Yes / Reverse osmosis process is used in many industrial applications ranging from solute-solvent to solvent-solvent and gaseous separation. A number of theoretical models have been developed to describe the separation and fluxes of solvent and solute in such processes. This paper looks into the scope and limitations of two main models (the irreversible thermodynamics and the solution diffusion models) used in the past by several researchers for solute-solvent feed separation. Despite the investigation of other complex models, the simple concepts of these models accelerate the feasibility of the implementation of reverse osmosis for different types of systems and variety of industries. Briefly, an extensive review of these mathematical models is conducted by collecting more than 70 examples from literature in this study. In addition, this review has covered the improvement of such models to make them compatible with multi-component systems with consideration of concentration polarization and solvent-solute-membrane interaction.

Yes / CO2 capture from natural gas was experimentally and theoretically studied using a dead-end polymeric permeation cell. A numerical model was proposed for the separation of CO2/CH4 using Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in a flat sheet membrane module and developed based upon the continuity, momentum and mass transfer equations. The slip velocity condition was considered to show the reflection of gas flow in contact with the membrane surface. The solution method was based on the well-known SIMPLE algorithm and implemented using MATLAB to determine the velocity and concentration profiles. Due to change in velocity direction in the membrane module, the hybrid differencing scheme was used to solve the diffusion-convection equation. The results of the model were compared with the experimental data obtained as part of this work and good agreement was observed. The distribution of CO2 concentration inside the feed and permeate chambers was shown and the velocity profile at the membrane surface was also determined using reflection factor for polymericmembrane. The modelling result revealed that increasing the amount of CO2 in gas feed resulted in an increase in the CO2 in the permeate stream while the gas feed pressure increased. By changing the permeability, the model developed by use of the solution-diffusion concept could be used for all polymeric membranes with flat sheet modules.

Yes / Reverse osmosis (RO) has become a significant method for removing salts and organic compounds from seawater and wastewater in recent decades. Spiral-wound module has been widely used due to a number of special features such as high packing density, premium separation and low operating cost. In this paper, a two-dimensional mathematical model is developed for the transport of dilute aqueous solutions through a spiral-wound RO module and the operational characteristics of the process under steady state conditions are analysed. The model is based on the solution-diffusion model coupled with the concentration polarization mechanism. This model yields a set of Differential and Algebraic Equations (DAEs), which are solved using the gPROMS software. The model is validated using experimental data from the literature for the rejection of dimethylphenol as solute in aqueous solutions. The model is then used to simulate the process under steady state conditions to gain deeper insight of the process.

Orientador: Maria Regina Wolf Maciel / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T23:42:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Perioto_FabianoRomero_D.pdf: 1193759 bytes, checksum: 59c15d9b760f3098c6e92c822d878e78 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: Neste trabalho de tese, foram realizadas a modelagem e a simulação dos processos de separação pervaporação e osmose inversa aplicados a sistemas binários. A premissa empregada foi o desenvolvimento de metodologias de predição das variáveis de processo da pervaporação e osmose inversa independentes de dados experimentais destes processos; os dados necessários para a predição destas variáveis foram propriedades fundamentais dos componentes puros da alimentação. A partir de uma revisão bibliográfica dos modelos existentes para o processo de pervaporação, foi definida uma metodologia de predição das variáveis de processo baseado no modelo solução-difusão. A etapa inicial da metodologia foi o desenvolvimento de um programa de cálculo das composições de sorção na membrana, baseado no modelo UNIQUAC e no método de contribuição de grupos UNIFAC, adaptados ao uso de polímeros. O programa foi validado pela aplicação a sistemas ideais e não-ideais sob o ponto de vista termodinâmico. Os resultados empregando o modelo UNIQUAC apresentaram boaconcordância com os dados experimentais; no caso dos resultados obtidos via UNIFAC para solventes orgânicos obteve-se um bom ajuste dos dados experimentais, mas, no caso da água, os resultados obtidos pelo modelo não foram adequados. Na segunda etapa da metodologia, foram realizados o estudo da predição do coeficiente de difusão na membrana, a partir do modelo do volume livre, seguindo a abordagem de Fick e Maxwell-Stefan; a determinação dos parâmetros necessários ao respectivo modelo; a aplicação a casos estudos e uma análise paramétrica. Os resultados obtidos concordaram bem com os dados experimentais. Com isto, a partir dos valores de sorção e coeficientes de difusão, foi elaborado um programa para a predição do processo de pervaporação; o programa foi aplicado a casos estudos citados na literatura. Foi também estudada a aplicação da pervaporação ao sistema fenol-água, considerando uma membrana de poli (dimetil siloxano) como agente de separação. Os resultados concordaram bem com os dados experimentais disponíveis e mostraram que uma melhor seletividade e performance de separação foram obtidos em concentrações de fenol na alimentação inferiores a 0,2 % molar. A etapa final do trabalho foi a elaboração de um programa para simulação do processo de osmose inversa tendo como base um modelo derivado da mecânica-estatística. A partir dos parâmetros do modelo, foram preditos a rejeição e fluxo do permeado da mistura etanol-água em uma membrana de poliamida. O coeficiente de difusão de Maxwell-Stefan em alta pressão foi predito e empregado na simulação da osmose inversa / Abstract: In this work, the modelling and simulation of pervaporation and reverse osmosis processes for binary mixtures were carried out. The development of prediction methodologies for process variables of pervaporation and reverse osmosis without the necessity of experimental data was the general guideline followed; the experimental data used in these methodologies were the fundamental properties of pure components of feed. Based on the literature review for available models for pervaporation process, a prediction methodology according to the solution-difusion model was choosen and developed. The inicial step for the methodology elaboration was the development of a software for sorption composition determination in the membrane, based on the UNIQUAC model and UNIFAC group contribution method, both suitable for polymer applications. The software was validated applying it forideal and non-ideal systems on thermodynamic viewpoint. The results obtained according to the UNIQUAC model agreed well with experimental data; in the case of the results obtained by the UNIFAC method when applied for organic solvents, it was obtained a good agreement with experimental data, but, on the other hand, for the water, the results showed that the model must be improved. In the second step of methodology development, the study of the prediction of the diffusion coefficient in the membrane according Fick and Maxwell-Stefan approaches, the determination of models parameters, the validation of the prediction method with experimental data and a parametric sensitivity analysis were carried out. The results agreed well with experimental data. So, using the sorption compositions and diffusion coeficients calculated, it was developed a software for pervaporation prediction; the software was applied for some cases of literature. It was also studied the application of pervaporation to phenol-water system using poly(dimethylsiloxane) as selective barrier. The results agreed well with available experimental data and showed that a best selectivity and separation performance were achieved for phenol concentration lesser than 0.2% molar in the feed side. The final step of this work was the development of a software for simulation of reverse osmosis process based on a mecanical-statistical model. By using the model parameters, the rejection and permeate flux of ethanol-water mixture were predicted in a poliamide membrane. The diffusion coefficient of Maxwell-Stefan in high pressure was predicted and used in the reverse osmosis simulation / Doutorado / Desenvolvimento de Processos Químicos / Doutor em Engenharia Química