A project report on
DESALINATION BY REVERSE OSMOSIS
submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Bachelor of Technology
in
Mechanical Engineering
by
AVISEKH KUMAR TRIPATHY 1502343
AVISHEK MUKHERJEE 1502344
NITISH KUMAR 1502346
GUNARI HARI KIRAN 1502351
HARSHDEEP SINGH BHATIA 1502353
under the guidance of
Dr. TARAK KUMAR SAHOO
AMLAN PANDA
School of Mechanical Engineering
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT)
Deemed to be University,
BHUBANESWAR
APRIL 2018
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project report entitled “ DESALINATION BY REVERSE
OSMOSIS” submitted by
AVISEKH KUMAR TRIPATHY 1502343
AVISHEK MUKHERJEE 1502344
NITISH KUMAR 1502346
GUNARI HARI KIRAN 1502351
HARSHDEEP SINGH BHATIA 1502353
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Bachelor of
Technology in Discipline of Engineering is a bonafide record of the work carried out
under my(our) guidance and supervision at School of Mechanical Engineering, KIIT,
Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar.
Signature of Supervisor 2 Signature of Supervisor 1
School of Mechanical Engineering, NAME OF THE SUPERVISOR 1
KIIT, Deemed to be University, School of Mechanical Engineering,
Bhubaneswar. KIIT, Deemed to be University,
Bhubaneswar.
................................................................................................................................................
The Project was evaluated by us on
EXAMINER 1 EXAMINER 2
EXAMINER 3 EXAMINER 4
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We wish to express our deep sense of gratitude to Dr. Tarak Kumar Sahoo and Dr. Amlan Panda
for their invaluable guidance, motivation, constant Inspiration and above all, for their ever co-
operating attitude in the completion of this minor project work. We also express our sincere
gratitude to Prof AK Rout (FIC. Minor project) of School of Mechanical Engineering.We are
indebted to thank Prof AK. Sahoo, Dean, School of Mechanical Engineering, KIIT. Along with
all the members for their constant support and encouragement.
AVISEKH TRIPATHY
AVISHEK MUKHERJEE
NITISH KUMAR
GUNARI HARI KIRAN
HARSHDEEP SINGH BHATIA
ABSTRACT
In the recent times, fresh water scarcity has reached new heights, which is exemplified
with recent droughts in South Africa, Israel, and USA. So to tackle the shortage of fresh
water, we have to turn to the abundant water resource i.e. Sea/Ocean water. But with sea
water we face the obvious problem of high salinity and other dissolved impurities, which
would require desalination. The most economic and effective way of desalination is
Reverse Osmosis (RO). So we studied the Desalination RO system and apparatus and
how it can be optimized and economized with the use of different power sources and
semi-permeable membranes and other processes as well.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Abstract : 1
Table of Contents : 2
List of Figures :
List of Tables :
List of symbols/ abbreviations :
List of Photographs :
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CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION :
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1.1.2 :
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1.2.2 :
CHAPTER II: BACKGROUND :
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CHAPTER III: IMPLEMENTATION :
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CHAPTER IV: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION :
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CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION & SCOPE FOR FURTHER WORK :
REFERENCES :
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Figure Title Page
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mentioned here must match
LIST OF TABLES
Table Table Title Page
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here must match
LIST OF SYMBOLS / ABBREVIATIONS
Symbol / Description
abbreviations
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abbreviations have been used
LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS
Photograph Photograph Title Page
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INTRODUCTION
Formally, reverse osmosis is the process of solubilizing a solvent from
a high concentration region of the solvent through a semi-permeable
membrane (a membrane which allows certain particles to cross but the
other larger particles such as salt molecules) in a region with a low
digestion concentration applying a pressure that exceeds osmotic
pressure. The biggest and most important application of reverse osmosis
is the separation of clean water from sea water and saltwater; sea water
or salt water is under pressure on a membrane surface, causing the
transport of saline water to the membrane and the appearance of potable
drinking water on the low pressure side.
