Development of methods for spatially resolved in-situ measurements of concentration polarization in membrane filtration for drinking water treatment.

Concentration polarization occurs at the interface of two non-mixable phases due to mass transfer. In sea and brackish water desalination with membrane processes, concentration polarization is the fundamental mechanism responsible for scaling and other fouling phenomena. Thus it determines the applicability of membrane processes in the practical field. Good experimental data would improve simulations and hence play an important role in further minimizing concentration polarization to extend the applicability of sea and brackish water desalination

Research focus:

• method development for in-situ measurements of concentration gradients in complex geometries

• brackish water desalination

• scaling

• analysis of fouling phenomena