Performance analysis of small capacity reverse osmosis desalination plants

This paper focuses on performance evaluation and analysis of small scale reverse osmosis units found in Kuwait. These units desalinate brackish water, which have an average salinity of 4000 ppm, at a capacity averaging 1140 m(3)/d. The evaluation presents the normalized plant performance data over a period of one year. The plant data was used to determine the averages of the water and salt permeability coefficients, which were found to be consistent with previous literature data. Evaluation of the salt and water permeability was made through optimization of the differential and algebraic forms of the solution-diffusion model. Water costing of the plant data was found to be consistent with known averages for the production cost of brackish water. The permeability data together with other plant characteristics were used to simulate the plant characteristics using the algebraic and differential forms of the solution diffusion model. The model predictions were comparable with the plant data.