Fouling on ion-exchange membranes: Classification, characterization and strategies of prevention and control.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikhaylin, Sergey; Bazinet, Laurent

2016-03-01

The environmentally friendly ion-exchange membrane (IEM) processes find more and more applications in the modern industries in order to demineralize, concentrate and modify products. Moreover, these processes may be applied for the energy conversion and storage. However, the main drawback of the IEM processes is a formation of fouling, which significantly decreases the process efficiency and increases the process cost. The present review is dedicated to the problematic of IEM fouling phenomena. Firstly, the major types of IEM fouling such as colloidal fouling, organic fouling, scaling and biofouling are discussed along with consideration of the main factors affecting fouling formation and development. Secondly, the review of the possible methods of IEM fouling characterization is provided. This section includes the methods of fouling visualization and characterization as well as methods allowing investigations of characteristics of the fouled IEMs. Eventually, the reader will find the conventional and modern strategies of prevention and control of different fouling types. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Advanced Marine Coatings for Naval Vessels - Phase 1. Antifouling and Fouling Release Coatings

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

McCarthy, Gregory

2003-01-01

... in combinatorial materials chemistry high-throughput discovery and evaluation methodology. The protective coatings application being addressed is environmentally compliant antifouling and fouling release coating for Navy ships...

Audience Perception of Hate Speech and Foul Language in the Social Media in Nigeria: Implications for Morality and Law

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Terfa T. Alakali

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examined the phenomenon of hate speech and foul language on social media platforms in Nigeria, and assessed their moral and legal consequences in the society and to journalism practice. It used both quantitative and qualitative methodology to investigate the phenomenon. In the first place, the paper employed the survey research methodology to sample 384 respondents using questionnaire and focus group discussion as instruments for data collection. Findings from the research indicate that promoting hate speech and foul language on social media have moral and legal consequences in the society and to journalism practice. Findings also show that although, the respondents understand that hate speech and foul language attract legal consequences, they do not know what obligations are created by law against perpetrators of hate speech and foul language in Nigeria. The paper therefore, adopted the qualitative, doctrinal and analytical methodology to discuss the legal consequences and obligations created against perpetrators of hate speech and foul language in Nigeria. The paper concluded based on the findings that hate speech and foul language is prevalent on social media platforms in Nigeria and that there are adequate legal provisions to curb the phenomenon in Nigeria. It recommends among others things that the Nigerian government and NGOs should sponsor monitoring projects like the UMATI in Kenya to better understand the use of hate speech and that monitoring agencies set up under the legal regime should adopt mechanisms to identify and remove hate speech content on social media platforms in Nigeria.

The influence of hydrodynamic factors, membrane surface properties and channel geometries on membrane performance and fouling mechanisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pervov Alexey

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Modern theoretical understanding of colloidal and suspended matter membrane fouling mechanisms are presented and discussed. State-of-the-art simulation models of concentration polarization calculations for different channel conditions are described and influence of the fouling layers on the flux and rejection decrease are evaluated. Results of experimental investigations are presented that suggest a quantitative evaluation of fouling rates and membrane flux prognosis due to colloidal fouling with time. The influence of channel geometry on fouling is demonstrated and discussed. The main disadvantage of spiral wounded membrane modules which is attributed to the presence of a separation spacer mesh in the feed channel is discussed.

Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Technology for Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation: Membrane Fouling.

Science.gov (United States)

Iorhemen, Oliver Terna; Hamza, Rania Ahmed; Tay, Joo Hwa

2016-06-15

The membrane bioreactor (MBR) has emerged as an efficient compact technology for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment. The major drawback impeding wider application of MBRs is membrane fouling, which significantly reduces membrane performance and lifespan, resulting in a significant increase in maintenance and operating costs. Finding sustainable membrane fouling mitigation strategies in MBRs has been one of the main concerns over the last two decades. This paper provides an overview of membrane fouling and studies conducted to identify mitigating strategies for fouling in MBRs. Classes of foulants, including biofoulants, organic foulants and inorganic foulants, as well as factors influencing membrane fouling are outlined. Recent research attempts on fouling control, including addition of coagulants and adsorbents, combination of aerobic granulation with MBRs, introduction of granular materials with air scouring in the MBR tank, and quorum quenching are presented. The addition of coagulants and adsorbents shows a significant membrane fouling reduction, but further research is needed to establish optimum dosages of the various coagulants/adsorbents. Similarly, the integration of aerobic granulation with MBRs, which targets biofoulants and organic foulants, shows outstanding filtration performance and a significant reduction in fouling rate, as well as excellent nutrients removal. However, further research is needed on the enhancement of long-term granule integrity. Quorum quenching also offers a strong potential for fouling control, but pilot-scale testing is required to explore the feasibility of full-scale application.

Pretreatment and Membrane Hydrophilic Modification to Reduce Membrane Fouling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huaqiang Chu

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The application of low pressure membranes (microfiltration/ultrafiltration has undergone accelerated development for drinking water production. However, the major obstacle encountered in its popularization is membrane fouling caused by natural organic matter (NOM. This paper firstly summarizes the two factors causing the organic membrane fouling, including molecular weight (MW and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of NOM, and then presents a brief introduction of the methods which can prevent membrane fouling such as pretreatment of the feed water (e.g., coagulation, adsorption, and pre-oxidation and membrane hydrophilic modification (e.g., plasma modification, irradiation grafting modification, surface coating modification, blend modification, etc.. Perspectives of further research are also discussed.

The impact of fouling on performance evaluation of evaporative coolers and condensers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qureshi, B.A.; Zubair, S.M. [King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia). Mechanical Engineering Dept.

2005-11-15

Fouling of evaporative cooler and condenser tubes is one of the most important factors affecting their thermal performance, which reduces effectiveness and heat transfer capability with time. In this paper, the experimental data on fouling reported in the literature are used to develop a fouling model for this class of heat exchangers. The model predicts the decrease in heat transfer rate with the growth of fouling. A detailed model of evaporative coolers and condensers, in conjunction with the fouling model, is used to study the effect of fouling on the thermal performance of these heat exchangers at different air inlet wet bulb temperatures. The results demonstrate that fouling of tubes reduces gains in performance resulting from decreasing values of air inlet wet bulb temperature. It is found that the maximum decrease in effectiveness due to fouling is about 55 and 78% for the evaporative coolers and condensers, respectively, investigated in this study. For the evaporative cooler, the value of process fluid outlet temperature T{sub p,out} varies by 0.66% only at the clean condition for the ambient wet bulb temperatures considered. (author)

Membrane Bioreactor (MBR Technology for Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation: Membrane Fouling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oliver Terna Iorhemen

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The membrane bioreactor (MBR has emerged as an efficient compact technology for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment. The major drawback impeding wider application of MBRs is membrane fouling, which significantly reduces membrane performance and lifespan, resulting in a significant increase in maintenance and operating costs. Finding sustainable membrane fouling mitigation strategies in MBRs has been one of the main concerns over the last two decades. This paper provides an overview of membrane fouling and studies conducted to identify mitigating strategies for fouling in MBRs. Classes of foulants, including biofoulants, organic foulants and inorganic foulants, as well as factors influencing membrane fouling are outlined. Recent research attempts on fouling control, including addition of coagulants and adsorbents, combination of aerobic granulation with MBRs, introduction of granular materials with air scouring in the MBR tank, and quorum quenching are presented. The addition of coagulants and adsorbents shows a significant membrane fouling reduction, but further research is needed to establish optimum dosages of the various coagulants/adsorbents. Similarly, the integration of aerobic granulation with MBRs, which targets biofoulants and organic foulants, shows outstanding filtration performance and a significant reduction in fouling rate, as well as excellent nutrients removal. However, further research is needed on the enhancement of long-term granule integrity. Quorum quenching also offers a strong potential for fouling control, but pilot-scale testing is required to explore the feasibility of full-scale application.

Fouling of Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) Membrane: Chemical and Microbiological Characterization

KAUST Repository

Khan, Muhammad T.

2013-12-01

In spite of abundant water resources, world is suffering from the scarcity of usable water. Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination technology using polymeric membranes has been recognized as a key solution to water scarcity problem. However, economic sustainability of this advanced technology is adversely impacted by the membrane fouling problem. Fouling of RO membranes is a highly studied phenomenon. However, literature is found to be lacking a detailed study on kinetic and dynamic aspects of SWRO membrane fouling. The factors that impact the fouling dynamics, i.e., pretreatment and water quality were also not adequately studied at full–scale of operation. Our experimental protocol was designed to systematically explore these fouling aspects with the objective to improve the understanding of SWRO membrane fouling mechanisms. An approach with multiple analytical techniques was developed for fouling characterization. In addition to the fouling layer characterization, feed water quality was also analysed to assess its fouling potential. Study of SWRO membrane fouling dynamics and kinetics revealed variations in relative abundance of chemical and microbial constituents of the fouling layer, over operating time. Aromatic substances, most likely humic–like substances, were observed at relatively high abundance in the initial fouling layer, followed by progressive increase in relative abundances of proteins and polysaccharides. Microbial population grown on all membranes was dominated by specific groups/species belonging to different classes of Proteobacteria phylum; however, similar to abiotic foulant, their relative abundance also changed with the biofilm age and with the position of membrane element in RO vessel. Our results demonstrated that source water quality can significantly impact the RO membrane fouling scenarios. Moreover, the major role of chlorination in the SWRO membrane fouling was highlighted. It was found that intermittent mode of chlorination

Heat transfer fouling characteristics of microfiltered thin stillage from the dry grind process.

Science.gov (United States)

Arora, Amit; Dien, Bruce S; Belyea, Ronald L; Singh, Vijay; Tumbleson, M E; Rausch, Kent D

2010-08-01

We investigated effects of microfiltration (MF) on heat transfer fouling tendencies of thin stillage. A stainless steel MF membrane (0.1 micron pore size) was used to remove solids from thin stillage. At filtration conditions of 690kPa, the MF process effectively recovered total solids from thin stillage. Thin stillage was concentrated from 7.0% to 22.4% solids with average permeate flux rates of 180+/-30 L/m(2)/h at 75 degrees C. In retentate streams, protein and fat contents were increased from 23.5 and 16.7% db to 27.6 and 31.1% db, respectively, and ash content was reduced from 10.5% to 3.8% db. Removal of solids, protein and fat generated a microfiltration permeate (MFP) that was used as an input stream to the fouling probe system; MFP fouling tendencies were measured. An annular fouling probe was used to measure fouling tendencies of thin stillage from a commercial dry grind facility. When comparing diluted thin stillage (DTS) stream and MFP, a reduction in solids concentration was not the only reason of fouling decrement. Selective removal of protein and fat played an important role in mitigating the fouling. At t=10h, mean fouling rates of MFP were an order of magnitude lower when compared to thin stillage and diluted streams. When maximum probe temperature (200 degrees C) was reached, mean fouling rates for thin stillage, DTS and MFP were 7.1x10(-4), 4.2x10(-4) and 2.6x10(-4) m(2) degrees C/kW/min, respectively. In DTS and MFP, the induction period was prolonged by factors of 4.3 and 9.5, respectively, compared to the induction period for thin stillage fouling. Mean fouling rates were decreased by factors of 2.3 and 23.4 for DTS and MFP, respectively. Fouling of MFP took twice the time to reach a probe temperature of 200 degrees C than did thin stillage (22 h vs 10 h, respectively). A reduction in heat transfer fouling could be achieved by altering process stream composition using microfiltration. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors causing PAC cake fouling in PAC-MF (powdered activated carbon-microfiltration) water treatment systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, P; Takizawa, S; Katayama, H; Ohgaki, S

2005-01-01

Two pilot-scale powdered activated carbon-microfiltration (PAC-MF) reactors were operated using river water pretreated by a biofilter. A high permeate flux (4 m/d) was maintained in two reactors with different particle sizes of PAC. High concentration (20 g/L) in the PAC adsorption zone demonstrated 60-80% of organic removal rates. Analysis on the PAC cake fouling demonstrated that attached metal ions play more important role than organic matter attached on PAC to the increase of PAC cake resistance. Effects of factors which may cause PAC cake fouling in PAC-MF process were investigated and evaluated by batch experiments, further revealing that small particulates and metal ions in raw water impose prominent influence on the PAC cake layer formation. Fe (II) precipitates after being oxidized to Fe (III) during PAC adsorption and thus Fe(ll) colloids display more significant effect than other metal ions. At a high flux, PAC cake layer demonstrated a higher resistance with larger PAC due to association among colloids, metals and PAC particles, and easy migration of small particles in raw water into the void space in the PAC cake layer. Larger PAC possesses much more non-uniform particle size distribution and larger void space, making it easier for small colloids to migrate into the voids and for metal ions to associate with PAC particles by bridge effect, hence speeding up and intensifying the of PAC cake fouling on membrane surface.

Microbial community structure characteristics associated membrane fouling in A/O-MBR system.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Da-Wen; Wen, Zhi-Dan; Li, Bao; Liang, Hong

2014-02-01

The study demonstrated the potential relationship between microbial community structure and membrane fouling in an anoxic-oxic membrane bioreactor (A/O-MBR). The results showed that the microbial community structure in biocake was different with aerobic mixture, and the dominant populations were out of sync during the fouling process. Based on microbial community structure and metabolites analysis, the results showed that the succession of microbial community might be the leading factor to the variation of metabolites, and it might be the primary cause of membrane fouling. The rise of Shannon diversity index (H) of the microbial community in A/O-MBR went with the gradually serious membrane fouling. Pareto-Lorenz curve was used to describe the evenness of microbial distribution in A/O-MBR, and the result indicated when community evenness was low, the membrane fouling took place smoothly or slightly, otherwise, high evenness of microbial community would lead to more seriously membrane fouling. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydraulically irreversible fouling on ceramic MF/UF membranes: comparison of fouling indices, foulant composition and irreversible pore narrowing

KAUST Repository

Shang, Ran; Vuong, Francois; Hu, Jingyi; Li, Sheng; Kemperman, Antoine J.B.; Nijmeijer, Kitty; Cornelissen, Emile R.; Heijman, Sebastiaan G.J.; Rietveld, Luuk C.

2015-01-01

The application of ceramic membranes in water treatment is becoming increasing attractive because of their long life time and excellent chemical, mechanical and thermal stability. However, fouling of ceramic membranes, especially hydraulically irreversible fouling, is still a critical aspect affecting the operational cost and energy consumption in water treatment plants. In this study, four ceramic membranes with pore sizes or molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of 0.20 μm, 0.14 μm, 300 kDa and 50 kDa were compared during natural surface water filtration with respect to hydraulically irreversible fouling index (HIFI), foulant composition and narrowing of pore size due to the irreversible fouling. Our results showed that the hydraulically irreversible fouling index (HIFI) was proportional to the membrane pore size (r2=0.89) when the same feed water was filtrated. The UF membranes showed lower HIFI values than the MF membranes. Pore narrowing (internal fouling) was found to be a main fouling pattern of the hydraulically irreversible fouling. The internal fouling was caused by monolayer adsorption of foulants with different sizes that is dependent on the size of the membrane pore.

Hydraulically irreversible fouling on ceramic MF/UF membranes: comparison of fouling indices, foulant composition and irreversible pore narrowing

KAUST Repository

Shang, Ran

2015-05-06

The application of ceramic membranes in water treatment is becoming increasing attractive because of their long life time and excellent chemical, mechanical and thermal stability. However, fouling of ceramic membranes, especially hydraulically irreversible fouling, is still a critical aspect affecting the operational cost and energy consumption in water treatment plants. In this study, four ceramic membranes with pore sizes or molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of 0.20 μm, 0.14 μm, 300 kDa and 50 kDa were compared during natural surface water filtration with respect to hydraulically irreversible fouling index (HIFI), foulant composition and narrowing of pore size due to the irreversible fouling. Our results showed that the hydraulically irreversible fouling index (HIFI) was proportional to the membrane pore size (r2=0.89) when the same feed water was filtrated. The UF membranes showed lower HIFI values than the MF membranes. Pore narrowing (internal fouling) was found to be a main fouling pattern of the hydraulically irreversible fouling. The internal fouling was caused by monolayer adsorption of foulants with different sizes that is dependent on the size of the membrane pore.

Integrated approach to characterize fouling on a flat sheet membrane gravity driven submerged membrane bioreactor

KAUST Repository

Fortunato, Luca

2016-10-07

Fouling in membrane bioreactors (MBR) is acknowledged to be complex and unclear. An integrated characterization methodology was employed in this study to understand the fouling on a gravity-driven submerged MBR (GD-SMBR). It involved the use of different analytical tools, including optical coherence tomography (OCT), liquid chromatography with organic carbon detection (LC-OCD), total organic carbon (TOC), flow cytometer (FCM), adenosine triphosphate analysis (ATP) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The three-dimensional (3D) biomass morphology was acquired in a real-time through non-destructive and in situ OCT scanning of 75% of the total membrane surface directly in the tank. Results showed that the biomass layer was homogeneously distributed on the membrane surface. The amount of biomass was selectively linked with final destructive autopsy techniques. The LC-OCD analysis indicated the abundance of low molecular weight (LMW) organics in the fouling composition. Three different SEM techniques were applied to investigate the detailed fouling morphology on the membrane. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd

Integrated approach to characterize fouling on a flat sheet membrane gravity driven submerged membrane bioreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Fortunato, Luca; Jeong, Sanghyun; Wang, Yiran; Behzad, Ali R; Leiknes, TorOve

2016-12-01

Fouling in membrane bioreactors (MBR) is acknowledged to be complex and unclear. An integrated characterization methodology was employed in this study to understand the fouling on a gravity-driven submerged MBR (GD-SMBR). It involved the use of different analytical tools, including optical coherence tomography (OCT), liquid chromatography with organic carbon detection (LC-OCD), total organic carbon (TOC), flow cytometer (FCM), adenosine triphosphate analysis (ATP) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The three-dimensional (3D) biomass morphology was acquired in a real-time through non-destructive and in situ OCT scanning of 75% of the total membrane surface directly in the tank. Results showed that the biomass layer was homogeneously distributed on the membrane surface. The amount of biomass was selectively linked with final destructive autopsy techniques. The LC-OCD analysis indicated the abundance of low molecular weight (LMW) organics in the fouling composition. Three different SEM techniques were applied to investigate the detailed fouling morphology on the membrane. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CONCENTRIC TUBE-FOULING RIG FOR INVESTIGATION OF FOULING DEPOSIT FORMATION FROM PASTEURISER OF VISCOUS FOOD LIQUID

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. I. KHALID

2013-02-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the work on developing concentric tube-fouling rig, a new fouling deposit monitoring device. This device can detect and quantify the level of fouling deposit formation. It can also functioning as sampler for fouling deposit study, which can be attached at any food processing equipment. The design is initiated with conceptual design. The rig is designed with inner diameter of 7 cm and with tube length of 37 cm. A spiral insert with 34.5 cm length and with 5.4 cm diameter is fitted inside the tube to ensure the fluid flows around the tube. In this work, the rig is attached to the lab-scale concentric tube-pasteurizer to test its effectiveness and to collect a fouling sample after pasteurization of pink guava puree. Temperature changes are recorded during the pasteurization and the data is used to plot the heat transfer profile. Thickness of the fouling deposit is also measured. The trends for thickness, heat resistance profile and heat transfer profile for concentric tube-fouling rig matched the trends obtained from lab-scale concentric tube-pasteurizer very well. The findings from this work have shown a good potential of this rig however there is a limitation with spiral insert, which is discussed in this paper.

49 CFR 214.323 - Foul time.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Foul time. 214.323 Section 214.323 Transportation... TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD WORKPLACE SAFETY Roadway Worker Protection § 214.323 Foul time. Working limits established on controlled track through the use of foul time procedures shall comply with the following...

Novel graphical approach as fouling pinch for increasing fouling formation period in heat exchanger network (HEN) state of the art

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azad, Abazar Vahdat; Ghaebi, Hadi; Amidpour, Majid

2011-01-01

In this paper a new graphical tool is proposed for investigation of fouling formation period in heat exchanger networks (HEN). The objective of this paper is increasing the time that HEN can perform its desirable heat transfer operation without required cleaning process. In a typical heat exchanger network, fouling formation rate of some streams is more than other ones. The method obtained in this work is based on given more opportunity for fouling formation for streams with high fouling formation rate. In fact high fouling formation rate streams are replaced with low fouling formation rate streams between different heat exchangers so that more fouling formation opportunity may be given for HEN. Therefore the HEN cleaning time decreases in fixed time period and the high fouling formation streams should pass from the path that the low fouling formation rate stream previously has passed, and inversely. As a result, secondly stream with high fouling formation rate mixes with residues of primary stream (low fouling formation rate stream). Therefore we should consider to adoption and conformability of streams structures (for prevention of streams destruction) and thermal considerations (for desirable heat transfer). Outlet temperatures of hot and cold streams should state in predefined temperatures. For satisfying thermal consideration after streams replacement this approach can be used in plants that cleanliness and its operational costs are most important problem.

Investigation of severe UF membrane fouling induced by three marine algal species

KAUST Repository

Merle, Tony

2016-02-06

Reducing membrane fouling caused by seawater algal bloom is a challenge for regions of the world where most of their freshwater is produced by seawater desalination. This study aims to compare ultrafiltration (UF) fouling potential of three ubiquitous marine algal species cultures (i.e., Skeletonena costatum-SKC, Tetraselmis sp.-TET, and Hymenomonas sp.-HYM) sampled at different phases of growth. Results showed that flux reduction and irreversible fouling were more severe during the decline phase as compared to the exponential phase, for all species. SKC and TET were responsible for substantial irreversible fouling but their impact was significantly lower than HYM. The development of a transparent gel layer surrounding the cell during the HYM growth and accumulating in water is certainly responsible for the more severe observed fouling. Chemical backwash with a standard chlorine solution did not recover any membrane permeability. For TET and HYM, the Hydraulically Irreversible Fouling Index (HIFI) was correlated to their biopolymer content but this correlation is specific for each species. Solution pre-filtration through a 1.2 μm membrane proved that cells and particulate algal organic matter (p-AOM) considerably contribute to fouling, especially for HYM for which the HIFI was reduced by a factor of 82.3.

The New Performance Calculation Method of Fouled Axial Flow Compressor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huadong Yang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Fouling is the most important performance degradation factor, so it is necessary to accurately predict the effect of fouling on engine performance. In the previous research, it is very difficult to accurately model the fouled axial flow compressor. This paper develops a new performance calculation method of fouled multistage axial flow compressor based on experiment result and operating data. For multistage compressor, the whole compressor is decomposed into two sections. The first section includes the first 50% stages which reflect the fouling level, and the second section includes the last 50% stages which are viewed as the clean stage because of less deposits. In this model, the performance of the first section is obtained by combining scaling law method and linear progression model with traditional stage stacking method; simultaneously ambient conditions and engine configurations are considered. On the other hand, the performance of the second section is calculated by averaged infinitesimal stage method which is based on Reynolds’ law of similarity. Finally, the model is successfully applied to predict the 8-stage axial flow compressor and 16-stage LM2500-30 compressor. The change of thermodynamic parameters such as pressure ratio, efficiency with the operating time, and stage number is analyzed in detail.

