INTEGRATED CFD SIMULATION OF HOLLOW FIBER REVERSE OSMOSIS

MODULE

Authors: Kenji Furuichi, Etsuko Komon, Chisato Nonomura, Katsushige Marui, Atsuo Kumano

Presenter: Kenji Furuichi, Ph.D.

Researcher – Toyobo Co., Ltd. - Japan

Abstract

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation model of hollow fiber reverse osmosis (RO)
module is developed by integrating friction-concentration-polarization (FCP) model into CFD. The FCP
model, written by user defined function (UDF) in commercial CFD package ANSYS FLUENT,
describes the mass transfer including the effect of concentration polarization of the surface of membrane.
Using this integrated simulation, we can analyze the mass transfer through the membrane as well as the
fluid flow inside and outside of the hollow fiber with proper boundary conditions in the entire RO
module. Furthermore, this integrated simulation can be applied to the investigation on realistic 3D-
model considering the detailed structure of RO module.

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REF: IDAWC15- Furuichi
I. INTRODUCTION
Analyses for the performance of hollow fiber reverse osmosis (RO) module have been conducted
using friction-concentration-polarization (FCP) model [1], [2]. Previous studies focused on the flow in
the hollow fiber bundle, not in the entire RO module, and employed some assumptions about the flow to
simplify the problem. The assumptions are twofold: (1) A feed of high pressure solution from the
distributing core tube of RO module is uniform along the module axis, and (2) the flow component of
axial direction is neglected, that is, the solution flows radially through the hollow fiber bundle. Although
previous studies revealed the validity of FCP model via the wide range comparison between the
predictions of model and measuring data, the validity of these assumptions have not been confirmed yet.
Alternative approach for investigating the fluid flow in RO module is needed to confirm these
assumptions.
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been extensively used as an analysis tool for the fluid
flow and mass transfer in membrane separation system [3]. In this study, we describe the development
of integrated CFD simulation of RO module. This new model integrates the FCP model into CFD, and
predicts the flow/mass transfer, in contrast to the previous studies, with proper boundary conditions in
the entire RO module.

II. MODEL FORMULATION

The membrane permeation of the FCP model [1], [2] is described by the solution-diffusion
model [4]. Water and solute flux through membrane are written as follows.

JW  A  P    (1)

J S  BC (2)

Here, A , B , P ,  and C are pure water permeability, solute transport constant, trans membrane
pressure, osmotic pressure and concentration differences, respectively. The intensity of concentration
polarization at membrane surface is described by the film theory [4]:

CM  C P J 
  exp  V  (3)
CB  CP  k 

where

JW  J S
JV  (4)
P

JS
Cp  (5)
JV

CM , CP and CB are concentrations at membrane surface, in permeated solution and in bulk solution,
respectively. It is noted that bulk means the outside of hollow fiber except for a boundary layer adjacent
to membrane surface. JV and  P are solution flux through membrane and density of permeate solution.
k in eqn. (3) is the mass transfer coefficient calculated from an empirical correlation equation [1]:

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Sh  0.048 Re 0.6 Sc1/3 (6)

where Sh , Re and Sc are Sherwood number, Reynolds number, and Schmidt number, respectively. The
pressure gradient inside of hollow fiber is deduced from the Hagen-Poiseuille equation:

dPp 128 p Qp
 (7)
dz  dI 4

Pp , QP and P represent pressure, flow rate and viscosity of permeate solution, respectively. z is the
axial coordinate of RO module (see Fig.1), and d I is the inner diameter of the hollow fiber. The above
equations are integrated into commercial CFD package ANSYS FLUENT, and written by user defined
function (UDF) in ANSYS FLUENT.
The simulated domain of this study is arranged to be axisymmetry in relation to the axis of RO
module whose length is about 1 m. This domain consists of three zones: distributing core tube, hollow
fiber bundle, and annular clearance between the fiber bundle and pressure vessel. The feed inlet and
concentrate outlet are located at one end of core tube and annular clearance. The hollow fiber bundle is
treated as a porous zone. Because of very slow fluid velocity, the flow through this zone can be
considered as laminar flow. In the other zones, turbulence equations are solved in addition to the Navier-
Stokes equation. The pressure gradient of j-direction in the porous zone is calculated from the Ergun
equation [1], [5]:

150 1     B 1.75 1     B 2
2

 PB   Vj  Vj  j  r, z  (8)
j
 3
deff 2
3 deff

where PB , B and  B are pressure, viscosity and density of bulk solution, respectively.  represents the
porosity of hollow fiber bundle, and d eff is the effective surface diameter, i.e., d eff  1.5dO ( dO : outer
diameter of hollow fiber). V j is the velocity component of j-direction. In CFD, the quantities in bulk
solution ( PB , V j and CB ) are solved simultaneously with FCP model described by eqns. (1) - (7). Figure
1 illustrates the schematic diagram of integrated CFD simulation in this study.

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 Figure 1 Schematic diagram of integrated CFD simulation of RO module.

