Patent ID: 8685250

Claim:
A method for remineralizing process water in a seawater desalination plant, seawater used in the plant containing bicarbonate, the method comprising the following steps: providing a desalination system including an upstream inlet for the seawater and downstream outlets for desalinated water and concentrate; providing a gas transfer membrane, the membrane including first and second flow channels, each flow channel having upstream and downstream ends, a portion of the seawater being supplied to the first flow channel and the desalinated water being supplied to the second flow channel, the portion of the seawater serving as a source of carbon dioxide (CO2) and the desalinated water serving as a recipient of the carbon dioxide (CO2); adding acid to the upstream end of the first flow channel to convert the bicarbonate in the portion of the seawater to carbon dioxide (CO2) in accordance with the following equation: acid+HCO3â€”â†’CO2 passing the carbon dioxide (CO2) gas through the gas transfer membrane, whereby the carbon dioxide (CO2) gas is sequestered from the first to the second channel and is dissolved in the desalinated water.