AIR Option 1: Technology Translation - Moving Reversible Ion Exchange-Membrane (RIX-M) Technology for Desalination into the Market Place: Technology Translation Plan Competition

这个PFI：空气技术翻译项目专注于翻译离子交换基础知识，以填补通过可逆离子交换-膜(RIX-M)工艺进行的苦咸水淡化的空白。转换后的技术具有以下独特特点：由于减少了反渗透(RO)膜表面的硫酸盐和碳酸钙结垢，提高了产品水回收率，而不需要添加任何防垢化学品。也可以避免硫酸钡结垢和随之而来的膜污染的威胁，无论出现在哪里。该项目通过将自再生离子交换系统与反渗透工艺相结合来实现这一目标。设计合理的阴离子交换树脂混合床可显著降低膜入口硫酸盐浓度，从而避免硫酸盐沉淀。反渗透膜工艺的废渣用于阴离子交换树脂的再生，不需要添加外加化学物质。潜在的经济影响预计是，由于消除了阻垢化学品，海水淡化厂的运营费用将大幅减少。该合作伙伴关系涉及一家离子交换树脂制造商和一家工程公司，通过在具有代表性的条件下验证技术，进入全球不断增长的苦咸水淡化市场空间。从商业角度来看，这项创新也可以为现有的反渗透工厂进行改造，从而扩大拟议技术的市场。从更广泛的角度来看，拟议的工作还将为内陆海水淡化技术奠定基础，该技术不会产生含有环境有害的防垢化学品的废流，需要进行后处理。随着产品水回收率的提高，废弃卤水的体积将变小，从而减少了处置所需的土地。通过离子交换的基本原理设想的科学方法也可以移植到多级蒸发式海水淡化系统中，以避免结垢和由此导致的蒸发器换热效率的降低。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating ion exchange fundamentals to fill the gap in brackish water desalination through a Reversible Ion Exchange-Membrane (RIX-M) process. The translated technology has the following unique features: increased product water recovery due to reduction in scaling from sulfate and carbonate salts of calcium on the surface of Reverse Osmosis (RO) membranes without requiring addition of any anti-scaling chemicals. Threats of barium sulfate scaling and consequent fouling of membranes, wherever present, may also be avoided. The project accomplishes this goal by integrating a self-regenerated ion exchange system along with the RO process. An appropriately designed mixed bed of anion exchange resins significantly reduce sulfate concentration at the membrane inlet, thus avoiding sulfate precipitation. The reject of the RO membrane process is used to regenerate the anion exchange resins without needing addition of external chemicals. The potential economic impact is expected to be a significant reduction in operating expenses of the desalination plants due to elimination of anti-scaling chemicals. The partnership engages an ion exchange resin manufacturer and an engineering firm to move into the growing brackish water desalination market space globally through validation of the technology under representative conditions. From a business viewpoint, the innovation can also be retrofitted for existing RO plants, thus expanding the market for the proposed technology. From a broader perspective, the proposed work will also lay the basis for an in-land desalination technology which does not create a reject stream containing environmentally objectionable anti-scaling chemicals requiring post treatment. With higher product water recovery, the reject brine will be smaller in volume, thus reducing the land requirement for disposal. The scientific approach envisioned through fundamentals of ion exchange may also be transplanted in multi-stage evaporative desalination systems to avoid scaling and consequent reduction in heat transfer efficiency of evaporators.