Hydrophilic ceramic membranes (tubular and planar) made of TiO2 and Al2O3 were efficiently modified with non-fluorinated hydrophobic grafting molecules. As a result of condensation reaction between hydroxyl groups on the membrane and reactive groups of modifiers, the hydrophobic surfaces were obtained. Ceramic materials were chemically modified using three various non-fluorinated grafting agent...

The purpose of this study was to determine the comparative environmental impacts of coupled seawater desalination and water reclamation using a novel hybrid system that consist of an osmotically driven membrane process and established membrane desalination technologies. A comparative life cycle assessment methodology was used to differentiate between a novel hybrid process consisting of forward...

Disposal of concentrate from brackish water desalination plants by deep well injection into oil and gas fields is an attractive option in Texas. Underpressured depleted oil and gas reservoirs cover large areas of the state. Six areas were selected from across Texas for detailed analysis. These sites were characterized by abundant brackish groundwater, a projected shortage of freshwater, deplete...

Water shortages affect 88 developing countries that are home to half of the world’s population. In these places, 80-90% of all diseases and 30% of all deaths result from poor water quality. Furthermore, over the next 25 years, the number of people affected by severe water shortages is expected to increase fourfold. Low cost methods to desalinate brackish water and sea water can help reverse thi...

Basic infrastructure like Power and Water production has come into focus due to the rapid growth witnessed in the Middle East. Hybrid desalination plants have high flexibility and play a vital role in water and power production. Conservation of fuel resources in the existing scenario of increasing fuel prices make it necessary to produce power and water in a cost optimal way. The challenge in o...

the continuous spread of distributed energy resources (ders) such as combined heating and power (chp), diesel generators, boilers and renewable energy sources provide an effective solution to energy related problems to serve the power and heat demands with minimum cost. moreover, the ders may play a significant role for supplying power and heat in rural areas, where grid electricity is not avai...

This paper presents some aspects of forward osmosis coupled with reverse osmosis using a recirculating draw solution, to produce desalinated water or for dewatering/concentrating a feed stream, with some data provided from a number of operational sites. Many of these aspects are applicable to other osmotic processes and provide an insight into where they may be appropriately considered. A compa...

The scarcity of fresh water is a global challenge faced at present. Several desalination methods have been suggested to secure fresh water from sea water. However, conventional methods suffer from technical limitations, such as high power consumption, expensive operating costs, and limited system durability. In this study, we examined the feasibility of using halophytes as a novel technology of...

Membrane distillation is an emerging technology which has been used to produce freshwater and purify different types of aqueous mixtures. Qatar is an arid country where almost 100% of its freshwater demand is supplied through the energy-intensive thermal desalination process. The country’s need for water has reached an all-time high which stipulates finding an alternative way to augment freshwa...