BEIRUT ARAB UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING DEPT.

SANITARY COURSE
(CIVE434)

CHAPTER 4: REVERSE OSMOSIS

FALL 2012-2013
 REVERSE OSMOSIS
RO is the finest level of filtration

RO acts as molecular filter to remove:

- 95-99% of dissolved salts
- Organic molecules with molecular weight greater than 100.
- 98% of residual biological matter.

RO
Membrane
Feed
Water Permeate
Water
High
Pressure Reject
Pump Water
The influent to RO requires pretreatment to prevent fouling of the membrane by
bacteria or other suspended solids.
 REVERSE OSMOSIS
Applications:

- Seawater desalination
- Food & Beverage Industry
- Industrial process water

Brackish water: Salinity between 2000 & 10000 ppm

Seawater: Salinity between 35000 & 40000 ppm, this means;

after water evaporation every 1 cubic meter of water includes 35
to 40 Kg of salt.
What is the Osmotic Pressure?
Reverse Osmosis Unit
 Name Symbol Value Name Symbol Value

Meter M 1 Meter M 1
Decameter Dcm 10 Deca meter dam 10
Centimeter Cm 10-2 Hecto meter hm 102
Millimeter mm 10-3 Kilo meter Km 103
Micrometer Mm 10-6 Mega meter Mm 106
Nanometer Nm 10-9 Giga meter Gm 109
Pico meter Pm 10-12 Tetrameter Tm 1012
Femto meter Fm 10-15 Pentameter Pm 1015
Atto meter Am 10-18 Exameter Em 1018
Zepto meter zm 10-21 Zettameter Zm 1021
Yotta meter Ym 10-24 Yotta meter Ym 1024
 Salinity of reject water = Feed Water Salinity / (1 recovery rate)
Ex; a seawater (35,000 ppm) at 40% recovery rate will produce a
concentrate stream of 58,333 ppm.

Membranes need to be cleaned, therefore the flux rate will be

reduced from its original value.
Membranes can be cleaned using chemicals.
 Example
It is required to supply about 500m3/d of water to a resort. A reverse
osmosis unit will be installed. If brine water = 80%, design this
system.

Soft water flow rate Qsoft = 500m3/d

Brine water Qb= 80% of pumped sea water Qsea
Qsoft = 20% of pumped sea water = 20% Qsea
Qsea = 500*100/20 = 2500m3/d
Qb = 0.8 * 2500 = 2000 m3/d
Choose RO membrane 200mm diameter gives 10m3/m/d of soft
water
The total length of membrane = 500/10 = 50m
If 6m length membrane is used,
the number of units = 50/6 = 8.33
we take 10 units.