The flow distributor is designed to provide an even distribution of feed water entering each membrane element. The flow distributor also promotes additional turbulence which acts to lower the concentration polarization and allows the membrane element to operate at higher flux.

An embedded electrical coil throughout the length of the pressure vessel generates electromagnetic fields (EMF) that controls fouling on the membrane surface by altering the formation of aggregated material rejected by the membrane. EMF fields can also physically move particles away from the membrane surface, allowing them to be swept away by the bulk stream.

The active membrane area of a 16-inch RO membrane element is several times larger than that of an 8-inch RO membrane element. Therefore the number of 16-inch RO membrane elements required to provide a specific active membrane area will be significantly less than the required number of 8-inch elements. This also suggests that using a 16-inch RO system could result in a more compact and simpler plant while achieving similar productivity. Fewer pressure vessels, connecting joints and pipes are required and this leads to lower capital costs and potential cost savings for maintenance and operation, particularly for large-scale RO systems