Accurate model needs for desalination systems

Modeling serves as the nexus connecting design, control, and optimization in desalination process systems while also providing insights into the interplay between process-level and property-level phenomena. Modeling desalination processes presents challenges due to the complex thermophysical properties and nonideality of multielectrolyte solutions, especially at high concentrations. In this mini-review, we examine the current state of several widely used process modeling tools, their features, and the adaptability to modeling state-of-the-art desalination process systems. We also discuss thermodynamic models of electrolyte solutions and their ability to accurately predict the thermodynamic properties of aqueous multielectrolyte solutions. We conclude that refining and tailoring fundamental thermodynamic models to address the complexities of high-concentration regimes is essential for the design of advanced desalination systems and achieving improvements in energetic and economic efficiencies.