Analysis and simulation of hollow-fiber reverse-osmosis modules

The purpose of this work is to analyze the performance of hollow-fiber reverse-osmosis (HFRO) systems. First, the mass and momentum balances on the fluids inside and outside of the hollow fibers are derived. Consequently, these equations are coupled with the membrane transport expressions to provide a two-phase model for completely describing the hydrodynamic behavior of HFRO units. The model equations are solved numerically via discretization techniques. Experimental data are used for two objectives; transport-parameters estimation and model validation. Based upon optimization principles, a parameter-estimation technique is proposed for correlating the membrane-transport coefficients with the operating pressures and concentrations. The model validity is elucidated by comparing the theoretical predictions with the experimental data for different HFRO modules and over a wide range of operating parameters.