Emerging Research Opportunities in Energy Manufacturing

G. Glenn LipscombChemical & Environmental Engineering, University of Toledo

NSF CMMI Research and Innovation ConferenceMembrane and Module Manufacture

Tuesday, 4 January 2011Atlanta, GA

Outline

Membrane Separations Flat Sheet/Spiral Wound Modules Hollow Fiber/Module Manufacture Module Efficiencies Large Applications

Desalination

Ashkelon SWRO Plant 100 million m3/yhttp://www.water-technology.net/projects/israel/

Desalination

Review of the Desalination and Water Purification Technology Roadmap; http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10912.html

Desalination

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1

$/m3

kWh

/m3

MSFMED

RO+Boost RO

33% Electric Conversion Efficiency

Desired Direction

High flux membrane

Wade, Desalination 136 (2001) 3–12Busch & Mickols, Desalination 165 (2004) 299-312

Blue Energy – Reverse ED/PRO

http://www.wetsus.nl/

CO2 Capture

Pre-combustion

Oxygen ionic conducting

perovskite type membranes

Air Products

BP-Amoco-Praxair

Post-combustion

Polymeric CO2 selective

Membranes

MTR

Membrane Separations

http://www.environmental-expert.com/stse_resulteach_product.aspx?cid=21795&idproduct=32902&codi=32902

http://www.egr.msu.edu/~steffe/handbook/fig643.html

Membrane Separations

http://www.trisep.com/elements/Tech Support/How a Membrane is Made.pdf

Thin-film Composite Membranes

Flat Sheet Membrane Manufacture

Baker, Membrane Technology and Applications, 2nd Edition, Wiley, 2004

Membrane Casting and Coating

http://www.gkss.de/institute/polymer_research/structure/geestacht/equipment/membranes/index.html.en

Membrane casting Membrane coating

Spiral Wound Modules

Case

Feed Reject

Seal

Permeate

Collection Tube

Spiral Wound Modules

Spiral Wound Modules

Spiral Wound Modules

Spiral Wound Modules

“Leaf” or “Envelope”

Spiral Wound Modules

Spiral Wound Modules

Spiral Wound Modules

Spiral Wound Modules

6,190,557 Hisada & Nishida, Nitto Denko, 2001.

3,417,870 Bray, Gulf General Atomic, 1968.

Hollow Fiber Membranes

http://www.matrix-membranes.com/

http://www.appliedmembranes.com/ultrafiltration_uf_systems.htm

http://www.microfiltration.nl/hollow_fiber.php

Hollow Fiber Membrane Manufacture

http://eng.clima.org.cn/Machine/polyster_staple_fibre_production_line/polyester_staple_fibre_production_line_84.html

United States Patent 6802973

Induced Phase Separation

Cooling Evaporation

Ri Ro

Cd, T

Induced Phase Separation

Hypothesis: Concentration gradient predictor of pore size and porosity asymmetry

Thermal (TIPS)Diffusion (DIPS)

Hollow Fiber Modules

Case

Lumen access port

Shell access port

Tubesheet Fiber Bundle

Distribution collar for shell fluid

Lumen header

Bolts to attach header to case

External Shell PortsLumen Port Lumen Port

Lumen Headspace

Seal

5,598,874 Alei et al., MG Generon, 1997.

Module Inefficiencies

Flow Distribution Effects – Header

J. Park & H. Chang, AIChEJ, 32, 1937 (1986).

Lumen-side Shell-side

Flow Distribution Effects – Bundle

Lumen-side Shell-side

Variation in transport properties has similar effect

Flow Distribution Effects – Bundle

Axial flow

Distribution introduces RTD and cross flow regions

• From shell header

packing fraction=0.26, Sc=1000

Shell-side Mass Transfer Coefficients

CT Imaging

Fluid Introduction into Module

Z = 4 cm from dialysate feed port

Fiber packing field Concentration packing field

S.S. Concentration/Packing Comparison

Fluid Introduction into Module

CFD Simulations

CFD Simulations

Challenges Increase membrane line rates Metallic, ceramic, mixed matrix materials Efficient counter-current contacting Linear scaling/larger modules

http://www.natcogroup.com/