatment system.
FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates another alternative embodiment of the pressure-reduced saline water treatment system.
FIG. 4 diagrammatically illustrates a conventional prior art reverse osmosis desalination system.
FIG. 5 diagrammatically illustrates a conventional prior art forward osmosis desalination system.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As shown in FIG. 1 , the pressure-reduced saline water treatment system 10 includes a forward osmosis desalination unit 18 , which has a feed side 14 and a draw side 16 , and a reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 , which has a permeate side 24 and a feed side 26 , as are conventionally known. The feed side 26 of reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 is in fluid communication with the feed side 14 of forward osmosis desalination unit 18 , such that the diluted seawater, from the feed side 14 of forward osmosis desalination unit 18 , is fed into the feed side 26 of reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 . A first pump 12 may inject the seawater S, under low pressure, through the feed side 14 of the forward osmosis desalination unit. A second pump 20 may deliver the diluted seawater from the feed side 14 of the forward osmosis desalination unit 18 to the feed side 26 of the reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 .
The reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 performs reverse osmosis desalination on the seawater fed into feed side 26 , outputting product water PW, from permeate side 24 . The feed side 26 of reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 outputs a reject stream R. The draw side 16 of forward osmosis desalination unit 18 is in fluid communication with the feed side of reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 , such that the draw side 16 of forward osmosis desalination unit 18 receives the reject stream R and outputs concentrated brine B. Power for the first and second pumps
12 , 20 , respectively, may be provided by any suitable type of power source, such as at least one photovoltaic panel PV in electrical communication therewith for providing suitable electrical power. It should be understood that first and second pumps
12 , 20 may be powered by any suitable source of power, such as a conventional electrical grid, the at least one photovoltaic panel PV, wind turbines or the like.
It should be noted that the pressure-reduced saline water treatment system 10 is a closed system, where the hydraulic pressure applied in the reverse osmosis desalination unit (delivered via second pump 20 ) has an influence on the water transport mechanism within the forward osmosis desalination unit 18 . The hydraulic pressure associated with the reject stream R coming from reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 , counteracts the osmotic pressure gradient that would otherwise favor water flux from the seawater S passing through the feed side 14 to the reject stream R passing through draw side 16 in the forward osmosis desalination unit 18 . As such, the water transport in the forward osmosis desalination unit 18 takes place from a high osmotic pressure stream (i.e., the reject stream R passing through draw side 16 ) to a lower osmotic pressure stream (i.e., the seawater S passing through the feed side 14 ), which is opposite the working principle of conventional forward osmosis processes.
This operating principle allows the reverse osmosis unit 22 to operate at much lower pressures than in conventional reverse osmosis systems. The low operating pressure of reverse osmosis unit 22 will directly enhance the life of reverse osmosis membrane 39 by reducing fouling and scaling thereof. The energy consumption of reverse osmosis unit 22 will also be far less than that of a conventional RO system, making pressure-reduced saline water treatment system 10 practical for a wide variety of applications ranging from domestic production of potable water to industrial scale desalination. The low energy consumption will also allow pressure-reduced saline water treatment system 10 to be easily integrated into a wide variety of power systems, such as those based on solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy or any other suitable source of green energy.
Due to their larger energy consumption, present reverse osmosis desalination plants are impractical when it comes to integration with photovoltaic (PV) energy, particularly due to the very large surface area which must be covered by PV panels to operate the RO plant. The lower power requirements of pressure-reduced saline water treatment system 10 will allow for the usage of PV energy without such large area âfootprintâ considerations.
The decreased energy consumption of pressure-reduced saline water treatment system 10 has immediate benefits in terms of lower energy consumption expenses, as well as lower operating expenses, due to the increased lifetime of membranes 30 , 32 due to the lower hydraulic pressure. The decrease in maintenance costs and time also provides for increased plant availability. Further, existing RO desalination plants can easily be retrofitted with a forward osmosis (FO) unit in order to convert the existing plant into a plant similar to pressure-reduced saline water treatment system 10 .
Further, due to the ease of integration of pressure-reduced saline water treatment system 10 with green power sources, as discussed above, environmental problems associated with the burning of fossil fuels to supply energy for conventional RO desalination plants are not a concern. Further, whereas a conventional RO plant uses high pressure pumps, first and second pumps
12 , 20 in the pressure reduced saline water treatment system 10 operate at significantly decreased pressures, thus improving general plant safety and removing the risk of noise pollution. Further, the usage of low pressure allows for the replacement of stainless-steel materials (as are used in high pressure RO systems) with more cost-effective plastic materials.