Hybrid system for fouling control in biomass boilers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romeo, Luis M.; Gareta, Raquel [Centro de Investigacin de Recursos y Consumos Energeticos (CIRCE), Universidad de Zaragoza, Centro Politecnico Superior, Mareda de Luna, 3, Zaragoza 50018, (Spain)

2006-12-15

Renewable energy sources are essential paths towards sustainable development and CO{sub 2} emission reduction. For example, the European Union has set the target of achieving 22% of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2010. However, the extensive use of this energy source is being avoided by some technical problems as fouling and slagging in the surfaces of boiler heat exchangers. Although these phenomena were extensively studied in the last decades in order to optimize the behaviour of large coal power boilers, a simple, general and effective method for fouling control has not been developed. For biomass boilers, the feedstock variability and the presence of new components in ash chemistry increase the fouling influence in boiler performance. In particular, heat transfer is widely affected and the boiler capacity becomes dramatically reduced. Unfortunately, the classical approach of regular sootblowing cycles becomes clearly insufficient for them. Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides new means to undertake this problem. This paper illustrates a methodology based on Neural Networks (NNs) and Fuzzy-Logic Expert Systems to select the moment for activating sootblowing in an industrial biomass boiler. The main aim is to minimize the boiler energy and efficiency losses with a proper sootblowing activation. Although the NN type used in this work is well-known and the Hybrid Systems had been extensively used in the last decade, the excellent results obtained in the use of AI in industrial biomass boilers control with regard to previous approaches makes this work a novelty. (Author)

Superhydrophilic Thin-Film Composite Forward Osmosis Membranes for Organic Fouling Control: Fouling Behavior and Antifouling Mechanisms

KAUST Repository

Tiraferri, Alberto

2012-10-16

This study investigates the fouling behavior and fouling resistance of superhydrophilic thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes functionalized with surface-tailored nanoparticles. Fouling experiments in both forward osmosis and reverse osmosis modes are performed with three model organic foulants: alginate, bovine serum albumin, and Suwannee river natural organic matter. A solution comprising monovalent and divalent salts is employed to simulate the solution chemistry of typical wastewater effluents. Reduced fouling is consistently observed for the superhydrophilic membranes compared to control thin-film composite polyamide membranes, in both reverse and forward osmosis modes. The fouling resistance and cleaning efficiency of the functionalized membranes is particularly outstanding in forward osmosis mode where the driving force for water flux is an osmotic pressure difference. To understand the mechanism of fouling, the intermolecular interactions between the foulants and the membrane surface are analyzed by direct force measurement using atomic force microscopy. Lower adhesion forces are observed for the superhydrophilic membranes compared to the control thin-film composite polyamide membranes. The magnitude and distribution of adhesion forces for the different membrane surfaces suggest that the antifouling properties of the superhydrophilic membranes originate from the barrier provided by the tightly bound hydration layer at their surface, as well as from the neutralization of the native carboxyl groups of thin-film composite polyamide membranes. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Superhydrophilic thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes for organic fouling control: fouling behavior and antifouling mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Tiraferri, Alberto; Kang, Yan; Giannelis, Emmanuel P; Elimelech, Menachem

2012-10-16

This study investigates the fouling behavior and fouling resistance of superhydrophilic thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes functionalized with surface-tailored nanoparticles. Fouling experiments in both forward osmosis and reverse osmosis modes are performed with three model organic foulants: alginate, bovine serum albumin, and Suwannee river natural organic matter. A solution comprising monovalent and divalent salts is employed to simulate the solution chemistry of typical wastewater effluents. Reduced fouling is consistently observed for the superhydrophilic membranes compared to control thin-film composite polyamide membranes, in both reverse and forward osmosis modes. The fouling resistance and cleaning efficiency of the functionalized membranes is particularly outstanding in forward osmosis mode where the driving force for water flux is an osmotic pressure difference. To understand the mechanism of fouling, the intermolecular interactions between the foulants and the membrane surface are analyzed by direct force measurement using atomic force microscopy. Lower adhesion forces are observed for the superhydrophilic membranes compared to the control thin-film composite polyamide membranes. The magnitude and distribution of adhesion forces for the different membrane surfaces suggest that the antifouling properties of the superhydrophilic membranes originate from the barrier provided by the tightly bound hydration layer at their surface, as well as from the neutralization of the native carboxyl groups of thin-film composite polyamide membranes.

Milk fouling in heat exchangers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jeurnink, T.J.M.

1996-01-01

The mechanisms of fouling of heat exchangers by milk were studied. Two major fouling mechanisms were indentified during the heat treatment of milk: (i) the formation and the subsequent deposition of activated serum protein molecules as a result of the heat denaturation; (ii) the

Characterization of fouling of membrane contactors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ciurkot, Kaludia; Zarebska, Agata; Christensen, Knud Villy

2013-01-01

of ammonia and membrane fouling tendency. The surface morphology of both clean and fouled membranes by model manure solution and undigested pig manure has been studied by: Optical and Atomic Force Microscopy and contact angle measurements. Based on the experimental results, it is concluded that real manure...... achieved higher ammonia removal than the synthetic model manure solution. This might be due to the larger particle size of the milled straw in the model solution compared to the size of suspended solids present in real manure. From the fouling autopsy, it was found that PTFE membranes are more prone...... to fouling than PP membranes. In both membranes the hydrophobicity decreased after running the process for 30 h, especially when undigested pig manure was used....

Reliability Based Management of Marine Fouling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Faber, Michael Havbro; Hansen, Peter Friis

1999-01-01

The present paper describes the results of a recent study on the application of methods from structural reliability to optimise management of marine fouling on jacket type structures.In particular the study addresses effects on the structural response by assessment and quantification of uncertain......The present paper describes the results of a recent study on the application of methods from structural reliability to optimise management of marine fouling on jacket type structures.In particular the study addresses effects on the structural response by assessment and quantification...... of uncertainties of a set of parameters. These are the seasonal variation of marine fouling parameters, the wave loading (taking into account the seasonal variation in sea-state statistics), and the effects of spatial variations and seasonal effects of marine fouling parameters. Comparison of design values...

Contribution of effluent organic matter (EfOM) to ultrafiltration (UF) membrane fouling: Isolation, characterization, and fouling effect of EfOM fractions

KAUST Repository

Zheng, Xing

2014-11-01

EfOM has been regarded as a major organic foulant resulting in UF membrane fouling in wastewater reclamation. To investigate fouling potential of different EfOM fractions, the present study isolated EfOM into hydrophobic neutrals (HPO-N), colloids, hydrophobic acids (HPO-A), transphilic neutrals and acids (TPI), and hydrophilics (HPI), and tested their fouling effect in both salt solution and pure water during ultrafiltration (UF). Major functional groups and chemical structure of the isolates were identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and solid-state carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) analysis. The influence of the isolation process on the properties of EfOM fractions was minor because the raw and reconstituted secondary effluents were found similar with respect to UV absorbance, molecular size distribution, and fluorescence character. In membrane filtration tests, unified membrane fouling index (UMFI) and hydraulic resistance were used to quantify irreversible fouling potential of different water samples. Results show that under similar DOC level in feed water, colloids present much more irreversible fouling than other fractions. The fouling effect of the isolates is related to their size, chemical properties, and solution chemistry. Further investigations have identified that the interaction between colloids and other fractions also influences the performance of colloids in fouling phenomena. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Robust design optimization method for centrifugal impellers under surface roughness uncertainties due to blade fouling

Science.gov (United States)

Ju, Yaping; Zhang, Chuhua

2016-03-01

Blade fouling has been proved to be a great threat to compressor performance in operating stage. The current researches on fouling-induced performance degradations of centrifugal compressors are based mainly on simplified roughness models without taking into account the realistic factors such as spatial non-uniformity and randomness of the fouling-induced surface roughness. Moreover, little attention has been paid to the robust design optimization of centrifugal compressor impellers with considerations of blade fouling. In this paper, a multi-objective robust design optimization method is developed for centrifugal impellers under surface roughness uncertainties due to blade fouling. A three-dimensional surface roughness map is proposed to describe the nonuniformity and randomness of realistic fouling accumulations on blades. To lower computational cost in robust design optimization, the support vector regression (SVR) metamodel is combined with the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method to conduct the uncertainty analysis of fouled impeller performance. The analyzed results show that the critical fouled region associated with impeller performance degradations lies at the leading edge of blade tip. The SVR metamodel has been proved to be an efficient and accurate means in the detection of impeller performance variations caused by roughness uncertainties. After design optimization, the robust optimal design is found to be more efficient and less sensitive to fouling uncertainties while maintaining good impeller performance in the clean condition. This research proposes a systematic design optimization method for centrifugal compressors with considerations of blade fouling, providing a practical guidance to the design of advanced centrifugal compressors.

Fouling mechanisms of dairy streams during membrane distillation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hausmann, A.; Sanciolo, P.; Vasiljevic, T.; Weeks, M.; Schroën, C.G.P.H.; Gray, S.; Duke, M.

2013-01-01

This study reports on fouling mechanisms of skim milk and whey during membrane distillation (MD) using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes. Structural and elemental changes along the fouling layer from the anchorpoint at the membrane to the topsurface of the fouling layer have been investigated

KARAKTERISTIK INTERAKSI MEMBRAN-FOULANT DAN FOULANT-FOULANT SEBAGAI DASAR PENGENDALIAN FOULING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heru Susanto

2012-05-01

Full Text Available THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MEMBRANE-FOULANT AND FOULANT-FOULANT INTERACTIONS AS THE BASIS FOR CONTROL OF FOULING. Industrial membrane applications for solid liquid and liquid-liquid filtration are limited by fouling and concentration polarization. Because fouling significantly reduces the membrane performance and often changes the membrane selectivity, efforts to overcome the fouling problem are very important from practical applications point of view. This paper presents the basic knowledge required to control fouling and recent development in fouling control including the method developed by the author. Control of fouling can be done by (i commercial membrane modification (post modification by photo-graft polymerization, (ii modification by polymer blending during membrane manufacturing and (iii integration of a pretreatment into membrane processes. The results showed that all the developed methods can significantly reduce the resulting fouling; however, none of the method could totally remove the occurring fouling. The understanding of the membrane-foulant and foulant-foulant interactions is the key to success in control of fouling.Aplikasi teknologi membran untuk pemisahan padat cair di  berbagai industri dibatasi oleh peristiwa fouling yang menyebabkan penurunan laju produk dan perubahan selektifitas membran. Oleh karena itu, pengendalian fouling merupakan upaya yang mutlak harus dilakukan. Makalah ini mempresentasikan pengetahuan dasar yang diperlukan untuk pengendalian fouling dan perkembangan terkini dalam pengendalian fouling termasuk hasil-hasil yang telah dikembangkan oleh penulis. Pengendalian fouling dilakukan dengan (i modifikasi membran komersial (post modification menggunakan metode photo-grafting, (ii modifikasi dengan pencampuran polimer selama proses pembuatan (polymer blend dan (iii integrasi unit perlakuan awal (pre-treatment dengan proses membran. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kesemua metode yang dikembangkan dapat

Fouling distribution in forward osmosis membrane process.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Junseok; Kim, Bongchul; Hong, Seungkwan

2014-06-01

Fouling behavior along the length of membrane module was systematically investigated by performing simple modeling and lab-scale experiments of forward osmosis (FO) membrane process. The flux distribution model developed in this study showed a good agreement with experimental results, validating the robustness of the model. This model demonstrated, as expected, that the permeate flux decreased along the membrane channel due to decreasing osmotic pressure differential across the FO membrane. A series of fouling experiments were conducted under the draw and feed solutions at various recoveries simulated by the model. The simulated fouling experiments revealed that higher organic (alginate) fouling and thus more flux decline were observed at the last section of a membrane channel, as foulants in feed solution became more concentrated. Furthermore, the water flux in FO process declined more severely as the recovery increased due to more foulants transported to membrane surface with elevated solute concentrations at higher recovery, which created favorable solution environments for organic adsorption. The fouling reversibility also decreased at the last section of the membrane channel, suggesting that fouling distribution on FO membrane along the module should be carefully examined to improve overall cleaning efficiency. Lastly, it was found that such fouling distribution observed with co-current flow operation became less pronounced in counter-current flow operation of FO membrane process. Copyright © 2014 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular Mechanisms of Ultrafiltration Membrane Fouling in Polymer-Flooding Wastewater Treatment: Role of Ions in Polymeric Fouling.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Guicai; Yu, Shuili; Yang, Haijun; Hu, Jun; Zhang, Yi; He, Bo; Li, Lei; Liu, Zhiyuan

2016-02-02

Polymer (i.e., anionic polyacrylamide (APAM)) fouling of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes and its relationships to intermolecular interactions were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Distinct relations were obtained between the AFM force spectroscopy measurements and calculated fouling resistance over the concentration polarization layer (CPL) and gel layer (GL). The measured maximum adhesion forces (Fad,max) were closely correlated with the CPL resistance (Rp), and the proposed molecular packing property (largely based on the shape of AFM force spectroscopy curve) of the APAM chains was related to the GL resistance (Rg). Calcium ions (Ca(2+)) and sodium ions (Na(+)) caused more severe fouling. In the presence of Ca(2+), the large Rp corresponded to high foulant-foulant Fad,max, resulting in high flux loss. In addition, the Rg with Ca(2+) was minor, but the flux recovery rate after chemical cleaning was the lowest, indicating that Ca(2+) created more challenges in GL cleaning. With Na(+), the fouling behavior was complicated and concentration-dependent. The GL structures with Na(+), which might correspond to the proposed molecular packing states among APAM chains, played essential roles in membrane fouling and GL cleaning.

Model-based analysis of the effect of different operating conditions on fouling mechanisms in a membrane bioreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabia, Gianpaolo; Ferraris, Marco; Spagni, Alessandro

2016-01-01

This study proposes a model-based evaluation of the effect of different operating conditions with and without pre-denitrification treatment and applying three different solids retention times on the fouling mechanisms involved in membrane bioreactors (MBRs). A total of 11 fouling models obtained from literature were used to fit the transmembrane pressure variations measured in a pilot-scale MBR treating real wastewater for more than 1 year. The results showed that all the models represent reasonable descriptions of the fouling processes in the MBR tested. The model-based analysis confirmed that membrane fouling started by pore blocking (complete blocking model) and by a reduction of the pore diameter (standard blocking) while cake filtration became the dominant fouling mechanism over long-term operation. However, the different fouling mechanisms occurred almost simultaneously making it rather difficult to identify each one. The membrane "history" (i.e. age, lifespan, etc.) seems the most important factor affecting the fouling mechanism more than the applied operating conditions. Nonlinear regression of the most complex models (combined models) evaluated in this study sometimes demonstrated unreliable parameter estimates suggesting that the four basic fouling models (complete, standard, intermediate blocking and cake filtration) contain enough details to represent a reasonable description of the main fouling processes occurring in MBRs.

On-line fouling monitor for heat exchangers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsou, J.L.

1995-01-01

Biological and/or chemical fouling in utility service water system heat exchangers adversely affects operation and maintenance costs, and reduced heat transfer capability can force a power deaerating or even a plant shut down. In addition, service water heat exchanger performance is a safety issue for nuclear power plants, and the issue was highlighted by NRC in Generic Letter 89-13. Heat transfer losses due to fouling are difficult to measure and, usually, quantitative assessment of the impact of fouling is impossible. Plant operators typically measure inlet and outlet water temperatures and flow rates and then perform complex calculations for heat exchanger fouling resistance or ''cleanliness''. These direct estimates are often imprecise due to inadequate instrumentation. Electric Power Research Institute developed and patented an on-line condenser fouling monitor. This monitor may be installed in any location within the condenser; does not interfere with routine plant operations, including on-line mechanical and chemical treatment methods; and provides continuous, real-time readings of the heat transfer efficiency of the instrumented tube. This instrument can be modified to perform on-line monitoring of service water heat exchangers. This paper discusses the design, construction of the new monitor, and algorithm used to calculate service water heat exchanger fouling

Fouling of Structured Surfaces during Pool Boiling of Aqueous Solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esawy, M.

2011-01-01

Bubble characteristics in terms of density, size, frequency and motion are key factors that contribute to the superiority of nucleate pool boiling over the other modes of heat transfer. Nevertheless, if heat transfer occurs in an environment which is prone to fouling, the very same parameters may lead to accelerated deposit formation due to concentration effects beneath the growing bubbles. This has led heat exchanger designers frequently to maintain the surface temperature below the boiling point if fouling occurs, e.g. in thermal seawater desalination plants. The present study investigates the crystallization fouling of various structured surfaces during nucleate pool boiling of CaSO 4 solutions to shed light into their fouling behaviour compared with that of plain surfaces for the same operating conditions. As for the experimental part, a comprehensive set of clean and fouling experiments was performed rigorously. The structured tubes included low finned tubes of different fin densities, heights and materials and re-entrant cavity Turbo-B tube types.The fouling experiments were carried out at atmospheric pressure for different heat fluxes ranging from 100 to 300 k W/m 2 and CaSO 4 concentrations of 1.2 and 1.6 g/L. For the sake of comparison, similar runs were performed on plain stainless steel and copper tubes.Overall for the finned tubes, the experimental results showed a significant reduction of fouling resistances of up to 95% compared to those of the stainless steel and copper plain tubes. In addition, the scale formation that occurred on finned tubes was primarily a scattered and thin crystalline layer which differs significantly from those of plain tubes which suffered from a thick and homogenous layer of deposit with strong adhesion. Higher fin densities and lower fin heights always led to better antifouling performance for all investigated finned tubes. It was also shown that the surface material strongly affects the scale formation of finned tubes i

High Concentration Protein Ultrafiltration: a Comparative Fouling Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Y. P.; Mohammad, A. W.

2018-05-01

In this paper, the predominant fouling mechanism via pH manipulation in gelatin ultrafiltration (UF) at constant operating pressure was studied. Two 30 kDa molecular weight cut off (MWCO) UF membranes with different hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties were tested at solution pH near gelatin isoelectric point (IEP), pH below and above gelatin’s IEP. The resistance-in-series model was used to determine quantitatively the contribution of each filtration resistance occurred during gelatin UF. The governing fouling mechanisms were investigated using classical blocking laws. The results demonstrated that concentration polarization remain as dominant fouling resistance in gelatin UF, but exceptional case was observed at pH away from gelatin’s IEP, showing that combined reversible and irreversible fouling resistances contributed around 57% and 37%, respectively to the overall fouling resistances. Under all experimental condition tested, permeate flux decline was accurately predicted by all the models studied. Fouling profile was fitted well with “Standard Blocking”, “Intermediate Blocking” and “Cake Filtration” model for regenerated cellulose acetate (RCA) membrane and “Cake Filtration” model for polyethersulphone (PES) membrane.

Short Review on Predicting Fouling in RO Desalination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandro Ruiz-García

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Reverse Osmosis (RO membrane fouling is one of the main challenges that membrane manufactures, the scientific community and industry professionals have to deal with. The consequences of this inevitable phenomenon have a negative effect on the performance of the desalination system. Predicting fouling in RO systems is key to evaluating the long-term operating conditions and costs. Much research has been done on fouling indices, methods, techniques and prediction models to estimate the influence of fouling on the performance of RO systems. This paper offers a short review evaluating the state of industry knowledge in the development of fouling indices and models in membrane systems for desalination in terms of use and applicability. Despite major efforts in this field, there are gaps in terms of effective methods and models for the estimation of fouling in full-scale RO desalination plants. In existing models applied to full-scale RO desalination plants, neither the spacer geometry of membranes, nor the efficiency and frequency of chemical cleanings are considered.

Source water quality shaping different fouling scenarios in a full-scale desalination plant at the Red Sea

KAUST Repository

Khan, Muhammad

2013-02-01

The complexity of Reverse Osmosis (RO) membrane fouling phenomenon has been widely studied and several factors influencing it have been reported by many researchers. This original study involves the investigation of two different fouling profiles produced at a seawater RO desalination plant installed on a floating mobile barge. The plant was moved along the coastline of the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia. The two locations where the barge was anchored showed different water quality. At the second location, two modules were harvested. One of the modules was pre-fouled by inorganics during plant operation at the previous site while the other was installed at the second site. Fouled membranes were subjected to a wide range of chemical and microbiological characterization procedures. Drastically different fouling patterns were observed in the two membranes which indicates the influence of source water quality on membrane surface modification and on fouling of RO membranes. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Asphaltene Aggregation and Fouling Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Derakhshesh, Marzie

This thesis explored the properties of asphaltene nano-aggregates in crude oil and toluene based solutions and fouling at process furnace temperatures, and the links between these two phenomena. The link between stability of asphaltenes at ambient conditions and fouling at the conditions of a delayed coker furnace, at over 450 °C, was examined by blending crude oil with an aliphatic diluent in different ratios. The stability of the blends were measured using a S-value analyzer, then fouling rates were measured on electrically heated stainless steel 316 wires in an autoclave reactor. The less stable the blend, the greater the rate and extent of fouling. The most severe fouling occurred with the unstable asphaltenes. SEM imaging of the foulant illustrates very different textures, with the structure becoming more porous with lower stability. Under cross-polarized light, the coke shows the presence of mesophase in the foulant layer. These data suggest a correlation between the fouling rate at high temperature furnace conditions and the stability index of the crude oil. Three organic polysulfides were introduced to the crude oil to examine their effect on fouling. The polysulfides are able to reduce coking and carbon monoxide generation in steam crackers. The fouling results demonstrated that polysulfide with more sulfur content increased the amount of corrosion-fouling of the wire. Various additives, solvents, ultrasound, and heat were employed to attempt to completely disaggregate the asphaltene nano-aggregates in solution at room temperature. The primary analytical technique used to monitor the nano-aggregation state of the asphaltenes in solution was the UV-visible spectroscopy. The results indicate that stronger solvents, such as pyridine and quinoline, combined with ionic liquids yield a slight reduction in the apparent absorbance at longer wavelengths, indicative of a decrease in the nano-aggregate size although the magnitude of the decrease is not significant

EVALUASI KINERJA HEAT EXCHANGER DENGAN METODE FOULING F

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bambang Setyoko

2012-02-01

Full Text Available The performance of heat exchangers usually deteriorates with time as a result of accumulation of depositson heat transfer surfaces. The layer of deposits represents additional resistance to heat transfer and causesthe rate of heat transfer in a heat exchanger to decrease. The net effect of these accumulations on heattransfer is represented by a fouling factor Rf , which is a measure of the thermal resistance introduced byfouling.In this case, the type of fouling is the precipitation of solid deposits in a fluid on the heat transfer surface.The mineral deposits forming on the inner and the outer surfaces of fine tubes in the heat exchanger. Thefouling factor is increases with time as the solid deposits build up on the heat exchanger surface. Foulingincreases with increasing temperature and decreasing velocity.In this research, we obtain the coefisien clean overal 5,93 BTU/h.ft2.oF, Dirt factor 0,004 BTU/h.ft2 0F,Pressure drope in tube 2,84 . 10-3 Psi and pressure drope in shell 4,93 . 10-4 Psi.This result are less thanthe standard of parameter. Its means this Heat exchanger still clean relativity and can operate continousslywithout cleaning.

CROSS-FLOW ULTRAFILTRATION OF SECONDARY EFFLUENTS. MEMBRANE FOULING ANALYSIS

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Luisa Vera

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The application of cross-flow ultrafiltration to regenerate secondary effluents is limited by membrane fouling. This work analyzes the influence of the main operational parameters (transmembrane pressure and cross-flow velocity about the selectivity and fouling observed in an ultrafiltration tubular ceramic membrane. The experimental results have shown a significant retention of the microcolloidal and soluble organic matter (52 – 54% in the membrane. The fouling analysis has defined the critical operational conditions where the fouling resistance is minimized. Such conditions can be described in terms of a dimensionless number known as shear stress number and its relationship with other dimensionless parameter, the fouling number.

A comprehensive review of milk fouling on heated surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadeghinezhad, E; Kazi, S N; Dahari, M; Safaei, Mohammad Reza; Sadri, Rad; Badarudin, A

2015-01-01

Heat exchanger performance degrades rapidly during operation due to formation of deposits on heat transfer surfaces which ultimately reduces service life of the equipment. Due to scaling, product deteriorates which causes lack of proper heating. Chemistry of milk scaling is qualitatively understood and the mathematical models for fouling at low temperatures have been produced but the behavior of systems at ultra high temperature processing has to be studied further to understand in depth. In diversified field, the effect of whey protein fouling along with pressure drop in heat exchangers were conducted by many researchers. Adding additives, treatment of heat exchanger surfaces and changing of heat exchanger configurations are notable areas of investigation in milk fouling. The present review highlighted information about previous work on fouling, influencing parameters of fouling and its mitigation approach and ends up with recommendations for retardation of milk fouling and necessary measures to perform the task.

The Application and Research of the GA-BP Neural Network Algorithm in the MBR Membrane Fouling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunqing Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available It is one of the important issues in the field of today's sewage treatment of researching the MBR membrane flux prediction for membrane fouling. Firstly this paper used the principal component analysis method to achieve dimensionality and correlation of input variables and obtained the three major factors affecting membrane fouling most obvious: MLSS, total resistance, and operating pressure. Then it used the BP neural network to establish the system model of the MBR intelligent simulation, the relationship between three parameters, and membrane flux characterization of the degree of membrane fouling, because the BP neural network has slow training speed, is sensitive to the initial weights and the threshold, is easy to fall into local minimum points, and so on. So this paper used genetic algorithm to optimize the initial weights and the threshold of BP neural network and established the membrane fouling prediction model based on GA-BP network. As this research had shown, under the same conditions, the BP network model optimized by GA of MBR membrane fouling is better than that not optimized for prediction effect of membrane flux. It demonstrates that the GA-BP network model of MBR membrane fouling is more suitable for simulation of MBR membrane fouling process, comparing with the BP network.

Achieving reduced fouling of cooling water exchangers with stainless steel tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iftikhar, A.; Mir, N.

