Developing Methods of Seawater Desalination to Address Global Water Crisis
Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
group
Authors' Class Standing
Jessica Savage, Senior Rachel Hunt, Graduate Student
Lead Presenter's Name
Jessica Savage
Faculty Mentor Name
Marc Compere
Abstract
Climate change is impacting freshwater supplies globally. Addressing freshwater supply using renewable, sustainable methods is of critical importance. Two methods of Seawater Desalination have been designed and built in the Energy Systems Laboratory of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. These include Reverse Osmosis, which has been implemented on a test cart, and vacuum-boiling, which allows for small-scale controllability to create relationships which can be implemented at the municipal-scale of freshwater production.
The test cart is portable and constructed with a ½ hp (400W) feedwater pump, a 3hp (2.2kW) high pressure pump, and a single saltwater reverse osmosis membrane and housing. The system is instrumented with flow meters for influent, recycle, and product water streams. Relevant pressures are instrumented along with electrical power and energy consumption. The boiling system is outfitted with a vacuum pump, a heat source, and pressure gauges. These measurements provide an experimentally determined product water flow rate as a function of inlet water salinity and power consumption.
The seawater Reverse Osmosis (RO) desalination test cart and vacuum-boiling system explore the relationships between power, energy, and salinity in multiple methods of desalination.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
Yes, Ignite Grant
Developing Methods of Seawater Desalination to Address Global Water Crisis
Climate change is impacting freshwater supplies globally. Addressing freshwater supply using renewable, sustainable methods is of critical importance. Two methods of Seawater Desalination have been designed and built in the Energy Systems Laboratory of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. These include Reverse Osmosis, which has been implemented on a test cart, and vacuum-boiling, which allows for small-scale controllability to create relationships which can be implemented at the municipal-scale of freshwater production.
The test cart is portable and constructed with a ½ hp (400W) feedwater pump, a 3hp (2.2kW) high pressure pump, and a single saltwater reverse osmosis membrane and housing. The system is instrumented with flow meters for influent, recycle, and product water streams. Relevant pressures are instrumented along with electrical power and energy consumption. The boiling system is outfitted with a vacuum pump, a heat source, and pressure gauges. These measurements provide an experimentally determined product water flow rate as a function of inlet water salinity and power consumption.
The seawater Reverse Osmosis (RO) desalination test cart and vacuum-boiling system explore the relationships between power, energy, and salinity in multiple methods of desalination.