Additionally, as noted above, by reducing the fouling and scaling issues related to conventional RO techniques, the frequency of chemical cleaning and membrane replacement is reduced. The use of a low operating pressure also replaces the expensive high pressure and corrosion resistant pipes, valves and fittings of conventional RO systems with plastic or glass reinforced polyester (GRP) materials.
As a non-limiting example, seawater may be fed into feed side 14 of forward osmosis desalination unit 18 , by first pump 12 , at an operating pressure of 1 to 2 bar. Corresponding to this example, the output stream of feed side 14 of forward osmosis desalination unit 18 may be pressurized by second pump 20 to about 30 bars. In experiments performed on pressure-reduced saline water treatment system 10 using these pressure values, no product water from permeate side 24 of reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 was observed for the first two minutes of operation. The reject stream R from feed side 26 of reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 entered draw side 16 of forward osmosis desalination unit 18 at a hydraulic pressure of about 28 bar.
Subsequently, water transport occurred from draw side 16 to feed side 14 , across the FO membrane 32 , due to the hydraulic pressure faced by reject stream R as it passed through draw side 16 . As noted above, this is opposite to the general separation principle used in conventional FO; i.e., pure water is transported from the high osmotic pressure brine side (i.e., draw side 16 ) to the low osmotic pressure seawater side (i.e., feed side 14 ). This results in further dilution of the seawater intake stream S and further concentration of the brine B. In experiments, the pressure-reduced saline water treatment system 10 attained its state of equilibrium after two minutes of operation, during which the total dissolved solids (TDS) of the seawater fed into feed side 26 of reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 dropped to 20,123 ppm from its initial value of 42,121 ppm. Thus, the overall operating pressure of the RO system dropped to 30 bar to produce fresh product water PW (TDS Ë135 ppm) in permeate side 24 , with an overall water recovery of 30%. In experiments performed with the above parameters, the seawater feed (generated by first pump 12 ) had an initial TDS of 42,121 ppm at a flow rate of 600 lph. With second pump 20 operating at 30 bar, the seawater was input into feed side 26 of reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 with a TDS of 20,123 ppm at a flow rate of 1,350 lph. The product water PW exited permeate side 24 of reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 at a flow rate of 180 lph with a conductivity of 192 μS/cm. The TDS of reject stream R output from feed side 26 of reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 was 27,200 ppm, and the brine B had a TDS of 62,542 ppm. In order to process 100 m 3 of seawater per day, using a reverse osmosis desalination unit 22 with a Pelton turbine, operating at 80% efficiency, the electrical power required would be 4.0 Kw/m 3 , with a daily energy expenditure of 480 kWh. For solar power used as a source of energy, the overall area of a grid-connected solar PV system would be about 206 m 2 , and the area for such a system combined with an off-grid battery would be about 825 m 2 .
In the alternative embodiment of FIG. 2 , the pressure-reduced saline water treatment system 100 uses a two-stage forward osmosis process. Both a first forward osmosis desalination unit 118 , having a draw side 116 and a feed side 114 , and a second forward osmosis desalination unit 140 , also having a draw side 144 and a feed side 142 , are used. As in the previous embodiment, a reverse osmosis desalination unit 122 , having a feed side 126 and a permeate side 124 , is provided. The feed side 126 of the reverse osmosis desalination unit 122 is in fluid communication with the feed side 142 of the second forward osmosis desalination unit 140 , such that the diluted seawater drawn through the feed side 142 of the second forward osmosis desalination unit 140 is fed into the feed side 126 of the reverse osmosis desalination unit 122 . The permeate side 124 of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs product water PW extracted from the seawater S, and the feed side 126 of the reverse osmosis desalination unit 122 outputs a reject stream R.
The draw side 144 of the second forward osmosis desalination unit 140 is in fluid communication with the feed side 126 of the reverse osmosis desalination unit 122 , such that the draw side 144 of the second forward osmosis desalination unit 140 receives the reject stream R and outputs a concentrated reject stream CR. The draw side 116 of the first forward osmosis desalination unit 118 is in fluid communication with the draw side 144 of the second forward desalination unit 140 , such that the draw side 116 of the first forward osmosis desalination unit 118 receives the concentrated reject stream CR and outputs concentrated brine B.