2010-01-01

Good performance of cooling water heat exchangers plays a vital role in the over all energy efficiency of a chemical plant. Heavy fouling on carbon steel tubes of the cooling water exchangers was causing poor performance and frequent cleaning requirement. The carbon steel tubes were replaced with stainless steel tubes. Improved performance was achieved and cleaning frequency reduced. The paper covers the details of study and methodology applied for the above changes along with summary of results. (author)

Fouling-induced enzyme immobilization for membrane reactors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luo, Jianquan; Meyer, Anne S.; Jonsson, Gunnar Eigil

2013-01-01

A simple enzyme immobilization method accomplished by promoting membrane fouling formation is proposed. The immobilization method is based on adsorption and entrapment of the enzymes in/on the membrane. To evaluate the concept, two membrane orientations, skin layer facing feed (normal mode......, but the reverse mode allowed for higher enzyme loading and stability, and irreversible fouling (i.e. pore blocking) developed more readily in the support structure than in the skin layer. Compared with an enzymatic membrane reactor (EMR) with free enzymes, the novel EMR with enzymes immobilized in membrane......) and support layer facing feed (reverse mode), were used to immobilize alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH, EC 1.1.1.1) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH, EC 1.4.1.3), respectively. The nature of the fouling in each mode was determined by filtration fouling models. The permeate flux was larger in the normal mode...

In-line quantification and characterization of membrane fouling

KAUST Repository

Bucs, Szilard

2016-06-16

Methods of detecting, quantifying and/or characterizing the fouling of a device from a combination of pressure and spectroscopic data are provided. The device can be any device containing components susceptible to fouling. Components can include membranes, pipes, or reactors. Suitable devices include membrane devices, heat exchangers, and chemical or bio-reactors. Membrane devices can include, for example, microfiltration devices, ultrafiltration devices, nanofiltration devices, reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, osmosis, reverse electrodialysis, electro- deionisation or membrane distillation devices. The methods can be applied to any type of membrane, including tubular, spiral, hollow fiber, flat sheet, and capillary membranes. The spectroscopic characterization can include measuring one or more of the absorption, fluorescence, or raman spectroscopic data of one or more foulants. The methods can allow for the early detection and/or characterization of fouling. The characterization can include determining the specific foulant(s) or type of foulant(s) present. The characterization of fouling can allow for the selection of an appropriate de-fouling method and timing.

Fouling in Membrane Distillation, Osmotic Distillation and Osmotic Membrane Distillation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mourad Laqbaqbi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Various membrane separation processes are being used for seawater desalination and treatment of wastewaters in order to deal with the worldwide water shortage problem. Different types of membranes of distinct morphologies, structures and physico-chemical characteristics are employed. Among the considered membrane technologies, membrane distillation (MD, osmotic distillation (OD and osmotic membrane distillation (OMD use porous and hydrophobic membranes for production of distilled water and/or concentration of wastewaters for recovery and recycling of valuable compounds. However, the efficiency of these technologies is hampered by fouling phenomena. This refers to the accumulation of organic/inorganic deposits including biological matter on the membrane surface and/or in the membrane pores. Fouling in MD, OD and OMD differs from that observed in electric and pressure-driven membrane processes such electrodialysis (ED, membrane capacitive deionization (MCD, reverse osmosis (RO, nanofiltration (NF, ultrafiltration (UF, microfiltration (MF, etc. Other than pore blockage, fouling in MD, OD and OMD increases the risk of membrane pores wetting and reduces therefore the quantity and quality of the produced water or the concentration efficiency of the process. This review deals with the observed fouling phenomena in MD, OD and OMD. It highlights different detected fouling types (organic fouling, inorganic fouling and biofouling, fouling characterization techniques as well as various methods of fouling reduction including pretreatment, membrane modification, membrane cleaning and antiscalants application.

Fouling deposition characteristic by variation of coal particle size and deposition temperature in DTF (Drop Tube Furnace)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Namkung, Hueon; Jeon, Youngshin; Kim, Hyungtaek [Ajou Univ., Suwon (Korea, Republic of). Div. of Energy Systems Research; Xu, Li-hua [IAE, Suwon (Korea, Republic of). Plant Engineering Center

2013-07-01

One of the major operation obstacles in gasification process is ash deposition phenomenon. In this investigation, experiment was carried out to examine coal fouling characteristics using a laminar DTF (Drop Tube Furnace) with variation of operating condition such as different coal size, and probe surface temperature. Four different samples of pulverized coal were injected into DTF under various conditions. The ash particles are deposited on probe by impacting and agglomerating action. Fouling grains are made of eutectic compound, which is made by reacting with acid minerals and alkali minerals, in EPMA (Electron Probe Micro-Analysis). And agglomeration area of fouling at top layer is wide more than it of middle and bottom layer. The major mineral factors of fouling phenomenon are Fe, Ca, and Mg. The deposition quantity of fouling increases with increasing particle size, high alkali mineral (Fe, Ca, and Mg) contents, and ash deposition temperature.

Fouling detection in heat exchangers by Takagi-Sugeno observers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delrot, Sabrina

2012-01-01

The phenomenon of fouling in heat exchangers is currently an important topic. Indeed, the fouling is a costly issue that increases the energy loss (directly or indirectly through an over-sizing of the equipment), and therefore increases the water consumption. As a side effect, fouling increases CO 2 consumption that leads to environmental consequences. Fouling can be detected either on local scale, using expensive and specific sensors or on global scale. Global estimation of fouling can be done by measuring the variation of the mass of the exchanger, or by estimating the efficiency of the exchanger through the transfer coefficient. These two methods require very restricting conditions: a powered exchanger to measure mass variation and a steady state exchanger to estimate the efficiency. The work introduced in this thesis deals with the development of non-linear observers that detect fouling early enough to start an efficient cleaning process. As a beginning, a finite element model of a counter current tubular exchanger was proposed. Then three approaches, based on non-linear Takagi-Sugeno observers, were suggested to detect early fouling in heat exchangers. First approach consisted in a set of observers that estimated the parameters of fouling effect through an interpolation method. The second approach proposed a polynomial Takagi-Sugeno observer, using the theory of sums of squares. Finally, a observer of Takagi-Sugeno type with unknown inputs was developed. As a conclusion, a comparison between those different methods was done. (author)

Contribution to the investigation concerning the fouling and washing of steam generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dijoux, M.; Vito, S. de; Millet, L.

2002-01-01

Steam generator secondary side tube deposits affect optimal operation of the nuclear power plants. Stress corrosion cracking (ODSCC) occurs under deposits located in confined areas, in particular the tube - tube support plates crevices for 600-MA tubes. Fouling on free span of the bundle leads to thermal transfer inhibition for all type of tube alloys. Flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) and general corrosion of the feed water train components, depending on the chemical treatment applied, are the mainly responsible for the secondary fouling. An appropriate maintenance requires a good knowledge of deposits. In this context, a study program on deposits has been started covering the following points: - Spatial distribution and mass determination by Eddy Current Testing (ECT); - Composition by chemical analysis; - Characterization by micrographic analysis; - Modelling of deposition by computer code; and - Effects on thermal transfer and fouling factor calculation. These examinations bring a best understanding of fouling mechanisms and allow to act on influential parameters: chemical secondary treatment, selection of materials in the feed water train, and pollution ingress reduction. They permit to evaluate the interest to schedule cleaning operations such as lancing or chemical cleaning. (authors)

Kinetic study of seawater reverse osmosis membrane fouling

KAUST Repository

Khan, Muhammad

2013-10-01

Reverse osmosis (RO) membrane fouling is not a static state but a dynamic phenomenon. The investigation of fouling kinetics and dynamics of change in the composition of the foulant mass is essential to elucidate the mechanism of fouling and foulant-foulant interactions. The aim of this work was to study at a lab scale the fouling process with an emphasis on the changes in the relative composition of foulant material as a function of operating time. Fouled membrane samples were collected at 8 h, and 1, 2, and 4 weeks on a lab-scale RO unit operated in recirculation mode. Foulant characterization was performed by CLSM, AFM, ATR-FTIR, pyrolysis GC-MS, and ICP-MS techniques. Moreover, measurement of active biomass and analysis of microbial diversity were performed by ATP analysis and DNA extraction, followed by pyro-sequencing, respectively. A progressive increase in the abundance of almost all the foulant species was observed, but their relative proportion changed over the age of the fouling layer. Microbial population in all the membrane samples was dominated by specific groups/species belonging to Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria phyla; however, similar to abiotic foulant, their relative abundance also changed with the biofilm age. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Impact of sludge flocs on membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Morten Lykkegaard; Niessen, Wolfgang; Jørgensen, Mads Koustrup

Membrane bioreactors (MBR) are widely used for wastewater treatment, but membrane fouling reduces membrane performance and thereby increases the cost for membranes and fouling control. Large variation in filtration properties measured as flux decline was observed for the different types of sludges....... Further, the flux could partly be reestablished after the relaxation period depending on the sludge composition. The results underline that sludge properties are important for membrane fouling and that control of floc properties, as determined by the composition of the microbial communities...... and the physico-chemical properties, is an efficient method to reduce membrane fouling in the MBR. High concentration of suspended extracellular substances (EPS) and small particles (up to 10 µm) resulted in pronounced fouling propensity. The membrane fouling resistance was reduced at high concentration...

Comparison of fouling characteristics in different pore-sized submerged ceramic membrane bioreactors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Le; Ong, Say Leong; Ng, How Yong

2010-12-01

Membrane fouling, the key disadvantage that inevitably occurs continuously in the membrane bioreactor (MBR), baffles the wide-scale application of MBR. Ceramic membrane, which possesses high chemical and thermal resistance, has seldom been used in MBR to treat municipal wastewater. Four ceramic membranes with the same materials but different pore sizes, ranging from 80 to 300 nm, were studied in parallel using four lab-scale submerged MBRs (i.e., one type of ceramic membrane in one MBR). Total COD and ammonia nitrogen removal efficiencies were observed to be consistently above 94.5 and 98%, respectively, in all submerged ceramic membrane bioreactors. The experimental results showed that fouling was mainly affected by membrane's microstructure, surface roughness and pore sizes. Ceramic membrane with the roughest surface and biggest pore size (300 nm) had the highest fouling potential with respect to the TMP profile. The 80 nm membrane with a smoother surface and relatively uniform smaller pore openings experienced least membrane fouling with respect to TMP increase. The effects of the molecular weight distribution, particle size distribution and other biomass characteristics such as extracellular polymeric substances, zeta potential and capillary suction time, were also investigated in this study. Results showed that no significant differences of these attributes were observed. These observations indicate that the membrane surface properties are the dominant factors leading to different fouling potential in this study. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inorganic fouling mitigation by salinity cycling in batch reverse osmosis

OpenAIRE

Maswadeh, Laith A.; Warsinger, David Elan Martin; Tow, Emily W.; Connors, Grace B.; Swaminathan, Jaichander; Lienhard, John H

2018-01-01

Enhanced fouling resistance has been observed in recent variants of reverse osmosis (RO) desalination which use time-varying batch or semi-batch processes, such as closed-circuit RO (CCRO) and pulse flow RO (PFRO). However, the mechanisms of batch processes' fouling resistance are not well-understood, and models have not been developed for prediction of their fouling performance. Here, a framework for predicting reverse osmosis fouling is developed by comparing the fluid residence time in bat...

Experimental study on fouling in the heat exchangers of surface water heat pumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, Xuelian; Luo, Te; Cheng, Kehui; Chai, Feng

2014-01-01

Fouling in the heat exchangers plays a key role on the performance of surface water heat pumps. It is also the basement for the system design criteria and operation energy efficiency. In this paper, experimental measurements are performed both in the field and the laboratory with different water qualities, temperatures and velocities. The research will focus on the dynamic growth characteristics of fouling and its main components. By studying the variation rules of fouling resistance, the fouling resistance allowance for certain water condition is recommended. Furthermore, a fouling prediction model in surface water heat pump will be developed and validated based on elaborating with fouling principle under specified water conditions. - Highlights: • Field and laboratory experiments are taken to measure the fouling variation. • Fouling growth process can be divided into four stages. • We recommend fouling resistance allowances for certain conditions. • A fouling prdiction model is developed and validated

Analysis of fouling in refuse waste incinerators

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beek, van M.C.; Rindt, C.C.M.; Wijers, J.G.; Steenhoven, van A.A.

2001-01-01

Gas-side fouling of waste-heat-recovery boilers, caused mainly by the deposition of particulate matter, reduces the heat transfer in the boiler. The fouling as observed on the tube bundles in the boiler of a Dutch refuse waste incinerator varied from thin and powdery for the economizer to thick and

Protein fouling in carbon nanotubes enhanced ultrafiltration membrane: Fouling mechanism as a function of pH and ionic strength

KAUST Repository

Lee, Jieun; Jeong, Sanghyun; Ye, Yun; Chen, Vicki; Vigneswaran, Saravanamuthu; Leiknes, TorOve; Liu, Zongwen

2016-01-01

The protein fouling behavior was investigated in the filtration of the multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite membrane and commercial polyethersulfone ultrafiltration (PES-UF) membrane. The effect of solution chemistry such as pH and ionic strength on the protein fouling mechanism was systematically examined using filtration model such as complete pore blocking, intermediate pore blocking and cake layer formation. The results showed that the initial permeate flux pattern and fouling behavior of the MWCNT composite membrane were significantly influenced by pH and ionic strength while the effect of PES-UF membrane on flux was minimal. In a lysozyme (Lys) filtration, the severe pore blocking in the MWCNT membrane was made by the combined effect of intra-foulant interaction (Lys-Lys) and electrostatic repulsion between the membrane surface and the foulant at pH 4.7 and 10.4, and increasing ionic strength where the foulant-foulant interaction and membrane-fouling interaction were weak. In a bovine serum albumin (BSA) filtration, severe pore blocking was reduced by less deposition via the electrostatic interaction between the membrane and foulant at pH 4.7 and 10.4 and increasing ionic strength, at which the interaction between the membrane and BSA became weak. For binary mixture filtration, the protein fouling mechanism was more dominantly affected by foulant-foulant interaction (Lys-BSA, Lys-Lys, and BSA-BSA) at pH 7.0 and increase in ionic strength. This research demonstrates that MWCNT membrane fouling can be alleviated by changing pH condition and ionic strength based on the foulant-foulant interaction and the electrostatic interaction between the membrane and foulant.

Protein fouling in carbon nanotubes enhanced ultrafiltration membrane: Fouling mechanism as a function of pH and ionic strength

KAUST Repository

Lee, Jieun

2016-11-04

The protein fouling behavior was investigated in the filtration of the multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite membrane and commercial polyethersulfone ultrafiltration (PES-UF) membrane. The effect of solution chemistry such as pH and ionic strength on the protein fouling mechanism was systematically examined using filtration model such as complete pore blocking, intermediate pore blocking and cake layer formation. The results showed that the initial permeate flux pattern and fouling behavior of the MWCNT composite membrane were significantly influenced by pH and ionic strength while the effect of PES-UF membrane on flux was minimal. In a lysozyme (Lys) filtration, the severe pore blocking in the MWCNT membrane was made by the combined effect of intra-foulant interaction (Lys-Lys) and electrostatic repulsion between the membrane surface and the foulant at pH 4.7 and 10.4, and increasing ionic strength where the foulant-foulant interaction and membrane-fouling interaction were weak. In a bovine serum albumin (BSA) filtration, severe pore blocking was reduced by less deposition via the electrostatic interaction between the membrane and foulant at pH 4.7 and 10.4 and increasing ionic strength, at which the interaction between the membrane and BSA became weak. For binary mixture filtration, the protein fouling mechanism was more dominantly affected by foulant-foulant interaction (Lys-BSA, Lys-Lys, and BSA-BSA) at pH 7.0 and increase in ionic strength. This research demonstrates that MWCNT membrane fouling can be alleviated by changing pH condition and ionic strength based on the foulant-foulant interaction and the electrostatic interaction between the membrane and foulant.

Modeling of crude oil fouling in preheat exchangers of refinery distillation units

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jafari Nasr, Mohammad Reza; Majidi Givi, Mehdi [National Petrochemical Research and Technology Company (NPC-RT), P.O. Box 14385, Tehran (Iran)

2006-10-15

The aim of this paper is to propose a new model for crude oil fouling in preheat exchangers of crude distillation units. The experimental results of Australian light crude oil with the tube side surface temperature between 200 and 260{sup o}C and fluid velocity ranged 0.25-0.4m/s were used [Z. Saleh, R. Sheikholeslami, A.P. Watkinson, Heat exchanger fouling by a light australian crude oil, in: Heat Exchanger Fouling and Cleaning Fundamentals and Applications, Santa Fe, 2003]. The amount of activation energy depends on the surface temperature has been calculated. A new model including a term for fouling formation and a term for fouling removal due to chemical and tube wall shear stress was proposed, respectively. The main superiority of the model are independent to Pr number, thermal fouling removal and determination of {beta} based on experimental tests. Finally using the proposed model the fouling rate of Australian light crude oil has been calculated and the threshold curves to identify fouling and no fouling formation zones have been drawn. (author)

In-line quantification and characterization of membrane fouling

KAUST Repository

Bucs, Szilard; Hekkert, Sacco Te Lintel; Staal, Marc Jaap; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S.

2016-01-01

Methods of detecting, quantifying and/or characterizing the fouling of a device from a combination of pressure and spectroscopic data are provided. The device can be any device containing components susceptible to fouling. Components can include

Fouling in pressure retarded osmosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thelin, Willy

2008-07-01

A salinity power field laboratory was established at Sunndalsoera during the fall of 2002 in order to investigate the fouling potential in PRO in conditions prevailing in a typical sea water and a typically Norwegian surface water. The laboratory contained four identical units for long term testing of small samples of flat sheet membranes. The water flux, the differential pressures across the flow channels as well as the temperature in the membrane cell were logged to a computer. The logging data could be monitored from any remote location with access to the internet. Each unit was equipped with an automatically controlled system for membrane cleaning. Several series of osmotic flux experiments of three to eight months duration were executed while investigating the effect of various routines for membrane treatment, including disinfection, backflushing and chemical cleaning. Further, the potential of NOM fouling and CaCO{sub 3} scaling were investigated in more detail during a large number of laboratory experiments performed under controlled conditions at SINTEF Petroleum Research in Trondheim and Lappeenranta University of Technology in Lappeenranta, Finland. The cellulose acetate membrane used for most of the fouling experiments was characterized in order to determine the intrinsic transport parameters of the membrane. Further, the saturation index at the membrane skin with respect to CaCO{sub 3} was modelled both for real cases with typically Norwegian surface waters as well as for the scaling experiments performed with synthetic waters in the laboratory. Several of the membrane samples which were exposed to fouling conditions during the osmotic experiments were subjected to characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wave length dispersive spectroscopy (WDS), optical microscopy and fluorescence microscopy in order to identify and quantify the foulants that were deposited on the membranes during the experiments. Further, procedures for the estimation

Knowledge based system for fouling assessment of power plant boiler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afgan, N.H.; He, X.; Carvalho, M.G.; Azevedo, J.L.T.

1999-01-01

The paper presents the design of an expert system for fouling assessment in power plant boilers. It is an on-line expert system based on selected criteria for the fouling assessment. Using criteria for fouling assessment based on 'clean' and 'not-clean' radiation heat flux measurements, the diagnostic variable are defined for the boiler heat transfer surface. The development of the prototype knowledge-based system for fouling assessment in power plants boiler comprise the integrations of the elements including knowledge base, inference procedure and prototype configuration. Demonstration of the prototype knowledge-based system for fouling assessment was performed on the Sines power plant. It is a 300 MW coal fired power plant. 12 fields are used with 3 on each side of boiler

Seawater ultrafiltration fouling control: Backwashing with demineralized water/SWRO permeate

KAUST Repository

Li, Sheng; Heijman, Sebastiaan G J; Verberk, J. Q J C; Amy, Gary L.; Van Dijk, Johannis C.

2012-01-01

In this study, the effect of demineralized water backwashing on fouling control of seawater ultrafiltration was investigated. Seawater from Scheveningen beach in The Hague and a desalination plant of Evides Company at Zeeland in the Netherlands was used as feed water, while demineralized water and UF permeate were used as backwash water for a fouling control efficiency comparison under different fluxes and backwash durations. Furthermore, demineralized waters with 5 or 50 mmol/l NaCl were applied for backwashing as well, to check the influence of monovalent cations on UF fouling control. Additionally, SWRO permeate was used for backwashes in long-term experiments to check the possibility of it replacing demineralized water. Results show that seawater UF fouling control is substantially improved by demineralized water backwashing. However, due to the high salinity of seawater, more water was required to dilute the cation concentration and limit the dispersion effect near the membrane surface than was needed for surface water. A 2-min demineralized water backwash showed better fouling control efficiency than a 1-min backwash. Furthermore, the presence of monovalent cations in the backwash water deteriorated the fouling control efficiency of the backwash, indicating the existence of a charge screening effect. The demineralized water with 5 and 50 mmol/l NaCl both showed a similar fouling control efficiency which is better than the UF permeate backwash. The calcium ions in UF permeate probably deteriorates the fouling control efficiency by maintaining a Ca-bridging effect between the membranes and NOM. SWRO permeate backwashing successfully controls membrane fouling as well. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seawater ultrafiltration fouling control: Backwashing with demineralized water/SWRO permeate

KAUST Repository

Li, Sheng

2012-09-01

In this study, the effect of demineralized water backwashing on fouling control of seawater ultrafiltration was investigated. Seawater from Scheveningen beach in The Hague and a desalination plant of Evides Company at Zeeland in the Netherlands was used as feed water, while demineralized water and UF permeate were used as backwash water for a fouling control efficiency comparison under different fluxes and backwash durations. Furthermore, demineralized waters with 5 or 50 mmol/l NaCl were applied for backwashing as well, to check the influence of monovalent cations on UF fouling control. Additionally, SWRO permeate was used for backwashes in long-term experiments to check the possibility of it replacing demineralized water. Results show that seawater UF fouling control is substantially improved by demineralized water backwashing. However, due to the high salinity of seawater, more water was required to dilute the cation concentration and limit the dispersion effect near the membrane surface than was needed for surface water. A 2-min demineralized water backwash showed better fouling control efficiency than a 1-min backwash. Furthermore, the presence of monovalent cations in the backwash water deteriorated the fouling control efficiency of the backwash, indicating the existence of a charge screening effect. The demineralized water with 5 and 50 mmol/l NaCl both showed a similar fouling control efficiency which is better than the UF permeate backwash. The calcium ions in UF permeate probably deteriorates the fouling control efficiency by maintaining a Ca-bridging effect between the membranes and NOM. SWRO permeate backwashing successfully controls membrane fouling as well. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of twisted tape turbulence promoter on fouling reduction in microfiltration of milk proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Popović Svetlana S.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Membrane filtration has become one of the major technologies in the food industry. It is widely applied in the dairy industry, and it is mostly used for the concentration and fractionation of milk proteins and for the whey processing. Of all pressure driven membrane processes, ultrafiltration is the most widely used. The major disadvantage of pressure driven membrane processes is severe fouling of membrane during filtration particularly when the fluids containing proteins are processed. Fouling with proteins is complex phenomenon because it occurs at the membrane surface as well as in the pores of membrane, and depends on the operating conditions and on the interactions of proteins and membrane material. In order to reduce fouling of the membrane different techniques have been developed, and one of them relies on the changing of the hydrodynamic conditions in the membrane or module. In this study, influence of twisted tape turbulence promoters on the fouling reduction in cross-flow microfiltration of skim milk was investigated. Twisted tapes with tree characteristic ratios of helix element length to the tape diameter (aspect ratio were studied. It was shown that twisted tapes with different aspect ratios reduce fouling of membrane by a factor of three or more. The presence of twisted tape induces changes in the flow patterns from straight to helicoidally thus producing turbulence flow at the lower cross-flow rates. Turbulence intensification prevents accumulation of proteins at membrane surface enabling reduction in reversible fouling what results in the reduction of overall membrane fouling. The best performance was achieved using a twisted tape with the lowest aspect ratio of 1.0. This promoter reduces fouling seven times at low transmembrane pressure and low cross-flow velocity. The twisted tape with aspect ratio 1.0 induces the most intensive turbulence, the longest helicoidal flow path, and appearance of vortices near the membrane surfaces

Functionalized ultra-low fouling carboxy- and hydroxy-functional surface platforms: Functionalization capacity, biorecognition capability and resistance to fouling from undiluted biological media

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vaisocherová, Hana; Ševců, Veronika; Adam, Pavel; Špačková, Barbora; Hegnerová, Kateřina; de los Santos Pereira, Andres; Rodriguez-Emmenegger, Cesar; Riedel, Tomáš; Houska, Milan; Brynda, Eduard; Homola, Jiří

2014-01-01

Roč. 51, 15 January (2014), s. 150-157 ISSN 0956-5663 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP205/12/G118; GA MŠk EE2.3.30.0029 Institutional support: RVO:67985882 ; RVO:61389013 Keywords : Low-fouling coatings * Polymer brushes * Surface chemistry Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering; CD - Macromolecular Chemistry (UMCH-V) Impact factor: 6.409, year: 2014

Fouling mitigation in membrane distillation processes during ammonia stripping from pig manure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zarebska, Agata; Amor, Angel Cid; Ciurkot, Klaudia

2015-01-01

Over time fouling leads to membrane wetting. This is the biggest obstacle to widespread use of membrane distillation (MD) for ammonia removal from animal slurry. Feed pretreatment and cleaning strategies of membrane surfaces are the most common methods to prevent or diminish fouling phenomena....... This study investigates preliminary fouling of polypropylene (PP) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes. A model manure solution was used as feed. In addition cleaning efficiencies with deionized water, NaOH/citric acid, and Novadan agents were studied. Further microfiltration and ultrafiltration were...... examined as manure pretreatment to diminish fouling. To this end polyvinylidene fluoride membranes (PVDF 0.2 µm and 150 kDa respectively) were used. Organic fouling was shown to be dominant. For the model manure solution the fouling comprised lipids, carbohydrates and proteins. For pig slurry the fouling...

