Forward Osmosis Power for Sustainable System Design

Advanced integrative system concepts in combined

membrane water treatment and power generation

Sherwin Gormly, Dynamac Corporation/Bioengineering Branch NASA Ames Research Center

Michael Flynn, NASA Ames Research Center
 Forward Osmosis Process Research at NASA:

• Forward Osmosis (FO) process research at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) includes life support
related water recycle, alternative energy applications research, and sustainable water system architecture
studies (both for space craft and terrestrial uses)

• Initial interest was in hygiene (gray) water recovery and recycle to drinking water quality. This resulted in
the development of the Direct Osmotic Concentration (DOC) in collaboration with commercial entities

• Follow on development by these entities resulted in the commercial fielding of FO membranes in a number
of low pressure flexible arrangements

• NASA subsequently used these now commercially off the shelf available FO membranes for concept
development resulting in the light weight urine recovery system (LWC-WRS) and FO/seawater algal bio-fuel
application testing and development

• In conjunction with this NASA ARC has initiated study into the use of Pressure Retarded forward Osmosis
(PRO) in combination with tertiary treatment (PRO/TT)

• The NASA approach is not to develop membranes and target a single application to make FO work in, but
rather to investigate system architectures to see how FO fits into sustainable design

• DOC, PRO/TT and other FO applications represent a promising line of inquiry in this regard
What is Forward Osmosis (FO)

Used to reduce fouling in the initial stage of membrane treatment

for highly contaminated waste streams

Influent + _
(low ionic strength, _ +
high level of large
organic foulents) + _ +
+
_
+ Permeate
[High ionic strength receiving
solution referred to as the
Osmotic Agent (OA)]
ΔC →
NASA ARC History in FO Research

QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 DOC System Design

Rack 1 Rack 2
Hygiene Heat Pump
Conds.
Water
+
Urea
FO DCMD

OA
Tank RO APCO

Con. Waste

Product Water
 DOC System
Rack 1 Rack 2
FO Modules

APCO

RO Modules

DCMD
Two forward osmosis membrane element, each
approximately 1 m2. Each 1 m2 element measures
4 inches in diameter by 12 inches long.

Same two elements installed and plumbed into a fully

functional water treatment system.
 Lightweight Contingency Water Treatment System
for Constellation System Applications

Provides for Urine Recycle or Seawater Recovery in Emergency Situations

• Produces a liquid food from urine and potentially other non-potable water sources during space water
emergencies
• Can potentially be used to stabilized/store urine at any time and is thus is a backup for urine disposal system
• Also can be used to desalinate seawater for direct consumption as a liquid food
• Disposable or multi-use system (FO membrane bags are reusable if required)
• Passive - no power requirements
• Low mass solution to meet triple redundancy requirements
• Processes approximately 1 kg of urine or seawater for every 300 g of processor weight

Off the shelf FO bag in

commercial packaging (left)

Same FO bag containing 2L of

stored drinking water (right)
FO is flexible and could be
incorporated into the wall
material of inflatable
structures

John Frassanito & Associates ©

How Wastewater Treatment and Forward Osmosis Power
Cogeneration Would Work
Wastewater
Lagoon: Treated Pressure
but short of final accumulator/exchanger
discharge standards reservoir
Seawater circulation pump
FO membrane
element Seawater access
channel

Wastewater
circulation
pump

Power
Turbine
Municipal Wastewater to Seawater Contactor Theory:

KW = η (λQH/1000)

Where:

η = over 90%

λ = 9810 N/m3

Q = m2/s

H=m

Actual flux for our membrane is up to approximately 15 l/m2 hr and gives a theoretical
maximum power at seawater salt levels of 2.5+ W/m2 under optimal conditions. Actual NASA
lab values for batch process are currently at 1.75 -2.0 W/m2. This gives value of approximately
0.15 W-hr/l (or about 0.5 W-hr/gal) is in terms of water though put (Q) rather than membrane
area, which is generally a more useful number for cogeneration discussions. So, use the 1 of a
Watt/hr per gallon potential at the discharge point as your cogeneration payback target with
seawater as the working fluid.
 The Solar Thermal Application is Also Attractive, is
Theoretically Similar and Extends the Discussion to
Industrial Wastewater Application:

• Solar thermal application theory is exactly the same for seawater but with potentially more concentrated
brine. Working fluid TDS, and thus the osmotic potential per gallon of working fluid and/or membrane area,
can be 3 to 7.5 times higher.

• An NaCl concentration of 100 g/l is about three times seawater and will give a power potential of 6 W/m2
and/or 0.5 W/l based on seawater systems already demonstrated.

• At the precipitation point for NaCl you are at about 7.5 times the concentration of seawater and thus 7.5
times the osmotic pressure potential. This gives better than 15 W/m2 and/or 1.1 W/l for this upper limit
condition.

• However, actual TDS will be dictated by optimal solar thermal operation not FO requirements (i.e. we can
chase the needs of the solar designer rather than dictating the needs our selves)

• The real potential of using FO in combination with solar thermal turbine system is as a load following
device in the PM hours for wastewater treatment plants
 Product
Off Peak Forward Osmosis Power Generation Subsystem Water

Input
Working brine circulation pump
Fresh water make-up
tank, batch recharge tank Solar thermal Steam
working fluid brine Turbine

FO membrane
element Steam
Separator

Wastewater Solar Thermal

circulation Collectors
pump
Pressure
accumulator/exchanger
Power reservoir
Turbine
The PRO/TT Study Objectives

• Demonstrate secondary effluent wastewater treatment and simultaneous sustained power density at the
FO membrane (PRO/TT).

• Developed a sustained NASA, N. Cal Ocean interface wastewater utility, and regional academic
research collaboration in FO power and other FO and/or salinity gradient driven advanced water system
architectures

• Other FO studies may include non-point source FO treatment for salt marsh wetlands, algae systems,
and advanced industrial gray water recycle
The NASA ARC Membrane Test Stand
Conclusions

• Our interest is more in seeing FO as a unique leveraging tool in comprehensive environmental system
design

• We are interested in seeing a robust industry in FO membranes and system applications

• In seeing the developed a sustained Government Ocean interface wastewater utility, and regional
academic research collaboration in FO power and other FO and/or salinity gradient driven advanced water
system architectures

• FO studies should include non-point source FO treatment for salt marsh wetlands, algae systems, and
advanced industrial gray water recycle, PRO and other applications

• Salinity gradients are large untapped resource for good sustainable design, but system architecture is as
important as membranes
Thank you