November 8, 2024
Arash Khosravi

Arash Khosravi

Academic Rank: Assistant professor
Address: Faculty of Petroleum, Gas and Petrochemical Engineering, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr 75169, Iran
Degree: Ph.D in Chemical Engineering
Phone: 077-31222640
Faculty: Faculty of Petroleum, Gas and Petrochemical Engineering

Research

Title Challenges and potentials of hybrid Membrane-crystallization processes in sustainable zero liquid discharge process and energy cost estimation
Type Article
Keywords
Membrane, RO, MD, Crystallization, ZLD, Fouling
Journal SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2024.128644
Researchers Mohammad Reza Nakhodazadeh (First researcher) , Seyed Abdollatif Hashemifard (Second researcher) , Takeshi Matsuura (Third researcher) , Mohsen Abbasi (Fourth researcher) , Arash Khosravi (Fifth researcher)

Abstract

This paper focuses various membrane and thermal processes and takes their potentials into account to present the most suitable combined method for a hybrid zero liquid discharge process. The concentration of this study is not only to introduce the most suitable methods, but also to consider the most probable challenges that this process faces during the operation, best exemplified by: concentration polarization, temperature polarization, the effect of various type of salt ions on membrane fouling, the role of antiscalants and membrane wetting. Based on the finding of the research, the proposed hybrid zero liquid discharge process consists of two units. The first unit is the primary desalination, which is composed of two separate stages, i.e., a Nano filtration or reverse osmosis system and a membrane distillation system. For the second unit a crystallization is suggested. Considering the estimation of energy consumption used in a typical greenhouse, village, and city, each of them has its own unique character for fresh water production and energy consumption. Based on calculations, the greenhouse must have its fresh water supplied through underground water at a cost of 0.066 US$ per cubic meter while the village and city fetch theirs from the sea at 0.112 US$. Future research should explore the potential benefits and challenges of implementing zero liquid discharge in the other areas emphasizing various aspects of environmental, economic, and social sustainability.