Distribution of anti fouling biocides in coastal seawater of Egadi Islands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massanisso, Paolo; Ubaldi, Carla; Chiavarini, Salvatore; Pezza, Massimo; Cannarsa, Sigfrido; Bordone, Andrea

2015-01-01

The pollution level due to anti fouling biocides in the Marine Protected Area of Egadi Islands (MPA) has been evaluated by both grab and passive sampling. Analyses of tributyltin (TBT), diuron, irgarol, chlorothalonil and dichlofluanid have been carried out on seawater and sediments. The results indicate a good condition of the coastline, but further studies with passive sampling for TBT are required to help the MPA administrators to control the status of the seawater with a methodology suitable to reach the Environmental Quality Standard values established by the Water Framework Directive [it

Contribution of effluent organic matter (EfOM) to ultrafiltration (UF) membrane fouling: Isolation, characterization, and fouling effect of EfOM fractions

KAUST Repository

Zheng, Xing; Khan, Muhammad; Croue, Jean-Philippe

2014-01-01

EfOM has been regarded as a major organic foulant resulting in UF membrane fouling in wastewater reclamation. To investigate fouling potential of different EfOM fractions, the present study isolated EfOM into hydrophobic neutrals (HPO-N), colloids

Control of membrane fouling during hyperhaline municipal wastewater treatment using a pilot-scale anoxic/aerobic-membrane bioreactor system

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jingmei Sun; Jiangxiu Rong; Lifeng Dai; Baoshan Liu; Wenting Zhu

2011-01-01

Membrane fouling limits the effects of long-term stable operation of membrane bioreactor (MBR).Control of membrane foulin can extend the membrane life and reduce water treatment cost effectively.A pilot scale anoxic/aerobic-membrane bioreactor (A/O MBR,40 L/hr) was used to treat the hyperhaline municipal sewage from a processing zone of Tianjin,China.Impact factors including mixed liquid sludge suspension (MLSS),sludge viscosity (μ),microorganisms,extracellular polymeric substances (EPS),aeration intensity and suction/suspended time on membrane fouling and pollution control were studied.The relationships among various factors associated with membrane fouling were analyzed.Results showed that there was a positive correlation among MLSS,sludge viscosity and trans-membrane pressure (TMP).Considering water treatment efficiency and stable operation of the membrane module,MLSS of 5 g/L was suggested for the process.There was a same trend among EPS,sludge viscosity and TMP.Numbers and species of microorganisms affected membrane fouling.Either too high or too low aeration intensity was not conducive to membrane fouling control.Aeration intensity of 1.0 m3/hr (gas/water ratio of 25:1) is suggested for the process.A long suction time caused a rapid increase in membrane resistance.However,long suspended time cannot prevent the increase of membrane resistance effectively even though a suspended time was necessary for scale off particles from the membrane surface.The suction/suspended time of 12 min/3 min was selected for the process.The interaction of various environmental factors and operation conditions must be considered synthetically.

Mitigation of Syngas Cooler Plugging and Fouling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bockelie, Michael J. [Reaction Engineering International, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)

2015-06-29

This Final Report summarizes research performed to develop a technology to mitigate the plugging and fouling that occurs in the syngas cooler used in many Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plants. The syngas cooler is a firetube heat exchanger located downstream of the gasifier. It offers high thermal efficiency, but its’ reliability has generally been lower than other process equipment in the gasification island. The buildup of ash deposits that form on the fireside surfaces in the syngas cooler (i.e., fouling) lead to reduced equipment life and increased maintenance costs. Our approach to address this problem is that fouling of the syngas cooler cannot be eliminated, but it can be better managed. The research program was funded by DOE using two budget periods: Budget Period 1 (BP1) and Budget Period 2 (BP2). The project used a combination of laboratory scale experiments, analysis of syngas cooler deposits, modeling and guidance from industry to develop a better understanding of fouling mechanisms and to develop and evaluate strategies to mitigate syngas cooler fouling and thereby improve syngas cooler performance. The work effort in BP 1 and BP 2 focused on developing a better understanding of the mechanisms that lead to syngas cooler plugging and fouling and investigating promising concepts to mitigate syngas cooler plugging and fouling. The work effort focused on the following: • analysis of syngas cooler deposits and fuels provided by an IGCC plant collaborating with this project; • performing Jet cleaning tests in the University of Utah Laminar Entrained Flow Reactor to determine the bond strength between an ash deposit to a metal plate, as well as implementing planned equipment modifications to the University of Utah Laminar Entrained Flow Reactor and the one ton per day, pressurized Pilot Scale Gasifier; • performing Computational Fluid Dynamic modeling of industrially relevant syngas cooler configurations to develop a better

Zeta-potential of fouled thin film composite membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ikeda, K.; Hachisuka, H.; Nakamura, T. [Nitto denko Corp., Ibaraki, (Japan); Kimura, S. [Kogakuin University, Tokyo (Japan). Dept. of Environ. Chemical Engineering; Ueyama, K. [Osaka University, Osaka (Japan). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

1999-10-01

The surface zeta-potential of a cross-linked polyamide thin film composite reverse osmosis membrane was measured using an electrophoresis method. It was confirmed that this method could be effectively applied to analyze the fouling of such membranes. It is known that the water flux of membranes drastically decreases as a result of fouling by surfactants. Although the surfactants adsorbed on reverse osmosis membranes could not be detected by conventional methods such as SEM, EDX and FT-IR, their presence could be clarified by the profile measurements of the surface zeta-potential. The profiles of the membrane surface zeta-potentials changed to more positive values in the measured pH range as a result of fouling by cationic or amphoteric surfactants. This measuring method of surface zeta-potentials allowed us to analyze a very small amount of fouling of a thin film composite reverse osmosis membrane. This method could be used to analyze the fouled surface of the thin film composite reverse osmosis membrane which is used for production of ultrapure water and shows a remarkable decrease in flux. It also became clear that this method is easy and effective for the reverse osmosis membrane surface analysis of adsorbed materials such as surfactants. (author)

Fouling Kinetics and Associated Dynamics of Structural Modifications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacob, Jerome; Prádanos, Pedro; Calvo, J. I.

1998-01-01

It is shown that the fouling behaviour of microfiltration membranes does not agree within all the time ranges of any of the commonly used membrane blocking models (i.e. complete, standard, intermediate or cake blocking). The resulting experimental kinetics of flux decline do not fit to only one...... of these models, but according to a successive or simultaneous coexistence of two or more of them. This is studied by analysing the structural modifications associated with the fouling kinetics. To achieve this goal, here we analyse the dynamical changes on the structure of four microporous membranes made...... by Sartorius (ST02 and ST045, neutral) and Spectrum (SP02 and SP045, positively charged) when fouled by permeating a protein aqueous solution (bovine serum albumin (BSA) at 1 g l(-1)) under 10 kPa in a dead-end device. The structure after different fouling times is obtained by using an extended bubble point...

The Thermal Hydraulics of Tube Support Fouling in Nuclear Steam Generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rummens, Helena E.C.; Rogers, J.T.; Turner, C.W.

2004-01-01

It is hypothesized that the thermal-hydraulic environment plays a role in the fouling of tube supports in nuclear steam generators. Experiments were performed to simulate the thermal-hydraulic environment near various designs of supports. Pressure loss, local velocity, turbulence intensity, and local void fraction were measured to characterize the effect of the support. Fouling mechanisms specific to supports were inferred from these experimental data and from actual steam generator inspection results. An analytical model was developed to predict the rate of particulate deposition on the supports, to better understand the complex processes involved.This paper presents the following set of tools for assessing the fouling propensity of a given support design: (1) proposed fouling mechanisms, (2) criteria for support fouling propensity, (3) correlation of fouling with parameters such as mass flux and quality, (4) descriptions of experimental tools such as flow visualization and measurement of pressure-loss profiles, and (5) analytical tools.An important conclusion from this and our previous work is that the fouling propensity is greater with broached support plates, both trefoil and quatrefoil, than with lattice bar supports and formed bar supports, in which significant cross flows occur

Effect of fouling on removal of trace organic compounds by nanofiltration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Hajibabania

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The fate of chemical of concern is not yet fully understood during treatment of impaired waters. The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of different organic-based fouling layers on the removal of a large range of trace organics. Both model and real water samples (mixed with trace organic contaminants at environmental concentration of 2 μg l⁻¹ were used to simulate fouling in nanofiltration under controlled environment. The new and fouled membranes were systematically characterised for surface charge, hydrophobicity and roughness. It was observed that fouling generally reduced the membrane surface charge; however, the alterations of the membrane hydrophobicity and surface roughness were dependent on the foulants composition. The rejection of charged trace organics was observed to be improved due to the increased electrostatic repulsion by fouled membranes and the adsorption of the trace organic chemicals onto organic matters. On the other hand, the removal of nonionic compounds decreased when fouling occurred, due to the presence of cake enhanced concentration polarization. The fouling layer structure was found to play an important role in the rejection of the trace organic compounds.

Characterization of Irreversible Fouling after Ultrafiltration of Thermomechanical Pulp Mill Process Water

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thuvander, Johan; Zarebska, Agata; Hélix-Nielsen, Claus

2018-01-01

process streams is fouling of the membranes. Fouling not only increases operating costs but also reduces the operating time of the membrane plant. When optimizing the membrane cleaning method, it is important to know which compounds cause the fouling. In this work fouling of an ultrafiltration membrane...... was studied. The fouling propensity of untreated process water and microfiltrated process water was compared. Fouled membranes were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. Acid hydrolysis of membranes exposed to untreated process......Large volumes of wastewater with dissolved wood components are treated in wastewater treatment plants at thermomechanical pulp mills. It has been shown previously that hemicelluloses in these wastewater streams can be recovered by membrane filtration. A serious obstacle when treating lignocellulose...

Ultrafiltration Membrane Fouling and the Effect of Ion Exchange Resins

KAUST Repository

Jamaly, Sanaa

2011-12-01

Membrane fouling is a challenging process for the ultrafiltration membrane during wastewater treatment. This research paper determines the organic character of foulants of different kinds of wastewater before and after adding some ion exchange resins. Two advanced organic characterization methods are compared in terms of concentration of dissolved organic carbons: The liquid chromatography with organic carbon (LC-OCD) and Shimadzu total organic carbon (TOC). In this study, two secondary wastewater effluents were treated using ultrafiltration membrane. To reduce fouling, pretreatment using some adsorbents were used in the study. Six ion exchange resins out of twenty were chosen to compare the effect of adsorbents on fouling membrane. Based on the percent of dissolved organic carbon’s removal, three adsorbents were determined to be the most efficient (DOWEX Marathon 11 anion exchange resin, DOWEX Optipore SD2 polymeric adsorbent, and DOWEX PSR2 anion exchange), and three other ones were determined to the least efficient (DOWEX Marathon A2 anion exchange resin, DOWEX SAR anion exchange resin, and DOWEX Optipore L493 polymeric adsorbent). Organic characterization for feed, permeate, and backwash samples were tested using LC-OCD and TOC to better understand the characteristics of foulants to prevent ultrafiltration membrane fouling. The results suggested that the polymeric ion exchange resin, DOWEX SD2, reduced fouling potential for both treated wastewaters. All the six ion exchange resins removed more humic fraction than other organic fractions in different percent, so this fraction is not the main for cause for UF membrane fouling. The fouling of colloids was tested before and after adding calcium. There is a severe fouling after adding Ca2+ to effluent colloids.

Ultrasonic control of ceramic membrane fouling: Effect of particle characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Dong; Weavers, Linda K; Walker, Harold W

2006-02-01

In this study, the effect of particle characteristics on the ultrasonic control of membrane fouling was investigated. Ultrasound at 20 kHz was applied to a cross-flow filtration system with gamma-alumina membranes in the presence of colloidal silica particles. Experimental results indicated that particle concentration affected the ability of ultrasound to control membrane fouling, with less effective control of fouling at higher particle concentrations. Measurements of sound wave intensity and images of the cavitation region indicated that particles induced additional cavitation bubbles near the ultrasonic source, which resulted in less turbulence reaching the membrane surface and subsequently less effective control of fouling. When silica particles were modified to be hydrophobic, greater inducement of cavitation bubbles near the ultrasonic source occurred for a fixed concentration, also resulting in less effective control of fouling. Particle size influenced the cleaning ability of ultrasound, with better permeate recovery observed with larger particles. Particle size did not affect sound wave intensity, suggesting that the more effective control of fouling by large particles was due to greater lift and cross-flow drag forces on larger particles compared to smaller particles.

Anti-fouling properties of Fab’ fragments immobilized on silane-based adlayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crivianu-Gaita, Victor; Romaschin, Alexander; Thompson, Michael

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Simple and mixed adlayers formed with Fab’ linker and/or spacers. • Binding of Fab’ fragments through TUBTS linker resulted in oriented immobilization. • Immobilized Fab’ fragments have inherent anti-fouling character. • Up to 80% fouling reduction when Fab’ fragments introduced to surfaces. • Used the minimally fouling surfaces to detect a cancer biomarker (PTHrP) in serum. - Graphical abstract: Biosensors require surfaces that are highly specific towards the target analyte and that are minimally fouling. However, surface tuning to minimize fouling is a difficult task. The last decade has seen an increase in the use of immobilized antigen-binding antibody fragments (Fab’) in biosensors. One Fab’ linker compound S-(11-trichlorosilyl-undecanyl)-benzothiosulfonate (TUBTS) and three spacers were used to create the silane-based adlayers. The ultra-high frequency electromagnetic piezoelectric acoustic sensor (EMPAS) was used to gauge the fouling properties of the various surfaces using bovine serum albumin (BSA), goat IgG, and mouse serum. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were employed to characterize the surfaces. It was discovered that immobilized oriented Fab’ fragments reduced the fouling levels of surfaces up to 80% compared to the surfaces without fragments. An explanation for this phenomenon is that the antibody fragments increase the hydration of the surfaces and aid in the formation of an anti-fouling water barrier. The anti-fouling effect of the Fab’ fragments is at its maximum when there is an even distribution of fragments across the surfaces. Finally, using Fab’-covered surfaces, a cancer biomarker was detected from serum, showing the applicability of this work to the field of biodetection. - Abstract: Biosensors require surfaces that are highly specific towards the target analyte and that are minimally fouling. However, surface tuning to minimize fouling is a

Anti-fouling properties of Fab’ fragments immobilized on silane-based adlayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crivianu-Gaita, Victor [Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6 (Canada); Romaschin, Alexander [Clinical Biochemistry, St. Michael' s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8 (Canada); Thompson, Michael, E-mail: mikethom@chem.utoronto.ca [Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6 (Canada)

2015-12-30

Highlights: • Simple and mixed adlayers formed with Fab’ linker and/or spacers. • Binding of Fab’ fragments through TUBTS linker resulted in oriented immobilization. • Immobilized Fab’ fragments have inherent anti-fouling character. • Up to 80% fouling reduction when Fab’ fragments introduced to surfaces. • Used the minimally fouling surfaces to detect a cancer biomarker (PTHrP) in serum. - Graphical abstract: Biosensors require surfaces that are highly specific towards the target analyte and that are minimally fouling. However, surface tuning to minimize fouling is a difficult task. The last decade has seen an increase in the use of immobilized antigen-binding antibody fragments (Fab’) in biosensors. One Fab’ linker compound S-(11-trichlorosilyl-undecanyl)-benzothiosulfonate (TUBTS) and three spacers were used to create the silane-based adlayers. The ultra-high frequency electromagnetic piezoelectric acoustic sensor (EMPAS) was used to gauge the fouling properties of the various surfaces using bovine serum albumin (BSA), goat IgG, and mouse serum. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were employed to characterize the surfaces. It was discovered that immobilized oriented Fab’ fragments reduced the fouling levels of surfaces up to 80% compared to the surfaces without fragments. An explanation for this phenomenon is that the antibody fragments increase the hydration of the surfaces and aid in the formation of an anti-fouling water barrier. The anti-fouling effect of the Fab’ fragments is at its maximum when there is an even distribution of fragments across the surfaces. Finally, using Fab’-covered surfaces, a cancer biomarker was detected from serum, showing the applicability of this work to the field of biodetection. - Abstract: Biosensors require surfaces that are highly specific towards the target analyte and that are minimally fouling. However, surface tuning to minimize fouling is a

Nanoparticle fouling and its combination with organic fouling during forward osmosis process for silver nanoparticles removal from simulated wastewater

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yanxiao; Wang, Xinhua; Wang, Zhiwei; Li, Xiufen; Ren, Yueping

2016-05-01

The increasing and wide application of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) has resulted in their appearance in wastewater. In consideration of their potential toxicity and environmental impacts, it is necessary to find effective technology for their removal from wastewater. Here, forward osmosis (FO) membrane was applied for Ag NPs removal from wastewater, and single and combined fouling of nanoparticles and organic macromolecules were further investigated during the FO process. The findings demonstrated that FO membrane can effectively remove Ag NPs from wastewater due to its high rejection performance. Fouling tests indicated that water flux declined appreciably even at the beginning of the single Ag NPs fouling test, and more remarkable flux decline and larger amounts of deposited Ag NPs were observed with an increase of Ag NPs concentration. However, the addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) could effectively alleviate the FO membrane fouling induced by Ag NPs. The interaction between Ag NPs and BSA was responsible for this phenomenon. BSA can easily form a nanoparticle-protein corona surrounded nanoparticles, which prevented nanoparticles from aggregation due to the steric stabilization mechanism. Furthermore, the interaction between BSA and Ag NPs occurred not only in wastewater but also on FO membrane surface.

New insights into controlling tube-bundle fouling using alternative amines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turner, C.W.; Klimas, S.J.; Guzonas, D.A.; Fruzzetti, K. [Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (Canada); Frattini, P.L. [Electric Power Research Inst. (United States)

2002-07-01

A volatile amine is added to the secondary heat-transport system of a nuclear power plant to reduce the rate of corrosion and corrosion product transport in the feedwater and to protect steam generator (SG) crevices and materials exposed to steam condensate. Volatility and base strength of the amine at the SG operating temperature are two important considerations when choosing the optimum amine (or mixture of amines) for corrosion control in the steam cycle. The investigation has found that the rate of tube-bundle fouling is strongly dependent upon the surface chemistry of the corrosion products. For example, the fouling rates of fully oxidized iron oxides, such as hematite and lepidocrocite, are at least an order of magnitude greater than the fouling rate of magnetite under identical operating conditions. The difference is related to the sign of the surface charge on the corrosion products at temperature. The choice of amine for pH-control also influences the fouling rate. This was originally thought to be a surface-charge effect as well, but recent tests have suggested that it is related to the role that the amine plays in governing the rate of deposit consolidation on the heat-transfer surface. Amines that promote a high rate of deposit consolidation result in a low rate of deposit removal and a high fouling rate. Conversely, amines that tend to inhibit deposit consolidation produce a higher rate of deposit removal and a lower fouling rate. Dimethyl-amine and dodecyl-amine have been identified as two amines that inhibit the rate of deposit consolidation and, consequently, result in fouling rates that are up to 5 times lower than rates measured for amines that promote consolidation. A significant difference between morpholine (high fouling rate) and dimethyl-amine (low fouling rate) is that the latter desorbs more slowly from the surface of magnetite. How to account for a correlation between slow desorption kinetics and lower rate constants for deposition and

New insights into controlling tube-bundle fouling using alternative amines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, C.W.; Klimas, S.J.; Guzonas, D.A.; Fruzzetti, K.; Frattini, P.L.

2002-01-01

A volatile amine is added to the secondary heat-transport system of a nuclear power plant to reduce the rate of corrosion and corrosion product transport in the feedwater and to protect steam generator (SG) crevices and materials exposed to steam condensate. Volatility and base strength of the amine at the SG operating temperature are two important considerations when choosing the optimum amine (or mixture of amines) for corrosion control in the steam cycle. The investigation has found that the rate of tube-bundle fouling is strongly dependent upon the surface chemistry of the corrosion products. For example, the fouling rates of fully oxidized iron oxides, such as hematite and lepidocrocite, are at least an order of magnitude greater than the fouling rate of magnetite under identical operating conditions. The difference is related to the sign of the surface charge on the corrosion products at temperature. The choice of amine for pH-control also influences the fouling rate. This was originally thought to be a surface-charge effect as well, but recent tests have suggested that it is related to the role that the amine plays in governing the rate of deposit consolidation on the heat-transfer surface. Amines that promote a high rate of deposit consolidation result in a low rate of deposit removal and a high fouling rate. Conversely, amines that tend to inhibit deposit consolidation produce a higher rate of deposit removal and a lower fouling rate. Dimethyl-amine and dodecyl-amine have been identified as two amines that inhibit the rate of deposit consolidation and, consequently, result in fouling rates that are up to 5 times lower than rates measured for amines that promote consolidation. A significant difference between morpholine (high fouling rate) and dimethyl-amine (low fouling rate) is that the latter desorbs more slowly from the surface of magnetite. How to account for a correlation between slow desorption kinetics and lower rate constants for deposition and

Effect of resins of heat exchanger fouling by asphaltene-containing oils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Atar, E.; Watkinson, A.P. [British Columbia Univ., Dept. of Chemical and Bio-Resource Engineering, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

1999-07-01

The effects of resins on the thermal fouling of asphaltene containing oils in heat exchangers was investigated as well as the nature of the deposits. Building on previous research, a sample of de-asphalted vacuum bottoms (DAO), serving as a source of natural resins, heavy oil (HO) and fuel oil was used to investigate the effects of resin concentration on the rate of thermal fouling. The conditions of the study included: fluid circulation through the UBC annular fouling test section for up to 30 hour periods, monitoring of thermal fouling by measurement, and nitrogen atmospheres at a bulk temperature of 85 degrees C, a bulk velocity of 0.85 am/s, and a pressure of 410 kPa. Physical and chemical characterization of the deposits was affected, and filtration at the bulk temperature before and after a run was used to determine the occurrence of fine solids in the fluid. The rate of fouling generally decreased tending generally towards asymptotic behavior in the limit, and after one day Rf values up to 0.3 m2K/kW occurred with severe fouling. An increase in the fouling rate occurred with increased DAO concentration in the mixture, at a fixed heavy oil concentration of 5 weight percent, and the relation between Asomaning's colloidal instability index and the trends in fouling rate was not observed, although there were some indications of reduced fouling as there was an increase in the ratio of resins to asphaltenes, however, blends of the DAO-HO-FO helped to control the concentration of asphaltenes and resins that are possible. (Abstract only).

New insights into controlling tube-bundle fouling using alternative amines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, C.W.; Klimas, S.J.; Guzonas, D.A.; Frattini, P.L.; Fruzzetti, K.

