A simulation study with a new performance index for pressure-retarded osmosis processes hybridized with seawater reverse osmosis and membrane distillation

Despite many kinds of research on pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO), feasibility studies for PRO are still insufficient. To provide a better understanding of PRO-hybridized processes, an energy efficiency analysis should reflect the hybridization features of three processes, including PRO, seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO), and membrane distillation (MD). To this end, a new dimensionless (i.e., unitless or scale-free) performance index is proposed to facilitate a fair comparison of energy efficiency between SWRO-PRO and SWRO-MD-PRO. The new performance index physically implies a ratio of the total energy recovered by PRO to the total energy consumed by SWRO and MD. The performances of hybridized processes were estimated with the new index and compared to each other after running several simulations. The simulation results showed that SWRO-MD-PRO generally has a higher energy efficiency than SWRO-PRO if an inexpensive heat source, such as waste heat, is used. However, the energy efficiencies of both PRO-hybridized processes were different according to the simulation conditions. Therefore, it can be concluded that energy optimization for PRO-hybridized processes should be conducted differently than for SWRO. The results from this study are expected to play a key role in providing a new roadmap for PRO-hybridized process research.