Experimental study of thermal gradient effect on reverse osmosis process

In the present work, an experimental study of the thermal gradient effect on the reverse  osmosis process is performed to evaluate pure water penetration and water production under the  effect of the temperature gradients and the salt concentration. The experimental study uses a novel  experimental setup designed and built for the present work. The Reverse Osmosis membrane was used in the experimental setup. The results showed that this process is dependent on salt concentration and temperature gradient between permeate-water and saline-water sides. It is observed that in 10.8oC temperature difference between the permeate-water and the saline-water part for 1 gr/lit salt concentration at saline-water part, the Process time is 20 min, water flux is 0.142 kg/(m2  s) and salt concentration in the saline-water part varies from 1.04 gr/lit to 1.22 gr/lit. In addition, for a 1.5o C temperature difference between the permeate-water part and the saline-water part for 1 gr/lit salt concentration at the salinewater part, the Process time is 35 min, water flux is 0.043kg/(m2  s) and salt concentration in the salinewater part varies from 1.004 gr/lit to 1.059 gr/lit. It can be concluded, that while the temperature gradient  increases, the Process time decreases, and pure water penetration from saline-water to permeate-water part also increases. As a result, the salt concentration and electrical conductivity can increase in the saline-water part.