Reduction of near membrane interface polarization phenomena in membrane distillation through flow channel disturbance

doi:10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2025.04.022

Journal of ZheJiang University (Engineering Science)

2025, Vol. 59

Issue (4): 863-869 DOI: 10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2025.04.022

Reduction of near membrane interface polarization phenomena in membrane distillation through flow channel disturbance

Jiaqi SUN(

),Yaoling ZHANG,Fei GUO*(

)

School of Energy and Power Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China

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Abstract

Polarization phenomena near the membrane interface directly reduce the vapor pressure difference on both sides of the membrane, thereby decreasing the transmembrane flux of membrane distillation. The flow-disturbing pillars were used to disturb the feed flow near the membrane interface in a contactless way. The influence and mechanism of parameters such as the isolated flow-disturbing pillar and the arrangements of multiple flow-disturbing pillars on flow disturbance and transmembrane mass transfer were studied. Experimental results show that flow channel disturbance can increase the transmembrane flux of air gap membrane distillation by more than 20% when the feed temperature is 70 ℃ and the feed flow rate is 0.2 L/min. Numerical simulation was used to analyze the influence of different flow-disturbing pillar arrangements on the feed flow state near the membrane interface region, and the pressure drop variations along the flow channel were studied. Results show that the flow-disturbing pillars not only effectively enhance the disorder of the feed flow near the membrane interface, but also break and reduce the polarization phenomena of the membrane distillation, without significantly increasing the pressure drop along the flow channel.

Key words： membrane distillation near membrane interface flow channel disturbance polarization phenomena transmembrane flux

Received: 20 February 2024 Published: 25 April 2025

CLC:

TP 393

Corresponding Authors: Fei GUO E-mail: sunjiaqizg@mail.dlut.edu.cn;feiguo@dlut.edu.cn

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Cite this article:

Jiaqi SUN,Yaoling ZHANG,Fei GUO. Reduction of near membrane interface polarization phenomena in membrane distillation through flow channel disturbance. Journal of ZheJiang University (Engineering Science), 2025, 59(4): 863-869.

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https://www.zjujournals.com/eng/10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2025.04.022 OR https://www.zjujournals.com/eng/Y2025/V59/I4/863

基于流道扰流的膜蒸馏近膜界面极化现象抑制

近膜界面的极化现象会直接降低膜两侧蒸气压差，进而降低膜蒸馏的跨膜通量. 使用扰流柱对近膜界面料液进行非接触式扰动，研究孤立扰流柱、多扰流柱布置方式对扰流和跨膜传质的影响和机理. 实验结果表明，当料液湿度为70 ℃，流量为0.2 L/min时，流道扰流可使气隙式膜蒸馏的跨膜通量提高超过20%. 采用数值模拟方法分析不同扰流柱布置方式对近膜界面区域料液流动状态的影响以及流道沿程压力降的变化. 分析结果表明，在不明显提高流道的沿程压力降的情况下，扰流柱能够有效增强近膜界面区域料液流动的无序性，破坏和抑制膜蒸馏的极化现象.

关键词： 膜蒸馏, 近膜界面, 流道扰流, 极化现象, 跨膜通量

Fig.1 Apparatus and materials for air gap membrane distillation experiment

Fig.2 Influence of adding one flow-disturbing pillar on feed flow state in flow channel

Fig.3 Feed flow state near membrane interface under various arrangements of flow-disturbing pillars

Fig.4 Experimental results of transmembrane flux of membrane distillation under various arrangements of flow-disturbing pillars

Fig.5 Relationship between membrane distillation channel design and pressure drop along flow channel


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[1]	Lan-xiang DUAN,Jia-ming CHEN,Jing-cheng CAI,Fei GUO. Interfacial crystal fouling and regeneration of fibrous membrane based membrane distillation[J]. Journal of ZheJiang University (Engineering Science), 2022, 56(10): 2104-2108.

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