The feed side 114 of the first forward osmosis desalination unit 118 is in fluid communication with the feed side 142 of the second forward osmosis desalination unit 140 , such that the seawater S flows through the feed side 114 of the first forward osmosis desalination unit 118 to and through the feed side 142 of the second forward osmosis desalination unit 140 . The reject stream R passes through the draw side 144 of the second forward osmosis desalination unit 140 at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the diluted seawater fed through the feed side 142 of the second forward osmosis desalination unit 140 . The concentrated reject stream CR passes through the draw side 116 of the first forward osmosis desalination unit 118 at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater S fed through the feed side 114 of the first forward osmosis desalination unit 118 .
As in the previous embodiment, a first pump 112 delivers the seawater S to the feed side 114 of the first forward osmosis desalination unit 118 , and a second pump 120 delivers the diluted seawater from the feed side 142 of the second forward osmosis desalination unit 140 to the feed side 126 of the reverse osmosis desalination unit 122 . Also as in the previous embodiment, the first and second pumps
112 , 120 may be powered by at least one photovoltaic panel PV or any other suitable source of energy.
In experiments of the pressure-reduced saline water treatment system 100 , seawater S was fed, by first pump 112 , at a flow rate of 600 lph, with a TDS of 42,121 ppm at an operating pressure of between 1 and 2 bar. The TDS of the seawater S entering feed side of forward osmosis desalination unit 140 was 24,290 ppm, with flow rate of 836 lph. The second pump 120 is operated at 15 bar, with the diluted seawater flowing into feed side 126 of the reverse osmosis desalination unit 122 at a rate of 1186 lph, with a TDS of 15,278 ppm. Product water PW flowed out of permeate side 124 at a rate of 173 lph, with a TDS of Ë136 ppm and a conductivity of 160 μS/cm. The TDS of reject stream R was 20,778 ppm, and the TDS of the concentrated reject stream CR was 38,220 ppm. The brine B exited draw side 116 of first forward osmosis desalination unit 118 with a TDS of 64,341 ppm.
In the further alternative embodiment of FIG. 3 , the pressure-reduced saline water treatment system 200 uses a three-stage forward osmosis process. First, second and third forward
osmosis desalination units
218 , 250 , 240 , respectively, are used, each having a feed side and a draw side. As in the previous embodiments, a reverse osmosis desalination unit 222 , having a feed side 226 and a permeate side 224 , is provided. The feed side 226 of the reverse osmosis desalination unit 222 is in fluid communication with the feed side 244 of the third forward osmosis desalination unit<
CLAIMS
Claims ( 12 )
We claim:
1. A pressure-reduced saline water treatment system, comprising:
a forward osmosis desalination unit having a feed side and a draw side; and
a reverse osmosis desalination unit having a feed side and a permeate side,
wherein the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit, such that seawater drawn through the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit is fed into the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit,
wherein the permeate side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs product water extracted from the seawater, and the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs a reject stream,
wherein the draw side of the forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the forward osmosis desalination unit receives the reject stream and outputs concentrated brine, and
wherein the reject stream passes through the draw side of the forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit.
2. The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a first pump for delivering the seawater to the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit.
3. The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system as recited in claim 2 , further comprising a second pump for delivering the seawater from the feed side of the forward osmosis desalination unit to the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit.
4. The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system as recited in claim 3 , further comprising at least one photovoltaic panel in electrical communication with the first and second pumps for providing power thereto.
5. A pressure-reduced saline water treatment system, comprising:
a first forward osmosis desalination unit having a feed side and a draw side;
a second forward osmosis desalination unit having a feed side and a draw side; and
a reverse osmosis desalination unit having a feed side and a permeate side,
wherein the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit, such that seawater drawn through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit is fed into the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit,
wherein the permeate side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs product water extracted from the seawater, and the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs a reject stream,
wherein the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit receives the reject stream and outputs a concentrated reject stream,
wherein the draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit receives the concentrated reject stream and outputs concentrated brine,
wherein the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the seawater flows through the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit to and through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit,
wherein the reject stream passes through the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the diluted seawater fed through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit, and
wherein the concentrated reject stream passes through the draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit.
