• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.332-341
• /
• 2012

We studied the effects of induction of natural convection instability flow (NCIF) according to the gravitational orientation (inclined angle) of the membrane cell on the reduction of membrane fouling in the constant-flow ultrafiltration (UF) of colloidal silica solutions. Five colloidal silica solutions with different silica size (average size = 7, 12, 22, 50 nm and 78 nm) were used as UF test solutions. The silica particles in colloidal solutions form cakes on the membrane surface thereby causing severe membrane fouling. The constant-flow UF performance according to the gravitational orientation of the membrane cell (from $0^{\circ}$ to $180^{\circ}$ inclined angle), was examined in an unstirred dead-end cell. We evaluate the effects of NCIF on the suppression of fouling formation by measuring the variation of transmembrane pressure (TMP) and the increase of critical flux by using the flux-stepping method. In the constant-flow dead-end UF for the smaller size (7, 12 nm and 22 nm) silica colloidal solutions, changing the gravitational orientation (inclined angle) of the membrane cell above the $30^{\circ}$ angle induces NCIF in the membrane module. This induced NCIF enhances back transport of the deposited silica solutes away from the membrane surface, therefore gives for the reduction of TMP. But in the constant-flow UF for the more larger size (50 nm and 78 nm) silica colloidal solutions, NCIF effects are not appearing. The critical flux is increased as increasing the module angle and decreasing the silica size. Those results show that the intesity of NCIF occurrence in membrane module is more higher as increasing the module angle and decreasing the silica size.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.181-193
• /
• 2014

Various treatment system for residuals have applied to save water resources, but most of them were not be satisfied with legal standard consistently. In this study, submerged membrane treatment system was operated to treat water treatment plant residuals and operation parameters was evaluated. Result of this experiment, high concentration organic matters contributed to high increase Transmembrane pressure(TMP) of membrane system(from 0.05 bar to 0.35 bar). And backwash process was effective to stabilize membrane system operation. After Cleaning-In-Place(CIP), permeability was recovered about 100 % from first operation condition. Inorganic matters (Fe, Mn, Al, Ca, Mg) were not effective membrane filtration performance. The quality of residual treatment was satisfied with drinking water quality standard and a treated water from that system was suitable for water reuse.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.125-136
• /
• 2017

Reverse osmosis technology is being used on large scale for treatment of ground water, brackish water, wastewater and sea water. The most challenging issue in RO process is carbonate scaling which is directly linked with the efficiency and economy. Considering the natural phenomena of carbonate scaling different adaptations have been made to control scaling on the surface of RO membrane including acid dosage and antiscalant addition. As carbonate scaling is directly related with pH level of feed water, present study describes an experimental approach to reduce scaling on RO membrane by lowering the feed water pH by purging $CO_2$. In this comparative study four different conditions including control process (without any scale inhibitor), with dosage of antiscalant, with purging of $CO_2$ and with co addition of antiscalant and $CO_2$ in a feed stream line; it was established that $CO_2$ is a better appliance to reduce carbonate scaling on the membrane surface by reduce pH of feed stream. It was also observed that $CO_2$ and antiscalant mutually function better for scale control.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.10 no.5
• /
• pp.331-338
• /
• 2019

This study aimed to investigate the membrane fouling and sludge characteristics in a pilot-scale submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) operated under low temperature ($7^{\circ}C$). To elucidate the mechanisms of membrane fouling at low temperature, we studied the correlation between MBR performances and physicochemical properties of sludge including extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), relative hydrophobicity (RH) and floc size during long-term operation. The MBR was shown able to remove chemical oxygen demand (COD) stably and efficiently (>90 %) in the case of overgrowth of filamentous bacteria (bulking sludge) at low temperature. On the other hand, the occurrence of filamentous bulking greatly accelerated membrane fouling, as indicated by membrane filtration period of 14 days for filamentous bulking at $7^{\circ}C$, in comparison with that of 27 days for non-bulking sludge at $24^{\circ}C$ The overgrowth of filamentous bacteria resulting from low-temperature condition led to an increased release of EPS, higher RH, smaller floc size and lower fractal dimension of sludge. These factors accelerated the formation of compact cake layer on membrane surface in association with performance diminution in terms of increase in transmembrane pressure (TMP) of the membrane and thus the decrease in membrane permeability.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.329-338
• /
• 2019

The constant-pressure and constant-flux membrane filtration experiments of alumina colloidal solution are performed to investigate defouling effect of the natural convection instability flow (NCIF) induced in membrane module. The permeate flux at constant-pressure and the transmembrane pressure (TMP) at constant-flux experiments are measured by changes the inclined angle (0, 90 and 180°) of membrane module to the gravity, and flux results are analyzed by using the blocking filtration model. NCIF are more induced as the inclined angles increased from 0° to 180°, and the maximum induced NCIF at 180° angle enhances flux to 2.8 times and reduces TMP to 85% after two-hour operation. As a result of analyzing flux data by applying the blocking filtration model, it is more reasonable to analyze them by using the intermediate blocking model within 15-minute operation time and then thereafter times by using the cake filtration model. The induced NCIF at 180° angle reduces the intermediate blocking fouling at 52% in the early operation time of 15-minute and thereafter the cake layer fouling at 93%. The main membrane fouling control mechanism of NCIF induced in membrane module is evaluated as suppressing the formation of the cake layer of particulate colloidal materials on membrane surface.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.131-137
• /
• 2020

