Osmosis inversa

Maria Paula Rincon Torres 1,2

Maria Paula Bonilla Gonzales1,2

1.Laboratorio de operaciones de separación

2. Universidad de la Sabana

Introduction
Reverse osmosis is a membrane technology that removes salinity from water. This is based on the
membrane diffusion phenomenon where solutions are demineralized when injected at high pressures,
that is, the pressure on the side where the salt concentrations are higher is increased, it passes through
the membrane until achieving an ionic balance between both. sides of the membrane, most of the
energy used in reverse osmosis is used by the water pump to make the solvent flow through the
membrane and thus overcome the osmotic pressure so that the water can flow [1]. Therefore, it seeks
to determine a monthly operating plan for the purification of water from an aqueduct and definition of
operating costs. With the above, it is sought to define system variables such as a calibration curve
obtained with experimental data, osmotic pressure, water permeability by the solvent and membrane
polarization factor. It also seeks to compare the values obtained against the costs of obtaining the
same volume of water, but commercially.
Metodology
Results and analysis
• Experimental data
Data were obtained experimentally by preparing solutions where the salt concentrations varied in
these, then the conductivity per solution was measured and from these data the construction of the
conductivity calibration curve against NaCl concentration was carried out.

Concentration Conductivity
NaCl (g/L) (𝜇S)
0,2 320
0,4 331
0,6 910
0,8 1787
1 2000
Table 1. Experimental data for the construction of the calibration curve
It can be seen that the behavior of the calibration curve is not as expected thanks to the fact that the
behavior of the conductivity was expected to be linear, that is, the conductivity increased according to
the concentration of ions in the solution thanks to the fact that in aqueous solutions the concentration
is directly proportional to conductivity [2].

2500

2000
f(x) = − 12833.33 x³ + 24353.57 x² − 11210.95 x + 1700.6
R² = 1
Conductivity (𝜇S)

1500

1000

500

0
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1
Concentration NaCl( g/L)

Figure 1. Calibration curve of conductivity versus NaCl concentration

Although it was found that the curve did not have the expected behavior, a regression model was
sought that would accommodate the data, in this case a polynomial model of degree 3 and from the
equation of the line, it was sought to determine the concentrations of the samples collected from
permeated and retained in 3 different runs of the equipment in this case varying the pressure between
3.7 and 12 bars.

Pressure 3 bar
Permeated (𝜇S) Detained (mS)
Concentration (g/L) Concentration (g/L)
827 0,5652 3,47 3,675
 3400 1,4906 3,39 3,651
1705 0,7867 3,32 3,632
950 0,5952 3,3 2,102
Table 2. Concentrations at 3 bars of pressure.

Pressure 7 Bar
Permeated (𝜇S) Detained (𝜇S)
Concentration (g/L) Concentration (g/L)

364 336000
0,431 3,6419
108,8 1,2985 342000 3,6592
120,6 1,2976 341000 3,6563
94,3 1,2997 34000 2,1089
Table 3. Concentrations at 7 bars of pressure.

Pressure 12 Bar
Permeated (𝜇S) Detained (𝜇S)
Concentration (g/L) Concentration (g/L)
580 1,2589 32000 2,0834
136,6 1,2964 364000 3,721
90,6 1,2998 352000 3,6876
65,2 1,3019 356000 3,6988
Table 4. Concentrations at 12 bars of pressure.
This is achieved by determining that the concentration of the retentate is higher than that of the
permeate, so it can be verified that if there is a change in concentration when the solution runs through
the equipment and the water injected into the equipment can be made drinkable.

 Case study
According to the operating characteristics of the equipment reported with a flow rate of 2200 L / h
and a concentration of 8g / L of NaCl in addition to the permeate and retentate flow rates 150 and
2000 L / h, it was also taken into account that the permeate concentration should be approximately
0.04 g / L, therefore, a retentive concentration result of 8.80 g / L was obtained. This was verified
thanks to the mass balance in this case, taking into account the solute concentration where the mass
balance was fulfilled at the outlet and at the inlet.
It should be taken into account that the osmotic pressure difference generated by each of the
concentrations within the equipment must be determined where Van't hoff's law is taken into account,
so the gas constant, the inlet temperature and the osmotic pressure coefficient and an osmotic pressure
of 7x 105 Pa was obtained. In addition to determining the pressure difference applied on both sides of
the membrane, which results in 1x 105, this can be determined thanks to the difference upstream and
downstream of the equipment. To find the specific solvent flux, the permeate flow over the membrane
surface must be taken into account, so with this the permeability of the membrane can be calculated
taking into account the difference in osmotic pressure and the applied pressure. and that results in 6.84
x 10-12 s · m² / kg. To determine the membrane polarization factor, it allows to know the relationship
of the fed solute concentration and the concentration on the membrane surface, which yields a value
of 0.18.
It was obtained that in total there would be 5,376 hours of operation taking into account that 28 days
were worked in a period of 8 hours, with this it is possible to determine the cost of the monthly
operation $ 35,171,942 COP with a total volume of 12,633.6 m3 for To determine this, the cost value
per m3 of water charged by the Bogotá aqueduct was taken, in this case $ 2,784 COP. To determine
the cost of energy, an energy consumption of 2.2 kW / h was established, for which a total of 11,827.2
kW / h was obtained for the monthly operation, which gives a cost of $ 5,910,761 COP this was
obtained thanks to at a value per kW charged by the company In the year 2020 in this case $ 499.76,
the total cost of the monthly operation is $ 41,082,703 COP.
On the other hand, if the water necessary for daily operation were taken to the laboratory, the tank in
which the water is carried would be taken into account and the cost per m3 of water implemented in
the 8 hours of work, this would be calculated taking into account the same cost used previously ($
2,784 COP) in this case the required tank is 1900L, the price of a tank with these characteristics varies
according to the supplier and the volumetric capacity, two options were obtained.
The first option is from the eternit brand, it is a tank with a capacity of 2000L and is in easy, its price
is $ 470,720 COP.

Figure 2. Option 1. 2000L eternit tank

Figure 3. Option 1. Tank specification table.

Considering, the price and the option, it can be said that a disadvantage is that exactly 1800L are
needed and having the 2000L would not be used and a high price would be paid for this, although the
product has good characteristics, the price of consumption for day it would be $ 51,775.2 COP plus
the price of the purchase of the tank, but this would also be used for the other days it would be $
522,496 COP and taking into account the other 27 days, it would give a total of $ 1,920,426 COP.
The second option is from the Qtanque brand, which has a capacity of 1900L and its price is $
879,273 COP.

Figure 4. Option 2. 1900L Tank

Taking this option into account, we can see that only the price of the tank is very high, and when
carrying out the operation of the costs, for the first day, having found the price of the tank and that of
the spent water, it would be $ 931,048 COP and if takes into account the 27 days would be $
2'328.978 COP.
In terms of costs, this more reasonable price is the first option, although the laboratory supply is still a
better option, since option 2 is too expensive and costs almost twice as much as the supply option or
option 1.
Another alternative could be that each day a different person can fill the tank without having to pay,
so it would save too much, although it is not known how feasible this option may be, it is also
necessary to take into account costs in transporting the tank, from the residence to the laboratory.
Taking all this into account, the option of supplying laboratory water is still much more feasible, since
not many things have to be done to access this resource.
Conclusions
• It was determined that the monthly operation would give a total of 5,376 hours depending on the 28
days of operation with a total operating cost of COP $ 41,082,703 and a total supply volume of
12,633.6 m3.
• System variables such as the NaCl calibration curve were calculated, in which it was obtained that
the solutions prepared for the construction of this had errors that were due to the fact that the line
obtained did not have a linear behavior. It was determined that the osmotic pressure had a value of 7 x
105 Pa, water permeability through the solvent of 6.84 x 10-12 s · m² / kg and a polarization factor of
0.18.
• Two alternative options were considered instead of the direct supply of water from the laboratory in
which a tank was implemented to contain and transport the water, but none of these options was better
than the one mainly proposed.
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