Successful Demonstration of 'Osmotic Fusion-Type Seawater Desalination'

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Domestic researchers have secured the world's first pressurized forward osmosis-reverse osmosis technology, a next-generation eco-friendly low-carbon process technology that combines wastewater reuse and seawater desalination.

Professor Insoo Kim's research team from the Department of Earth Environment Engineering at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology announced on the 24th that they succeeded in long-term operation of a 'pressurized forward osmosis-reverse osmosis demonstration pilot facility' using actual wastewater and seawater, reducing the energy consumption to produce 1 ton to 2.2 kW/h.

Reverse osmosis technology has dominated the seawater desalination market for the past 50 years but has been criticized for its high energy consumption. Recently, the 'forward osmosis-reverse osmosis process,' which combines forward osmosis that dilutes seawater with treated wastewater, has been gaining attention.

The research team experimentally evaluated the effects of operational conditions (wastewater flow rate, seawater flow rate, membrane permeation pressure) on performance degradation caused by membrane fouling through the pilot facility. They also analyzed overall energy consumption and economic feasibility through actual data and process simulation. As a result, the increase in energy consumption due to membrane fouling in pressurized forward osmosis was found to be similar to that of forward osmosis in the entire process. Considering the total energy required and membrane area, it was confirmed to be more economical.

Professor Insoo Kim said, "This research outcome is highly applicable to industrial complexes in Korea facing shortages of industrial water, and we have also been invited to conduct joint research on the installation and operation of demonstration facilities at the Desalination Technology Research Institute (DTRI) under the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) in Saudi Arabia." He added, "We expect to pioneer overseas export routes for domestic technology in the future industrial water desalination integrated process plant market."

This research achievement was published in the online edition of Water Research, an international journal in the water field.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.