DESAL RESEARCH GROUP

Sustainable technologies for a water-secure future

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KEY VALUES

Committed to excellence

We aim to be at the forefront of global efforts to contribute to a water-secure future. We envision a world where sustainable desalination technologies and water treatment solutions are pivotal in providing clean and safe water to communities and fostering economic growth. Through continuous innovation and collaboration, we aspire to set new standards for excellence in the field, leaving a long-lasting effect on the well-being of societies and the health of our planet.

About
DESAL team at the lab
RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY

Driven by innovation, recognized by impact

The DESAL Research Group pioneers advancements in desalination and wastewater treatment, prioritizing excellence, innovation, and sustainability. Our focus on cutting-edge research and efficiency aims to address global water challenges and support sustainable development goals.

NEWS & UPDATES 

Discover the latest breakthroughs from our team

15 February, 2026

DESAL summer intern Imran Alturkistani wins national awards at Ibdaa Science and Engineering Fair

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02 February, 2026

New DESAL research published in Nature Communications advances energy-efficient desalination

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28 January, 2026

DESAL and ACWA Power advance AI-based research for early membrane fouling detection

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ADVANCING SCIENCE

Scientific Contributions

Through research papers, patents, and PhD dissertations, we push the boundaries of knowledge, driving innovation in desalination and water treatment.

Advanced 3D multiscale modeling of forward osmosis-membrane distillation integrated designs

by Muhammad Saqib Nawaz, Veerabhadraiah Gudideni, Ali Al-Qahtani
Year: 2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2023.117089

Abstract

The development of eco-friendly desalination and water reuse is key to secure water for future generations. The hybridization of emerging membrane technologies such as forward osmosis (FO) and membrane distillation (MD) stand among alternatives that proved sustainable in treating various feeds. As such, in-series integration of MD and FO enabled the simultaneous treatment of challenging streams, with MD producing fresh water while increasing the draw solution concentration before FO treatment. It is within this context that numerical modeling plays a key role by accelerating hybrids process design and scale-up, shedding light on viable directions and shortening development time. This work presents an advanced 3D multiscale modeling approach that integrates FO and MD heat and mass transfer membrane scale calculations to equipment scale computational fluid dynamics, executed on high performance computers. A methodology based on laboratory scale FO-MD integrated module experiments and runtime optimization is proposed for model calibration and process scale-up. The parallelization of the numerical model is shown to be key to efficient integrated modules development, enabling full 3D analysis on fine meshes and the solution of intricately coupled physical phenomena, which leads to a straightforward process scale-up evaluation.

Keywords

Membrane Distillation Forward Osmosis Hybrid Process Integrated Module CFD Multiscale Modeling High Performance Computing

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Be part of our journey towards cleaner, safer water, reduced environmental impact, and economic growth. Whether you're a researcher, industry expert, or passionate advocate, let's collaborate to set new standards in desalination and wastewater treatment.