Process simulation and analysis of high‐pressure reverse osmosis (HPRO) in the treatment and utilization of desalination brine (saline wastewater)

International Journal of Energy ResearchVolume 46, Issue 15 p. 23083-23094 RESEARCH ARTICLE Process simulation and analysis of high-pressure reverse osmosis (HPRO) in the treatment and utilization of desalination brine (saline wastewater) Argyris Panagopoulos, Corresponding Author Argyris Panagopoulos argyrispan@hotmail.com orcid.org/0000-0003-4889-6435 School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece Correspondence Argyris Panagopoulos, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon Polytechniou St., Zografou 15780 Athens, Greece. Email: argyrispan@hotmail.comSearch for more papers by this author Argyris Panagopoulos, Corresponding Author Argyris Panagopoulos argyrispan@hotmail.com orcid.org/0000-0003-4889-6435 School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece Correspondence Argyris Panagopoulos, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon Polytechniou St., Zografou 15780 Athens, Greece. Email: argyrispan@hotmail.comSearch for more papers by this author First published: 22 August 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/er.8607Citations: 4Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Summary Reverse osmosis (RO) is nowadays considered to be the most dominant desalination technology. Nonetheless, due to osmotic pressure constraints, conventional RO cannot desalinate brine effluents (>70 g/L of total dissolved solids [TDS]). Thus, high-pressure RO (HPRO), that is, RO operating at a pressure of more than 82 bar, has recently attracted the interest of the water and wastewater industry. To this aim, a process simulation for the HPRO process was implemented and several sensitivity analyses were conducted for the first time. The results showed that by increasing the recovery rate by 0.05, energy consumption decreased by 3.5%. An increase in the feed brine temperature from 5°C to 30°C increases the permeate flow rate (up to 0.929 m3/h), the permeate concentration (up to 468 mg/L TDS), and the recovery rate (up to 0.435). A 10-bar pressure increases the permeate flow by approximately 9.8% and decreases the permeate concentration by approximately 6 mg/L TDS. Moreover, the use of an energy recovery device significantly reduces energy consumption by 26% (from 4.93-5.10 to 3.65-3.78 kWh/m3). Overall, HPRO is a promising technology for brine treatment and valorization in zero liquid discharge and minimal liquid discharge systems. CONFLICT OF INTEREST The author declares that he has no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. Open Research DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article. Citing Literature Volume46, Issue15December 2022Pages 23083-23094 RelatedInformation