Water. desalination + reuse

DWR MayJune 2016

Water. Desalination + reuse

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RESEARCH May-June 2016 | Desalination & Water Reuse | 27 | NAtuRE'S wAy Singapore researchers claim to have produced a biomimetic membrane with the potential to reduce water purification costs by up to 30%. The National University of Singapore Environmental Research Institute (NERI) scientists - led by Professor Tong Yen Wah, has designed and made a new water purification and treatment system that incorporates aquaporins –cell membrane proteins found in mangrove trees and human kidneys. Aquaporins conduct high volumes of water in and out of cells at very low pressures while blocking ions and other solutes. The NERI team used an "easy-to-implement surface imprinting technology" to fix aquaporin proteins onto a polymer film to create robust membranes that used little energy in allowing only water to pass very quickly. A pilot is in the offing according to Tong. tHiN modEl University of Illinois engineers claim to have identified a nanoporous material that could be deployed in desalination with greater efficiency than graphene. Using supercomputing, the Illinois team modelled various thin- film membranes and found that molybdenum disulphide showed the greatest efficiency, filtering through up to 70% more water than graphene membranes. Molybdenum disulphide is, according to the researchers, a robust material, so even a thin sheet is able to withstand the pressures and water volumes encountered in desalination. The Illinois team is establishing collaborations to test molybdenum disulphide in desalination and to test its rate of fouling. Good vibRAtioNS Researchers in Israel and China have reported how computer emulation findings suggest a novel nanotechnology-based strategy to improve water filtration. The research looked at minute vibrations of water-carrying carbon nanotubes called phonons which could enhance the diffusion of water through filters. The researchers showed how phonons could improve filtration efficiency using computers to simulate the flow of water molecules through nanotubes. The results have important implications for membrane desalination. According to Professor Michael Urbakh of the Tel Aviv University school of chemistry, phonons can triple the energy efficiency of water passage through filters used in water disinfection and reverse osmosis desalination. "Water filtration systems require a lot of energy due to friction at the nano-level. With these oscillations, however, we witnessed three times the efficiency of water transport, and, of course, a great deal of energy saved," Urbakh said. buGS… Engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder have invented a process that they claim simplifies the treatment of oil and gas wastewater. The system simultaneously removes salts and organic contaminants by enlisting bacteria which also produce energy to run a desalination line. The Colarado researchers' technology – microbial capacitive desalination – effectively creates a microbe-powered battery. The bacteria consume hydrocarbons in the wastewater and subsequently release their energy which is used to generate electricity. Fracking produces wastewater with high salinity

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