Effects of acceleration on reverse osmosis desalination

Hollow fine-fiber reverse osmosis elements were run in a continuous-flow centrifuge at accelerations up to 1000 G. Under acceleration, the elements produced more desalted water and passed less salt, showing a reduction of concentration polarization. Reduced data showed that the mass transfer co-efficient of salt from the membrane surface to the bulk of the brine increased with acceleration to the 0.3 power. Acceleration also improved flow distribution by eliminating regions of high-density stagnant brine. Use of a centrifuge will allow utilization of higher transport membranes.