SolMem LLC — Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase II: 8.4

Description

Ensuring water supply for agriculture irrigation and properly managing irrigation drainage are greatchallenges in regions with significant irrigated agriculture. Cost-effective treatment and reuse ofirrigation drainage and other alterantive water sources (e.g. brackish groundwater industrialwastewater) for irrigation are needed to enhance water and food security to control salinityaccumulation to minimize surface water contamination and potential harm to wildlife and toalleviate local and regional water stress. Building upon the success of our Phase I research on theproof of concept of a novel solar multi-effect membrane distillation (SolarMEMD) system thisSBIR phase II project aims to advance SolarMEMD from the current technology readiness level 3(TRL3) to TRL7 and to validate its commercial potential. The project team will construct andprototype a pilot scale SolarMEMD system and assess its performance in treating irrigationdrainage and other alternative irrigation water sources. Out technical objectives include 1)determining the optimal design of the SolarMEMD membrane module for maximizing GOR andspecific water production rate; 2) quantifying the impact of solar concentration on SolarMEMDperformance and cost; 3) identifying potential operating challenges associated with membranefouling and scaling in long term operation; 4) developing thermal storage strategies for nightoperation; 5) determining how to couple the SolarMEMD with low pressure RO/NF to createsynergy and further lower cost for source waters with relatively low TDS. The proposed Phase IIresearch is expected to validate the SolarMEMD technoloy for agriculture irrigation drainagetreatment reuse a critical milestone in our commercialization plan.