Developmental impediment and prospective trends of desalination energy recovery device.

The seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination process uses the energy recovery device (ERD) as a key equipment for energy conservation. ERDs have undergone three generations of development resulting in various forms with higher efficiency and integration. This review presents a more systematic and logical categorization of existing ERDs, which are classified into indirect and direct conversion modes. The new classification offers a detailed explanation of the structural principles of energy recovery technology, including new types of ERD such as plunger type ERD. It also highlights the importance of performance indicators like effective energy conversion efficiency (EECE). However, when assessing seawater desalination's energy consumption, it is crucial to consider the entire SWRO system, rather than just the performance of a single ERD. Additionally, this review comprehensively analyses performance indicators for all types of ERD, including capacity, specific energy consumption (SEC), and conversion efficiency, based on their respective characteristics. This review also provides a comprehensive overview of various technical barriers for ERD, such as hydraulic design methods and special materials processing and manufacturing, and proposes further development. [Display omitted] • The more scientific and reasonable classification method is given based on the existing energy recovery devices. • The performance evaluation criterion of energy recovery device is given. • The applicable scales of different energy recovery devices are statistically summarized. • The development prospect and direction of energy recovery devices in the future are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]