Modeling and computational simulation of the osmotic evaporation process

Abstract

Context: Within the processing technologies with membranes, osmotic evaporation is a promising alternative for the transformation of exotic fruits, generating concentrated products that can be used in the daily diet, being easier to consume, reducing transportation costs and increasing shelf life. Method: In this research, it was studied and developed a comprehensive strategy for multiphysics modeling and simulation of mass and momentum transfer phenomena in the process of osmotic evaporation through Comsol® and Matlab® software. It was used an axial geometry approach in two dimensions as simplifications of real module and the finite element method for the numerical solution. The simulations were validated experimentally in an osmotic evaporation system of laboratory scale. Results: The models used and the generated simulations were statistically significant (p <0,05) in predicting the flux behavior, taking into account the effect of flow and temperature feed together with the brine flow, being obtained correlations above 96% between experimental and calculated data. Conclusions: It was found that for the conditions studied the Knudsen diffusion model is most suitable to describe the transfer of water vapor through the hydrophobic membrane. Simulations developed adequately describe the process of osmotic evaporation, becoming a tool for faster economic development of this technology.

Keywords

• Difusión, membrana hidrófoba, transferencia de calor, transferencia de masa.