• Membrane Journal
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.154-161
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• 2003

We measured the permeation characteristics of water with the hydrophobic PTFE membranes dependent on water temperature to confirm the separation of oxygen isotopes using Air Gap Membrane Distillation (AGMD) and Vacuum Enhanced Membrane Distillation (VEMD). Isotopic concentrations of $H_2^{16}O$ and $H_2^{18}O$ of the permeated water vapor were measured by Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy. Concentrations of the heavy oxygen isotopes in the permeated water vapor were decreased. Isotope separation coefficients for the hydrophobic PTFE membranes were 1.004∼1.01 depending on the experimental conditions. We observed the effects of air in membrane pores on the oxygen isotope separation. Isotope separation coefficients for the hydrophobic PTFE membranes without air in pores are higher than those for the membrane with air in pores.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.313-319
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• 2016

In this study, the performance experiment was conducted to compare the permeate flux of hollow fiber Vacuum Membrane Distillation module according to leak problem between module housing and membrane bundle. For the permeate flux performance experiment of the two Vacuum Membrane Distillation modules, the Lab-scale experimental equipment was built in the capacity of $1m^3/day$. The performance test of the two Vacuum Membrane Distillation modules were analyzed according to the feed water conditions. As a result, it was analyzed that the leak VMD module decreased about 14% of permeate flux than normal VMD module.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.387-394
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• 2019

Membrane distillation (MD) is one of the water treatment processes which involves the momentum, heat and mass transfer through channels and membrane. In this study, CFD modeling has been used to simulate the heat and mass transfer in the direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). Also, the effect of operating parameters on the water flux is investigated. The result shows a good agreement with the experimental result. Results indicated that, while feed temperature is increasing in the feed side, water flux improves in the permeate side. Since higher velocity leads to the higher mixing and turbulence in the feed channel, water flux rises due to this increase in the feed velocity. Moreover, results revealed that temperature polarization coefficient is rising as flow rate (velocity) increases and it is decreasing while the feed temperature increases. Lastly, the thermal efficiency of direct contact membrane distillation is defined, and results confirm that thermal efficiency improves while feed temperature increases. Also, flow rate increment results in enhancement of thermal efficiency.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.236-246
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• 2011

In this study, we used prepared a cylindrical module consisting 100 hollow fibers of commercialized (hydrophobic) polyethylene membrane of $0.4{\mu}m$ pore size and systematically studied performance of direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) and sweep gas membrane distillation (SGMD) in terms of variation of permeate flux and salt rejection with respect to temperature drop across the membrane, salt concentrations in feed, and flow rates of cooling water and sweep gas. SGMD was regarded as DCMD with a sweep gas layer between permeate-side membrane surface and cooling water. Sweep gas flow decreases the permeate flux from that of DCMD by providing an additional gas-layer resistance. We compared DCMD and SGMD performance by using mass balance with a fitting parameter (${\omega}$), indicating fraction of permeate flow rate.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.57-64
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• 1997

Membrane Distillation(MD) is reviewed as an application to new separation technology. Hydrophobic membrane which has been used to microfiltration is feasible material for MD process. MD has perfect selectivity under moderate temperature and is promised to simplify typical water treatment process. The principle of MD separation is phase transition by vapor-liquid interface at the pore of membrane surface. Feed and permeate temperature, composition, membrane wetting, heat and mass transfer phenomena affect the selectivity and flux of MD.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.113-123
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• 2017

This study investigated effects of physical and chemical cleaning methods on the initial flux recovery of fouled membrane in membrane distillation process. A laboratory scale direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) experiment was performed to treat digested livestock wastewater with 3.89 mg/L suspended solids, 874.7 mg/L COD, 543.7 mg/L nitrogen, 15.6 mg/L total phosphorus, and pH of 8.6. A hydrophobic PVDF membrane with an average pore size of $0.22{\mu}m$ and a porosity of 75 % was installed inside a direct contact type membrane distillation module. The temperature difference between feed and permeate side was maintained at $40^{\circ}C$ with the feed and permeate stream velocity of 0.18 m/s. The results showed that the permeate flux decreased from $22.1L{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}hr^{-1}$ to $19.0L{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}hr^{-1}$ after 75 hours of distillation. The fouled membrane was cleaned first by physical flushing and consecutively by chemicals with NaOCl and citric acid. After the physical cleaning the flux was recovered to 92 % as compared with the initial clean water flux of the virgin membrane. Then 94 % of the flux was recovered after cleaning by 2,000 ppm NaOCl for 90 minutes and finally 97 % of flux recovered after 3 % citric acid for 90 minutes. SEM-EDS and FT-IR analysis results presented that the foulants on the membrane surface were removed effectively after each cleaning step. The contact angle measurement showed that the hydrophobicity of the membrane surface was also restored gradually after each cleaning step to reach nearly the same hydrophobicity level as the virgin membrane.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.321-330
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to examine the recovery of the power plant cooling tower blowdown water (CTBD) by membrane distillation. The experiments were carried out using a flat plate poly vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane with a pore diameter of $0.22{\mu}m$ by a direct contact membrane distillation unit (DCMD). The effects of operating parameters such as transmembrane temperature difference (${\Delta}T$), circulation rate and operating time on permeate flux and membrane fouling have been investigated. The results indicated that permeate flux increased with increasing ${\Delta}T$ and circulation rate. Whereas maximum permeate flux was determined as $47.4L/m^2{\cdot}h$ at ${\Delta}T$ of $50^{\circ}C$ for all short term experiments, minimum permeate flux was determined as $7.7L/m^2{\cdot}h$ at ${\Delta}T$ of $20^{\circ}C$. While $40^{\circ}C$ was determined as the optimum ${\Delta}T$ in long term experiments. Inorganic and non-volatile substances caused fouling in the membranes.

• Clean Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.129-135
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• 2008

Nylon membrane was used to separate ethanol-water by a pervaporation method. Experimental equations were derived to use the simulation of membrane-aided distillation using nylon. The increases in permeation pressure resulted in the decrease in selectivity and energy consumption. The energy cost to enrich ethanol from 94 wt% to 99.5 wt% was calculated to be 53.3 won/kg of ethanol with extractive distillation and 18.9 won/kg of ethanol with a pervaporation method. The saving energy by the pervaporation method is consumed by recycling the permeate residue into the distillation column in the membrane-aided distillation column. Therefore, membrane with the high selectivity to minimize the permeate residue recycle is required to effectively enrich ethanol in the membrane-aided distillation method.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.57-71
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• 2014

In this study, a theoretical model for the transport phenomena in an Air Gap Membrane Distillation used for desalination was developed. The model is based on the conservation equations for the mass, momentum, energy and species within the feed water solution as well as on the mass and energy balances on the membrane sides. The rarefaction impacts are taken into consideration showing their effects on process parameters particularly permeate flow and thermal efficiency. The theoretical model was validated with available data and was found in good agreement especially when the slip condition is introduced. The rarefaction impact was found considerable inducing an increase in the permeate flux and the thermal efficiency.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.71-86
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• 2016

The present study deals with a numerical simulation for the transport phenomena in three configurations of Membrane Distillation (Air Gap, Direct Contact and Sweeping Gas Membrane Distillation) usually used for desalination in order to make an objective comparison between them under the same operating conditions. The models are based on the conservation equations for the mass, momentum, energy and species within the feed saline and cooling solutions as well as on the mass and energy balances on the membrane sides. The theoretical model was validated with available data and was found in good agreement. DCMD configuration provided the highest pure water production while SGMD shows the highest thermal efficiency. Process parameters' impact on each configuration are also presented and discussed.