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.

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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.

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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.

Flux enhancement by using helical baffles in ultrafiltration of suspended solids

by Noreddine Ghaffour, Rahim Jassim, Tahir Khir
Year: 2004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2004.06.129

Abstract

The main reason for the flux decline during the initial period of all filtration processes is the usual phenomena of concentration polarization and fouling. After this stage follows the cake filtration process that allows the obtaining of the steady state flux. The solute accumulated on the membrane surface forms a high concentration gel layer, which increases the effective membrane thickness and so reduces its hydraulic permeability. Different techniques are used to reduce this formation and use of helical baffles inside the membrane element is one of such techniques. The selection of appropriate helical baffle is vital to get improved permeation flux with minimum pressure drop for cross-flow feed. The number of helices/unit length has a considerable influence on the selected helical baffle. All experiments have been conducted with an inorganic tubular ultrafiltration membrane for filtering a supernatant from activated sludge plant consisting of suspended and biological solids. The influence of the operational parameters is studied in this paper. Nevertheless, the feed temperature and the concentration were kept constant at the industrial values. We found 1 bar as an optimal pressure, above this pressure the permeation flux decreases, contrarily to several works, which observe a plateau after certain value of pressure. Progressive fouling can be limited by use of helical baffles in the filtration element operated at low pressures and the flocculation of particles is reduced. On the other hand, we have found that the influence of Reynolds number inside the membrane tube and the feed flow-rate are similar to other studies that used different helical baffles.

Keywords

Ultrafiltration Helical baffles Tubular membrane Suspended solids Deposited layer Turbulence

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