15. Fouling Modeling and Optimization of Membrane Module Design for Brackish and Seawater Desalination in the Mexican Pacific Coast: Project Description and Progress

Many regions of the world face significant water supply issues due to its scarcity. In the state of Sonora, Mexico, there is physical scarcity of water, a grave problem that has generated social conflict in recent years. The Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora (ITSON) is making a significant bet on desalination technologies within its research and development projects and has incorporated the study and analysis of technical aspects of desalination in Chemical Engineering course programs, as well as in undergraduate, MSc, and PhD thesis topics. This work summarizes the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT, Mexican National Science and Technology Council) Fellowship Research Project that is underway at ITSON, which aims to improve the understanding of reverse osmosis membrane biofouling with applications in desalination, specifically for Mexican Pacific coast seawater. As a preliminary study, an experimental system has been developed to test membranes and spacers, both commercial and produced in the laboratory through 3D printing techniques. The results indicate that variations in the design and dimensions of the spacers can lead to better productivity in terms of observed rejection and permeate flux. Therefore, it is necessary to test new spacer designs in order to optimize the results.