1.1 Current and projected needs of fresh water resources
The famous Mathusian doctrine states that “population increases in geometric
ratio while the means of subsistence is increasing in arithmetic ratio”. The fact
that the global fresh water demand increased by the factor of six between 1900 and
1995 and so on. Rapid industrialization along with poor waste water treatment has
led to increased water pollution levels leading to clean water scarcity in many
developing nations.According to WHO, fresh water is under severe pressure as
water demand is increasing globally and is projected to increase by 50% between
2010 and 2050.
1.2 Desalination processes
Desalination a process which converts saline water into fresh water . It involves a
broad range of technologies that yield access to marginal sources of water such as seawater,
brackish ground- and surface water, and waste water. As the reduction in access to fresh water in
recent decades and the uncertainty in availability effected by climate change, desalination is a
critical way of ensuring the future of humanity. Desalination represents a promise of near
unlimited water supply and is an attractive potential solution to the practical inaccessibility for
potable use. It now encompasses the removal of salts as well as dissolved contaminants from
various sources such as seawater, brackish water and groundwater, and industrial and municipal
water waste.
1.3 Reverse osmosis process
Osmosis is a process by which molecules of a solvent pass through a semi
permeable membrane from a dilute(less concentrated) solution to a saturated(more
concentrated) solution.whereas reverse osmosis or RO is the process in which
solvent molecules from a more concentrated solution are forced to pass through a
semi-permeable membrane to a less concentrated solution by application of
pressure, leaving behind solute particles on the more concentrated side.
1.4 Challenges faced
1.4.1 Inscrutability of desalination membranes
1.4.2 Concentration polarization: The rejected salt form a layer on the surface of RO membrane
layer thus decreasing the effective pressure and decreasing the water flow rate.
1.4.3 Seawater intakes and discharges: One of the major problems faced during RO process is
the entertainment of organisms and other unwanted substances during suction of sea water, also
when the concentrated brine is discharged back to the ocean, it may affect the nearby organisms
and sea life.
BACKGROUND
RO is today the leading desalination technology. It has overtaken
conventional thermal technology such as multi-stage flash (MSF).
Distillation-Based Technologies
The most common distillation-based desalination methods are thermally driven
technologies, including multistage flash distillation, multiple-effect distillation,
and mechanical vapor compression processes. This process has recovered energy
and decreased the energy consumption from 12kWhm−3 in the 1970s to less than
2 kWhm−3 in 2006.
Emergence of Membrane Technology:
The possibility of desalination using polymeric cellulose films was first
demonstrated by Reid and Breton in 1959, and thus the first polymeric RO
membranes were created.
A polyester fabric supports a 20–200 nm thin cross linked polyamide layer is
supported on a micro porous poly-sulfone layer.
RO membrane market is dominated by thin film composite (TFC) polyamide
membranes consisting of three layers: A polyester web acting as structural support
(120–150 micro m thick), a micro porous interlayer (about 40 micro m), and an
ultra-thin barrier layer on the upper surface (0.2 micro m).
IMPLEMENTATION
3.1 APPARATUS
The design of the apparatus was based on the conventional RO purifier system.
The RO system is combined with a water suction setup, a 3-stage water pre-
treatment setup, a high pressure pump and a clean water storage tank. The setup is
described below:
1) Sea water suction setup
2) 3-stage pretreatment setup
3) High pressure pump
4) RO filter cartridge
5) Fresh water storage tank
3.1.1 Sea water suction setup:
This consists of a cylinder of large diameter having perforated and meshed
curved surface to allow suction of sea water and to prevent organisms to enter
the setup. A sea water pump of 1HP is used to suck the water providing at
50M max pressure head. Fig shows the setup.
3.1.2 3-Stage Pre-treatment setup:
The major problems faced during RO is coagulation and concentration
polarization which can be prevented to great extent by using 3-stage setup.
The 1st stage is a sand filter consisting of 3 layers, 1st of sand media, 2nd layer of
pebbles media and the 3rd of gravel media. This setup is shown in the Fig . This
filter removes small amounts of less than 10ppm of fine solids (smaller than 100
microns).