2002-01-01

A volatile amine is added to the secondary heat-transport system of a nuclear power plant to reduce the rate of corrosion and corrosion product transport in the feedwater and to protect steam generator (SG) crevices and materials exposed to steam condensate. Volatility and base strength of the amine at the SG operating temperature are two important considerations when choosing the optimum amine (or mixture of amines) for corrosion control in the steam cycle. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) have been collaborating in an extensive investigation of the effectiveness of amines at controlling the rate of tube-bundle fouling under SG operating conditions. Tests have been performed using a radiotracing technique in a high-temperature fouling loop facility at Chalk River Laboratories operated by AECL. This investigation has provided new insights into the role played by the amine in determining the rate of tube-bundle fouling in the SG. These insights are being used by AECL and EPRI to develop criteria for the selection of an amine that has optimum properties for both corrosion control and deposit control in the secondary heat transport system. The investigation has found that the rate of tube-bundle fouling is strongly dependent upon the surface chemistry of the corrosion products. For example, the fouling rates of fully oxidized iron oxides, such as hematite and lepidocrocite, are at least an order of magnitude greater than the fouling rate of magnetite under identical operating conditions. The difference is related to the sign of the surface charge on the corrosion products at temperature. The choice of amine for pH-control also influences the fouling rate. This was originally thought to be a surface-charge effect as well, but recent tests have suggested that it is related to the role that the amine plays in governing the rate of deposit consolidation on the heat-transfer surface. Amines that promote a high rate of

Model track studies on fouled ballast using ground penetrating radar and multichannel analysis of surface wave

Science.gov (United States)

Anbazhagan, P.; Lijun, Su; Buddhima, Indraratna; Cholachat, Rujikiatkamjorn

2011-08-01

Ballast fouling is created by the breakdown of aggregates or outside contamination by coal dust from coal trains, or from soil intrusion beneath rail track. Due to ballast fouling, the conditions of rail track can be deteriorated considerably depending on the type of fouling material and the degree of fouling. So far there is no comprehensive guideline available to identify the critical degree of fouling for different types of fouling materials. This paper presents the identification of degree of fouling and types of fouling using non-destructive testing, namely seismic surface-wave and ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey. To understand this, a model rail track with different degree of fouling has been constructed in Civil engineering laboratory, University of Wollongong, Australia. Shear wave velocity obtained from seismic survey has been employed to identify the degree of fouling and types of fouling material. It is found that shear wave velocity of fouled ballast increases initially, reaches optimum fouling point (OFP), and decreases when the fouling increases. The degree of fouling corresponding after which the shear wave velocity of fouled ballast will be smaller than that of clean ballast is called the critical fouling point (CFP). Ground penetrating radar with four different ground coupled antennas (500 MHz, 800 MHz, 1.6 GHz and 2.3 GHz) was also used to identify the ballast fouling condition. It is found that the 800 MHz ground coupled antenna gives a better signal in assessing the ballast fouling condition. Seismic survey is relatively slow when compared to GPR survey however it gives quantifiable results. In contrast, GPR survey is faster and better in estimating the depth of fouling.

CFD modeling of fouling in crude oil pre-heaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayat, Mahmoud; Aminian, Javad; Bazmi, Mansour; Shahhosseini, Shahrokh; Sharifi, Khashayar

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A conceptual CFD-based model to predict fouling in industrial crude oil pre-heaters. ► Tracing fouling formation in the induction and developing continuation periods. ► Effect of chemical components, shell-side HTC and turbulent flow on the fouling rate. - Abstract: In this study, a conceptual procedure based on the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) technique has been developed to predict fouling rate in an industrial crude oil pre-heater. According to the developed CFD concept crude oil was assumed to be composed of three pseudo-components comprising of petroleum, asphaltene and salt. The binary diffusion coefficients were appropriately categorized into five different groups. The species transport model was applied to simulate the mixing and transport of chemical species. The possibility of adherence of reaction products to the wall was taken into account by applying a high viscosity for the products in competition with the shear stress on the wall. Results showed a reasonable agreement between the model predictions and the plant data. The CFD model could be applied to new operating conditions to investigate the details of the crude oil fouling in the industrial pre-heaters.

Filtration Behaviour and Fouling Mechanisms of Polysaccharides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sondus Jamal

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This study investigated filtration behaviors of polysaccharides solutions, both alone and in mixture with proteins, in the short-time constant flux filtration with the focus on factors affecting the transmembrane pressure (TMP increase rate, the irreversible filtration resistance, and the membrane rejection behavior. The results showed that the TMP increase rates in the short-time constant flux filtration of alginate solutions were significantly affected by the calcium addition, alginate concentration, and flux. Although the addition of calcium resulted in a decrease in the TMP increase rate, it was found that the irreversible fouling developed during the filtration increased with the calcium addition, implying that the double-sided effect of calcium on membrane filtration and that the TMP increase rate observed in the filtration does not always reflect the irreversible membrane fouling development. It was also found that for the filtration of solutions containing mixed alginate and BSA, alginate exerted a dominant effect on the TMP increase rate and the membrane exhibited a reduced rejection to both alginate and BSA molecules compared to that in the filtration of the pure alginate or BSA.

Amphiphilic polymer based on fluoroalkyl and PEG side chains for fouling release coating

Science.gov (United States)

Cong, W. W.; Wang, K.; Yu, X. Y.; Zhang, H. Q.; Lv, Z.; Gui, T. J.

2017-12-01

Under static conditions, fouling release coating could not express good release property to marine organisms. Amphiphilic polymer with mixture of fluorinated monomer and short side group of polyethylene glycol (PEG) was synthesized. And also we studied the ability of amphiphilic polymer to influence the surface properties and how it controlled the adhesion of marine organisms to coated surfaces. By incorporating fluorinated monomer and PEG side chain into the polymer, the effect of incorporating both polar and non-polar groups on fouling-release coating could be studied. The dry surface was characterized by three-dimensional digital microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the morphology of the amphiphilic fouling release coating showed just like flaky petal. The amphiphilic polymer in fouling release coating tended to reconstruct in water, and the ability was examined by static contact angle, which was smaller than the PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) fouling release coating. Also surface energy was calculated by three solvents, and surface energy of amphiphilic fouling release coating was higher than that of the PDMS fouling release coating. To understand more about its fouling release property, seawater exposure method was adopted in gulf of Qingdao port. Fewer diatoms Navicula were found in biofilm after using amphiphilic fouling release coating. In general, coating containing both PEG and fluorinated side chain possessed certain fouling release property.

Impact of effluent organic matter on low-pressure membrane fouling in tertiary treatment

KAUST Repository

Ayache, C.; Pidou, Marc; Croue, Jean-Philippe; Labanowski, Jé rô me; Poussade, Yvan; Tazi-Pain, Annie; Keller, Jurg R.; Gernjak, Wolfgang

2013-01-01

This study aims at comparing low-pressure membrane fouling obtained with two different secondary effluents at bench and pilot-scale based on the determination of two fouling indices: the total fouling index (TFI) and the hydraulically irreversible fouling index (HIFI). The main objective was to investigate if simpler and less costly bench-scale experimentation can substitute for pilot-scale trials when assessing the fouling potential of secondary effluent in large scale membrane filtration plants producing recycled water. Absolute values for specific flux and total fouling index for the bench-scale system were higher than those determined from pilot-scale, nevertheless a statistically significant correlation (r2 = 0.63, α = 0.1) was obtained for the total fouling index at both scales. On the contrary no such correlation was found for the hydraulically irreversible fouling index. Advanced water characterization tools such as excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEM) and liquid chromatography with organic carbon detection (LC-OCD) were used for the characterization of foulants. On the basis of statistical analysis, biopolymers and humic substances were found to be the major contribution to total fouling (r2 = 0.95 and r2 = 0.88, respectively). Adsorption of the low molecular weight neutral compounds to the membrane was attributed to hydraulically irreversible fouling (r2 = 0.67). © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Impact of effluent organic matter on low-pressure membrane fouling in tertiary treatment

KAUST Repository

Ayache, C.

2013-05-01

This study aims at comparing low-pressure membrane fouling obtained with two different secondary effluents at bench and pilot-scale based on the determination of two fouling indices: the total fouling index (TFI) and the hydraulically irreversible fouling index (HIFI). The main objective was to investigate if simpler and less costly bench-scale experimentation can substitute for pilot-scale trials when assessing the fouling potential of secondary effluent in large scale membrane filtration plants producing recycled water. Absolute values for specific flux and total fouling index for the bench-scale system were higher than those determined from pilot-scale, nevertheless a statistically significant correlation (r2 = 0.63, α = 0.1) was obtained for the total fouling index at both scales. On the contrary no such correlation was found for the hydraulically irreversible fouling index. Advanced water characterization tools such as excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEM) and liquid chromatography with organic carbon detection (LC-OCD) were used for the characterization of foulants. On the basis of statistical analysis, biopolymers and humic substances were found to be the major contribution to total fouling (r2 = 0.95 and r2 = 0.88, respectively). Adsorption of the low molecular weight neutral compounds to the membrane was attributed to hydraulically irreversible fouling (r2 = 0.67). © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Fouling in small hydro projects; Verschmutzung von Kleinwasserkraftwerken - Schlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abgottspon, A.; Staubli, T.

2010-03-15

This comprehensive final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at fouling problems encountered in small hydro installations. The report is based on ten interviews made with operators of small hydro power stations in Switzerland. A parallel project carried out in Germany is mentioned. A large variation in the degree of fouling in the various hydro power stations is noted. Sources such as leaves in autumn and algae are discussed, as are the various rinsing procedures used to clear the turbines of fouling. Power losses are discussed and measures that can be taken to prevent fouling are described. Measurements made at an installation in Freienstein, Switzerland, are presented and discussed. The report is completed with an appendix containing calculations, details on the Freienstein power plant and the results of interviews made with the ten hydro power installations examined.

Polymeric membranes: surface modification for minimizing (bio)colloidal fouling.

Science.gov (United States)

Kochkodan, Victor; Johnson, Daniel J; Hilal, Nidal

2014-04-01

This paper presents an overview on recent developments in surface modification of polymer membranes for reduction of their fouling with biocolloids and organic colloids in pressure driven membrane processes. First, colloidal interactions such as London-van der Waals, electrical, hydration, hydrophobic, steric forces and membrane surface properties such as hydrophilicity, charge and surface roughness, which affect membrane fouling, have been discussed and the main goals of the membrane surface modification for fouling reduction have been outlined. Thereafter the recent studies on reduction of (bio)colloidal of polymer membranes using ultraviolet/redox initiated surface grafting, physical coating/adsorption of a protective layer on the membrane surface, chemical reactions or surface modification of polymer membranes with nanoparticles as well as using of advanced atomic force microscopy to characterize (bio)colloidal fouling have been critically summarized. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of physical and chemical aspects on membrane fouling and cleaning using interfacial free energy analysis in forward osmosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wanzhu; Dong, Bingzhi

2018-05-20

Natural organic matter (NOM) in micro-polluted water purification using membranes is a critical issue to handle. Understanding the fouling mechanism in the forward osmosis (FO) process, particularly identifying the predominant factor that controls membrane fouling, could have significant effects on exerting the advantages of FO technique. Cellulose triacetate no-woven (CTA-NW) membrane is applied to experiments with a high removal efficiency (> 99%) for the model foulant. Tannic acid (TA) is used as a surrogate foulant for NOM in the membrane fouling process, thus enabling the analysis of the effects of physical and chemical aspects of water flux, retention, and adsorption. The membrane fouling behavior is affected mainly by the combined effects of the osmotic dragging force and the interaction of the pH in the working solution, foulants, and calcium ions, as demonstrated by the water flux loss and the changes of membrane retention and adsorption. The fouled CTA-NW membrane (in PRO mode) could be flux-recovered by > 85% through physical cleaning methods. The interfacial free energy analysis theory was used to analyze the membrane fouling behavior with calculating the interfacial cohesion and adhesion free energies. The cohesion free energy refers to the deposition of foulants (TA or TA combined with calcium ions) on a fouled membrane. In addition, the adhesion free energy could be used to evaluate the interaction between foulants and a clean membrane.

Flux dependency of particulate/colloidal fouling in seawater reverse osmosis systems

KAUST Repository

Salinas Rodríguez, S. G.

2012-01-01

Fouling is the main operational problem in seawater reverse osmosis systems (SWRO). Particulate fouling is traditionally measured through the silt density index (SDI) and through the modified fouling index (MFI). In recent years, ultrafiltration membranes were used successfully at constant flux-MFI-UF-to measure particulate/colloidal fouling potential and tested in sea water applications. Furthermore, constant flux operation allows predicting the rate of fouling in RO systems. The objectives of this study are: (1) to measure the flux effect in MFI-UF with different membranes (100, 30 and 10 kDa) for raw seawater and pre-treated water before reverse osmosis in three different locations; (2) to study the particulate and colloidal fouling potential of seawater in reverse osmosis systems; (3) to project the increase in pressure due to cake resistance in reverse osmosis systems. In this research, flat ultrafiltration membranes (100, 50, 30 and 10 kDa) are used in a con- stant flux filtration mode to test and compare real seawaters from various locations (North and Mediterranean Sea) and from various full scale facilities including different pre-treatments (i.e., ultrafiltration and coagulation + dual media filtration). The operated fluxes range from 350 down to values close to real RO operation, 15l(m2h)-1. After each filtration test, the MFI-UF is calculated to assess the particulate fouling potential. The obtained results showed that: (1) the particulate and colloidal fouling potential is directly proportional to the applied flux during filtration. This proportionality is related to the compression of the cake deposit occurring at high flux values; (2) the higher the flux, the higher the required pressure, the less porous the cake and therefore the higher the specific cake resistance; (3) particulate and colloidal fouling potential of seawater is site specific and is influenced by pre-treatment. © 2012 Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

Dynamic coating of mf/uf membranes for fouling mitigation

KAUST Repository

Tabatabai, S. Assiyeh Alizadeh; Leiknes, TorOve

2017-01-01

A membrane system including an anti-fouling layer and a method of applying an anti-fouling layer to a membrane surface are provided. In an embodiment, the surface is a microfiltration (MF) or an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane surface. The anti

Forward osmosis membrane fouling and cleaning for wastewater reuse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youngbeom Yu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Membrane fouling properties and different physical cleaning methods for forward osmosis (FO and reverse osmosis (RO laboratory-scale filtration systems were investigated. The membrane fouling, with respect to flux reduction, was lower in FO than in RO when testing an activated sludge effluent. Cross-flow velocity, air-scouring, osmotic backwashing and effect of a spacer were compared to determine the most effective cleaning method for FO. After a long period of fouling with activated sludge, the flux was fully recovered in a short period of osmotic backwashing compared with cleaning by changing cross-flow velocity and air-scouring. In this study, the osmotic backwashing was found to be the most efficient way to clean the FO membrane. The amount of RNA recovered from FO membranes was about twice that for RO membranes; biofouling could be more significant in FO than in RO. However, the membrane fouling in FO was lower than that in RO. The spacer increased the flux in FO with activated sludge liquor suspended solids of 2,500 mg/L, and there were effects of spacer on performance of FO–MBR membrane fouling. However, further studies are required to determine how the spacer geometry influences on the performance of the FO membrane.

Temporal and spatial variation in the fouling of silicone coatings in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Science.gov (United States)

Holm, E R; Nedved, B T; Phillips, N; Deangelis, K L; Hadfield, M G; Smith, C M

2000-01-01

An antifouling or foul-release coating cannot be globally effective if it does not perform well in a range of environmental conditions, against a diversity of fouling organisms. From 1996 to 1998, the field test sites participating in the United States Navy's Office of Naval Research 6.2 Biofouling program examined global variation in the performance of 3 silicone foul-release coatings, viz. GE RTV11, Dow Corning RTV 3140, and Intersleek (International Coatings Ltd), together with a control anticorrosive coating (Ameron Protective Coatings F-150 series). At the University of Hawaii's test site in Pearl Harbor, significant differences were observed among the coatings in the rate of accumulation of fouling. The control coating failed rapidly; after 180-220 d immersion a community dominated by molluscs and sponges developed that persisted for the remainder of the experiment. Fouling of the GE and Dow Corning silicone coatings was slower, but eventually reached a similar community structure and coverage as the control coatings. The Intersleek coating remained lightly fouled throughout the experiment. Spatial variation in the structure of the community fouling the coatings was observed, but not in the extent of fouling. The rate of accumulation of fouling reflected differences among the coatings in adhesion of the tubeworm Hydroides elegans. The surface properties of these coatings may have affected the rate of fouling and the structure of the fouling community through their influence on larval settlement and subsequent interactions with other residents, predators, and the physical environment.

Comparison of regeneration efficiency of strong base anion exchangers fouled by iron and humic acids

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kus, P.; Kunesova, K.; Šlouf, Miroslav

2014-01-01

Roč. 49, č. 15 (2014), s. 2352-2357 ISSN 0149-6395 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : regeneration * iron * fouling Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 1.171, year: 2014

Light scattering evidence of selective protein fouling on biocompatible block copolymer micelles

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Giacomelli, F. C.; Štěpánek, Petr; Schmidt, V.; Jäger, Eliezer; Jäger, Alessandro; Giacomelli, C.

2012-01-01

Roč. 4, č. 15 (2012), s. 4504-4514 ISSN 2040-3364 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP208/10/1600 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : copolymer micelles * protein fouling * light scattering Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 6.233, year: 2012

Bibliography on Fouling, Biodeterioration and their Control.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-06-01

34 In: Proceedings of the 4th International Congress on Marine Corrosion and Fouling. pp 271- 277. Antibes, 1976 294. Jones, G. D. and R. G. Asperger ...J. "Antifouling Measures on Ships - A General Survey" Report NTIS AD-B032-858 (October, 1978) 335. Lustigman, B. and I. R. Isquith, "The Enhanced ...Fouling Organisms. In: Proceedings of the Protection of Materials in the Sea" pp 327-329. Bombay, 1977. 437. Ray, L. L. "Citric Acid Enhancement of Copper

Iodine-infused aeration for hull fouling prevention: a vessel-scale study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dickenson, Natasha C; Krumholz, Jason S; Hunsucker, Kelli Z; Radicone, Michael

2017-11-01

Biofouling is a significant economic and ecological problem, causing reduced vessel performance and increases in fuel consumption and emissions. Previous research has shown iodine vapor (I 2 )-infused aeration to be an environmentally friendly method for deterring the settlement of fouling organisms. An aeration system was deployed on a vessel with hull sections coated with two types of antifoulant coatings, Intersleek ® 1100 (fouling-release) and Interspeed ® BRA-640 (ablative copper biocide), as well as an inert epoxy barrier coating, to assess the effectiveness of aeration in conjunction with common marine coatings. I 2 -infused aeration resulted in consistent reductions of 80-90% in hard fouling across all three coatings. Additionally, aeration reduced the soft fouling rate by 45-70% when used in conjunction with both Intersleek ® and Interspeed ® BRA versus those coatings alone. The results of this study highlight the contribution of I 2 -infused aeration as a standalone mechanism for fouling prevention or as a complement to traditional antifouling coatings.

Novel Fouling-Reducing Coatings for Ultrafiltration, Nanofiltration, and Reverse Osmosis Membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benny Freeman

2008-08-31

Polymeric membranes could potentially be the most flexible and viable long-term strategy for treatment of produced water from oil and gas production. However, widespread use of membranes, including reverse osmosis (RO) membranes, for produced water purification is hindered due to fouling caused by the impurities present in the water. Fouling of RO membranes is likely caused by surface properties including roughness, hydrophilicity, and charge, so surface modification is the most widely considered approach to improve the fouling properties of current RO membranes. This project focuses on two main approaches to surface modification: coating and grafting. Hydrophilic coating and grafting materials based on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) are applied to commercial RO membranes manufactured by Dow FilmTec and GE. Crossflow filtration experiments are used to determine the fouling resistance of modified membranes, and compare their performance to that of unmodified commercial RO membranes. Grafting and coating are shown to be two alternative methods of producing modified membranes with improved fouling resistance.

A zwitterionic macro-crosslinker for durable non-fouling coatings.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Lu, Yang; Xie, Jinbing; Zhu, Hui; Cao, Zhiqiang

2016-03-28

A novel zwitterionic macro-crosslinker was developed and applied to fabricate durable non-fouling coatings on a polyurethane substrate. The zwitterionic macro-crosslinker coating exhibited superior durability over the traditional brush polymer coating and was able to retain its non-fouling property even after weeks of shearing in flowing liquid.

Mini-review: impact and dynamics of surface fouling by solitary and compound ascidians.

Science.gov (United States)

Aldred, Nick; Clare, Anthony S

2014-01-01

Globally, ascidians are a significant contributor to benthic marine fouling communities, but have remained poorly studied in this context. In some cases, such as in shellfish and finfish aquaculture, ascidians are the most problematic of all fouling organisms. The disproportionate impact of ascidian fouling in some specific geographic locations has been related directly to anthropogenic translocation of these organisms around the globe. In the case of ascidians, therefore, the economic issue of biofouling and the ecological ramifications of invasion are inextricably linked. This mini-review briefly discusses the introduction of non-native ascidians to areas where they have subsequently proven to be a significant fouling pest. The elements of ascidian reproductive ecology that support their aggressive fouling character are discussed and the scant information pertaining to their adhesion and adhesives is presented. Finally, strategies for mitigating ascidian fouling are examined. It is suggested that sufficient working knowledge currently exists to support the inclusion of one or more common ascidian species as 'standard' test organisms used for evaluation of novel fouling-resistant surfaces.

Hydrophilic, bactericidal nanoheater-enabled reverse osmosis membranes to improve fouling resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Jessica R; Tadepalli, Sirimuvva; Nergiz, Saide Z; Liu, Keng-Ku; You, Le; Tang, Yinjie; Singamaneni, Srikanth; Jun, Young-Shin

2015-06-03

Polyamide (PA) semipermeable membranes typically used for reverse osmosis water treatment processes are prone to fouling, which reduces the amount and quality of water produced. By synergistically coupling the photothermal and bactericidal properties of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets, gold nanostars (AuNS), and hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) on PA reverse osmosis membrane surfaces, we have dramatically improved fouling resistance of these membranes. Batch fouling experiments from three classes of fouling are presented: mineral scaling (CaCO3 and CaSO4), organic fouling (humic acid), and biofouling (Escherichia coli). Systematic analyses and a variety of complementary techniques were used to elucidate fouling resistance mechanisms from each layer of modification on the membrane surface. Both mineral scaling and organic fouling were significantly reduced in PA-GO-AuNS-PEG membranes compared to other membranes. The PA-GO-AuNS-PEG membrane was also effective in killing all near-surface bacteria compared to PA membranes. In the PA-GO-AuNS-PEG membrane, the GO nanosheets act as templates for in situ AuNS growth, which then facilitated localized heating upon irradiation by an 808 nm laser inactivating bacteria on the membrane surface. Furthermore, AuNS in the membrane assisted PEG in preventing mineral scaling on the membrane surface. In flow-through flux and foulant rejection tests, PA-GO-AuNS-PEG membranes performed better than PA membranes in the presence of CaSO4 and humic acid model foulants. Therefore, the newly suggested membrane surface modifications will not only reduce fouling from RO feeds, but can improve overall membrane performance. Our innovative membrane design reported in this study can significantly extend the lifetime and water treatment efficacy of reverse osmosis membranes to alleviate escalating global water shortage from rising energy demands.

