Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Buoyant membrane solar-desalination and evaporation of hypersaline produced water

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-14-2026

Abstract

This work demonstrates the concurrent augmentation in evaporation and mineral extraction from produced water (PW) using a low-cost floating porous polyurethane membrane. The membrane floats on high (150,000–200,000 mg/l) total dissolved solids PW. Simultaneous photothermal and thermo-hydrodynamic phenomena drove the water and mineral (salt) recovery under a simulated solar irradiation environment. Solar radiation causes the natural evaporation of surface-produced water while the capillary pressure gradient across the membrane’s pores transports PW and minerals to the evaporating surface. Thermal localization and recharging of PW on the membrane surface resulted in evaporation enhancement. In this work, a parametric study on the effect of membrane thickness (3–15 mm) on evaporation and salt precipitation dynamics was conducted for a constant evaporating surface area of 60.82 cm2. Evaporation and salt extraction increased with thickness, with an evaporative mass loss of ~ 165 g. Experimental evidence revealed an optimum performance using the 10-mm-thick membrane in terms of cost, material usage, mass loss over time, mass loss per unit power, and time to attain steady state. A 10.3% improvement in evaporation and a mass loss of 362 g of PW were achieved for the 10-mm-thick membrane compared to evaporation without a floating membrane. The membrane serves as an insulator and solar absorber, localizing the heat on the evaporating surface and mitigating heat transmission to facilitate sensible heating of the produced water. The significance of this work lies in the ease and affordability of membrane installation for PW treatment, resulting in substantial expedited evaporation and precipitation rates.

Comments

https://rdcu.be/e4Nop

Publication Title

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy

DOI

10.1007/s10098-025-03351-1

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