The 2nd Stage and the 3rd stage both consist of Carbon candle filter that can remove
small particles between the size of 0.5 to 50 microns. This removes makes the sea
water sufficiently clean so as to prevent the coagulation and particle deposition on
the RO membranes
3.1.3 High Pressure Pump
Pump specifications
Standard Features:
1) Flow rates of 50-2400 gpm
2) Flow pressure 100-1000 psi
3) Low suction pressure switch and shutoff
4) High pressure speed switch and shutoff
5) 5 micron pre filter
6) Flush system
7) Stainless pump
8) Stainless piping and frame
Controller Indication:
1) low suction pressure
2) High tank level
3) High permeate flow
4) Low concentrate flow
3.1.4 RO Filter Cartridge:
RO filter cartridge consists of the following parts:
1) RO membrane
2) RO membrane housing
3) Flow restrictor
4) Valves
5) Drain saddles
6) Tubings
The RO membrane consists of 3 layers. The base of this membrane sheet is made
of a polyester fabric support base, a micro porous poly sulfone layer and a 0.2
micron thick polyamide layer which is the most important filter.
Between the membrane a feed channel spacer is provided, that creates space
between the layer for the water flow as well as provides turbulence .
Multiple layers are added with permeate layer between them, these layers then
spirally rolled together, with a central tube in which clean water flows and
between the membranes saline water flows which spirals down to the main central
tube.
5)Fresh Water Storage Tank
Fresh water produced after the process is collected in a storage tank from where
its pumped to houses.
3.2 WORKING PROCESS
1) Saline water is sucked by a sea water pump from a less inhabited region of the
sea so as prevent entertainment of sea organisms or plant.
2) This water containing minute organisms, sand particles and other contaminants
is passed through 3 stages of pre-treatment where these impurities are separated.
3) This much cleaner water is now sent to the RO cartridge through a high
pressure pump where the salt concentration falls below 500 ppm or 500mg/litre.
4) The concentrated residual saline solution is now let out into the sea in a safer
region where it doesn’t effect the nearby animal/plant life.
5) The fresh water from the RO cartridge is now flown to a storage tank from
where it is supplied to houses.
3.3 IMPACT ASSESMENT
Social Factors
The projected stakeholders of this project will be the people from the regions who are affected by
water shortage and are in a close proximity of seawater or saline water bodies. This project
fulfills there need by providing clean water source from a relatively less energy consuming
method, given the amount of saline water present in the environment it also caters to the capacity
requirements of the masses . It is the cleanest and safest method of getting fresh drinkable water
through the vast resources of salt water.
Environmental and sustainability Factors
Using of saline water poses no harm to the ecosystem and hence is also eco friendly and also
poses no threat to the cultural integrity of the society universally, hence all the regions can
participate in this method without any hesitation
The appealed project helps the core members of the stakeholders , the women do not have to
travel huge distances to gain access to fresh drinkable water and can get so locally and in their
own homes. It also provides clean water to the children and growing members of the stakeholders
and provide them a healthy way to grow and prosper for the grater good of the society and it’s
future.
One of the possible adverse impacts of this project may be the danger posed to the nearby sea life,
this can be tackled by7 in depth study of the topography and oceanography for finding a region
where the water inlet plant may be set up where danger posed to the sea life will be the least.
Apart from that this process uses very less amount of moving parts hence consuming very less
amount of energy. Furthermore it’s energy requirements may be met by the unconventional and
immeasurable resources of solar and wind power near the seas and oceans. Rendering this plant
almost emission less and hence being intensively eco friendly.
RESULTS
The design of the apparatus was prepared using CATIA V5 for a miniature desalination
plant using RO and the design proved to be functional. And thus it can be implemented in
a large scale plant.
This
figure
shows
the
initial
levels
of salts
and
other
components of the sea water that is fed to the desalination system.
After the desalination by RO , the Salt contents decrease to about 10 to 500 ppm
TDS.
CONCLUSION
The Desalination RO system is a life saver technology that can help solve the problem of
declining fresh water resources and can prove quite economical with the use of renewable
energy sources like wind or solar energy that is abundant near seas.
