• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.169-175
• /
• 2017

This study applied microbubbles to reduce membrane fouling in wastewater reuse membrane processes, evaluated and compared the transmembrane pressure with or without the application of microbubbles and the cleaning efficiency with the application of aeration and microbubbles. In addition, this study analyzed foulants removed from the membrane surface. Changes in the transmembrane pressure of membranes with the presence or absence of microbubbles were observed. As a result, transmembrane pressure (TMP) increasing rate decreased twofold when applying microbubbles to realize stable operations. This study compared and evaluated cleaning efficiency applying aeration and microbubbles. As a result, the cleaning efficiency was 5% higher on average when applying microbubbles. In turbidity and total organic carbon (TOC), foulants were discharged when applying microbubbles twice as much as applying aeration. It is thought that particulate foulants precipitated on the membrane surface were more likely to desorb because the adhesion between the membrane surface and particle was weakened by microbubbles. Therefore, it is considered possible to effectively control membrane fouling because of the increase in cleaning efficiency when applying microbubbles to wastewater reuse membrane processes.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.27 no.8
• /
• pp.799-806
• /
• 2005

Applying coagulation process before membrane filtration showed not only reducing membrane fouling, but also improving the removal of dissolved organic materials that might otherwise not be removed by the membrane alone. Also, slow mixing didn't affect the reduction of membrane fouling, and rapid mixing using an in-line static mixer was more effective than using backmixer. In addition, only 11 percent of dissolved organic matter in raw water was the primary cause of fouling. Furthermore, tile primary foulant of UF membrane was hydrophobic substance, which can easily be removed by coagulation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.231-240
• /
• 2011

The objectives of this research are to investigate coagulation efficiencies of two coagulants l.e., alum and polyaluminum chloride and to understand effects of the coagulants on membrane fouling in microfiltration. The turbidity of supernatant from alum coagulation was increased with increasing doses whereas the turbidity from PACl coagulation was maintained at the low values. The observed injection volume of PACl for the same removal was approximately 30 percent less than alum, which produced a low sludge volume. The settling velocity of PACl flocs was greater than alum flocs. The results corresponded well with floc size measurements. Flux decline from alum coagulation was significant due in part to small sizes of flocs. At the low dose, alum floc had less specific cake resistance than PACl floc. However, as the dosage was increased, the increases in specific cake resistances of alum was substantial. Alum coagulation pretreatment needs careful operation to reduce membrane fouling by flocs. In general, PACl coagulants were more effective than alum coagulants for pretreatment of membrane processes because PACl showed the better performance in coagulation and membrane fouling.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.13-21
• /
• 2011

This study investigated the fouling behavior of $Al_2O_3$ colloids on polyethylene microfiltration membrane. To examine the effect of operation variation on fouling, operating pressure was increased from 0.49 to 1.96 bar along with time elapses and then was reduced to 0.49 bar reversely. A hysteresis behavior was observed in the membrane permeate flux over pressure, revealing different fluxes at the same pressure according to the pressure control type, increasing and decreasing. Permeate resistance and its rate of increase was higher in the decreasing pressure cycle than in the increasing pressure cycle. At the initial period of filtration, fouling mechanism for the both cycles was governed by the cake filtration. The degree of fouling was higher in the decreasing pressure cycle compared with in the increasing pressure cycle.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.39-49
• /
• 2022

Seawater desalination is doubtlessly a viable option to supply fresh drinking water. Nevertheless, RO (reverse osmosis) desalination plants in specific areas may be intermittently operated to match the imbalance between water demand and supply. Although a handful of works have been done on other membrane systems, few studies have attempted to mitigate fouling in intermittent RO systems. Accordingly, the objectives of this paper were to examine the effect of the intermittent operation on RO fouling; and to compare four intermittent operation modes including feed solution recirculation, membrane storage in the feed solution, deionized water (DI) recirculation, and membrane storage in DI water. Results showed that intermittent operation reduced RO fouling under several conditions. However, the extents of fouling mitigation were different depending on the feed conditions, foulant types, and membrane lay-up methods. When the feed solution was recirculated during the lay-up, the restoration of the flux was less significant than that by the feed solution feed-up. The use of deionized water during the lay-up was effective to restore flux, especially when the feed solution contains scale-forming salts (CaSO₄) and/or colloidal silica.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.7 no.5
• /
• pp.433-449
• /
• 2016

