A Hybrid CFD Platform for Colloidal Fouling Prediction in Electrodialysis

Area of Science:

• Membrane science and technology
• Computational fluid dynamics
• Electrochemical engineering

Background:

• Fouling is a major challenge in membrane processes, degrading performance and membrane properties.
• Limited modeling approaches exist for predicting colloidal fouling in electromembrane systems like electrodialysis (ED).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an original simulation platform coupling computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with ED and colloidal fouling models.
• To investigate the impact of colloidal deposition on ED systems at both channel and unit scales.
• To identify regions prone to fouling growth and evaluate associated phenomena.

Main Methods:

• Coupling CFD simulations with electrodialysis (ED) and colloidal fouling models.
• Addressing fluid dynamics, salt transport, and fouling layer growth within the simulation.
• Calibrating and validating the model using existing colloidal fouling data from literature.

Main Results:

• Identification of specific regions within ED systems that are more susceptible to colloidal fouling.
• Evaluation of polarization phenomena, including increased pressure losses and electrical resistance over time due to fouling.
• Demonstration of the model's capability to simulate fouling layer growth and its consequences.

Conclusions:

• The developed simulation platform provides a novel tool for understanding and predicting colloidal fouling in ED.
• The findings highlight the importance of considering fouling dynamics for optimizing ED system design and operation.
• The model aids in mitigating performance degradation caused by colloidal deposition in electromembrane processes.