Desalitech pioneered a brand new approach to reverse osmosis desalination by implicating closed circuit desalination based on hydrostatic principles.

These principles enable a process in which the flow rates of pressurized feed and permeate are equal, thereby, substantially reducing the capacity of the pressurizing means and avoiding any need for energy recovery techniques.

The closed circuit desalination scheme, which utilizes only standard off the shelf components in full compliance to their manufacturers’ recommendations, offer noteworthy benefits and advantages over existing reverse osmosis methods, including: 

• Attainment of any desired recovery level, irrespective of the number of elements per module or the number of modules, and without exceeding the specifications of the membrane elements.
• Simple and scalable designs that are equally effective for any production capacity magnitude, including low production rates for which existing reverse osmosis solution are not economically viable.
• Very high average element flow, thereby substantially reducing the amount of required membrane elements for a given production capacity.
• Reduced fouling and bio-fouling of elements.
• Higher quality permeates.
• Lower costs of operation and maintenance.
• Reduced energy demand.

This new approach has been expended to cover various cost effective methods for continuous closed circuit desalination and filtration, which constitute the extensive intellectual property portfolio of the company.   

The first industrial beta desalination unit of Desalitech demonstrated continuous closed circuit desalination of brackish water with recovery of up to 94%. Experience gained with the industrial pilot revealed major savings in costs of installation (~50%), energy (~20), and maintenance and operation (~30 each), which amount to significantly reduced production costs.