Membrane fouling and anti-fouling strategies using RO retentate from a municipal water recycling plant as the feed for osmotic power generation

KAUST Repository

Chen, Si Cong

2015-10-25

RO retentate from a municipal water recycling plant is considered as a potential feed stream for osmotic power generation in this paper. The feasibility of using RO retentate from a municipal water recycling plant was examined from two aspects: (a) the membrane fouling propensity of RO retentate, and (b) the efficacy of anti-fouling strategies. The membranes used in this study were the inner selective thin film composite polyethersulfone (TFC/PES) hollow fiber membranes, which possessed a high water permeability and good mechanical strength. Scaling by phosphate salts was found to be one possible inorganic fouling on the innermost layer of the PES membrane, whereas silica fouling was observed to be the governing fouling on the outmost surface of the PES membrane. Two anti-fouling pretreatments, i.e., pH adjustment and anti-scalant pre-treatment for the feed stream, were studied and found to be straightforward and effective. Using RO retentate at pH 7.2 as the feed and 1 M NaCl as the draw solution, the average power density was 7.3 W/m at 20 bar. The average power density increased to 12.6 W/m by modifying RO retentate with an initial pH value of 5.5 using HCl and to 13.4 W/m by adding 1.1 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Moreover, the flux recovery of the fouled membranes, without the indicated pretreatments, reached 84.9% using deionized (DI) water flushing and 95.0% using air bubbling under a high crossflow velocity of 23.3 cm/s (Re = 2497) for 30 min. After pretreatment by pH adjustment, the flux recovery increased to 94.6% by DI water flushing and 100.0% by air bubbling. After pretreatment by adding 1.1 mM EDTA into RO retentate, flux was almost fully restored by physical cleaning by DI water flushing and air bubbling. These results provide insight into developing an effective pretreatment by either pH adjustment or EDTA addition before PRO and physical cleaning methods by DI water flushing and air bubbling for membrane used in osmotic power

Membrane fouling and anti-fouling strategies using RO retentate from a municipal water recycling plant as the feed for osmotic power generation

KAUST Repository

Chen, Si Cong; Amy, Gary L.; Chung, Neal Tai-Shung

2015-01-01

RO retentate from a municipal water recycling plant is considered as a potential feed stream for osmotic power generation in this paper. The feasibility of using RO retentate from a municipal water recycling plant was examined from two aspects: (a) the membrane fouling propensity of RO retentate, and (b) the efficacy of anti-fouling strategies. The membranes used in this study were the inner selective thin film composite polyethersulfone (TFC/PES) hollow fiber membranes, which possessed a high water permeability and good mechanical strength. Scaling by phosphate salts was found to be one possible inorganic fouling on the innermost layer of the PES membrane, whereas silica fouling was observed to be the governing fouling on the outmost surface of the PES membrane. Two anti-fouling pretreatments, i.e., pH adjustment and anti-scalant pre-treatment for the feed stream, were studied and found to be straightforward and effective. Using RO retentate at pH 7.2 as the feed and 1 M NaCl as the draw solution, the average power density was 7.3 W/m at 20 bar. The average power density increased to 12.6 W/m by modifying RO retentate with an initial pH value of 5.5 using HCl and to 13.4 W/m by adding 1.1 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Moreover, the flux recovery of the fouled membranes, without the indicated pretreatments, reached 84.9% using deionized (DI) water flushing and 95.0% using air bubbling under a high crossflow velocity of 23.3 cm/s (Re = 2497) for 30 min. After pretreatment by pH adjustment, the flux recovery increased to 94.6% by DI water flushing and 100.0% by air bubbling. After pretreatment by adding 1.1 mM EDTA into RO retentate, flux was almost fully restored by physical cleaning by DI water flushing and air bubbling. These results provide insight into developing an effective pretreatment by either pH adjustment or EDTA addition before PRO and physical cleaning methods by DI water flushing and air bubbling for membrane used in osmotic power

Membrane fouling and anti-fouling strategies using RO retentate from a municipal water recycling plant as the feed for osmotic power generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Si Cong; Amy, Gary L; Chung, Tai-Shung

2016-01-01

RO retentate from a municipal water recycling plant is considered as a potential feed stream for osmotic power generation in this paper. The feasibility of using RO retentate from a municipal water recycling plant was examined from two aspects: (a) the membrane fouling propensity of RO retentate, and (b) the efficacy of anti-fouling strategies. The membranes used in this study were the inner selective thin film composite polyethersulfone (TFC/PES) hollow fiber membranes, which possessed a high water permeability and good mechanical strength. Scaling by phosphate salts was found to be one possible inorganic fouling on the innermost layer of the PES membrane, whereas silica fouling was observed to be the governing fouling on the outmost surface of the PES membrane. Two anti-fouling pretreatments, i.e., pH adjustment and anti-scalant pre-treatment for the feed stream, were studied and found to be straightforward and effective. Using RO retentate at pH 7.2 as the feed and 1 M NaCl as the draw solution, the average power density was 7.3 W/m(2) at 20 bar. The average power density increased to 12.6 W/m(2) by modifying RO retentate with an initial pH value of 5.5 using HCl and to 13.4 W/m(2) by adding 1.1 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Moreover, the flux recovery of the fouled membranes, without the indicated pretreatments, reached 84.9% using deionized (DI) water flushing and 95.0% using air bubbling under a high crossflow velocity of 23.3 cm/s (Re = 2497) for 30 min. After pretreatment by pH adjustment, the flux recovery increased to 94.6% by DI water flushing and 100.0% by air bubbling. After pretreatment by adding 1.1 mM EDTA into RO retentate, flux was almost fully restored by physical cleaning by DI water flushing and air bubbling. These results provide insight into developing an effective pretreatment by either pH adjustment or EDTA addition before PRO and physical cleaning methods by DI water flushing and air bubbling for membrane used in

Coke fouling monitoring by electrical resistivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bombardelli, Clovis; Mari, Livia Assis; Kalinowski, Hypolito Jose [Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana (UTFPR), Curitiba, PR (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia Eletrica e Informatica Industrial (CPGEI)

2008-07-01

An experimental method to simulate the growth of the coke fouling that occurs in the oil processing is proposed relating the thickness of the encrusted coke to its electrical resistivity. The authors suggest the use of the fouling electrical resistivity as a transducer element for determining its thickness. The sensor is basically two electrodes in an electrically isolated device where the inlay can happen in order to compose a purely resistive transducer. Such devices can be easily constructed in a simple and robust form with features capable to face the high temperatures and pressures found in relevant industrial processes. For validation, however, it is needed a relationship between the electrical resistivity and the fouling thickness, information not yet found in the literature. The present work experimentally simulates the growth of a layer of coke on an electrically insulating surface, equipped with electrodes at two extremities to measure the electrical resistivity during thermal cracking essays. The method is realized with a series of consecutive runs. The results correlate the mass of coke deposited and its electrical resistivity, and it can be used to validate the coke depositions monitoring employing the resistivity as a control parameter. (author)

Understanding the risk of scaling and fouling in hollow fiber forward osmosis membrane application

KAUST Repository

Majeed, Tahir; Phuntsho, Sherub; Jeong, Sanghyun; Zhao, Yanxia; Gao, Baoyu; Shon, Ho Kyong

2016-01-01

Fouling studies of forward osmosis (FO) were mostly conducted based on fouling evaluation principals applied to pressure membrane processes such as reverse osmosis (RO)/nanofiltration (NF)/microfiltration (MF)/ultrafiltration (UF). For RO/NF/MF/UF processes, the single flux driving force (hydraulic pressure) remains constant, thus the fouling effect is easily evaluated by comparing flux data with the baseline. Whilst, the scenario of fouling effects for FO process is entirely different from RO/NF/MF/UF processes. Continuously changing driving force (osmotic pressure difference), the changes in concentration polarization associated with the varying draw solution/feed solution concentration and the fouling layer effects collectively influence the FO flux. Thus, usual comparison of the FO flux outcome with the baseline results can not exactly indicate the real affect of membrane fouling, rather presents a misleading cumulative effect. This study compares the existing FO fouling technique with an alternate fouling evaluation approach using two FO set-ups. Scaling and fouling risk for hollow fiber FO was separately investigated using synthetic water samples and model organic foulants as alginate, humic acid and bovine serum albumin. Results indicated that FO flux declines up to 5% and 49% in active layer-feed solution and active layer-draw solution orientations respectively.

Understanding the risk of scaling and fouling in hollow fiber forward osmosis membrane application

KAUST Repository

Majeed, Tahir

2016-06-23

Fouling studies of forward osmosis (FO) were mostly conducted based on fouling evaluation principals applied to pressure membrane processes such as reverse osmosis (RO)/nanofiltration (NF)/microfiltration (MF)/ultrafiltration (UF). For RO/NF/MF/UF processes, the single flux driving force (hydraulic pressure) remains constant, thus the fouling effect is easily evaluated by comparing flux data with the baseline. Whilst, the scenario of fouling effects for FO process is entirely different from RO/NF/MF/UF processes. Continuously changing driving force (osmotic pressure difference), the changes in concentration polarization associated with the varying draw solution/feed solution concentration and the fouling layer effects collectively influence the FO flux. Thus, usual comparison of the FO flux outcome with the baseline results can not exactly indicate the real affect of membrane fouling, rather presents a misleading cumulative effect. This study compares the existing FO fouling technique with an alternate fouling evaluation approach using two FO set-ups. Scaling and fouling risk for hollow fiber FO was separately investigated using synthetic water samples and model organic foulants as alginate, humic acid and bovine serum albumin. Results indicated that FO flux declines up to 5% and 49% in active layer-feed solution and active layer-draw solution orientations respectively.

Removal of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes affected by varying degrees of fouling on anaerobic microfiltration membranes

KAUST Repository

Cheng, Hong; Hong, Pei-Ying

2017-01-01

An anaerobic membrane bioreactor was retrofitted with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) microfiltration membrane units, each of which was fouled to a different extent. The membranes with different degrees of fouling were evaluated for their efficiencies in removing three antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), namely, blaNDM-1-positive Escherichia coli PI-7, blaCTX-M-15-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae L7, and blaOXA-48-positive E. coli UPEC-RIY-4, as well as their associated plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The results showed that the log removal values (LRVs) of ARGs correlated positively with the extent of membrane fouling and ranged from 1.9 to 3.9. New membranes with a minimal foulant layer could remove more than 5 log units of ARB. However, as the membranes progressed to subcritical fouling, the LRVs of ARB decreased at increasing operating transmembrane pressures (TMPs). The LRV recovered back to 5 when the membrane was critically fouled, and the achieved LRV remained stable at different operating TMPs. Furthermore, characterization of the surface attributed the removal of both the ARB and ARGs to adsorption, which was facilitated by an increasing hydrophobicity and a decreasing surface ζ potential as the membranes fouled. Our results indicate that both the TMP and the foulant layer synergistically affected ARB removal, but the foulant layer was the main factor that contributed to ARG removal.

Removal of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Genes Affected by Varying Degrees of Fouling on Anaerobic Microfiltration Membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Hong; Hong, Pei-Ying

2017-11-07

An anaerobic membrane bioreactor was retrofitted with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) microfiltration membrane units, each of which was fouled to a different extent. The membranes with different degrees of fouling were evaluated for their efficiencies in removing three antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), namely, bla NDM-1 -positive Escherichia coli PI-7, bla CTX-M-15 -positive Klebsiella pneumoniae L7, and bla OXA-48 -positive E. coli UPEC-RIY-4, as well as their associated plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The results showed that the log removal values (LRVs) of ARGs correlated positively with the extent of membrane fouling and ranged from 1.9 to 3.9. New membranes with a minimal foulant layer could remove more than 5 log units of ARB. However, as the membranes progressed to subcritical fouling, the LRVs of ARB decreased at increasing operating transmembrane pressures (TMPs). The LRV recovered back to 5 when the membrane was critically fouled, and the achieved LRV remained stable at different operating TMPs. Furthermore, characterization of the surface attributed the removal of both the ARB and ARGs to adsorption, which was facilitated by an increasing hydrophobicity and a decreasing surface ζ potential as the membranes fouled. Our results indicate that both the TMP and the foulant layer synergistically affected ARB removal, but the foulant layer was the main factor that contributed to ARG removal.

Removal of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes affected by varying degrees of fouling on anaerobic microfiltration membranes

KAUST Repository

Cheng, Hong

2017-09-28

An anaerobic membrane bioreactor was retrofitted with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) microfiltration membrane units, each of which was fouled to a different extent. The membranes with different degrees of fouling were evaluated for their efficiencies in removing three antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), namely, blaNDM-1-positive Escherichia coli PI-7, blaCTX-M-15-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae L7, and blaOXA-48-positive E. coli UPEC-RIY-4, as well as their associated plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The results showed that the log removal values (LRVs) of ARGs correlated positively with the extent of membrane fouling and ranged from 1.9 to 3.9. New membranes with a minimal foulant layer could remove more than 5 log units of ARB. However, as the membranes progressed to subcritical fouling, the LRVs of ARB decreased at increasing operating transmembrane pressures (TMPs). The LRV recovered back to 5 when the membrane was critically fouled, and the achieved LRV remained stable at different operating TMPs. Furthermore, characterization of the surface attributed the removal of both the ARB and ARGs to adsorption, which was facilitated by an increasing hydrophobicity and a decreasing surface ζ potential as the membranes fouled. Our results indicate that both the TMP and the foulant layer synergistically affected ARB removal, but the foulant layer was the main factor that contributed to ARG removal.

Membrane fouling mechanism transition in relation to feed water composition

KAUST Repository

Myat, Darli Theint; Mergen, Max R D; Zhao, Oliver; Stewart, Matthew B.; Orbell, John D.; Merle, Tony; Croue, Jean-Philippe; Gray, Stephen R.

2014-01-01

on hydrophobic PP membrane occurred during the first 24h of filtration and contributed to fouling for both raw wastewater and pre-treated wastewaters. However, after the first 24h of filtration the contribution of humic substances to fouling diminished

Compressibility of the fouling layer formed by membrane bioreactor sludge and supernatant

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Mads Koustrup; Poorasgari, Eskandar; Christensen, Morten Lykkegaard

Membrane bioreactors (MBR) are increasingly used for wastewater treatment as they give high effluent quality, low footprint and efficient sludge degradation. However, the accumulation and deposition of sludge components on and within the membrane (fouling) limits the widespread application of MBR....... Compressibility of the gel layer was studied in a dead-end filtration system, whereas the compressibility of a fouling layer formed by MBR sludge was studied in a submerged system hollow sheet membrane by TMP stepping. It was shown that the fouling layer formed by the MBR sludge was highly compressible within....... Hence, for MBR systems operated at constant flux mode, the applied pressure should be increased over time, to compensate for the lower permeability. Increasing applied pressure causes compression of the fouling layer and results in a more severe permeability decline [1]. In a general view, the fouling...

A New Concept of Ultrafiltration Fouling Control : Backwashing with Low Ionic Strength Water

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, S.

2011-01-01

Ultrafiltration (UF) is a proven technology in water treatment nowadays. However, fouling remains a major challenge in the operation of UF, especially in regard to colloidal NOM fouling. In general, a number of colloidal NOM fouling mechanisms may occur, such as adsorption, gel formation. Colloidal

Membrane fouling related to microbial community and extracellular polymeric substances at different temperatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Da-Wen; Wen, Zhi-Dan; Li, Bao; Liang, Hong

2013-09-01

An anoxic-aerobic membrane bioreactor was established to investigate the role of microorganisms and microbial metabolites in membrane fouling at different temperatures. The results showed that the membrane fouling cycle at 303, 293, and 283 K were 30, 29, and 5.5 days, respectively. Polysaccharides dominated the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and soluble microbial products (SMP) at 303 and 293 K, instead, proteins was the predominant composition of metabolites at 283 K. The correlation coefficient (r(2)) was calculated to identify the relationship between temperature (T), filtration resistance (R) and compositions of EPS and SMP. In biocake, the EPS polysaccharides (EPSc) was the most correlative factor to temperature (T) and filtration resistance (R); in mixed liquor, the ratio of SMP polysaccharides to proteins (SMPc/p) was the most correlative factor. The microbial community structure and the dominant species was the major reason causing the change of EPS and SMP composition. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Irreversible membrane fouling abatement through pre-deposited layer of hierarchical porous carbons

KAUST Repository

Hamad, Juma

2014-11-01

In this work, dual-templated hierarchical porous carbons (HPCs), produced from a coupled ice-hard templating approach, are shown to be a highly effective solution to the commonly occurring problem of irreversible fouling of low-pressure membranes used for pre-treatment in wastewater reuse. For the first time, dual-templated HPCs, along with their respective counterparts - single-templated meso-porous carbon (MPCs) (without macropores) - are tested in terms of their fouling reduction capacity and ability to remove different effluent organic matter fractions present in wastewater and compared with a commercially available powdered activated carbon (PAC). The synthesized HPCs provided exceptional fouling abatement, a 4-fold higher fouling reduction as compared to the previously reported best performing commercial PAC and ~2.5-fold better fouling reduction than their respective mesoporous counterpart. Thus, it is shown that not only mesoporosity, but macroporosity is also necessary to achieve high fouling reduction, thus emphasizing the need for dual templating. In the case of HPCs, the pre-deposition technique is also found to outperform the traditional sorbent-feed mixing approach, mainly in terms of removal of fouling components. Based on their superior performance, a high permeability (ultra-low-pressure) membrane consisting of the synthesized HPC pre-deposited on a large pore size membrane support (0.45μm membrane), is shown to give excellent pre-treatment performance for wastewater reuse application. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Characteristics of heat transfer fouling of thin stillage using model thin stillage and evaporator concentrates

Science.gov (United States)

Challa, Ravi Kumar

The US fuel ethanol demand was 50.3 billion liters (13.3 billion gallons) in 2012. Corn ethanol was produced primarily by dry grind process. Heat transfer equipment fouling occurs during corn ethanol production and increases the operating expenses of ethanol plants. Following ethanol distillation, unfermentables are centrifuged to separate solids as wet grains and liquid fraction as thin stillage. Evaporator fouling occurs during thin stillage concentration to syrup and decreases evaporator performance. Evaporators need to be shutdown to clean the deposits from the evaporator surfaces. Scheduled and unscheduled evaporator shutdowns decrease process throughput and results in production losses. This research were aimed at investigating thin stillage fouling characteristics using an annular probe at conditions similar to an evaporator in a corn ethanol production plant. Fouling characteristics of commercial thin stillage and model thin stillage were studied as a function of bulk fluid temperature and heat transfer surface temperature. Experiments were conducted by circulating thin stillage or carbohydrate mixtures in a loop through the test section which consisted of an annular fouling probe while maintaining a constant heat flux by electrical heating and fluid flow rate. The change in fouling resistance with time was measured. Fouling curves obtained for thin stillage and concentrated thin stillage were linear with time but no induction periods were observed. Fouling rates for concentrated thin stillage were higher compared to commercial thin stillage due to the increase in solid concentration. Fouling rates for oil skimmed and unskimmed concentrated thin stillage were similar but lower than concentrated thin stillage at 10% solids concentration. Addition of post fermentation corn oil to commercial thin stillage at 0.5% increments increased the fouling rates up to 1% concentration but decreased at 1.5%. As thin stillage is composed of carbohydrates, protein, lipid

FOULING CHARACTERIZATION OF MEMBRANE CONTACTORS USED FOR THE RECOVERY AND CONCENTRATION OF AMMONIA FROM UNDIGESTED PIG SLURRY

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zarebska, Agata; Norddahl, Birgir; Christensen, Knud Villy

2012-01-01

The main obstacle impeding implementation of membrane contactors for the recovery and concentration of ammonia from swine manure is the phenomena of membrane fouling. Fouling is defined as the accumulation of suspended or dissolved substances on the membrane surface and/or within its pores. Due...... to the different types of fouling which can occur in a membrane system, characterization of fouling is a complex problem. Fouling intensity, morphology and composition of fouling layers has been determined using Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray Energy Dispersive Spectrometry and Attenuated Total Reflectance...... Infrared Spectrometry. Based on the analysis of fouled membranes, it is concluded that membrane fouling is dominated by organic fouling in combination with biofouling mainly due to adsorption and deposition of undegraded organic matter. The average fouling layer thickness was estimated to 127.4 μm after...

The Influence of Unsportsmanlike Fouls on Basketball Teams' Performance According to Context-Related Variables.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez, Miguel-Ángel; Ortega Toro, Enrique; Furley, Philip

2016-07-01

The aim of the current study was to analyze the temporal effects that unsportsmanlike fouls may have on basketball teams' scoring performance under consideration of context-related variables. The authors analyzed 130 unsportsmanlike fouls from 362 elite basketball games (men's and women's Olympic Games, European and World Championships). The context-related variables studied were score-line, quality of opposition, timeout situation, minutes remaining, and player status. The data were analyzed with linear-regression models. The results showed that both teams (the team that made the foul and the opponent) had similar positive scoring performances during 1 and 3 ball possessions after the unsportsmanlike foul (short-term effect). However, 5 ball possessions after the foul (midterm effect), the team that made the foul had a scoring disadvantage (-0.96) and the opponent team an advantage (0.78). The context-related variable quality of opposition was significant only during 1 ball possession, with negative effects for the team that made the foul and positive effects for the opponent. The final outcome showed a positive effect for score-line when the unsportsmanlike foul was made (0.96) and for quality of opposition (0.64).

Characteristics of membrane fouling in submerged membrane bioreactor under sub-critical flux operation.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Y C; Huang, C P; Pan, Jill R; Lee, H C

2008-01-01

Recently, the membrane bioreactor (MBR) process has become one of the novel technologies to enhance the performance of biological treatment of wastewater. Membrane bioreactor process uses the membrane unit to replace a sediment tank, and this can greatly enhance treatment performance. However, membrane fouling in MBR restricts its widespread application because it leads to permeate flux decline, making more frequent membrane cleaning and replacement necessary, which then increases operating and maintenance costs. This study investigated the sludge characteristics in membrane fouling under sub-critical flux operation and also assessed the effect of shear stress on membrane fouling. Membrane fouling was slow under sub-critical flux operation. However, as filamentous microbes became dominant in the reactor, membrane fouling increased dramatically due to the increased viscosity and polysaccharides. A close link was found between membrane fouling and the amount of polysaccharides in soluble EPS. The predominant resistance was the cake resistance which could be minimized by increasing the shear stress. However, the resistance of colloids and solutes was not apparently reduced by increasing shear stress. Therefore, smaller particles such as macromolecules (e.g. polysaccharides) may play an important role in membrane fouling under sub-critical flux operation.

Application of electrochemical processes to membrane bioreactors for improving nutrient removal and fouling control.

Science.gov (United States)

Borea, Laura; Naddeo, Vincenzo; Belgiorno, Vincenzo

2017-01-01

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology is becoming increasingly popular as wastewater treatment due to the unique advantages it offers. However, membrane fouling is being given a great deal of attention so as to improve the performance of this type of technology. Recent studies have proven that the application of electrochemical processes to MBR represents a promising technological approach for membrane fouling control. In this work, two intermittent voltage gradients of 1 and 3 V/cm were applied between two cylindrical perforated electrodes, immersed around a membrane module, at laboratory scale with the aim of investigating the treatment performance and membrane fouling formation. For comparison purposes, the reactor also operated as a conventional MBR. Mechanisms of nutrient removal were studied and membrane fouling formation evaluated in terms of transmembrane pressure variation over time and sludge relative hydrophobicity. Furthermore, the impact of electrochemical processes on transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP), proposed as a new membrane fouling precursor, was investigated in addition to conventional fouling precursors such as bound extracellular polymeric substances (bEPS) and soluble microbial products (SMP). All the results indicate that the integration of electrochemical processes into a MBR has the advantage of improving the treatment performance especially in terms of nutrient removal, with an enhancement of orthophosphate (PO 4 -P) and ammonia nitrogen (NH 4 -N) removal efficiencies up to 96.06 and 69.34 %, respectively. A reduction of membrane fouling was also observed with an increase of floc hydrophobicity to 71.72 %, a decrease of membrane fouling precursor concentrations, and, thus, of membrane fouling rates up to 54.33 %. The relationship found between TEP concentration and membrane fouling rate after the application of electrochemical processes confirms the applicability of this parameter as a new membrane fouling indicator.

Organic fouling behavior of superhydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration membranes functionalized with surface-tailored nanoparticles: Implications for organic fouling in membrane bioreactors

KAUST Repository

Liang, Shuai

2014-08-01

This study systematically investigates the organic fouling behavior of a superhydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration membrane functionalized via post-fabrication tethering of surface-tailored silica nanoparticles to poly(methacrylic acid)-grafted PVDF membrane surface. Sodium alginate (SA), Suwannee River natural organic matter (SRNOM), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were used as model organic foulants to investigate the antifouling behavior of the superhydrophilic membrane with combined-fouling (mixture of foulants) and individual-fouling (single foulant) tests. A membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant supernatant was also used to verify the organic antifouling property of the superhydrophilic membrane under realistic conditions. Foulant size distributions and foulant-membrane interfacial forces were measured to interpret the observed membrane fouling behavior. Molecular weight cutoff measurements confirmed that membrane functionalization did not adversely affect the intrinsic membrane selectivity. Both filtration tests with the synthetic foulant-mixture solution (containing SA, SRNOM, and BSA) and MBR plant supernatant demonstrated the reliability and durability of the antifouling property of the superhydrophilic membrane. The conspicuous reduction in foulant-membrane interfacial forces for the functionalized membrane further verified the antifouling properties of the superhydrophilic membrane, suggesting great potential for applications in wastewater treatment. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Differential natural organic matter fouling of ceramic versus polymeric ultrafiltration membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seung-Jin; Kim, Jae-Hong

2014-01-01

Ceramic ultrafiltration membranes has drawn increasing attention in drinking water treatment sectors as an alternative to traditional polymeric counterparts, yet only limited information has been made available about the characteristics of ceramic membrane fouling by natural organic matter. The effects of solution chemistry including ionic strength, divalent ion concentration and pH on the flux behavior were comparatively evaluated for ceramic and polymeric ultrafiltration of synthetic water containing model natural organic matter. Filtration characteristics were further probed via resistance-in-series model analysis, fouling visualization using quantum dots, batch adsorption test, contact angle measurement, solute-membrane surface adhesion force measurement, and quantitative comparison of fouling characteristics between ceramic and polymeric membranes. The results collectively suggested that the effects of solution chemistry on fouling behavior of ceramic membranes were generally similar to polymeric counterparts in terms of trends, while the extent varied significantly depending on water quality parameters. Lower fouling tendency and enhanced cleaning efficiency were observed with the ceramic membrane, further promoting the potential for ceramic membrane application to surface water treatment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abrasion and algal fouling of coarse material on the Murman littoral

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malavenda S. V.