6. The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system as recited in claim 5 , further comprising a first pump for delivering the seawater to the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit.
7. The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system as recited in claim 6 , further comprising a second pump for delivering the seawater from the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit to the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit.
8. The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system as recited in claim 7 , further comprising at least one photovoltaic panel in electrical communication with the first and second pumps for providing power thereto.
9. A pressure-reduced saline water treatment system, comprising:
a first forward osmosis desalination unit having a feed side and a draw side;
a second forward osmosis desalination unit having a feed side and a draw side;
a third forward osmosis desalination unit having a feed side and a draw side; and
a reverse osmosis desalination unit having a feed side and a permeate side,
wherein the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit, such that seawater drawn through the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit is fed into the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit,
wherein the permeate side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs product water extracted from the seawater, and the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit outputs a reject stream,
wherein the draw side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit receives the reject stream and outputs a first concentrated reject stream,
wherein the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the draw side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit receives the first concentrated reject stream and outputs a second concentrated reject stream,
wherein the draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the draw side of the second forward desalination unit, such that the draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit receives the second concentrated reject stream and outputs concentrated brine,
wherein the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the seawater flows through the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit to and through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit,
wherein the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit is in fluid communication with the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit, such that the seawater flows through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit to and through the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit,
wherein the reject stream passes through the draw side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the diluted seawater fed through the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit,
wherein the first concentrated reject stream passes through the draw side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the diluted seawater fed through the feed side of the second forward osmosis desalination unit, and
wherein the second concentrated reject stream passes through the draw side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit at a higher osmotic and hydraulic pressure than an osmotic pressure of the seawater fed through the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit.
10. The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system as recited in claim 9 , further comprising a first pump for delivering the seawater to the feed side of the first forward osmosis desalination unit.
11. The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system as recited in claim 10 , further comprising a second pump for delivering the seawater from the feed side of the third forward osmosis desalination unit to the feed side of the reverse osmosis desalination unit.
12. The pressure-reduced saline water treatment system as recited in claim 11 , further comprising at least one photovoltaic panel in electrical communication with the first and second pumps for providing power thereto.
US16/247,825
2019-01-15
2019-01-15
Pressure-reduced saline water treatment system
Active
US10308524B1
( en )
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number
Priority Date
Filing Date
Title
US16/247,825
US10308524B1
( en )
2019-01-15
2019-01-15
Pressure-reduced saline water treatment system
KR1020200003346A
KR102266110B1
( en )
2019-01-15
2020-01-09
Pressure-reduced saline water treatment system
JP2020002276A
JP6882541B2
( en )
2019-01-15
2020-01-09
Decompression salt water treatment system
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number
Priority Date
Filing Date
Title
US16/247,825
US10308524B1
( en )
2019-01-15
2019-01-15
