DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Water treatment capacity of forward osmosis systems utilizing power plant waste heat

Abstract

Forward osmosis (FO) has the potential to improve the energy efficiency of membrane-based water treatment by leveraging waste heat from steam electric power generation as the primary driving force for separation. In this study, we develop a comprehensive FO process model, consisting of membrane separation, heat recovery, and draw solute regeneration (DSR) models. We quantitatively characterize three alternative processes for DSR: distillation, steam stripping, and air stripping. We then construct a mathematical model of the distillation process for DSR that incorporates hydrodynamics, mass and heat transport resistances, and reaction kinetics, and we integrate this into a model for the full FO process. Finally, we utilize this FO process model to derive a first-order approximation of the water production capacity given the rejected heat quantity and quality available at U.S. electric power facilities. We find that the upper bound of FO water treatment capacity using low-grade heat sources at electric power facilities exceeds process water treatment demand for boiler water make-up and flue gas desulfurization wastewater systems.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
OSTI Identifier:
1185150
Grant/Contract Number:  
FE0024008
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 745; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0888-5885
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS

Citation Formats

Zhou, Xingshi, Gingerich, Daniel B., and Mauter, Meagan S.. Water treatment capacity of forward osmosis systems utilizing power plant waste heat. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1021/acs.iecr.5b00460.
Zhou, Xingshi, Gingerich, Daniel B., & Mauter, Meagan S.. Water treatment capacity of forward osmosis systems utilizing power plant waste heat. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.5b00460
Zhou, Xingshi, Gingerich, Daniel B., and Mauter, Meagan S.. Thu . "Water treatment capacity of forward osmosis systems utilizing power plant waste heat". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.5b00460. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1185150.
@article{osti_1185150,
title = {Water treatment capacity of forward osmosis systems utilizing power plant waste heat},
author = {Zhou, Xingshi and Gingerich, Daniel B. and Mauter, Meagan S.},
abstractNote = {Forward osmosis (FO) has the potential to improve the energy efficiency of membrane-based water treatment by leveraging waste heat from steam electric power generation as the primary driving force for separation. In this study, we develop a comprehensive FO process model, consisting of membrane separation, heat recovery, and draw solute regeneration (DSR) models. We quantitatively characterize three alternative processes for DSR: distillation, steam stripping, and air stripping. We then construct a mathematical model of the distillation process for DSR that incorporates hydrodynamics, mass and heat transport resistances, and reaction kinetics, and we integrate this into a model for the full FO process. Finally, we utilize this FO process model to derive a first-order approximation of the water production capacity given the rejected heat quantity and quality available at U.S. electric power facilities. We find that the upper bound of FO water treatment capacity using low-grade heat sources at electric power facilities exceeds process water treatment demand for boiler water make-up and flue gas desulfurization wastewater systems.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.5b00460},
journal = {Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research},
number = C,
volume = 745,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jun 11 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Thu Jun 11 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 33 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Save / Share:

Works referenced in this record:

Forward osmosis: Principles, applications, and recent developments
journal, September 2006


Forward osmosis processes: Yesterday, today and tomorrow
journal, February 2012


Recent developments in forward osmosis: Opportunities and challenges
journal, April 2012


A novel ammonia—carbon dioxide forward (direct) osmosis desalination process
journal, April 2005


Global Challenges in Energy and Water Supply: The Promise of Engineered Osmosis
journal, December 2008

  • McGinnis, Robert L.; Elimelech, Menachem
  • Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 42, Issue 23
  • DOI: 10.1021/es800812m

Systematic approach for draw solute selection and optimal system design for forward osmosis desalination
journal, January 2012


Energy requirements of ammonia–carbon dioxide forward osmosis desalination
journal, March 2007


Pilot demonstration of the NH3/CO2 forward osmosis desalination process on high salinity brines
journal, March 2013


Experimental Study of a 4040 Spiral-Wound Forward-Osmosis Membrane Module
journal, September 2011

  • Kim, Yu Chang; Park, Sang-Jin
  • Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 45, Issue 18
  • DOI: 10.1021/es202175m

Energy harvesting, reuse and upgrade to reduce primary energy usage in the USA
journal, October 2011


Utilization of Heat, Power, and Recovered Waste Heat for Industrial Processes in the U.S. Chemical Industry
journal, May 2009

  • Ozalp, Nesrin
  • Journal of Energy Resources Technology, Vol. 131, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1115/1.3120382

Quantity, Quality, and Availability of Waste Heat from United States Thermal Power Generation
journal, June 2015

  • Gingerich, Daniel B.; Mauter, Meagan S.
  • Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 49, Issue 14
  • DOI: 10.1021/es5060989

Cost-effective design of a draw solution recovery process for forward osmosis desalination
journal, October 2013


Operation and simulation of pilot-scale forward osmosis desalination with ammonium bicarbonate
journal, February 2015


Modeling of Carbon Dioxide Absorption by Aqueous Ammonia Solutions Using the Extended UNIQUAC Model
journal, December 2010

  • Darde, Victor; van Well, Willy J. M.; Stenby, Erling H.
  • Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 49, Issue 24
  • DOI: 10.1021/ie1009519

Experimental Studies and Rate-Based Process Simulations of CO 2 Absorption with Aqueous Ammonia Solutions
journal, March 2012

  • Niu, Zhenqi; Guo, Yincheng; Zeng, Qing
  • Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 51, Issue 14
  • DOI: 10.1021/ie2030536

A novel process for capturing carbon dioxide using aqueous ammonia
journal, April 2013


A comprehensive model for regeneration process of CO 2 capture using aqueous ammonia solution
journal, October 2014


The Future of Seawater Desalination: Energy, Technology, and the Environment
journal, August 2011


Thermodynamic Modeling of the NH 3 –CO 2 –H 2 O System with Electrolyte NRTL Model
journal, October 2011

  • Que, Huiling; Chen, Chau-Chyun
  • Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 50, Issue 19
  • DOI: 10.1021/ie201276m

New mass-transfer correlations for packed towers
journal, March 2011

  • Hanley, Brian; Chen, Chau-Chyun
  • AIChE Journal, Vol. 58, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1002/aic.12574

Mathematical model of flat sheet membrane modules for FO process: Plate-and-frame module and spiral-wound module
journal, September 2011


Simulation of forward osmosis membrane process: Effect of membrane orientation and flow direction of feed and draw solutions
journal, August 2011


Influence of concentrative and dilutive internal concentration polarization on flux behavior in forward osmosis
journal, November 2006


Bidirectional Permeation of Electrolytes in Osmotically Driven Membrane Processes
journal, December 2011

  • Hancock, Nathan T.; Phillip, William A.; Elimelech, Menachem
  • Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 45, Issue 24
  • DOI: 10.1021/es202608y

Review of Water Use in U.S. Thermoelectric Power Plants
journal, December 2012


Works referencing / citing this record:

Membrane-based treatment of shale oil and gas wastewater: The current state of knowledge
journal, June 2019

  • Tong, Tiezheng; Carlson, Kenneth H.; Robbins, Cristian A.
  • Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, Vol. 13, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.1007/s11783-019-1147-y