Abstract Membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) is a desalination method that uses electrical voltage applied between porous electrodes with ion exchange membranes (IEMs) to remove ions from water. The purpose of this research was to characterize the sensitivity of key MCDI performance metrics such as salinity removal, hydraulic recovery, and specific energy consumption to key operational parameters such as applied voltage and detention time. A factorial design of experiments was applied with tests on brackish feed water from the Kay Bailey Hutchinson desalination plant in El Paso and two brackish water wells from the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility (BGNDRF) in Alamogordo. The specific energy consumption (SEC) from these tests were evaluated to show the dependence of energy consumption on product water quality goals and water recovery. All experimental results and calculations used in the understanding of system performance were normalized to allow for scale up and applicability by other researchers. Results show possibility of achieving water recovery ranges from 50% to 93% with an SEC range of 0.2 kWh/m3 to 1.3 kWh/m3 respectively. With the findings of this research, utilities and industries can identify trade-offs in the use of MCDI for their specific water treatment needs.

Achieving high water recovery in real brackish water treatment by membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) desalination systems

255th National Meeting (2018)

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