Pressure-reduced saline water treatment system
Publications (1)
Publication Number
Publication Date
US10308524B1
true
US10308524B1 ( en )
2019-06-04
Family
ID=66673474
Family Applications (1)
Application Number
Title
Priority Date
Filing Date
US16/247,825
Active
US10308524B1
( en )
2019-01-15
2019-01-15
Pressure-reduced saline water treatment system
Country Status (3)
Country
Link
US
( 1 )
US10308524B1
( en )
JP
( 1 )
JP6882541B2
( en )
KR
( 1 )
KR102266110B1
( en )
Cited By (14)
* Cited by examiner, â Cited by third party
Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title
CN111792743A
( en )
*
2020-07-02
2020-10-20
éå²æ¶å©å ´æ°´ç§ææéå ¬å¸
Forward osmosis reverse osmosis (FO-RO) coupled novel seawater desalination process
US10940439B1
( en )
2019-12-10
2021-03-09
Kuwait Institute For Scientific Research
High water recovery hybrid membrane system for desalination and brine concentration
JP2021041374A
( en )
*
2019-09-13
2021-03-18
æ±æ´ç´¡æ ªå¼ä¼ç¤¾
Concentration system
JP2021041359A
( en )
*
2019-09-12
2021-03-18
æ±æ´ç´¡æ ªå¼ä¼ç¤¾
Concentration system
US20220212964A1
( en )
*
2021-01-04
2022-07-07
Saudi Arabian Oil Company
Water treatment for injection in hydrocarbon recovery
US11400416B2
( en )
2015-07-29
2022-08-02
Gradiant Corporation
Osmotic desalination methods and associated systems
US11502323B1
( en )
2022-05-09
2022-11-15
Rahul S Nana
Reverse electrodialysis cell and methods of use thereof
US11502322B1
( en )
2022-05-09
2022-11-15
Rahul S Nana
Reverse electrodialysis cell with heat pump
US11629072B2
( en )
*
2018-08-22
2023-04-18
Gradiant Corporation
Liquid solution concentration system comprising isolated subsystem and related methods
US11667549B2
( en )
2020-11-17
2023-06-06
Gradiant Corporation
Osmotic methods and systems involving energy recovery
EP4289501A1
( en )
*
2022-06-08
2023-12-13
Danfoss A/S
System for reverse osmosis and for pressure retarded osmosis
US11855324B1
( en )
2022-11-15
2023-12-26
Rahul S. Nana
Reverse electrodialysis or pressure-retarded osmosis cell with heat pump
US12040517B2
( en )
2022-11-15
2024-07-16
Rahul S. Nana
Reverse electrodialysis or pressure-retarded osmosis cell and methods of use thereof
US12341228B2
( en )
2022-11-15
2025-06-24
Rahul S. Nana
Reverse electrodialysis or pressure-retarded osmosis cell and methods of use thereof
Families Citing this family (1)
* Cited by examiner, â Cited by third party
Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title
JP7787384B2
( en )
*
2020-09-18
2025-12-17
ãµã¹ãã¤ããã«ã»ã¦ã©ã¼ã¿ã¼ã»ãã¯ã¼ã»ã³ã³ãµã«ã¿ã³ãã»ã¨ãã¼ããã»ã¨ã«ã¨ã«ã·ã¼
Seawater desalination system
Citations (18)
* Cited by examiner, â Cited by third party
Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title
US20060144789A1
( en )
*
2004-12-06
2006-07-06
Cath Tzahi Y
Systems and methods for purification of liquids
US20060237366A1
( en )
*
2003-07-30
2006-10-26
Abdulsalam Al-Mayahi
Solvent removal process
US20100155329A1
( en )
*
2008-12-18
2010-06-24
Quantumsphere, Inc.
Systems and methods for forward osmosis fluid purification
US20110278226A1
( en )
*
2008-12-08
2011-11-17
Peter Nicoll
Process for Operating a Cooling Tower Comprising the Treatment of Feed Water by Direct Osmosis
US20120012511A1
( en )
*
2010-07-14
2012-01-19
Korea Institute Of Machinery & Materials
Apparatus for osmotic power generation and desalination using salinity difference
US20120279921A1
( en )
*
2008-12-08
2012-11-08
Peter Nicoll
Solvent Removal
KR20130039367A
( en )
2011-10-12
2013-04-22
(주)ëì°ê±´ì¤
Hybrid seawater desalination apparatus and process without concentrate discharge in reverse osmosis process
KR101344783B1
( en )
2012-06-14
2013-12-26
(주)ëì°ê±´ì¤
Hybrid seawater desalination apparatus and method for reclaiming concentrate in reverse osmosis
US20140102982A1
( en )
2012-10-17
2014-04-17
Nuwater Resources International, Llc
Semipermeable Membrane and Process Using Same
US20140116943A1
( en )
*
2011-07-01
2014-05-01
Hitachi, Ltd.
Water Purification System and Method
US20150273396A1
( en )
2012-11-16
2015-10-01
Oasys Water, Inc.
Draw solutions and draw solute recovery for osmotically driven membrane processes
US20160002073A1
( en )
2013-02-13
2016-01-07
Oasys Water, Inc.
Renewable desalination of brines
US9248405B2
( en )
2009-10-28
2016-02-02
Oasys Water, Inc.
Forward osmosis separation processes
US20170217789A1
( en )
2016-01-31
2017-08-03
Qatar Foundation For Education, Science And Community Development
Hybrid desalination system
US20170349467A1
( en )
2016-06-06
2017-12-07
Battelle Memorial Institute
Cross current staged reverse osmosis
US20180028977A1
( en )
2015-02-26
2018-02-01
King Abdullah University Of Science And Technology
Osmotically and thermally isolated forward osmosis-membrane distillation (fo-md) integrated module for water treatment applications
US20180128250A1
( en )
2016-11-04
2018-05-10
Nrgtek, Inc.
