(290d) Selecting Membrane Distillation Configuration

Membrane distillation is an emerging thermally-driven membrane technology proposed for the separation of salts and other non-volatile compounds from wastewater streams. The process offers a unique solution for the treatment of water streams with high total dissolved solids. There are four configurations proposed for MD applications: Direct Contact MD, Vacuum MD, Sweeping Gas MD, and Air Gap MD. Each of these configurations has its own advantages and disadvantages, and none of them has been commercialized, yet. Studying some of these MD configurations (e.g. DCMD) have been limited to laboratory-scale, while some (e.g. SGMD) have been investigated for pilot scale applications. Comparative analysis of these configurations has been hindered by lack of infrastructure and technology limitations. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of MD configurations based on process-level Aspen simulations. Four MD configurations has been simulated using Aspen Custom Modeler. Several performance metrics such as energy efficiency, capital and operating costs, flux delivery, and potential heat integration technologies are investigated, and results will be presented. We will report the energy requirements of each configuration to treat one cubic meter of water ($/m³).