Batch Reverse Osmosis: Experimental Results, Model Validation, and Design Implications

This abstract presents experimental results from a prototype batch reverse osmosis (RO) system. Batch RO has attracted attention recently due its potential to bring the energy consumption of RO closer to the theoretical minimum. Numerous studies have modeled batch RO energy consumption, but only one study reports experimental data on the performance of batch RO systems. That study (Davies et al., 2016) failed to report reset times and circulation pump work, which are two key drawbacks of batch RO. Our work is the first experimental study to include this important data. We hope to inform the water community about the promise and limitations of this new technology, and also receive feedback on the directions of our future work on this topic.