Combined Electrical and Thermal Renewable/Conventional Energy Storage and On-Demand Hydro-Osmotic Power Generation Methods and Systems
US20180186663A1
( en )
2016-12-29
2018-07-05
Korea University Research And Business Foundation
Water treatment apparatus using reverse osmosis
Family Cites Families (8)
* Cited by examiner, â Cited by third party
Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title
JP2014061486A
( en )
*
2012-09-21
2014-04-10
Kubota Corp
Water treatment method and water treatment system
JP2014065008A
( en )
*
2012-09-26
2014-04-17
Kubota Corp
Water treatment method and water treatment system
JP2014140794A
( en )
*
2013-01-22
2014-08-07
Toray Ind Inc
Fresh water generator and fresh water generation metho
KR101399747B1
( en )
2013-03-28
2014-06-27
ê³ ë ¤ëíêµ ì°ííë ¥ë¨
Desalination system using forward osmosis and reverse osmosis
KR20150135593A
( en )
*
2014-05-22
2015-12-03
ì¬ë¨ë²ì¸ í¬íì°ì ê³¼íì°êµ¬ì
Seawater desalinating apparatus and method of the same
KR20160017985A
( en )
*
2014-08-07
2016-02-17
ëì°ì¤ê³µì 주ìíì¬
Hybrid distillation device and method
FR3038311B1
( en )
*
2015-07-02
2019-05-31
Mascara Nouvelles Technologies
METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A DESSALING SYSTEM SUPPLIED BY A RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE AND ASSOCIATED INSTALLATION
JP2018001111A
( en )
*
2016-07-05
2018-01-11
æ±æ´ç´¡æ ªå¼ä¼ç¤¾
Processing method of desalinating salt water and processing system of desalinating salt water
2019
2019-01-15
US
US16/247,825
patent/US10308524B1/en
active
Active
2020
2020-01-09
JP
JP2020002276A
patent/JP6882541B2/en
active
Active
2020-01-09
KR
KR1020200003346A
patent/KR102266110B1/en
active
Active
Patent Citations (18)
* Cited by examiner, â Cited by third party
Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title
US20060237366A1
( en )
*
2003-07-30
2006-10-26
Abdulsalam Al-Mayahi
Solvent removal process
US20060144789A1
( en )
*
2004-12-06
2006-07-06
Cath Tzahi Y
Systems and methods for purification of liquids
US20110278226A1
( en )
*
2008-12-08
2011-11-17
Peter Nicoll
Process for Operating a Cooling Tower Comprising the Treatment of Feed Water by Direct Osmosis
US20120279921A1
( en )
*
2008-12-08
2012-11-08
Peter Nicoll
Solvent Removal
US20100155329A1
( en )
*
2008-12-18
2010-06-24
Quantumsphere, Inc.
Systems and methods for forward osmosis fluid purification
US9248405B2
( en )
2009-10-28
2016-02-02
Oasys Water, Inc.
Forward osmosis separation processes
US20120012511A1
( en )
*
2010-07-14
2012-01-19
Korea Institute Of Machinery & Materials
Apparatus for osmotic power generation and desalination using salinity difference
US20140116943A1
( en )
*
2011-07-01
2014-05-01
Hitachi, Ltd.
Water Purification System and Method
KR20130039367A
( en )
2011-10-12
2013-04-22
(주)ëì°ê±´ì¤
Hybrid seawater desalination apparatus and process without concentrate discharge in reverse osmosis process
KR101344783B1
( en )
2012-06-14
2013-12-26
(주)ëì°ê±´ì¤
Hybrid seawater desalination apparatus and method for reclaiming concentrate in reverse osmosis
US20140102982A1
( en )
2012-10-17
2014-04-17
Nuwater Resources International, Llc
Semipermeable Membrane and Process Using Same
US20150273396A1
( en )
2012-11-16
2015-10-01
Oasys Water, Inc.
Draw solutions and draw solute recovery for osmotically driven membrane processes
US20160002073A1
( en )
2013-02-13
2016-01-07
Oasys Water, Inc.
