Modeling and Investigating the Effects of Feed Temperature on the Characteristics of the Reverse Osmosis (RO) Process

Authors

  • Zahra Khodabandeh * Departmant of Mechanical & Energy Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
  • Seyedmahmood Kia Departmant of Mechanical & Energy Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
  • Dr Ali Jahangiri Departmant of Mechanical & Energy Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
  • Arash Rezazadeh Departmant of Mechanical & Energy Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
  • Saeed Abbasi Shishegharan Departmant of Mechanical & Energy Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
  • Roxana keyhani Departmant of Mechanical & Energy Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
  • Matin Ghadimi Rezaee Departmant of Mechanical & Energy Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22105/jeee.vi.37

Abstract

In the upcoming years, water and energy will be key challenges for humanity, as the need for drinking water and energy is already being felt in many parts of the world. Researchers have proposed various solutions to these critical problems based on various systems. There is an essential need to find the best method for the desalination of salty water to economically solve the issue of producing fresh and drinkable water. At present, the reverse osmosis (RO) method is widely used in the water treatment industry, based on the fluids permeating through a semipermeable membrane. The simplicity of the method and its relatively low running costs have made this technology increasingly attractive to industrial organizations. The design of reverse osmosis systems involves several parameters, of which temperature is an important one. The temperature of the feedwater has a direct effect on the water flux through the membrane, external hydraulic pressure applied, water production rate, and energy consumption. This study tries to model and investigate the effect of temperature on the quality of the produced water and performance in terms of energy consumption of the reverse osmosis units.

Keywords:

