Synthesis of polybenzimidazole (PBI) forward osmosis (FO) membrane and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of concentration gradient across membrane surface

Desalination ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 452 ◽  
pp. 17-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nawshad Akther ◽  
Sahar Daer ◽  
Qiang Wei ◽  
Isam Janajreh ◽  
Shadi W. Hasan
Membranes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Alexander J. Charlton ◽  
Boyue Lian ◽  
Gaetan Blandin ◽  
Greg Leslie ◽  
Pierre Le-Clech

In an effort to improve performances of forward osmosis (FO) systems, several innovative draw spacers have been proposed. However, the small pressure generally applied on the feed side of the process is expected to result in the membrane bending towards the draw side, and in the gradual occlusion of the channel. This phenomenon potentially presents detrimental effects on process performance, including pressure drop and external concentration polarization (ECP) in the draw channel. A flat sheet FO system with a dot-spacer draw channel geometry was characterized to determine the degree of draw channel occlusion resulting from feed pressurization, and the resulting implications on flow performance. First, tensile testing was performed on the FO membrane to derive a Young’s modulus, used to assess the membrane stretching, and the resulting draw channel characteristics under a range of moderate feed pressures. Membrane apex reached up to 67% of the membrane channel height when transmembrane pressure (TMP) of 1.4 bar was applied. The new FO channels considerations were then processed by computational fluid dynamics model (computational fluid dynamics (CFD) by ANSYS Fluent v19.1) and validated against previously obtained experimental data. Further simulations were conducted to better assess velocity profiles, Reynolds number and shear rate. Reynolds number on the membrane surface (draw side) increased by 20% and shear rate increased by 90% when occlusion changed from 0 to 70%, impacting concentration polarisation (CP) on the membrane surface and therefore FO performance. This paper shows that FO draw channel occlusion is expected to have a significant impact on fluid hydrodynamics when the membrane is not appropriately supported in the draw side.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (6) ◽  
pp. 5421-5425
Author(s):  
MICHAL RICHTAR ◽  
◽  
PETRA MUCKOVA ◽  
JAN FAMFULIK ◽  
JAKUB SMIRAUS ◽  
...  

The aim of the article is to present the possibilities of application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to modelling of air flow in combustion engine intake manifold depending on airbox configuration. The non-stationary flow occurs in internal combustion engines. This is a specific type of flow characterized by the fact that the variables depend not only on the position but also on the time. The intake manifold dimension and geometry strongly effects intake air amount. The basic target goal is to investigate how the intake trumpet position in the airbox impacts the filling of the combustion chamber. Furthermore, the effect of different distances between the trumpet neck and the airbox wall in this paper will be compared.


2013 ◽  
Vol 68 (12) ◽  
pp. 2534-2544 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Ratkovich ◽  
T. R. Bentzen

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) have been used successfully in biological wastewater treatment to solve the perennial problem of effective solids–liquid separation. A common problem with MBR systems is clogging of the modules and fouling of the membrane, resulting in frequent cleaning and replacement, which makes the system less appealing for full-scale applications. It has been widely demonstrated that the filtration performances in MBRs can be greatly improved with a two-phase flow (sludge–air) or higher liquid cross-flow velocities. However, the optimization process of these systems is complex and requires knowledge of the membrane fouling, hydrodynamics and biokinetics. Modern tools such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can be used to diagnose and understand the two-phase flow in an MBR. Four cases of different MBR configurations are presented in this work, using CFD as a tool to develop and optimize these systems.


2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Kinzel ◽  
Jules W. Lindau ◽  
Robert F. Kunz

This effort investigates advancing cavitation modeling relevant to computational fluid dynamics (CFD) through two strategies. The first aims to reformulate the cavitation models and the second explores adding liquid–vapor slippage effects. The first aspect of the paper revisits cavitation model formulations with respect to the Rayleigh–Plesset equation (RPE). The present approach reformulates the cavitation model using analytic solutions to the RPE. The benefit of this reformulation is displayed by maintaining model sensitivities similar to RPE, whereas the standard models fail these tests. In addition, the model approach is extended beyond standard homogeneous models, to a two-fluid modeling framework that explicitly models the slippage between cavitation bubbles and the liquid. The results indicate a significant impact of slip on the predicted cavitation solution, suggesting that the inclusion of such modeling can potentially improve CFD cavitation models. Overall, the results of this effort point to various aspects that may be considered in future CFD-modeling efforts with the goal of improving the model accuracy and reducing computational time.


Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1285
Author(s):  
Sarah Letaïef ◽  
Pierre Camps ◽  
Thierry Poidras ◽  
Patrick Nicol ◽  
Delphine Bosch ◽  
...  

A test site located along a 12-lane motorway east of Montpellier, France, is used to evaluate the potential of biomagnetic monitoring on traffic-related particulate matter (PM) to parametrize a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the local airflow. Two configurations were established on the site with three vegetated flat-top earth berms of a basic design, and a fourth one was located windward to the traffic roofed with a 4-m-high precast concrete wall. As a first step, PM deposition simultaneously on plant leaves, on low-cost passive artificial filters, and on soils was estimated from proxies supplied by magnetic and X-ray fluorescence measurements on both sides of the motorway. These latter revealed that traffic-related pollutants are present on soils samples highlighted with a clear fingerprint of combustion residues, and wears of breaks, vehicles, and highway equipment. Maximum PM accumulations were detected in the lee of the berm–wall combination, while no significant deposition was observed on both sides of the flat-top earth berms. These results are in line with measurements from PM µ-sensors operated by the regional state-approved air quality agency. Finally, we compared the experimental measurements with the outcomes of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling based on the Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations that consider the traffic-induced momentum and turbulence. The CFD modeling matches the experimental results by predicting a recirculated flow in the near wake of the berm–wall combination that enhances the PM concentration, whereas the flat-top berm geometry does not alter the pollutants’ transport and indeed contributes to their atmospheric dispersion.


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