In this study, effect of inorganic particles on organic fouling was investigated by a laboratory-scaled pressurized membrane filtration. In order to cause organic fouling, sodium alginate (SA) was used as a feed solution. Regardless of the presence of inorganic SiO₂ particles, the complete pore blocking played an important role in determining the fouling rate during the initial period of membrane filtration. However, the formation of cake layer resulted in the membrane fouling more dominantly as filtration time progressed. In the presence of inorganic particles, both specific cake resistance and compressibility associated with the membrane fouling formed were relatively lower than that without SiO₂ particles. Membrane fouling was more severe at constant flux mode of filtration than that observed at constant pressure mode probably due to the concomitant increase of compressibility of fouling layer with transmembrane pressure (TMP). It was found that the presence of SA and SiO₂ particles in feed solution provided the synergistic effect on the hydraulic backwashing to reduce membrane fouling as compared to the SA solution alone without the inorganic particles.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.51-57
• /
• 2024

The removal of phosphorus, especially phosphate-form phosphorus, is necessary in wastewater treatment. Biofouling induced by the quorum sensing mechanism is also a major problem in membrane bioreactor (MBR), which reduces membrane flux. This study introduces lanthanum-doped quorum quenching (QQ) beads into MBR, confirming their inhibitory effect on biofouling due to Rhodococcus sp. BH4 and their capacity for phosphorus removal through lanthanum adsorption. A batch test was conducted to access the phosphate adsorption of lanthanum-QQ (La-QQ) beads and lab-scale MBR to verify the effect of inhibition. The study aimed to identify distinctions among the MBR, QQ MBR, and La-QQ MBR. In the batch test, the phosphate removal rate increased as the volume of beads increased, while the unit volume removal rate of phosphate decreased. In the lab-scale MBR, the phosphate removal rates were below 20% in the control MBR and QQ MBR, whereas the La-QQ MBR achieved a phosphate removal rate of 74%. There was not much difference between the ammonia and total organic carbon (TOC) removal rates. Regarding the change in transmembrane pressure(TMP), 3.7 days were taken for the control MBR to reach critical pressure. In contrast, the QQ-MBR took 9.8 days, and the La-QQ MBR took 6.1 days, which confirms the delay in biofouling. It is expected that La-QQ can be used within MBR to design a more stable MBR process that regulates biofouling and enhances phosphate removal.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.354-361
• /
• 2008

Effects of operational conditions and solution chemistry on permeate flux in a hybrid ozone-ceramic ultra-filtration (UF) membrane system treating natural organic matter (NOM) were investigated. Results showed that the extent of permeate flux decline was higher at higher cross-flow velocity and ozone dosage, but it was higher at lower transmembrane pressure (TMP). The mechanism of fouling mitigation was found to be more dependent upon reaction between ozone and natural organic matter at/near catalytic membrane surface than scouring effect due to ozone gas bubbles. Addition of calcium into model NOM solution at high pH led to significant decline in permeate flux while the calcium effect on permeate flux decline was less pronounced at lower pH. After permeate flux decline during the early stage of filtration, the flux started recovering and approached fully to the initial value of it due to degradation of NOM by catalytic ozonation at ceramic membrane surface in the hybrid ozone-ceramic membrane system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.155-163
• /
• 2017

Membrane filtration has become more popular in drinking water treatment recently, since the filtration can control not only particulate matters but also pathogenic microorganisms such as giardia and cryptosporidium very effectively. Pilot-scale ($120m^3/d$ of treatment capacity) and test-bed ($25,000m^3/d$ of treatment capacity) microfiltration experiments were conducted to find optimum operating mode and the critical flux. Optimum operating mode of pilot-test was assessed as inflow 1.0 min, filtration 36.5 min, air backwash 0.9 min, backwash 1.0 min and outflow 1.0 min with 50 LMH ($L/min{\cdot}m3^$) of critical flux. Critical Flux was calculated to be $50L/m^2-h$ (within TMP 0.5 bar) based on the increase formula of the transmembrane pressure difference according to the change of time at Flux 20, 40, 56 and 62 LMH in pilot operation. Chemical cleaning was first acid washed twice, and alkali washing was performed secondarily, and a recovery rate of 95% was obtained in the test-bed plant. The results of operating under these appropriate conditions are as follows. Turbidity of treated water were 0.028, 0.024, 0.026 and 0.028 NTU in spring, summer, autumn and winter time, respectively. Microfiltration has superior treatment capability and performance characteristics in removing suspended solids and colloidal materials, which are the main cause of turbidity and important carrier of metal elements, and it has shown great potential in being an economically substitute to traditional processes (sand filtration).

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.142-150
• /
• 2014

This paper is to develop the process suitable for the advanced treatment of liquid fertilizer from the livestock night soil treatment facility (biogas plant). Nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) process was used, respectively, for the advanced treatment of liquid fertilizer. And membrane bioreactor (MBR) with and without biomedia were tested, respectively, for the pretreatment. It was found that almost T-N of the liquid fertilizer was composed of ammoniacal nitrogen. Transmembrane pressure of MBR with biomedia increased slowly during the operation time, while that of MBR without biomedia increased rapidly at the initial time. But there was no difference observed in the removal efficiencies of COD, T-N, and T-P irrespective of the dosage of biomedia. When the liquid fertilizer was pretreated by MBR with biomedia, the removal efficiencies of COD, T-N, and T-P were 99.8, 86.5%, and 99.8% by NF, and 99.9, 86.8%, and 99.8% by RO, respectively. Compared with the effluent quality standards of the livestock night soil treatment facility, the water quality treated by MBR and NF/RO process met the standard for COD and T-P, but exceeded the permitted standard for T-N. In order to meet the effluent quality standard for T-N, it is necessary to change the MBR operation cycle or to add the secondary treatment by NF/RO.