University of Twente Student Theses
Desalination on Microscale - The Effect of Salt Concentration on the Desalination Performance of a Microfluidic Device
Kamphuis, E.C. (2017) Desalination on Microscale - The Effect of Salt Concentration on the Desalination Performance of a Microfluidic Device.
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| Abstract: | In order to increase the fresh water supply on earth, electrodialysis (ED) is widely used as desalination technology for generating potable water from brackish water. To give a better understanding of this principle, experiments at microscale have been performed in a previous proof-of-concept study at the University of Twente. The used microfluidic device, with hydrogels that mimic the membrane stacks of an ED device, has shown promising results at low concentrated NaCl-solutions. In this research, the scope is to investigate the compatibility of the hydrogels in the microchip at elevated NaCl-concentrations. A closer look is taken to the influence of higher salt concentrations on the performance parameters: current efficiency and salt removal efficiency. Ion concentration polarisation and the formation of boundary layers play an important role in this investigation. During the experiments, potentiostatic measurements are performed. Several difficulties in the used methods and measurements have led to unreliable outcomes in determining the efficiency of the system. In order to test the proposed hypotheses, an existing numerical model is used to validate the theory. For further research, an optimisation in design of the microfluidic device is recommended. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | TNW: Science and Technology |
| Subject: | 35 chemistry |
| Programme: | Chemical Engineering BSc (56960) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/73681 |
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