Reverse osmosis, Temperature effect, Modeling, Desalination

References

  1. [1] Khademi, M. M., Koohshoori, M. S., & Kasaeian, A. (2025). Development of a renewable energy system utilizing solar dish collector, multi effect desalination and supercritical CO2 brayton cycle to produce fresh water and electricity. Energy, 314, 134285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2024.134285
  2. [2] Peñate, B., & García-Rodríguez, L. (2012). Current trends and future prospects in the design of seawater reverse osmosis desalination technology. Desalination, 284, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2011.09.010
  3. [3] Henthorne, L., & Boysen, B. (2015). State-of-the-art of reverse osmosis desalination pretreatment. Desalination, 356, 129–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2014.10.039
  4. [4] Lee, K. P., Arnot, T. C., & Mattia, D. (2011). A review of reverse osmosis membrane materials for desalination—development to date and future potential. Journal of membrane science, 370(1–2), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2010.12.036
  5. [5] Greenlee, L. F., Lawler, D. F., Freeman, B. D., Marrot, B., & Moulin, P. (2009). Reverse osmosis desalination: Water sources, technology, and today’s challenges. Water research, 43(9), 2317–2348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2009.03.010
  6. [6] Khademi, M. M., & Kasaeian, A. (2024). Hydrogen production using solar heliostat fields: A review. Energy, 314, 134259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2024.134259
  7. [7] Kia, S., Khanmohammadi, S., & Jahangiri, A. (2023). Experimental and numerical investigation on heat transfer and pressure drop of SiO2 and Al2O3 oil-based nanofluid characteristics through the different helical tubes under constant heat fluxes. International journal of thermal sciences, 185, 108082. (In Persian). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2022.108082
  8. [8] Kia, S. M., Isvand, H., & others. (2022). Numerical simulation and experimental evaluation of an unsteady flow around forced rotating cylindrical prototype with three orthogonal plates. Modares mechanical engineering, 22(11), 637–646. (In Persian). http://dx.doi.org/10.52547/mme.22.11.637
  9. [9] Ashrafi, N., Sadeghi, A. (2018). Numerical simulation of visco-plastic fluid flow between two parallel plates with triangular obstacles. Bulletin of the American physical society, 63(13). (In Persian). https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DFD18/Event/334178‎
  10. [10] Ashrafi, N., & Kia, S. M. (2013). Numerical simulation of an unsteady flow over a circular cylinder at high Reynolds numbers. Bulletin of the american physical society, 63(13). (In Persian). https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DFD18/Event/332857
  11. [11] Kia, S. M., & Talebi, F. (2018). Numerical investigation of unsteady flow around a circular cylinder at different reynolds number. 26th annual international conference of Iranian society of mechanical engineers (Vol. 3, pp. 4591–4595). Civilica. (In Persian). https://civilica.com/doc/1134380/
  12. [12] Kia, S. M., Nobakhti, M. H., & Khayat, M. (2020). Experimental investigation on heat transfer and pressure drop of Al2O3-base oil nanofluid in a helically coiled tube and effect of turbulator on the thermal performance of shell and tube heat exchanger. Journal of energy conversion, 7(3), 61–80. (In Persian). https://jeed.dezful.iau.ir/browse.php?a_id=327&sid=1&slc_lang=en
  13. [13] Bazdidi-Tehrani, F., Ebrahimi, A., & Azimi-Souran, R. (2024). Investigation of forced convection of a novel hybrid nanofluid containing NEPCM in a square microchannel: Application of single-phase and Eulerian-Eulerian two-phase models. Numerical heat transfer, part a: Applications, 86(11), 1–22. (In Persian). https://doi.org/10.1080/10407782.2024.2305231
  14. [14] Afifi, M. D., Jahangiri, A., & Ameri, M. (2025). Investigation of natural convection heat transfer in MHD fluid within a hexagonal cavity with circular obstacles. International journal of thermofluids, 25, 101024. (In Persian). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijft.2024.101024
  15. [15] Mirzaei, A., Jalili, P., Afifi, M. D., Jalili, B., & Ganji, D. D. (2023). Convection heat transfer of MHD fluid flow in the circular cavity with various obstacles: Finite element approach. International journal of thermofluids, 20, 100522. (In Persian). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijft.2023.100522
  16. [16] Dehghan Afifi, M., Jalili, B., Mirzaei, A., Jalili, P., & Ganji, D. (2025). The effects of thermal radiation, thermal conductivity, and variable viscosity on ferrofluid in porous medium under magnetic field. World journal of engineering, 22(1), 218–231. https://doi.org/10.1108/WJE-09-2023-0402
  17. [17] Jalili, P., Afifi, M. D., Jalili, B., Mirzaei, A. M., & Ganji, D. D. (2023). Numerical study and comparison of two-dimensional ferrofluid flow in semi-porous channel under magnetic field. International journal of engineering, 36(11), 2087–2101. https://B2n.ir/ke1687
  18. [18] Samadzadeh Baghbani, S., & Afshar, H. (2019). Numerical study of non-newtonian ferrofluid flow in the presence of non-uniform transverse magnetic field in the channel. The 27th annual international conference of the iranian society of mechanical engineers. Civilica. (In Persian). https://civilica.com/doc/907139/
  19. [19] Dehghan Afifi, M., Jahangiri, A., & Ameri, M. (2025). Numerical and analytical investigation of Jeffrey nanofluid convective flow in magnetic field by FEM and AGM. International journal of thermofluids, 25, 100999. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijft.2024.100999
  20. [20] Rezayan, O., Behbahani Nia, S. A., Amidpour, M., & Ghaebi, H. (2019). Exergy analysis and thermoeconomic optimization of ammonia–co2 cascade refrigeration cycle. Proceedings of the 7th national energy congress, Tehran, Iran, Civilica. (In Persian). https://civilica.com/doc/92139/
  21. [21] Zahedi, R., Gitifar, S., Yousefi, H., & Ahmadi, R. (2023). Energy and exergy analysis of a combined heat and power system based on ammonia-water cycles. Proceedings of the 3rd international conference on modern technologies in science, amol, Iran. Civilica. (In Persian). https://civilica.com/doc/1753938
  22. [22] Domirani, M., & Eikani, M. H. (2016). The effects of temperature on the performance of an industrial reverse osmosis unit using rosa software. Congress of water and wastewater science and engineering in Iran, Tehran. Civilica. (In Persian). https://civilica.com/doc/600252
  23. [23] Mousavi Naeinian, M., Behbahani-Nia, A., & Javadzadeh-haghighat, S. (2009). Thermoeconomical optimization and exergy analysis of a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. Sharif journal of mechanical engineering, 24(46), 157-162. (In Persian). https://B2n.ir/dk5946
  24. [24] Zhiani-Bakhsh, M., Abedini, E., Niazi, S., Bakhshan, Y., & Adibi, P. (2024). Modeling the effect of temperature gradient on the reverse osmosis process. Amirkabir journal of mechanical engineering, 56(7), 911–930. (In Persian). https://doi.org/10.22060/mej.2024.22950.7699
  25. [25] Hosseinpour, M. H., Khazan, M. M., & Baharani, N. (2013). The effect of temperature and pressure variations and their optimization methods in the reverse osmosis water treatment process. Iranian national conference on mechanical engineering, Shiraz. Civilica. (In Persian). https://civilica.com/doc/247682
  26. [26] Salehi, S., & Khanjani, M. (2018). Analysis of various parameters in the design of reverse osmosis systems: A case study of the Nina oil desalination system. Iranian water research journal, 12(4), 75-83. (In Persian). https://civilica.com/doc/1330682/
  27. [27] Dehghani, M., Dooleh, M., Hashemi, H., & Shamseddini, N. (2013). Evaluation of input and output water quality of desalination systems using reverse osmosis in Qeshm city. Journal of health and development, 1, 1–7. (In Persian). https://civilica.com/doc/514954/
  28. [28] Košutić, K., Kaštelan-Kunst, L., & Kunst, B. (2000). Porosity of some commercial reverse osmosis and nanofiltration polyamide thin-film composite membranes. Journal of membrane science, 168(1–2), 101–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0376-7388(99)00309-9
  29. [29] Crittenden, J. C., Trussell, R. R., Hand, D. W., Howe, K. J., & Tchobanoglous, G. (2012). MWH’s water treatment: Principles and design. John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118131473
  30. [30] Al-Obaidi, M. A., & Mujtaba, I. M. (2016). Steady state and dynamic modeling of spiral wound wastewater reverse osmosis process. Computers & chemical engineering, 90, 278–299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compchemeng.2016.04.001
  31. [31] Rastogi, N. K., Cassano, A., & Basile, A. (2015). Water treatment by reverse and forward osmosis. In Advances in membrane technologies for water treatment (pp. 129–154). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-1-78242-121-4.00004-6

Published

2025-08-21

Issue

Articles in Press

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Khodabandeh, Z., Kia, S., Jahangiri, A., Rezazadeh, A. ., Abbasi Shishegharan, S. ., keyhani, R. ., & Ghadimi Rezaee, M. . (2025). Modeling and Investigating the Effects of Feed Temperature on the Characteristics of the Reverse Osmosis (RO) Process. Journal of Environmental Engineering and Energy. https://doi.org/10.22105/jeee.vi.37

Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Most read articles by the same author(s)