III. RESULTS
Using our integrated CFD simulation, we can consider proper boundary conditions for the entire
RO module in an arbitrary flow field. Thus, the assumptions about the flow employed in the previous
studies can be removed from the model. Figures 2 – 5 in this section are the simulated results of the
axisymmetric model under the following boundary conditions of RO module. At inlet of feed solution,
the mass flow rate and salt concentration are set at 0.47 kg/s and 35 kg/m3, respectively. The pressure
for the outlet of permeate (= fiber opening end) is fixed at ambient pressure, and the gage pressure for
the outlet of concentrate is set at 5.5 MPa. These boundary conditions correspond to the recovery ratio
of 0.3.
Figure 2 shows a contour for velocity magnitude V  Vr 2  Vz 2 
1/2
of bulk solution in the entire
RO module. In the distributing core tube, a mean Reynolds number (based on core tube diameter) is
about 8000, so that the flow is turbulent and maximum velocity is appeared in the inlet of feed solution.
In the hollow fiber bundle, the value of mean velocity is order of 10-3 m/s. Thus, the flow in this zone is
laminar creep flow. Figure 3 shows a contour for pressure of permeate solution Pp in the hollow fiber

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bundle. The maximum pressure is 0.3 MPa and appears in vicinity of the feed inlet. The distribution of
Pp along axial direction of RO module shows parabolic profile due to the assumption of Hagen-
Poiseuille flow inside of hollow fiber. Figure 4 shows a contour for solution flux JV in the hollow fiber
bundle. The distribution of JV is almost uniform along axis of RO module. However, the values of JV
near the fiber opening end are slightly larger than that in the other region, because the trans membrane
pressure difference P in this region is larger compared with other region as confirmed from Fig.3.
Figure 5 shows a radial profile of C p at the center of fiber bundle. The solid curve in the figure
indicates the result of this study, and agrees well with previous study (symbols) [1]. The other quantities
in the fiber bundle are also in good agreement with each other. Furthermore, it is found that feed
solution is uniformly distributed to the hollow fiber bundle from the core tube except for the vicinity of
inlet. The flow component of axial direction, in addition, is almost zero so that the solution flows
radially through the hollow fiber bundle. Consequently, we can confirm the validity of assumptions
about the flow pattern in RO module, which employed in the previous studies.

Figure 2 Contour for velocity magnitude of bulk solution V  Vr 2  Vz 2 

1/2
in the entire RO module.

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 Figure 3 Contour for pressure of permeate solution Pp in the hollow fiber bundle.

Figure 4 Contour for solution flux JV in the hollow fiber bundle.

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 Figure 5 Radial profile for concentration of permeate solution C p at the center of hollow fiber bundle.

Finally, we emphasize that our integrated CFD simulation can be applied to analyses for more
realistic 3D-model considering the detailed structure of RO module. Figure 6 shows a velocity vector
field in the hollow fiber bundle in consideration of small holes in the distributing core tube. The feed
solution flows from the distributing core tube to the hollow fiber bundle through these holes, which are
neglected for the axisymmetric model. It is apparent that the speed of flow through these holes
accelerates due to decrease of flow area. Thus, in contrast to the axisymmetric model, the feed solution
is nonuniformly distributed to the hollow fiber bundle from the core tube. It is worth mentioning that
this nonuniformity can be moderated by averaging the velocity along the axial direction of RO module.
Figure 7 also shows a contour for mass fraction of salt concentration in bulk solution. Reflecting the
membrane permeation, the feed solution is concentrated while passing through the hollow fiber bundle.
We found that the distribution of salt concentration in the hollow fiber bundle is undulated along the
axial direction of RO module. This undulation is induced by the nonuniformity of velocity field, because
the correlation of mass transfer through the membrane depends on the velocity field via Reynolds
number appearing in eqn. (6).

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Figure 6 Velocity vector field of bulk solution in the hollow fiber bundle considering the detailed
structure of RO module.

Figure 7 Contour for mass fraction of salt concentration of bulk solution in the entire RO module
considering the detailed structure of RO module.

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IV. CONCLUSIONS
We have developed an integrated simulation model of RO module, combining CFD and FCP
model. This simulation allows us to analyze the distribution of physical quantities with proper boundary
conditions. From simulated results, the validity of assumptions employed in previous studies is
confirmed. Also we show that this integrated simulation can be applied to realistic 3D-model
considering the detailed structure of RO module.

V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Support provided by the Mega-ton Water system is gratefully acknowledged. The Mega-ton
Water System is a national research project funded through the Japan Society for the Promotion of
Science (JSPS) as part of the Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and
Technology (FIRST Program) initiated by the Council for Science and Technology Policy (CSTP). The
authors are also grateful to ANSYS Japan for supporting the development of UDF program.

VI. REFERENCES
1. Sekino, M. Precise analytical model of hollow fiber reverse osmosis modules, Journal of Membrane
Science 85, 1993, 241-252.
2. Kumano, A.; Sekino, M.; Matsui, Y.; Fujiwara, N.; Matsuyama, H. Study of mass transfer
characteristics for a hollow fiber reverse osmosis module, Journal of Membrane Science 324, 2008,
136-141.
3. Ghidossi, R.; Veyret, D.; Moulin, P. Computational fluid dynamics applied to membranes: state of
the art and opportunities, Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification 45, 2006,
437-454.
4. Kimura, S.; Sourirajan, S. Analysis of data in reverse osmosis with porous cellulose acetate
membranes used, AIChE Journal, 13, 1967, 497-503.
5. Ergun, S. Fluid flow through packed columns, Chemical Engineering Progress, 48, 1952, 89-94.

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