A Hybrid CFD Platform for Colloidal Fouling Prediction in Electrodialysis

Fouling phenomena are among the main issues in membrane processes, worsening unit performance and membrane properties. So far, few modelling approaches have been proposed to predict colloidal fouling in electromembrane-based technologies. This work presents an original simulation platform that couples computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations with electrodialysis (ED) and colloidal fouling models to investigate the impact of colloidal deposition at the channel and unit scales of ED systems. Fluid dynamics, salt transport and fouling layer growth were all addressed. The model was calibrated and validated with colloidal fouling data from the literature. The regions more susceptible to fouling growth were identified. Polarization phenomena, as well as the increase in pressure losses and electrical resistance over time, were evaluated.