Renewable desalination of brines
US20180028977A1
( en )
2015-02-26
2018-02-01
King Abdullah University Of Science And Technology
Osmotically and thermally isolated forward osmosis-membrane distillation (fo-md) integrated module for water treatment applications
US20170217789A1
( en )
2016-01-31
2017-08-03
Qatar Foundation For Education, Science And Community Development
Hybrid desalination system
US20170349467A1
( en )
2016-06-06
2017-12-07
Battelle Memorial Institute
Cross current staged reverse osmosis
US20180128250A1
( en )
2016-11-04
2018-05-10
Nrgtek, Inc.
Combined Electrical and Thermal Renewable/Conventional Energy Storage and On-Demand Hydro-Osmotic Power Generation Methods and Systems
US20180186663A1
( en )
2016-12-29
2018-07-05
Korea University Research And Business Foundation
Water treatment apparatus using reverse osmosis
Non-Patent Citations (1)
* Cited by examiner, â Cited by third party
Title
Ali et al. " Pilot-scale investigation of forward/reverse osmosis hybrid system for seawater desalination using impaired water from steel industry. " International Journal of Chemical Engineering 2016 (2016).
Cited By (25)
* Cited by examiner, â Cited by third party
Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title
US11400416B2
( en )
2015-07-29
2022-08-02
Gradiant Corporation
Osmotic desalination methods and associated systems
US11629072B2
( en )
*
2018-08-22
2023-04-18
Gradiant Corporation
Liquid solution concentration system comprising isolated subsystem and related methods
JP2021041359A
( en )
*
2019-09-12
2021-03-18
æ±æ´ç´¡æ ªå¼ä¼ç¤¾
Concentration system
JP7427890B2
( en )
2019-09-12
2024-02-06
æ±æ´ç´¡ã¨ã ã·ã¼æ ªå¼ä¼ç¤¾
Concentration system
JP2021041374A
( en )
*
2019-09-13
2021-03-18
æ±æ´ç´¡æ ªå¼ä¼ç¤¾
Concentration system
JP7620387B2
( en )
2019-09-13
2025-01-23
æ±æ´ç´¡ã¨ã ã·ã¼æ ªå¼ä¼ç¤¾
Concentration System
US10940439B1
( en )
2019-12-10
2021-03-09
Kuwait Institute For Scientific Research
High water recovery hybrid membrane system for desalination and brine concentration
EP3845297A3
( en )
*
2019-12-10
2021-10-20
Kuwait Institute For Scientific Research
High water recovery hybrid membrane system for desalination and brine concentration
US11628403B2
( en )
2019-12-10
2023-04-18
Kuwait Institute For Scientific Research
High water recovery hybrid membrane system for desalination and brine concentration
CN111792743A
( en )
*
2020-07-02
2020-10-20
éå²æ¶å©å ´æ°´ç§ææéå ¬å¸
Forward osmosis reverse osmosis (FO-RO) coupled novel seawater desalination process
US11667549B2
( en )
2020-11-17
2023-06-06
Gradiant Corporation
Osmotic methods and systems involving energy recovery
WO2022147550A1
( en )
*
2021-01-04
2022-07-07
Saudi Arabian Oil Company
Water treatment for injection in hydrocarbon recovery
US11691897B2
( en )
*
2021-01-04
2023-07-04
Saudi Arabian Oil Company
Water treatment for injection in hydrocarbon recovery
US20220212964A1
( en )
*
2021-01-04
2022-07-07
Saudi Arabian Oil Company
Water treatment for injection in hydrocarbon recovery
US12107308B2
( en )
2022-05-09
2024-10-01
Rahul S Nana
Reverse electrodialysis cell and methods of use thereof
US11502322B1
( en )
2022-05-09
2022-11-15
Rahul S Nana
Reverse electrodialysis cell with heat pump
US11699803B1
( en )
2022-05-09
2023-07-11
Rahul S Nana
Reverse electrodialysis cell with heat pump
US11502323B1
( en )
2022-05-09
2022-11-15
Rahul S Nana
Reverse electrodialysis cell and methods of use thereof
US11611099B1
( en )
2022-05-09
2023-03-21
Rahul S Nana
Reverse electrodialysis cell and methods of use thereof
US11563229B1
( en )
2022-05-09
2023-01-24
Rahul S Nana
Reverse electrodialysis cell with heat pump
EP4289501A1
( en )
*
2022-06-08
2023-12-13
Danfoss A/S
System for reverse osmosis and for pressure retarded osmosis
US11855324B1
( en )
2022-11-15
2023-12-26
Rahul S. Nana
Reverse electrodialysis or pressure-retarded osmosis cell with heat pump
