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Diploma · 800 h · 8 modules
Diploma in Membrane Technologies and Reverse Osmosis
The Diploma in Membrane Technologies and Reverse Osmosis Prepares you to design, operate and optimise reverse osmosis systems and other membrane technologies for seawater. You will study the fundamentals of transport through membr
Duration800 h
FormatOnline
Starts23 November
Places20 / 20
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Programme overview
What is the Diploma in Membrane Technologies and Reverse Osmosis?
The Diploma in Membrane Technologies and Reverse Osmosis
Prepares you to design, operate and optimise reverse osmosis systems and other membrane technologies for seawater. You will study the fundamentals of transport through membranes, pre-treatment, the design of racks, stages and passes, control of fouling and scaling, energy recovery and emerging technologies, always with a practical, plant-focused approach.
Key advantages
- A plant focus: From the physical principle to the day-to-day running of a reverse osmosis rack.
- Design with software: Use of membrane system projection tools.
- Operation and maintenance: Troubleshooting, cleaning and data normalisation.
- Energy efficiency: Energy recovery devices and strategies to cut consumption.
- Case study: Designing and troubleshooting a seawater reverse osmosis plant.
Programme type
Diploma
Study mode
Online
Duration
800 hours
Modules
8
Programme highlights
- Understand membranes: Master the fundamentals of transport through membranes.
- Design systems: Size reverse osmosis racks, stages and passes.
- Control fouling: Apply effective pre-treatment and cleaning.
- Save energy: Optimise the plant’s energy consumption.
- Boost your career: Open doors to desalination plants, engineering firms and equipment manufacturers.
- Train in the technology that makes modern desalination possible.
Curriculum
Programme Structure
The programme is structured in 8 modules, listed below in order of study.
01
Fundamentals of Membrane Processes
- Classifying membrane processes
- Osmotic pressure and driving force
- Water flux and salt passage
- Rejection and recovery
- Concentration polarisation
- Effects of temperature and salinity
- Membrane materials
- Module configurations
02
Seawater Pre-treatment
- Open intakes and beach wells
- Feedwater quality
- Silt density and fouling indices
- Coagulation and flocculation
- Granular media filtration
- Ultrafiltration as pre-treatment
- Dissolved air flotation
- Chemical dosing and disinfection
03
Reverse Osmosis System Design
- Spiral-wound elements and pressure vessels
- Stage and pass design
- Choosing the recovery rate
- Membrane projection software
- Permeate quality
- Boron removal
- High-pressure pumps
- Physical rack layout
04
Fouling, Scaling and Cleaning
- Types of fouling
- Biofouling
- Mineral scaling
- Antiscalants and dosing
- Saturation indices
- Chemical cleaning protocols
- Membrane autopsy
- Preventing and controlling fouling
05
Energy and Energy Recovery
- Specific energy consumption
- The thermodynamic minimum for desalination
- Pressure exchangers
- Recovery turbines
- Variable frequency drives
- Optimising the operating point
- Integration with renewable energy
- Energy efficiency indicators
06
Plant Operation and Maintenance
- Commissioning
- Normalising operating data
- Troubleshooting performance problems
- Membrane and seal integrity
- Replacing elements
- Instrumentation and control
- Shutdowns and preservation
- Plant safety
07
Other Membrane Technologies
- Nanofiltration and its applications
- Electrodialysis reversal
- Membrane distillation
- Forward osmosis
- High-pressure reverse osmosis for brines
- Next-generation membranes
- Post-treatment and remineralisation
- Comparing technologies
08
Case Study: Designing and Troubleshooting a Reverse Osmosis Plant
- Defining capacity and target quality
- Characterising the feedwater
- Selecting the pre-treatment
- Projecting the membrane system
- Calculating energy consumption
- Analysing operating data
- Proposing improvements
- Presenting the case
Workload
Study Time and Workload
800 hours of study, online and at your own pace. Move the slider to the hours a week you can really put in.
Hours a week8
Weeks to finish—
You finish around—
Who it is for
Chemical, industrial or civil engineers: who want to specialise in water treatment Plant operators and managers: working at desalination or drinking water plants Maintenance technicians: who need to troubleshoot membrane systems Technical and sales staff at manufacturers: who advise customers on equipment Water consultants: who assess desalination projects
Faculty
Academic direction and faculty
The teaching team at Navalis: working professionals who deliver and oversee the institute's programmes.
Eng. Diego Cifuentes
Cap. Javier Abaroa (MCA)
Dr. Pau Ferrer
Dr. Nuria Llobregat
Eng. Javier Bañuls
Eng. Sofía Marquina
Eng. Tomás Riera
Verified reviews
Student Reviews
Reviews collected and verified by Opynio, not written by us.
Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
- 01Understand membrane transport
- 02Know the types of membrane
- 03Design reverse osmosis systems
- 04Control fouling
- 05Optimise energy use
- 06Operate and troubleshoot
Careers
Career Opportunities
01Desalination process engineer: Designing reverse osmosis systems.
02Desalination plant manager: Operating and maintaining facilities.
03Membrane specialist: Troubleshooting, cleaning and optimisation.
04Applications engineer: Technical support at membrane and equipment manufacturers.
05Water consultant: Plant studies and audits.
06Industrial water treatment specialist: Membrane systems in industry.
Questions
Entry Requirements
It focuses on seawater, but the concepts also apply to brackish water, wastewater and industrial processes.
Yes. You work with membrane system projection tools like those offered by manufacturers.
It is not essential. The programme starts from the fundamentals and works up to operation.
Yes. You study the design strategies used to meet boron limits in the permeate.
You design a seawater reverse osmosis system and troubleshoot operating data from a plant.
100% online, with a virtual campus available 24/7, live sessions that are recorded, and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The programme involves 800 hours of study. You can work at your own pace within the timetable we give you when you enrol.
Each programme has its own start date, shown on this page and confirmed by our admissions team when you enquire.
On completing the programme you receive the Diploma in Membrane Technologies and Reverse Osmosis qualification awarded by Navalis Magna Institute.
Online admissions
Admissions Process
No waiting for a phone call. If your documents are complete, you can pay in the same session.
Entry requirements
Entry profile: A degree in chemical, industrial, civil or environmental engineering, chemistry or a related field; or professional experience at water treatment plants. Language: A good working level of English to follow classes and materials. Technical requirements: A computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a webcam for live sessions and project presentations. Admissions process: Online application, profile review and a short interview with the academic team. We confirm your start date when you enquire.
Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Leave your details and admissions will write back. If you already know this is the one, go straight to the application and pay in the same session.