Flow Rate Prediction for a Semi-permeable Membrane at Low Reynolds Number in a Circular Pipe

Abstract

A concise and accurate prediction method is required for membrane permeability in chemical engineering and biological fields. As a preliminary study on this topic, we propose the concentration polarization model (CPM) of the permeate flux and flow rate under dominant effects of viscosity and solute diffusion. In this model, concentration polarization is incorporated for the solution flow through a semi-permeable membrane (i.e., permeable for solvent but not for solute) in a circular pipe. The effect of the concentration polarization on the flow field in a circular pipe under a viscous-dominant condition (i.e., at a low Reynolds number) is discussed by comparing the CPM with the numerical simulation results and infinitesimal Péclet number model (IPM) for the membrane permeability, strength of the osmotic pressure, and Péclet number. The CPM and IPM are confirmed to be a reasonable extension of the model for a pure fluid, which was proposed previously. The application range of the IPM is narrow because the advection of the solute concentration is not considered, whereas the CPM demonstrates superior applicability in a wide range of parameters, including the permeability coefficient, strength of the osmotic pressure, and Péclet number. This suggests the necessity for considering concentration polarization. Although the mathematical expression of the CPM is more complex than that of the IPM, the CPM exhibits a potential to accurately predict the permeability parameters for a condition in which a large permeate flux and osmotic pressure occur.