Open Access

ARTICLE

An Innovative Approach of Salt Separation Using the Soret Effect

R. Abdeljabar¹

1 URME, National School of Engineering of Tunis, University of El-Manar, Tunisia.ridha.abdeljabar@enit.rnu.tn.

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2011, 7(2), 217-230. https://doi.org/10.3970/fdmp.2011.007.217

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss a new technique for desalination based on the principles of the Soret effect. In particular, the method stems from the peculiar behavior of the solute in a solution of sodium chloride (i.e. salty water layer) of uniform concentration being less or equal to 5wt% under the effect of an imposed temperature gradient with average temperature equal to 12oC. The Soret coefficient may be positive or negative according to whether the temperature of the solution is above or below 12oC. As two diffusion processes (one parallel to the temperature gradient and the other anti-parallel) can occur at the same time in the solution when heating produces an average temperature of 12oC, this mechanism can be used to induce migration of the solute into the middle part of the salty water-layer forming a bulb of brine. The idea underlying the present theoretical study is to remove the brine that is formed in the center of the solution. A fundamental theory for this new principle of desalination is elaborated (to determine the distribution of the concentration in the medium). Moreover, a possible design of a desalination system based on this phenomenon is proposed accordingly.

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Keywords

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