Evaluation of high productivity brackish desalination membrane Original Research Article

High productivity reverse osmosis membrane developed under the Office of Naval Research Expeditionary Unit Water Purification Program was evaluated at the Bureau of Reclamation Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility (BGNDRF). Performance of the new membrane was evaluated in comparison to two other commercial high productivity or low pressure reverse osmosis membranes using a high productivity test system designed and built to take best advantage of high flux membrane through either lower operating pressure or greater productivity. Membranes were evaluated with brackish groundwater over a range of cross flow velocities and recovery rates. Experimental membrane water transport was approximately twice two to three times that of the commercial membrane and salt transport was an order of magnitude less than commercial membrane at 20% recovery for three modules of four inches by forty inches in series tested at a range of feed flow rates.