6533b82dfe1ef96bd1290a84
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Multi-physical modelling of reverse electrodialysis
Alessandro TamburiniGiorgio MicaleAndrea CipollinaLuigi GurreriGiuseppe BattagliaMichele Ciofalosubject
Work (thermodynamics)EngineeringSettore ING-IND/26 - Teoria Dello Sviluppo Dei Processi ChimiciSettore ING-IND/25 - Impianti ChimiciGeneral Chemical EngineeringAnalytical chemistry02 engineering and technology020401 chemical engineeringStack (abstract data type)Reversed electrodialysisFluid dynamicsPerformance predictionGeneral Materials Science0204 chemical engineeringSettore ING-IND/19 - Impianti NucleariWater Science and TechnologyComputer simulationPlane (geometry)business.industryMechanical EngineeringGeneral ChemistryMechanics021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology6. Clean waterMembraneReverse electrodialysis multi-physical model finite element method power density profiled membranesSettore ING-IND/06 - Fluidodinamica0210 nano-technologybusinessdescription
Abstract Reverse electrodialysis (RED) is an electrochemical membrane process that directly converts the energy associated with the concentration difference between two salt solutions into electrical energy by means of a selective controlled mixing. The physics of RED involves the interaction of several phenomena of different nature and space-time scales. Therefore, mathematical modelling and numerical simulation tools are crucial for performance prediction. In this work, a multi-physical modelling approach for the simulation of RED units was developed. A periodic portion of a single cell pair was simulated in two dimensions. Fluid dynamics was simulated by the Navier-Stokes and continuity equations, and ion transfer by the Nernst–Planck approach along with the local electroneutrality condition. The Donnan exclusion theory was implemented in order to simulate interfacial phenomena. A sensitivity analysis of the process performance was carried out. Different membrane/channel geometrical configurations were investigated, including flat membranes, either with or without non-conductive spacers, and profiled membranes. The influence of feeds concentration/velocity was also evaluated. Results confirmed that, with respect to the ideal case of plane (empty) channels and planar membranes, non-conductive spacers always reduce the power produced, while profiled membranes may or may not perform better, depending on stack features and operating conditions.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-12-01 |