US12040517B2
( en )
2022-11-15
2024-07-16
Rahul S. Nana
Reverse electrodialysis or pressure-retarded osmosis cell and methods of use thereof
US12341228B2
( en )
2022-11-15
2025-06-24
Rahul S. Nana
Reverse electrodialysis or pressure-retarded osmosis cell and methods of use thereof
US12374711B2
( en )
2022-11-15
2025-07-29
Rahul S. Nana
Reverse electrodialysis or pressure-retarded osmosis cell with heat pump
Also Published As
Publication number
Publication date
JP6882541B2
( en )
2021-06-02
JP2020110795A
( en )
2020-07-27
KR20200089223A
( en )
2020-07-24
KR102266110B1
( en )
2021-06-18
Similar Documents
Publication
Publication Date
Title
KR102266110B1
( en )
2021-06-18
Pressure-reduced saline water treatment system
US12065370B2
( en )
2024-08-20
Cross current staged reverse osmosis
Rabiee et al.
2019
Energy-water nexus: renewable-integrated hybridized desalination systems
Peñate et al.
2012
Current trends and future prospects in the design of seawater reverse osmosis desalination technology
Amy et al.
2017
Membrane-based seawater desalination: Present and future prospects
US11884567B2
( en )
2024-01-30
Desalination brine concentration system and method
AU2012319064B2
( en )
2016-09-08
Seawater desalination process and apparatus
US20210198136A1
( en )
2021-07-01
Combinatorial membrane-based systems and methods for dewatering and concentrating applications
US11628403B2
( en )
2023-04-18
High water recovery hybrid membrane system for desalination and brine concentration
US20090152197A1
( en )
2009-06-18
System for Energy Recovery and Reduction of Deposits on the Membrane Surfaces in (Variable Power and Variable Production) Reverse Osmosis Desalination Systems
US20150175443A1
( en )
2015-06-25
Leverage of waste product to provide clean water
US20110147309A1
( en )
2011-06-23
Process for the desalination and elimination of boron from water and equipment to carry out said process
KR101817685B1
( en )
2018-01-11
See water desalination system using pressure-retarded osmosis
Touati et al.
2017
Energy recovery from two-stage SWRO plant using PRO without external freshwater feed stream: theoretical analysis
KR20160054230A
( en )
2016-05-16
See water desalination system using pressure-retarded osmosis
Bennett
2011
Cost effective desalination: innovation continues to lower desalination costs
Gubari et al.
2022
Application of reverse osmosis to improve removal of residual salt content in electrodialysis process
WO2014057892A1
( en )
2014-04-17
Method for generating fresh water
RU56374U1
( en )
2006-09-10
MEMBRANE INSTALLATION FOR PREPARATION OF DEEP DESAINED WATER
US20250367605A1
( en )
2025-12-04
Saline water treatment pre-treatment or treatment system
WO2025250841A1
( en )
2025-12-04
Systems and methods for water desalination and brine mining
Rodriguez-Roda
2017
Potential and Challenges of Osmotic Membrane Bioreactor (OMBR) for (Potable) Water Reuse: A Pilot Scale Study
Skipton
2007
SYSTEM FOLLOWED BY TWO-STAGE REVERSE OSMOSIS (RO) MEMBRANE
Center
2012
Mamadou Keita and James Dunlop
Legal Events
Date
Code
Title
Description
2019-01-15
FEPP
Fee payment procedure
Free format text : ENTITY STATUS SET TO UNDISCOUNTED (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: BIG.); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: SMALL ENTITY
2019-02-06
FEPP
Fee payment procedure
Free format text : ENTITY STATUS SET TO SMALL (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: SMAL); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: SMALL ENTITY
2019-05-15
STCF
Information on status: patent grant
Free format text : PATENTED CASE
2022-06-23
MAFP
Maintenance fee payment
Free format text : PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEE, 4TH YR, SMALL ENTITY (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: M2551); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: SMALL ENTITY
Year of fee payment : 4