2017-03-01

Full Text Available On the Murmansk coast of the Barents Sea the boulder littoral zone is widely spread mostly covered by Fucus communities. This is one of the most productive benthic communities of the Barents Sea. The studies of intertidal communities have the long history, but the dynamics of intertidal ecosystems due to surf and storms is not clear. The goal of the work is to identify the leading factors that determine the rate of abrasion of coarse material and fouling algae-macrophytes of the intertidal zone of Murman. The study has been conducted in the Zelenetskaya Bay of the Barents Sea on the basis of the biological station of the MMBI KSC RAS. The rate of abrasion has been carried out during 2004–2013, phyto-overgrowing – 2009–2013. In three pilot landfills 12 samples of coarse material have been exposed during the year (from July to next July. The weight change of the sample as well as species composition and biomass of algae of fouling communities have been investigated. The influence of the surf intensity, temperature of water and air has been analyzed (univariate analysis of variance ANOVA has been applied. It has been shown that on the littoral of the Murmansk coast the abrasion of coarse material is determined primarily by the number of storms, so the storm rate has been proposed. It has been revealed that the density of fouling boulders with macroalgae depends primarily on the intensity of the surf and the average gradient of air temperature. The basis for the emerging communities of annual species are green (Acrosiphonia arcta, Blidingia minima, Spongomorpha aeruginosa and brown algae (Pylaiella littoralis, Dictyosiphon chordaria. These algae groups are found everywhere in Fucus communities of the boulder intertidal zone of the Murman coast and probably they are the intermediate stage of fouling the coarse-grained material

Effect of surface fouling on the output of PV panels

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zele

2018-04-01

Surface fouling on the photovoltaic system caused by the output of a certain impact, therefore, it is very important to explore the effect of fouling on its contribution. Through the use of photovoltaic panels to collect Baoding area under different weather output data, and the collected data for comparative analysis, obtained under different environments on the impact of its contribution. It is concluded that the output of the photovoltaic cells will decrease, and the power drop rate will stabilize after three or four days. The effect of fouling on the fog haze and low temperature is more obvious.

Rejection of Organic Micropollutants by Clean and Fouled Nanofiltration Membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lifang Zhu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The rejection of organic micropollutants, including three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs and three phthalic acid esters (PAEs, by clean and fouled nanofiltration membranes was investigated in the present study. The rejection of organic micropollutants by clean NF90 membranes varied from 87.9 to more than 99.9%, while that of NF270 membranes ranged from 32.1 to 92.3%. Clear time-dependence was observed for the rejection of hydrophobic micropollutants, which was attributed to the adsorption of micropollutants on the membrane. Fouling with humic acid had a negligible influence on the rejection of organic micropollutants by NF90 membranes, while considerable effects were observed with NF270 membranes, which are significantly looser than NF90 membranes. The observed enhancement in the rejection of organic micropollutants by fouled NF270 membranes was attributed to pore blocking, which was a dominating fouling mechanism for loose NF membranes. Changes in the ionic strength (from 10 to 20 mM reduced micropollutant rejection by both fouled NF membranes, especially for the rejection of dimethyl phthalate and diethyl phthalate by NF270 membranes (from 65.8 to 25.0% for dimethyl phthalate and 75.6 to 33.3% for diethyl phthalate.

Influence of the adhesion force crystal/heat exchanger surface on fouling mitigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forster, M.; Augustin, W.; Bohnet, M.

1999-01-01

The accumulation of unwanted crystalline deposits (fouling) reduces the efficiency of heat exchangers considerably. In order to decrease the cost of fouling two strategies have been developed. The first fouling mitigation strategy is based on the modification of energy-and-geometry-related characteristics of the heat transfer surface to realize an increased duration of the induction period. By means of a drop-shape-analysis measurement device the interaction at the interface crystal/heat transfer surface is determined. The deployment of the fracture energy model and the interfacial defect model relates wetting characteristics to the adhesion phenomenon. Hence, a first estimation of the optimal choice of surface material is realized. Furthermore, the influence of surface topography on interfacial interactions has been analyzed. The second fouling mitigation strategy is based on the adjustment of the hydrodynamic flow conditions using a pulsation technique. Here, single strokes of higher velocity are superimposed on the stationary flow. These strokes shift the equilibrium of forces to an improved removal process. Fouling experiments have proved that pulsation is a powerful tool to mitigate the built-up of fouling layers on heat transfer surfaces. (author)

Analysis of the influence of operating conditions on fouling rates in fired heaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morales-Fuentes, A.; Picón-Núñez, M.; Polley, G.T.; Méndez-Díaz, S.

2014-01-01

Fouling due to chemical reaction in preheat trains for the processing of crude oil plays a key role in the operation and maintenance costs and on greenhouse emissions to atmosphere in crude processing plants. A preheat train consists of a set of heat transfer units that provide the crude oil stream the required amount of thermal energy to reach its target temperature either by heat recovery or by direct firing. Fired heaters supply external high temperature heating through the burning of fuel which result in complex heat transfer processes due to the large temperature and pressure changes and vaporization that takes place inside the unit. In this work, a thermo-hydraulic analysis of the performance of fired heaters is carried out through the application of commercial software to solve the mathematical models using finite difference methods; the analysis is applied to the crude side of a vertical fired heater in order to evaluate the impact of process conditions such as throughput and crude inlet temperature (CIT) on the fouling that take place at the early stages of operation. Using a fouling rate model based on thermo-hydraulic parameters, fouling rates are predicted assuming steady state operation and clean conditions. Although variations in process conditions are known to influence fouling rates, little work has been done on the subject. In this work excess air and steam injection are studied as a means to mitigate fouling. Results show that throughput reduction brings about a marked increase in the fouling rates. A decrease in CIT affects only the convection zone and it is found that this effect is negligible. In terms of excess air, it is found that although it affects negatively the heater efficiency it can be used to balance heat transfer between the convection and radiation zone in a way that fouling rates are reduced; however this strategy should be considered right from the design stage. Finally it is observed that steam injection is an effective method

Bio-fouling and its control in the cooling water system of PFBR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satpathy, K.K.; Kannan, S.E.

2004-06-01

This report gives an overview of the bio-fouling problems that could be visualized in the different sections of the cooling system of PFBR, which is based on the experience observed at MAPS as well as from the experience of some of the work carried out at Kalpakkam. International as well as the MAPS practices of bio-fouling control are discussed. Based on these, an appropriate method for bio-fouling control is suggested. In addition, a few time bound, field, as well as laboratory experiments are proposed to be carried out, for deciding precise and accurate method of bio-fouling control for PFBR cooling water system. (author)

Effect of IX dosing on polypropylene and PVDF membrane fouling control

KAUST Repository

Myat, Darli Theint

2013-07-01

The performance of ion exchange (IX) resin for organics removal from wastewater was assessed using advanced characterisation techniques for varying doses of IX. Organic characterisation using liquid chromatography with a photodiode array (PDA) and fluorescence spectroscopy (Method A), and UV254, organic carbon and organic nitrogen detectors (Method B), was undertaken on wastewater before and after magnetic IX treatment. Results showed partial removal of the biopolymer fraction at high IX doses. With increasing concentration of IX, evidence for nitrogen-containing compounds such as proteins and amino acids disappeared from the LC-OND chromatogram, complementary to the fluorescence response. A greater fluorescence response of tryptophan-like proteins (278nm/343nm) for low IX concentrations was consistent with aggregation of tryptophan-like compounds into larger aggregates, either by self-aggregation or with polysaccharides. Recycling of IX resin through multiple adsorption steps without regeneration maintained the high level of humics removal but there was no continued removal of biopolymer. Subsequent membrane filtration of the IX treated waters resulted in complex fouling trends. Filtration tests with either polypropylene (PP) or polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes showed higher rates of initial fouling following treatment with high IX doses (10mL/L) compared to filtration of untreated water, while treatment with lower IX doses resulted in decreased fouling rates relative to the untreated water. However, at longer filtration times the rate of fouling of IX treated waters was lower than untreated water and the relative fouling rates corresponded to the amount of biopolymer material in the feed. It was proposed that the mode of fouling changed from pore constriction during the initial filtration period to filter cake build up at longer filtration times. The organic composition strongly influenced the rate of fouling during the initial filtration period due to

Industrial fouling: problem characterization, economic assessment, and review of prevention, mitigation, and accommodation techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garrett-Price, B.A.; Smith, S.A.; Watts, R.L.

1984-02-01

A comprehensive overview of heat exchanger fouling in the manufacturing industries is provided. Specifically, this overview addresses: the characteristics of industrial fouling problems; the mitigation and accommodation techniques currently used by industry; and the types and magnitude of costs associated with industrial fouling. A detailed review of the fouling problems, costs and mitigation techniques is provided for the food, textile, pulp and paper, chemical, petroleum, cement, glass and primary metals industries.

The effect of surface chemistry on particulate fouling under flow-boiling conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, C.W.; Klimas, S.J.

2001-01-01

A model of particulate fouling has been developed that takes account of the influence of deposit consolidation on the kinetics of the fouling process. Fouling kinetics predicted by the model are linear, falling-rate or asymptotic, depending on the relative magnitudes of the rate constants for deposition, re-entrainment, and consolidation. One of the key predictions of the model is that the steady-state fouling rate is proportional to the ratio Kλ c /λ, where K, λ c and λ are the rate constants for deposition, consolidation, and removal, respectively. Tests conducted in a high-temperature recirculating-water loop have demonstrated that chemistry exerts a strong influence on the fouling kinetics of particulate corrosion product under flow-boiling conditions in alkaline water at 270 o C. For example, the fouling rates of lepidocrocite and hematite are 12 and 50 times greater, respectively, than the rate for magnetite. It is argued that the difference can be attributed to the sign of the surface charge that develops on the metal oxide surfaces in the high-temperature coolant, which, in turn, is a function of pH relative to the isoelectric point of the metal oxide. Chemical effects also influence fouling behaviour through the rate of consolidation. For example, when morpholine is used for the alkalizing agent the fouling rate is 3-5 times higher than the case when the pH is controlled using dimethylamine. The difference is attributed to the rate of deposit consolidation, which is 6-20 times greater than the rate of deposit removal for morpholine compared to 0.2-0.3 times the rate of removal for dimethylamine. The results of this investigation, together with the insights provided by the fouling model, are being used to guide the selection of the alkalizing amine to optimize its properties for both corrosion (pH) control and deposit control in the steam generator. (author)

Flux Recovery of a Forward Osmosis Membrane After a Fouling Process

Science.gov (United States)

Romero-Mangado, Jaione; Parodi, Jurek; Gamboa-Vazquez, Sonia; Stefanson, Ofir; Diaz-Cartagena, Diana C.; Flynn, Michael

2016-01-01

Wastewater treatment through forward osmosis (FO) membranes is a process that has been evaluated in the past years as an innovative technology for the Next Generation Life Support Systems. FO technologies are cost effective, and require very low energy consumption, but are subject to membrane fouling. Membrane fouling occurs when unwanted materials accumulate on the active side of the membrane during the wastewater treatment process, which leads to a decrease in membrane flux rate. The aim of this study is to identify the materials that cause flux rate reduction due to membrane fouling, as well as to evaluate the flux rate recovery after membrane treatment using commercially available antifoulants. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometry results identified possible compounds that cause membrane fouling and FO testing results demonstrated flux rate recovery after membrane treatment using antifoulants.

Assessment of Silt Density Index (SDI) as Fouling Propensity Parameter in Reverse Osmosis Desalination

KAUST Repository

Rachman, Rinaldi

2011-07-01

Reverse osmosis operations are facing persistent fouling phenomenon that has challenged the integrity of these processes. Prediction of fouling potential by measuring a fouling index toward feed water is essential to ensure robust operation. Moreover, employing a reliable fouling index with good reproducibility and precision is necessary. Silt density index (SDI) is considered insufficient in terms of reliability and empirical theory, among other limitations. Nevertheless due its simplicity, SDI measurement is utilized extensively in RO desalination systems. The aim of this research is to assess the reliability of SDI. Methods include the investigation of different SDI membranes and study of the nature of the SDI filtration. Results demonstrate the existence of the membrane properties\\' variation within manufacturers, which then causes a lack of accuracy in fouling risk estimation. The nature of particles during SDI filtration provides information that particle concentration and size play a significant role on SDI quantification with substantial representation given by particles with size close to membrane nominal pore size. Moreover, turbidity assisted SDI measurements along with determination of UF pretreated and clean water fouling potential, establishes the indication of non-fouling related phenomena involved on SDI measurement such as a natural organic matter adsorption and hydrodynamic condition that alters during filtration. Additionally, it was found that the latter affects the sensitivity of SDI by being represented by some portions of SDI value. Keywords: Reverse Osmosis, Fouling index, Particulate Fouling, Silt Density Index (SDI), and Assessment of SDI.

The ghost of fouling communities past: the effect of original community on subsequent recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ralston, Emily A; Swain, Geoffrey W

2014-01-01

Biofouling on ships has been linked to the spread of invasive species, which has been identified as one of the current primary threats to the environment. Previous research on antifouling coatings suggested that the quantity of fouling, as well as community composition, on biocidal coatings was modified by prior fouling settlement. The experiment reported in this paper was designed to determine how preconditioning affected the rate and composition of subsequent fouling on transplanted silicone coatings. A series of 10 × 20 cm panels coated with Intersleek 700 or DC3140 were placed at three locations in Florida (Ponce Inlet, Sebastian Inlet, and Port of Miami), which were characterized by distinct fouling communities. Panels were immersed for four months, cleaned, and reciprocally transplanted among the three sites. Fouling community composition and coverage were characterized at bimonthly intervals both before and after transplantation. The original fouling community affected the subsequent fouling composition and recolonization by tunicates, sea anemones, barnacles, sponges, hydroids, and arborescent bryozoans. The community-level effects were short-term, lasting 2-4 months, but specific responses lasted up to 14 months post-transplant.

Ultrasonic Reflectometry for Monitoring the Effect of Pressure on Sludge Fouling of MF Membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Mads Koustrup; Kujundzic, Elmira; Greenberg, Alan

Membrane fouling remains the key limitation for the widespread use of membrane bioreactors (MBR) for wastewater treatment. This constraint has led to an increasing number of studies that examine the influence of various operational parameters and physicochemical properties on fouling layer...... formation and characteristics. In other membrane applications real-time monitoring has proven to be useful by providing a more quantitative characterization of fouling layer formation [1]. One such technique, ultrasonic reflectometry (UR), has been successfully used to detect fouling formed by a wide range...... of the effect of pressure on the fouling layer structure. The ability of UR to detect and monitor sludge fouling was studied in a series of replicated experiments of 15, 30 and 60-min duration that used commercial microfiltration (MF) membranes at a transmembrane pressure of 15 kPa. By analyzing the peak...

Use of pooled blood plasmas in the assessment of fouling resistance

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

de los Santos Pereira, Andres; Rodriguez-Emmenegger, Cesar; Surman, František; Riedel, Tomáš; Bologna Alles, A.; Brynda, Eduard

2014-01-01

Roč. 4, č. 5 (2014), s. 2318-2321 ISSN 2046-2069 R&D Projects: GA MŠk EE2.3.30.0029; GA ČR GAP106/12/1451; GA ČR GAP205/12/1702; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : blood plasma * fouling * biomaterials Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 3.840, year: 2014

Water hammer reduces fouling during natural water ultrafiltration.

Science.gov (United States)

Broens, F; Menne, D; Pothof, I; Blankert, B; Roesink, H D W; Futselaar, H; Lammertink, R G H; Wessling, M

2012-03-15

Today's ultrafiltration processes use permeate flow reversal to remove fouling deposits on the feed side of ultrafiltration membranes. We report an as effective method: the opening and rapid closing of a valve on the permeate side of an ultrafiltration module. The sudden valve closure generates pressure fluctuations due to fluid inertia and is commonly known as "water hammer". Surface water was filtrated in hollow fiber ultrafiltration membranes with a small (5%) crossflow. Filtration experiments above sustainable flux levels (>125 l (m2h)(-1)) show that a periodic closure of a valve on the permeate side improves filtration performance as a consequence of reduced fouling. It was shown that this effect depends on flux and actuation frequency of the valve. The time period that the valve was closed proved to have no effect on filtration performance. The pressure fluctuations generated by the sudden stop in fluid motion due to the valve closure are responsible for the effect of fouling reduction. High frequency recording of the dynamic pressure evolution shows water hammer related pressure fluctuations to occur in the order of 0.1 bar. The pressure fluctuations were higher at higher fluxes (higher velocities) which is in agreement with the theory. They were also more effective at higher fluxes with respect to fouling mitigation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In-situ non-invasive device for early detection of fouling in aquatic systems

KAUST Repository

Fortunato, Luca

2017-01-05

An in-situ, non-destructive sensor device, system and method are provided to detect or assess fouling at a very early stage of development. They can be used to detect or assess fouling on a surface of an aquatic system. They can be used to obtain a depth profile of the fouling. Data concerning the depth profile can be extracted and used to assess the fouling on the surface, in one or more aspects, the method can include providing an optical tomography spectrometer; optically positioning the optical tomography spectrometer in association with a surface of an area to be assessed for fouling in an aqueous system; irradiating the surface; acquiring, from irradiating the surface, a plurality of signals as a function of a distance from the surface at different times; extracting data from the signals as a function of the distance to obtain a depth profile of the surface at the different times; and determining a change in the depth profile between the different times to assess fouling on the surface.

Reducing ultrafiltration membrane fouling during potable water reuse using pre-ozonation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hui; Park, Minkyu; Liang, Heng; Wu, Shimin; Lopez, Israel J; Ji, Weikang; Li, Guibai; Snyder, Shane A

2017-11-15

Wastewater reclamation has increasingly become popular to secure potable water supply. Low-pressure membrane processes such as microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) play imperative roles as a barrier of macromolecules for such purpose, but are often limited by membrane fouling. Effluent organic matter (EfOM), including biopolymers and particulates, in secondary wastewater effluents have been known to be major foulants in low-pressure membrane processes. Hence, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pre-ozonation as a pre-treatment for UF on the membrane fouling caused by EfOM in secondary wastewater effluents for hydrophilic regenerated cellulose (RC) and hydrophobic polyethersulfone (PES) UF membranes. It was found that greater fouling reduction was achieved by pre-ozonation for the hydrophilic RC membrane than the hydrophobic PES membrane at increasing ozone doses. In addition, the physicochemical property changes of EfOM, including biopolymer fractions, by pre-ozonation were systemically investigated. The classical pore blocking model and the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) theories were employed to scrutinize the fouling alleviation mechanism by pre-ozonation. As a result, the overarching mechanisms of fouling reduction were attributed to the following key reasons: (1) Ozone degraded macromolecules such as biopolymers like proteins and polysaccharides into smaller fractions, thereby increasing free energy of cohesion of EfOM and rendering them more hydrophilic and stable; (2) pre-ozonation augmented the interfacial free energy of adhesion between foulants and the RC/PES membranes, leading to the increase of repulsions and/or the decrease of attractions; and (3) pre-ozonation prolonged the transition from pore blocking to cake filtration that was a dominant fouling mechanism, thereby reducing fouling. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pore channel surface modification for enhancing anti-fouling membrane distillation

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Haoran; Peng, Yuelian; Ge, Lei; Villacorta Hernandez, Byron; Zhu, Zhonghua

2018-06-01

Membrane surface modification by forming a functional layer is an effective way to improve the anti-fouling properties of membranes; however, the additional layer and the potential blockage of bulk pores may increase the mass transfer resistance and reduce the permeability. In this study, we applied a novel method of preparing anti-fouling membranes for membrane distillation by dispersing graphene oxide (GO) on the channel surface of polyvinylidene fluoride membranes. The surface morphology and properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscope, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. Compared to the membrane surface modification by nanoparticles (e.g. SiO2), GO was mainly located on the pore surface of the membrane bulk, rather than being formed as an individual layer onto the membrane surface. The performance was evaluated via a direct-contact membrane distillation process with anionic and cationic surfactants as the foulants, separately. Compared to the pristine PVDF membrane, the anti-fouling behavior and distillate flux of the GO-modified membranes were improved, especially when using the anionic surfactant as the foulant. The enhanced anti-fouling performance can be attributed to the oxygen containing functional groups in GO and the healing of the membrane pore defects. This method may provide an effective route to manipulate membrane pore surface properties for anti-fouling separation without increasing mass transfer resistance.

Intelligent Image Recognition System for Marine Fouling Using Softmax Transfer Learning and Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. S. Chin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The control of biofouling on marine vessels is challenging and costly. Early detection before hull performance is significantly affected is desirable, especially if “grooming” is an option. Here, a system is described to detect marine fouling at an early stage of development. In this study, an image of fouling can be transferred wirelessly via a mobile network for analysis. The proposed system utilizes transfer learning and deep convolutional neural network (CNN to perform image recognition on the fouling image by classifying the detected fouling species and the density of fouling on the surface. Transfer learning using Google’s Inception V3 model with Softmax at last layer was carried out on a fouling database of 10 categories and 1825 images. Experimental results gave acceptable accuracies for fouling detection and recognition.

Polyamide desalination membrane characterization and surface modification to enhance fouling resistance.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, Mukul M. (Univeristy of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX); Freeman, Benny D. (Univeristy of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX); Van Wagner, Elizabeth M. (Univeristy of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX); Hickner, Michael A. (Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA); Altman, Susan Jeanne

2010-08-01

The market for polyamide desalination membranes is expected to continue to grow during the coming decades. Purification of alternative water sources will also be necessary to meet growing water demands. Purification of produced water, a byproduct of oil and gas production, is of interest due to its dual potential to provide water for beneficial use as well as to reduce wastewater disposal costs. However, current polyamide membranes are prone to fouling, which decreases water flux and shortens membrane lifetime. This research explored surface modification using poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDE) to improve the fouling resistance of commercial polyamide membranes. Characterization of commercial polyamide membrane performance was a necessary first step before undertaking surface modification studies. Membrane performance was found to be sensitive to crossflow testing conditions. Concentration polarization and feed pH strongly influenced NaCl rejection, and the use of continuous feed filtration led to higher water flux and lower NaCl rejection than was observed for similar tests performed using unfiltered feed. Two commercial polyamide membranes, including one reverse osmosis and one nanofiltration membrane, were modified by grafting PEGDE to their surfaces. Two different PEG molecular weights (200 and 1000) and treatment concentrations (1% (w/w) and 15% (w/w)) were studied. Water flux decreased and NaCl rejection increased with PEGDE graft density ({micro}g/cm{sup 2}), although the largest changes were observed for low PEGDE graft densities. Surface properties including hydrophilicity, roughness and charge were minimally affected by surface modification. The fouling resistance of modified and unmodified membranes was compared in crossflow filtration studies using model foulant solutions consisting of either a charged surfactant or an oil in water emulsion containing n-decane and a charged surfactant. Several PEGDE-modified membranes demonstrated improved

Fouling Characterization of Forward Osmosis Biomimetic Aquaporin Membranes Used for Water Recovery from Municipal Wastewater

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zarebska, Agata; Petrinic, Irena; Hey, Tobias

, organic, and biological fouling, membrane characterization is not a trivial task. The aim of this work is to characterize fouling of FO biomimetic aquaporin membranes during water recovery from municipal wastewater. Membrane fouling was characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray Dispersive......Generally more than 99.93% of municipal wastewater is composed of water, therefore water recovery can alleviate global water stress which currently exists. Traditional ways to extract water from wastewater by the use of membrane bioreactors combined with reverse osmosis (RO), or micro...... compared to other pressure driven membrane processes, some fouling can occur. This entails that by reducing fouling, increased FO membrane performance can be expected, thus increasing the economic viability of FO processes. Since various types of fouling might occur in membrane systems such as inorganic...

Ion exchange resin fouling of molybdenum in recovery uranium processess

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Guowei; Zhao Guirong

1990-09-01

The relationship between anion exchange resin fouling and molybdic acid polymerization was studied. By using potentiometer titration and laser-Raman spectroscopy the relationship of molybdic acid polymerization and the pH value of solution or the molybdenum concentration was determined. It was shown that as the concentration of initial molybdenum in solution decreases from 0.2 mol/L to 0.5 mmol/L, the pH value of starting polymerization decreased from 6.5 to 4.5. The experimental results show that the fouling of 201 x 7 resin in the acidic solution is mainly caused by the adsorbing of Mo 3 O 26 4- ion and occupying the exchange radical site of the resin. Under the leaching conditions the molybdenum and phosphate existing in the leaching liquor can form 12-molybdo-phosphate ion. It also leads to resin fouling. The molybdenum on the fouled resin can synergically be desorbed by mixed desorbents containing ammonium hydroxide and ammonium sulfate. The desorbed resin can be used for uranium adsorption and the desorbed molybdenum can be recovered by ion exchange method

Effects of COD/N ratio on soluble microbial products in effluent from sequencing batch reactors and subsequent membrane fouling.

