“Pulse Flow RO” for

Extremely High Recovery

Without Scaling
Without Fouling

Dr. B. Liberman | September 2017

Pulse Flow RO Works
› Operation
› Production: Dead End, 100% recovery, about 200 seconds, followed by
› Flushing: High shearing velocity reject flow discharge, about 4 seconds

Reject
valve
closed

Standard RO
Geometry stable

Concentration stable

Reject Flow stable

2
Pulse Flow Operation
› Three successful pilots
1 2

3
 HP Pump Operation Regime

Dead-end 100% recovery

Pressure
Reject
flow

Flow

Pat. GB2519880;
PCT/IB2015/055665;
Reject discharge Permeate production WO 2016024179 A1
Pulse Flush Pilot in Hadera RO Plant

5
Short Stay in an Extremely High Concentration allows reaching Extremely
High Recovery
› The pulse flow RO process
› Fast increase of brine flow concentration during Production (Dead-End 100% recovery)
› Fast decrease of brine flow concentration during short time reject flush

PF brine concentration

Standard brine concentration

PF

6
Slow Dynamics of the Nucleation Process
Relatively Slow Dynamics of the Nucleation Process, compare to short time stay of
PFRO brine in membranes, allows reach extremely high recovery
The mathematical model represents the actual time required for formation of a CaCO3 layer on the existing proto-crystals

7
Expert Design Model
› Pulse flow RO
› Results of low conductivity test

8
1-stage PFRO versus 4-stage BWRO

Membrane: Hydranautics ESPA-2-LD 8040

 Design-Expert® Software
Factor Coding: Actual
Desirability Desirability
Flow product (m3/hr) Conductivity (Ms)
xpert® Software
n-Expert® SoftwareDesirability Flow product (m3/hr)
Desirability Conductivity (Ms)
5 5 5

5 5 5 1.000
roding:
Coding:Actual
0.1532
0.4
Actual 0.1532
0.1447

0.4 5 12.55 0.1447 0.787

ty
sponses 0.6 12.55
12.6

0.000
4.1 4.1 12.62 4.1
12.6

n Points
sign Points
4.1
0.6
4.1 0.6835 12.62 4.1
13
0.6835 0.4 0.6835
0.1026
0.1447
13 0.1308
0.6835
0.102612.62
12.67 0.1447 0.1532
3.2
12.67 12.62 Desirability 0.787 3.2
12.6
12.55
0.1308
0.1532 X1 = A: Production
Prediction 12.65 3.2
0.172
1.000
Prediction 0.2643
B: Flushing (sec)

B: Flushing (sec)

B: Flushing (sec)
0.6924 0.71 12.6 0.7651
3.2 Desirability 0.787 3.2 Prediction 12.65 3.2 Prediction 0.2643

X2 = B: Flushing
0.6924 12.55 0.172 0.2
B: Flushing (sec)

B: Flushing (sec)
0.6924 0.71 0.7651
0.6924 0.6463 0.2
0.6
4.1
2.3 2.3 2.3
0.2804
0.6835 0.6835
12
0.2804
2.3
0.6835 0.6835
2.3
12
2.3
0.800
A: Production 0.4

Production
B: Flushing 1.4
0.6
1.4
0.4
1.4
0.6

Flushing
1.4 1.4 1.4 11
0.6
0.4 11
0.6 0.600
0.4 0.2 0.8

0.5 0.5 0.8 0.5

0.2
3.2 Desirability 0.787
0.5 60 75.56
0.5 91.11 106.7 122.2 137.8 153.3 168.9 184.4 200 60 75.56
0.5 91.11 106.7 122.2 137.8 153.3 168.9 184.4 200 60 75.56 91.11 106.7 122.2 137.8 153.3 168.9 184.4 200
B: Flushing (sec)

60 75.56 91.11 106.7 122.2 137.8 153.3 168.9 184.4 200 60 75.56 91.11 106.7 122.2 137.8 153.3 168.9 184.4 200
0.7267 60 75.56 0.7455
91.11 106.7 122.2 137.8
0.7696
153.3 168.9 184.4 200

0.400

Desirability
0.6865
A: Production (sec) A: Production (sec) A: Production (sec)
A: Production (sec) A: Production (sec) A: Production (sec)
0.6838

Recovery (%) Rejection (%%) 0.200

Recovery (%) Rejection (%%)
5 5
99.7
5 2.3 5
99.7

94

94
94.97
4.1 4.1

99.8
0.000
4.1 94.97 4.1
0.6838
99.8
96
0.6463
96
96.93 99.77
0.6865
96.93 99.77
3.2 3.2
0.6
97.35 Prediction 98.18 Prediction 99.69
99.71
B: Flushing (sec)

99.73
B: Flushing (sec)

99.72 99.71
3.2 97.35 Prediction 98.18 3.2 Prediction 99.69
99.73 99.71
B: Flushing (sec)

1.4 97.72 99.72 99.71

97.72
98
2.3 2.3 99.7
98
98.34
2.3 2.3 99.7
99.68 5 200
98.34 98.61

98.61
99.68 0.4 99.66
184.444
99.66
4.1 168.889
1.4 99.17 1.4
99.63
1.4 99.17 1.4 0.2 153.333
99.63 99.6 3.2
137.778
99.6
0.5 100
122.222
100 0.5 0.5 2.3
60 75.56 91.11 106.7 122.2 137.8 153.3 168.9 184.4 200 60 75.56 91.11 106.7 122.2 137.8 153.3 168.9 184.4 200
106.667
0.5
600.5 75.56 91.11 106.7 122.2 137.8 153.3 168.9 184.4 200
91.1111
60 75.56 91.11 106.7 122.2 137.8 153.3 168.9 184.4 200 60 75.56 91.11 106.7 122.2 137.8 153.3 168.9 184.4 200
B: Flushing (sec) 1.4 A: Production (sec)
75.5556
A: Production (sec) A: Production (sec)
0.5 60
A: Production (sec) A: Production (sec)

A: Production (sec)
Not pumping brine flow continuously results in ~ 20% Power Saving

› PFRO production requires a smaller

feed pump
› 95% of the time only permeate is
pumped
Pulse Flow RO › 5% of the time reject flow is pumped
95% of time
Permeate
Standard flow
RO
pumping
power only
consumption
Includes simultaneously
pumping permeate and
reject
Pulse flow
Flow RO
5% of time reject flow
pumping
Practical Implementation of Pulse Flow RO

› Retrofit existing RO train or an additional Pulse-Flow RO stand can be installed

Standard BWRO Pulse-Flow RO

80% recovery +80% recovery

800m3/h

160m3/h
200m3/h
1000m3/h 40m3/h
200m3/h
13
Micro Pilot - RO Reject Brine Squeezer
Capacity 2000 GPD, Recovery 50%-90%
2.5 kw motor