Maximising flux in direct contact membrane distillation
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Date
2017
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Desalination Publications
Abstract
Electrospun PVDF nanofibre membranes were manufactured and tested on a direct-contact membrane
distillation (DCMD) unit in an effort to maximise flux rate, which is generally low using standard
MD membranes. In addition, membrane performance was compared with that of commonly available
PTFE, PE and PES film membranes. Salt retention in all but one membrane was above 99 %. At high
recirculation velocities, very thin nanofibre layers had up to 30 % higher flux rates than the best reference membranes, though it came at the cost of higher energy losses through conduction. Considering
that DCMD is the least energy efficient configuration, nanofibre membranes show a promising future
for MD applications with high flux rates. We suggest that new membranes be developed with specific
target applications in mind, addressing specific module and operational conditions.
Description
Subject(s)
Flux, direct contact membrane distillation, PVDF
Citation
ISSN
1944-3994