Transfer
Water crosses the semipermeable membrane into the draw solution.
Osmotic Separation · The Core Process
Forward
osmosisOsmotic pressure, rather than high hydraulic pressure, draws water across the membrane into a draw solution. The system then regenerates the draw and polishes the water.
Membrane stage + regeneration
What the Membrane Actually Produces
Osmotic transfer, draw regeneration, water finishing, and draw recycle run as one system.
Regenerate
Low-grade heat separates the water from the thermolytic draw.
Finish
Recovered water is polished to the project's required specification.
- Driving force
- Osmotic-pressure difference
- Membrane-stage output
- Diluted draw solution
- Draw regeneration
- Thermal separation
- Recycle
- Regenerated draw returned to the membrane
Final configuration depends on the feed and product-water target.
Request a Feed ReviewDesigning around the feed
Five Stages of the FO Loop
Design starts with your water data.
- 01
Characterize
We characterize feed and draw-side chemistry together.
- 02
Condition
Prepare the source water for the membrane and downstream equipment.
- 03
Transfer
Move water into the circulating draw across the membrane.
- 04
Regenerate
Heat separates recovered water and restores the draw.
- 05
Finish and manage
Polish product water and route the concentrated feed.
In the field · NELHA, Hawaii
Demonstration Basis: 500 m³/day at NELHA
- PublishedLocation
- NELHA · Keahole Point, Hawaii
- DesignScale
- 500 m³/day project basis
- PublishedHeat source
- Solar-thermal collectors
- Delivery of a Solar-Powered Forward Osmosis Seawater Desalination Plant: Trevi's 500 m3/day Zero-Carbon FO Seawater Desalination Plant at NELHA ↗Webley · Greene · Yong · Academic Journal of Research and Scientific Publishing · Vol. 5 Issue 58 · 2024
Results are specific to that feed, configuration, and operating period.
Start with your feed
Send us the feed chemistry, flow, and water target. Define the test before the system.