A comprehensive review of reverse osmosis desalination: Technology, water sources, membrane processes, fouling, and cleaning
Yousef A. Tayeh
Abstract
Lacking of clean water is considered a challenge at present and in the years ahead in a way leading scientist to solve the problems. The establishment of desalination plants, particularly those using membrane technology , has been one such solution. There are three primary categories of desalination: Evaporation and Condensation, Filtration, and Crystallization. Additionally, desalination can be classified by the kind of energy used: Thermal, Mechanical, Electrical, and Chemical energy. Reverse osmosis (RO) is a globally sophisticated known tech, accounting for about 70 % of global desalination usage. This effort is built to summarize RO preceded studies, focusing on membrane modules and design processes, operational problems, and saline removal efficiency. The RO system is based on using osmotic pressure imposing water in the membrane in a way lessens energy compared to other desalination systems. The efficiency of RO depends on feed water properties, operating parameters, and membrane characteristics. Despite its success, RO technology faces challenges such as fouling (colloidal, organic, and biofouling) and scaling, which result from high concentrations of salts and pollutants in the feed water. Scaling can increase energy consumption, reduce membrane lifespan, and decrease desalination yield. Continuous cleaning is required when fouling occurs, with both chemical and physical cleaning methods being employed. This study also offers numerous suggestions for future research.