Improvement of forward osmosis flux performance using combined piezoelectric and DMAPS surface treatment method

• Main Author: Wu, Zong Tang.
• Other Authors: Yang Chun, Charles
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/44907
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Water scarcity is a growing problem in many regions around the world and Singapore is not excluded. To help curb this issue, many technologies and methods have been developed and implemented. Recent developments and studies have identified forward osmosis (FO) process as a robust and viable technology for water desalination due to its high water recovery rate, high contaminants rejection and lower energy requirement as compared to current RO desalination process. However, a much lower flux is obtained over time because of the concentration polarization effect in a FO process.To lower this concentration polarization effect, two methods of enhancement based on previous study were implemented on FO membranes to identify their repeatability and compatibility when they are implemented together. One method involved the use of zwitterionic dimethylethylethylammoniumpropane sulfonate (DMAPS) to modify hydrophilicity of the FO membranes. The other method includes the incorporation of Piezolectric Zirconate Titanate (PZT) unit on FO membrane to lower the concentration polarization effect. These project experiments were carried out in continuous process at different NaCl draw concentrations and at optimum settings / conditions that was identified by previous study.