Forward Osmosis Processes for Desalination: Evolution, Case Studies, and Future Directions

• Published in: Forward Osmosis pp. 303 - 338
• Main Authors: Surampalli, Rao Y, Yuan, Ye, Zhang, Tian C
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2015; American Society of Civil Engineers
• Subjects: Environment & Environmental Engineering; Sustainable Energy & Development; Water Resources & Conservation; Water Treatment & Quality
• ISBN: 0784414076; 9780784414071
• DOI: 10.1061/9780784414071.ch14

This chapter introduces the principle of forward osmosis processes for desalination (FOD) and historical evolution of desalination technologies from reverse osmosis (RO) to FO, followed by an in-depth presentation of different case studies on FOD processes. Several case studies discuss important achievements in and engineering challenges and commercialization of the FOD process. One case study is about wastewater reclamation with FO and Red Sea seawater. In this case, the first objective was to achieve a new design for efficient FO configuration; the second objective was to study feed waters and draw solutions to achieve an optimal coupling of FO and RO. To achieve the objectives, a custom-made plate and frame configuration for the membranes was designed, implemented, and studied. The chapter summarizes FO operating conditions, performance, and key issues related to design/management, future trends, and research directions of FO for desalination.