Abstract
In recent years, global water crises have prompted the search for alternate water resources. Brackish water holds substantial potential to meet freshwater demands, particularly in arid inland regions where it is readily available from groundwater sources. Brackish groundwater reverse osmosis (BWRO) desalination has emerged as an increasingly employed solution for drinking water supply worldwide. However, BWRO is challenging due to the complex water chemistry of brackish groundwater containing scaling ions such as calcium and magnesium, which contribute to membrane scaling. The desalination water recovery is limited by the membrane scaling, which produces a large volume of brine, also known as RO concentrate (ROC). ROC disposal accounts for almost 33% of the overall operating cost, varying based on factors such as reject volume, salts concentration, and disposal method. Exploring efficient approaches for treating BWRO relevant conditions will facilitate improvements in water recovery in the BWRO process.
pH-mediated electrochemical precipitation has gained attention as a zero-chemical input and energy-efficient approach for scaling ions precipitation in aqueous solutions, compared to traditional precipitation technologies. The overarching goal of the proposed research is to address knowledge gaps by providing fundamental insights into the utilization of pH-mediated electrochemical precipitation under BWRO relevant conditions. To achieve this goal, three objectives are proposed: (1) To determine the role of carbon-based electrodes and their electrochemical properties in promoting precipitation reactions to reduce the scaling potential of BWRO feed. (2) To understand the kinetics of precipitation reactions under the influence of different water chemistry and antiscalants, within an electrochemical system; (3) To investigate the membrane scaling on the surface of bipolar membrane (BPM) influenced by BWRO relevant conditions and antiscalants using the bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BMED) system.
Overall, the proposed research aims to maximize freshwater production and reduce ROC volume, thereby
improving the efficiency of the desalination process.
Wednesday, 05/08/2024 at 12:00 PM
CAMP 372
Advisor: Dr. Taeyoung Kim
Committee Members: Professor Thomas Holsen, Professor Sitaraman Krishnan, Dr. Yang Yang,
Dr. Ian McCrum