Science.gov (United States)

Ly, Quang Viet; Nghiem, Long D; Sibag, Mark; Maqbool, Tahir; Hur, Jin

2018-05-01

The relative ratios of chemical oxygen demand (COD) to nitrogen (N) in wastewater are known to have profound effects on the characteristics of soluble microbial products (SMP) from activated sludge. In this study, the changes in the SMP characteristics upon different COD/N ratios and the subsequent effects on ultrafiltration (UF) membrane fouling potentials were examined in sequencing batch reactors (SBR) using excitation emission matrix-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Three unique fluorescent components were identified from the SMP samples in the bioreactors operated at the COD/N ratios of 100/10 (N rich), 100/5 (N medium), and 100/2 (N deficient). The tryptophan-like component (C1) was the most depleted at the N medium condition. Fulvic-like (C2) and humic-like (C3) components were more abundant with N rich wastewater. Greater abundances of large size biopolymer (BP) and low molecular weight neutrals (LMWN) were found under the N deficient and N rich conditions, respectively. SMPs from various COD/N exhibited a greater degree on membrane fouling following the order of 100/2 > 100/10 > 100/5. C1 and C2 had close associations with reversible and irreversible fouling, respectively, while the reversible fouling potential of C3 depended on the COD/N ratios. No significant impact of COD/N ratio was observed on the relative contributions of SMP size fractions to either reversible or irreversible fouling potential. However, the COD/N ratios likely altered the BP foulants' composition with greater contribution of proteinaceous substances to reversible fouling under the N deficient condition than at other N richer conditions. The opposite trend was observed for irreversible fouling. Our results provided further insight into changes in different SMP constitutes and their membrane fouling in response to microbial activities under different COD/N ratios. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of fluid flowrate on coconut milk fouling at pasteurization temperature (70ºC - 74.5ºC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suvit Tia

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Effects of fluid flowrate on coconut milk fouling at pasteurization temperature (heating from 70ºC to 74.5ºC were investigated. A test section equipped with four flat plates forming one coconut milk channel and two hot water channels was constructed with the total heat transfer area of 0.051 m2. Three different flowrates of coconut milk (2, 4 and 6 litres per minute (LPM were studied. Monitoring of the overall heat transfer coefficient (U with time (t and the rate of increase of the fouling resistance (dRf/dt was done for all experimental runs. The results illustrated that there were two fouling periods: a fouling period and a post-fouling period, where the rate of increase of the fouling resistance of the fouling period was found to be higher than that of the post-fouling period. The effects of fluid flowrate were found to increase the fouling rate when the flowrate decreased. Published fouling models by protein solutions were unable to predict accurately the fouling rate for coconut milk. Non-linear regression models were then provided by using the experimental data to illustrate the effects of fluid flowrate on coconut milk fouling. The role of protein and fat on coconut milk fouling was explained according to microanalysis of the deposit and chemistry data of the coconut milk from previous research.

Membrane fouling mechanism transition in relation to feed water composition

KAUST Repository

Myat, Darli Theint

2014-12-01

The impact of secondary effluent wastewater from the Eastern Treatment Plant (ETP), Melbourne, Australia, before and after ion exchange (IX) treatment and polyaluminium chlorohydrate (PACl) coagulation, on hydrophobic polypropylene (PP) and hydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane fouling was studied. Laboratory fouling tests were operated over 3-5 days with regular, intermittent backwash. During the filtration with PP membranes, organic rejection data indicated that humic adsorption on hydrophobic PP membrane occurred during the first 24h of filtration and contributed to fouling for both raw wastewater and pre-treated wastewaters. However, after the first 24h of filtration the contribution of humic substances to fouling diminished and biopolymers that contribute to cake layer development became more prominent in their contribution to the fouling rate. For PVDF membranes, the per cent removal of humic substances from both raw wastewater and pre-treated wastewaters was very small as indicated by no change in UV254 from the feed to the permeate over the filtration period, even during the early stages of filtration. This suggested that the hydrophobic PP membrane adsorbed humic substances while the hydrophilic PVDF membrane did not. The highest mass of biopolymer removal by each PVDF membrane was from ETP water followed by PACl and IX treated water respectively. This was possibly due to differences in the backwashing efficiency linked to the filter cake contributed by biopolymers. Hydraulic backwashing was more effective during the later stages of filtration for the ETP water compared to IX and PACl treated waters, indicating that the filter cake contributed by ETP biopolymers was more extensively removed by hydraulic backwashing. It was proposed that humic substances may act to stabilise biopolymers in solution and that removing humics substances by coagulation or IX results in greater adhesive forces between the biopolymers and membrane/filter cake

Experimental study of particulate fouling onto heat exchanger elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandrasa

1994-01-01

An experimental study of particulate fouling onto tubular heat exchanger surfaces was carried out using sodium sulfate particles. An experimental apparatus equipped with an aerosol generator has been used to examine the deposition of small particles under controlled conditions. Two sets of experiments were performed. Firstly, the deposition against time of solid particles onto single heat exchanger tube in cross-flow was studied. The effects of a number variables such as particle size, gas velocity and temperature on the deposition was analysed. Secondly, the deposition for the aerosol particles as they passed through a bank of finned tubes was examined. The deposition patterns on various tubes depended on local conditions (velocity and temperature) within the bank. It was found that the fouling resistance increases as aerosol flow rate decreases. The smaller particles showed higher fouling resistance. (author) [fr

Fouling in a MBR system with rotating membrane discs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Mads Koustrup; Bentzen, Thomas Ruby; Christensen, Morten Lykkegaard

concentrations and a clear effluent with no bacteria present in the permeate [1]. However, the process performance is limited by membrane fouling, which results in a lower productivity and higher energy demand and hence places demands for limitation of fouling and/or cleaning of the membranes. One way to do...... uses rotating ceramic membrane discs for creation of shear, which can be changed by controlling the membrane rotation speed of the membrane. Furthermore, the influence of shear on fouling is studied at different radii from the center of rotation, by dividing membranes into different concentric rings......Membrane bioreactors (MBR) are an attractive alternative solution for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment. The MBR, which is a combination of a bioreactor for sludge degradation and a membrane for separation, has the advantages of a low footprint, ability to handle high sludge...

Cleaning protocol for a FO membrane fouled in wastewater reuse

KAUST Repository

Valladares Linares, Rodrigo; Li, Zhenyu; Yangali-Quintanilla, Victor; Li, Qingyu; Amy, Gary L.

2013-01-01

Forward osmosis (FO) is an emerging technology which can be applied in water reuse applications. Osmosis is a natural process that involves less energy consumption than reverse osmosis (RO), and therefore can be applied as a dilution process before low-pressure RO; it is expected to compete favourably against current advanced water reuse technologies that use microfiltration/ultrafiltration and RO. The focus of this research was to assess the efficiency of different cleaning procedures to remove fouling from the surface of a FO membrane during the operation of a submerged system working in FO-mode (active layer (AL) facing feed solution) intended for secondary wastewater effluent (SWWE) recovery, using seawater as draw solution (DS), which will be diluted and can further be fed to a low-pressure RO unit to produce fresh water. Natural organic matter (NOM) fouling was expected to affect the AL, while for the support layer (SL), transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) were used as indicators of fouling due to their stickiness and propensity to enhance the attachment of other foulants in seawater on the membrane surface. The composition of the NOM fouling layer was determined after proper characterisation with a liquid chromatograph coupled with organic carbon detection (LC-OCD), showing biopolymers and protein-like substances as the main constituents. NOM fouling showed high hydraulic reversibility after a 25% flux decline was observed, up to 89.5% when in situ air scouring for 15 min was used as a cleaning technique. Chemical cleaning with a mixture of Alconox, an industrial detergent containing phosphates, and sodium EDTA showed to increase the reversibility (93.6%). Osmotic backwash using a 4% NaCl solution and DI water proved to be ineffective to recover flux due to the salt diffusion phenomena occurring at the AL. Part of the flux that could not be recovered is attributable to TEP fouling on the SL, which forms clusters clearly identifiable with an optical

Cleaning protocol for a FO membrane fouled in wastewater reuse

KAUST Repository

Valladares Linares, Rodrigo

2013-05-30

Forward osmosis (FO) is an emerging technology which can be applied in water reuse applications. Osmosis is a natural process that involves less energy consumption than reverse osmosis (RO), and therefore can be applied as a dilution process before low-pressure RO; it is expected to compete favourably against current advanced water reuse technologies that use microfiltration/ultrafiltration and RO. The focus of this research was to assess the efficiency of different cleaning procedures to remove fouling from the surface of a FO membrane during the operation of a submerged system working in FO-mode (active layer (AL) facing feed solution) intended for secondary wastewater effluent (SWWE) recovery, using seawater as draw solution (DS), which will be diluted and can further be fed to a low-pressure RO unit to produce fresh water. Natural organic matter (NOM) fouling was expected to affect the AL, while for the support layer (SL), transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) were used as indicators of fouling due to their stickiness and propensity to enhance the attachment of other foulants in seawater on the membrane surface. The composition of the NOM fouling layer was determined after proper characterisation with a liquid chromatograph coupled with organic carbon detection (LC-OCD), showing biopolymers and protein-like substances as the main constituents. NOM fouling showed high hydraulic reversibility after a 25% flux decline was observed, up to 89.5% when in situ air scouring for 15 min was used as a cleaning technique. Chemical cleaning with a mixture of Alconox, an industrial detergent containing phosphates, and sodium EDTA showed to increase the reversibility (93.6%). Osmotic backwash using a 4% NaCl solution and DI water proved to be ineffective to recover flux due to the salt diffusion phenomena occurring at the AL. Part of the flux that could not be recovered is attributable to TEP fouling on the SL, which forms clusters clearly identifiable with an optical

Characterization of biofoulants illustrates different membrane fouling mechanisms for aerobic and anaerobic membrane bioreactors

KAUST Repository

Xiong, Yanghui

2015-11-17

This study compares the membrane fouling mechanisms of aerobic (AeMBR) and anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR) of the same reactor configuration at similar operating conditions. Although both the AeMBR and AnMBR achieved more than 90% COD removal efficiency, the fouling mechanisms were different. Molecular weight (MW) fingerprint profiles showed that a majority of fragments in anaerobic soluble microbial products (SMP) were retained by the membrane and some fragments were present in both SMP and in soluble extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), suggesting that the physical retention of SMP components contributed to the AnMBR membrane fouling. One of the dominant fragments was comprised of glycoliproprotein (size 630-640 kD) and correlated in abundance in AnMBR-EPS with the extent of anaerobic membrane fouling. In contrast, all detected AeMBR-SMP fragments permeated through the membrane. Aerobic SMP and soluble EPS also showed very different fingerprinting profiles. A large amount of adenosine triphosphate was present in the AeMBR-EPS, suggesting that microbial activity arising from certain bacterial populations, such as unclassified Comamonadaceae and unclassified Chitinophagaceae, may play a role in aerobic membrane fouling. This study underlines the differences in fouling mechanisms between AeMBR and AnMBR systems and can be applied to facilitate the development of appropriate fouling control strategies.

Design of shell-and-tube heat exchangers when the fouling depends on local temperature and velocity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butterworth, D. [HTFS, Hyprotech, Didcot (United Kingdom)

2002-07-01

Shell-and-tube heat exchangers are normally designed on the basis of a uniform and constant fouling resistance that is specified in advance by the exchanger user. The design process is then one of determining the best exchanger that will achieve the thermal duty within the specified pressure drop constraints. It has been shown in previous papers [Designing shell-and-tube heat exchangers with velocity-dependant fouling, 34th US national Heat Transfer Conference, 20-22 August 2000, Pittsburg, PA; Designing shell-and-tube heat exchangers with velocity-dependant fouling, 2nd Int. Conf. on Petroleum and Gas Phase Behavior and Fouling, 27-31 August 2000, Copenhagen] that this approach can be extended to the design of exchangers where the design fouling resistance depends on velocity. The current paper briefly reviews the main findings of the previous papers and goes on to treat the case where the fouling depends also on the local temperatures. The Ebert-Panchal [Analysis of Exxon crude-oil, slip-stream coking data, Engineering Foundation Conference on Fouling Mitigation of Heat Exchangers, 18-23 June 1995, California] form of fouling rate equation is used to evaluate this fouling dependence. When allowing for temperature effects, it becomes difficult to divorce the design from the way the exchanger will be operated up to the point when the design fouling is achieved. However, rational ways of separating the design from the operation are proposed. (author)

FLUX PROFILES AND MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF FOULING MECHANISM FOR ULTRAFILTRATION OF KONJAC GLUCOMANNAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

NITA ARYANTI

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This study was focused on principles and fouling analysis of konjac glucomannan (KGM separation using ultrafiltration system. Two Polyethersulfone membranes (PES having molecular weight cut-off of 10 and 20 kDa were used. It was found that membrane having larger pore size provided higher flux profiles. Evaluation of different transmembrane pressures resulted on possibility of more severe fouling at higher membrane pressure. With the increase of konjac glucomannan concentration, decrease of profile flux was observed. Further, a simple mathematical modelling of fouling mechanism was analyzed based on Hermia’s model. The images of membrane surfaces and cross-sections obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM were examined and being compared with the model. The research found that the fouling mechanisms of KGM ultrafiltration using membrane with pore size of 10 kDa was complete blocking. On the contrary, cake/gel layer formation was a fouling mechanism for ultrafiltration system with pore size of 20kDa.

An unmet challenge: consideration of heavy fouling in severe accident analyses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robert H Leyse [CEO Inz, Inc., PO BOX 2850, Sun Valley, ID 83353 (United States)

2005-07-01

Full text of publication follows: The impact of heavy fouling of fuel elements in light water cooled and moderated nuclear reactors has not been considered in the analysis of severe accidents such as Reactivity Insertion Accidents and Loss of Coolant Accidents. This is the case even though operation of nuclear power reactors with significant fouling deposits is commonplace. Fouling deposits have substantial thermal resistance. This has led to fuel element failures in several instances as the zirconium alloy cladding has failed due to high temperature corrosion. Although the details of current fouling have not been disclosed, in one case the deposits have been described as, 'unusually heavy' which induced the corrosion by thermally insulating the fuel rods' and 'rods that failed had heavy crud with clumpy formations'. Such heavy clumpy fouling is complex with substantial thermal resistance. Relatively straightforward fouling at the Experimental Boiling Water Reactor was classified in terms of the thickness and the thermal conductivity.7 Thickness of the fouling was 0.013 cm, the thermal conductivity was 0.008 W/cm-C; thus the heat transfer coefficient was 0.6 W/(cm{sup 2})(C). The peak heat flux in today's large light water reactors is in the range of 150 W/cm{sup 2} and the temperature gradient for EBWR-type fouling would be 250 C. However, the effective heat transfer coefficient of the heavy, clumpy fouling in today's reactors is likely substantially less than the EBWR case. Clearly, the heat transfer characteristics are vastly degraded in contrast to clean as-built cores. The challenge for the licensees of nuclear power reactors is to produce thorough evaluations of the impact of heavy fouling on severe accidents. The findings are needed for the accurate licensing of water-cooled nuclear reactors. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission has evaluated two related Petitions for Rulemaking that have been initiated by the

An unmet challenge: consideration of heavy fouling in severe accident analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robert H Leyse

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: The impact of heavy fouling of fuel elements in light water cooled and moderated nuclear reactors has not been considered in the analysis of severe accidents such as Reactivity Insertion Accidents and Loss of Coolant Accidents. This is the case even though operation of nuclear power reactors with significant fouling deposits is commonplace. Fouling deposits have substantial thermal resistance. This has led to fuel element failures in several instances as the zirconium alloy cladding has failed due to high temperature corrosion. Although the details of current fouling have not been disclosed, in one case the deposits have been described as, 'unusually heavy' which induced the corrosion by thermally insulating the fuel rods' and 'rods that failed had heavy crud with clumpy formations'. Such heavy clumpy fouling is complex with substantial thermal resistance. Relatively straightforward fouling at the Experimental Boiling Water Reactor was classified in terms of the thickness and the thermal conductivity.7 Thickness of the fouling was 0.013 cm, the thermal conductivity was 0.008 W/cm-C; thus the heat transfer coefficient was 0.6 W/(cm 2 )(C). The peak heat flux in today's large light water reactors is in the range of 150 W/cm 2 and the temperature gradient for EBWR-type fouling would be 250 C. However, the effective heat transfer coefficient of the heavy, clumpy fouling in today's reactors is likely substantially less than the EBWR case. Clearly, the heat transfer characteristics are vastly degraded in contrast to clean as-built cores. The challenge for the licensees of nuclear power reactors is to produce thorough evaluations of the impact of heavy fouling on severe accidents. The findings are needed for the accurate licensing of water-cooled nuclear reactors. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission has evaluated two related Petitions for Rulemaking that have been initiated by the author regarding these matters. Currently the

How do stocking density and straw provision affect fouling in conventionally housed slaughter pigs?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Mona Lilian Vestbjerg; Bertelsen, Maja; Pedersen, Lene Juul

2017-01-01

with excreta and/or urine. Only the first event of fouling for each pen was included, and thus results represent whether a pen had a fouling event or not and when it happened. Data was analysed by using a Cox regression assuming proportional hazard and with right censoring of pens that never developed fouling...

A Short Review of Membrane Fouling in Forward Osmosis Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Chun, Youngpil; Mulcahy, Dennis; Zou, Linda; Kim, In S.

2017-01-01

Interest in forward osmosis (FO) research has rapidly increased in the last decade due to problems of water and energy scarcity. FO processes have been used in many applications, including wastewater reclamation, desalination, energy production, fertigation, and food and pharmaceutical processing. However, the inherent disadvantages of FO, such as lower permeate water flux compared to pressure driven membrane processes, concentration polarisation (CP), reverse salt diffusion, the energy consumption of draw solution recovery and issues of membrane fouling have restricted its industrial applications. This paper focuses on the fouling phenomena of FO processes in different areas, including organic, inorganic and biological categories, for better understanding of this long-standing issue in membrane processes. Furthermore, membrane fouling monitoring and mitigation strategies are reviewed. PMID:28604649

Non-fouling hydrogels of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and zwitterionic carboxybetaine (meth)acrylamides

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kostina, Nina Yu.; Rodriguez-Emmenegger, Cesar; Houska, Milan; Brynda, Eduard; Michálek, Jiří

2012-01-01

Roč. 13, č. 12 (2012), s. 4164-4170 ISSN 1525-7797 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KAN200520804; GA ČR GAP205/12/1702; GA ČR GAP106/12/1451 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : zwitterionic hydrogels * non-fouling properties * carboxybetaine Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 5.371, year: 2012

Development of a test platform for anti-fouling coatings

OpenAIRE

Meskens, R.; Willemen, R.; Potters, G.; De Baere, K.; Lenaerts, S.

2017-01-01

Marine fouling, or the growth of marine organisms on fully or partly submerged structures, is an unwanted phenomenon in the marine industry. Bio fouling will increase the hydrodynamic drag of ships, causing an increased fuel consumption, promote the corrosion of the metallic structures and trigger undesired transport of invasive species (IMO and the environment 2009, 2009).The impact is economic as well as environmental. More fuel consumption is synonym for more CO2 and other detrimental emis...

Contribution of different effluent organic matter fractions to membrane fouling in ultrafiltration of treated domestic wastewater

KAUST Repository

Zheng, Xing; Croue, Jean-Philippe

2012-01-01

In the present work, effluent organic matter (EfOM) in treated domestic wastewater was separated into hydrophobic neutrals, colloids, hydrophobic acids, transphilic acids and neutrals and hydrophilic compounds. Their contribution to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was identified. Further characterization was conducted with respect to molecular size and hydrophobicity. Each isolated fraction was dosed into salt solution to identify its fouling potential in ultrafiltration (UF) using a hydrophilized polyethersulfone membrane. The results show that each kind of EfOM leads to irreversible fouling. At similar delivered DOC load to the membrane, colloids present the highest fouling effect in terms of both reversible and irreversible fouling. The hydrophobic organics show much lower reversibility than the biopolymers present. However, as they are of much smaller size than the membrane pore opening, they cannot lead to such severe fouling as biopolymers do. In all of the isolated fractions, hydrophilics show the lowest fouling potential. For either colloids or hydrophobic substances, increasing their content in feedwater leads to worse fouling. The co-effect between biopolymers and other EfOM fractions has also been identified as one of the mechanisms contributing to UF fouling in filtering EfOM-containing waters. © IWA Publishing 2012.

Contribution of different effluent organic matter fractions to membrane fouling in ultrafiltration of treated domestic wastewater

KAUST Repository

Zheng, Xing

2012-12-01

In the present work, effluent organic matter (EfOM) in treated domestic wastewater was separated into hydrophobic neutrals, colloids, hydrophobic acids, transphilic acids and neutrals and hydrophilic compounds. Their contribution to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was identified. Further characterization was conducted with respect to molecular size and hydrophobicity. Each isolated fraction was dosed into salt solution to identify its fouling potential in ultrafiltration (UF) using a hydrophilized polyethersulfone membrane. The results show that each kind of EfOM leads to irreversible fouling. At similar delivered DOC load to the membrane, colloids present the highest fouling effect in terms of both reversible and irreversible fouling. The hydrophobic organics show much lower reversibility than the biopolymers present. However, as they are of much smaller size than the membrane pore opening, they cannot lead to such severe fouling as biopolymers do. In all of the isolated fractions, hydrophilics show the lowest fouling potential. For either colloids or hydrophobic substances, increasing their content in feedwater leads to worse fouling. The co-effect between biopolymers and other EfOM fractions has also been identified as one of the mechanisms contributing to UF fouling in filtering EfOM-containing waters. © IWA Publishing 2012.

Dynamic coating of mf/uf membranes for fouling mitigation

KAUST Repository

Tabatabai, S. Assiyeh Alizadeh

2017-01-19

A membrane system including an anti-fouling layer and a method of applying an anti-fouling layer to a membrane surface are provided. In an embodiment, the surface is a microfiltration (MF) or an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane surface. The anti-fouling layer can include a stimuli responsive layer and a dynamic protective layer applied over the stimuli responsive layer that can be a coating on a surface of the membrane. The stimuli responsive polymer layer can act as an adhesive prior to coating with the dynamic protective layer to aid in adhering the dynamic protective layer to the membrane surface. The dynamic protective layer can be formed by suitable nanoparticles that can prevent adhesion of foulants directly to the membrane surface. The stimuli responsive layer can be responsive to physio- chemical stimuli to cause a release of the stimuli responsive layer and the dynamic protective layer including foulants from the membrane.

Modeling and field studies of fouling in once-through steam generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, R.; Gaudreau, T.

1995-01-01

Efforts of the past 10 years to minimize fouling of the Crystal River-3 once-through steam generators are reviewed. The major focus has been on improving at-temperature pH control in the secondary cycle. Various concentrations of different pH control agents were tested in the field for hundreds of days to determine their effect on steam generator fouling. High concentrations of morpholine (50--100 ppm) in the feedwater were found to apparently produce de-fouling of the steam generators without an associated decrease in feedwater iron concentration as compared to that at lower levels of morpholine. Computer modeling of the pH(t) within the OTSG for the various chemistries tested indicates that the pH can change significantly with elevation within the steam generator by varying the pH control agent or its concentration. It is postulated that these variations in pH may change the surface charge of the tubes, tube support plates, and/or corrosion product particles in solution, to favor either deposition or repulsion of the particles, and thereby producing conditions that either favor fouling or de-fouling of the OTSG. Crystal River-3 experience indicates that corrosion product deposition and release processes inside the steam generator can be chemically manipulated to favor release, and thereby maximize plant performance, and delay or avoid costly hydraulic or chemical cleanings

CHEMICAL CLEANING OF NANOFILTRATION MEMBRANES FOULED BY ORGANIC MATTERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CHARLENE C. H. KOO

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Membrane fouling is a term to describe non-integral substance on membrane surface which results in rapid decline of permeation flux and deteriorate the performance of membrane. Chemical cleaning agents especially like alkaline cleaners are most widely employed to restore the membrane performance. This research mainly investigated the potential use of sodium hydroxide (NaOH and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl as the chemical cleaning agents to restore the permeate flux of organically fouled nanofiltration (NF membranes under varying applied pressure and flow condition. The performances of the cleaning protocols were quantified using flux recovery and resistance removal. The results demonstrated that NaOCl is more effective than NaOH. This observation is also in line with FTIR analysis in which the transmittance intensity showed by FTIR spectra of NaOCl is higher than that of NaOH. The results also reported that higher flux recovery and resistance removal were achieved when the fouled NF membranes were cleaned with higher concentration of chemical agents and applied pressure. However, the improvements of flux recovery and resistance removal by increasing the applied pressure were found insignificant at higher applied pressure range (16 to 18 bar than the lower applied pressure range (i.e. 12 to 14 bar. This research plays an important role by identifying the key parameters that could restore the flux of organically fouled NF membranes significantly.

Detection and location of fouling on photovoltaic panels using a drone-mounted infrared thermography system

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Peng; Zhang, Lifu; Wu, Taixia; Zhang, Hongming; Sun, Xuejian

2017-01-01

Due to weathering and external forces, solar panels are subject to fouling and defects after a certain amount of time in service. These fouling and defects have direct adverse consequences such as low-power efficiency. