Configuration-Aware Computational Comparison of Reverse Osmosis Design Platforms Under Aligned Production Conditions

This study presents a configuration-aware computational comparison of two reverse osmosis (RO) design platforms for seawater desalination. The comparison addresses the need to distinguish differences arising from membrane and system configurations from those associated with the RO design platforms. We hypothesized that, when feed conditions, recovery, and production basis are aligned, the RO design platforms would provide broadly comparable separation predictions, whereas hydraulic and energy outputs would remain sensitive to membrane and configuration assumptions. Simulations were evaluated on a common production basis of 50,000 m³/day feed and 30,000 m³/day permeate at 60% recovery and 25°C while retaining the platform-specific membrane models and reported system configurations. Final permeate total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations were approximately 191-240 mg/L and 240.6 mg/L for the two configurations, respectively. Average fluxes were 15.2 and 13.95 L/m²/h, respectively, and specific energy consumption (SEC) values were 2.54 and 3.90 kWh/m³, respectively. The first configuration included an energy recovery device (ERD), whereas the reported baseline of the second configuration did not. Therefore, the SEC difference reflects configuration-dependent conditions and cannot establish intrinsic differences in platform efficiency. The results demonstrate broadly comparable permeate-quality predictions while showing that hydraulic and energy outputs require interpretation within their specific system boundaries. This comparison provides a computational screening basis, and independent validation is required before applying these findings to industrial design decisions.