The successful application of cleaning protocols is vital for optimized filtration processes. A series of experiments with an ultrafiltration ceramic tubular membrane were carried out for the foulants dextran and carboxymethyl cellulose. Firstly, the impact on fouling of concentration changes was investigated with the increase in resistance being used as the key parameter. In the second phase, removal of reversible fouling was also investigated by employing intermittent rinsing consisting of a cold water rinse followed by a hot one. A comparative analysis for both foulants is reported. Across a range of concentrations and for both foulants, the reduction in resistance due to rinsing was found to depend upon concentration (C); it changed as $C^n$ where n was found to be 0.3. A plausible semi-theoretical explanation is given. Thirdly, for both foulants, the application of a combination of strong alkaline solutions with oxidizing agent (mainly sodium hypochlorite) followed by acid was found to be appropriate for cleaning of the ceramic membrane. The effect of increased temperature for cleaning agents followed by a warm water rinse contributed positively to the cleaning capability.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.120-126
• /
• 2010

In this study, the effect of surface deposition of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles at polyethersulfone (PES) microfiltraiton (MF) membrane on humic acid fouling was investigated. The effect was observed as a function of crystal structures of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles and solution chemistries including pH and divalent cation such as calcium. Our results showed clearly that $TiO_2$-deposited membrane could mitigate membrane fouling significantly. However, this effect was observed to be dependent upon crystal structures of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles and solution chemistries. In the absence of calcium, fouling mitigation was less pronounced for both anatase and hybrid $TiO_2$-deposited membrane than for rutile $TiO_2$-deposited membrane while opposite trend was observed after addition of calcium. In the presence of calcium, the adsorption of humic acid to $TiO_2$-deposited membrane can be reduced by electrostatic repulsions between humic acid and $TiO_2$ surface. Addition of calcium provided further beneficial effect on fouling mitigation particularly at higher pH for the anatase $TiO_2$ deposited membrane, implying that both increased hydrophilicity due to $TiO_2$ nanoparticles and negative surface charge of the membrane should affect fouling mitigation. However, rutile $TiO_2$ having more inertness generally than the anatase $TiO_2$ showed relatively robust effect on the fouling mitigation regardless of solution properties.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2008.05a
• /
• pp.89-89
• /
• 2008

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.360-366
• /
• 2011

The effect of cross-flow velocity and transmembrane pressure (TMP) on membrane fouling was observed from pilot-scale operation of thermophilic anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treating food waste leachate. It was found that fouling rate was reduced significantly as cross-flow velocity increased at constant TMP mode of operation while this effectiveness was more pronounced at lower TMP. Higher TMP resulted in less permeable fouling layer possibly due to compressibility of foulant material on membrane surface. Particle sizes of membrane concentrate ranged from 10 to $100{\mu}m$, implying that shear-induced diffusion enhance back transport of these particle sizes away from the membrane effectively. From the continuous operation of AnMBR, it was confirmed that shear rate played an important role in the reduction of membrane fouling. Membrane autopsy works at the end of operation of AnMBR showed clearly that both organic and inorganic fouling were significant on membrane surface. Surface shear by cross-flow velocity was expected to be less effective to remove irreversible fouling which can be mainly caused by the adsorption of organic colloidal materials into membrane pores.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.268-275
• /
• 2015

Effects of aeration intensity on local fouling were investigated in submerged membrane modules. Higher liquid velocities were observed at the section with the lower fiber packing density. The liquid velocity is increased with increasing the gas-liquid injection factor. The high shear stress coincided with the high liquid velocity. The shear stress increases with the increasing of gas-liquid injection factor and the liquid velocity improves with the increasing of gas-liquid injection factor. Irreversible fouling resistance ($R_{ir}$) of the fiber position is significant in a local region of high suction pressure near the suction point of the fiber (position 1). The ratio of $R_{ir}/R_m$ and $R_{ir}/R_r$ of position 1 was highest compared to the position 2 and 3. Irreversible fouling resistances results confirmed the preferential deposition of foulants near the suction part of the fiber where the local suction pressure is the highest and correspondingly, more particles are accumulated to the membrane surface. The effects of local fouling along the fiber length are significant factors to optimize the design of submerged modules.