Approximate Design Equations and Alternate Design Methodologies for Tubular Reverse Osmosis Desalination

Simple analytical equations have been developed to determine the number of membrane tubes required for a given reverse osmosis desalination plant capacity with tubular modules in “straight-through” arrangement and turbulent flow inside tubes. The average solute concentration In permeate may also be estimated for such reverse osmosis plants by means of simple equations. The predictive accuracies of such approximate analytical design equations have been checked against the standard numerical design procedure of McCutchan and Goel for a single stage reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant. The design method based on breaking up the plant in two or more sections yields a better design. A simplified alternate numerical design procedure having the accuracy of the standard procedure has also been developed.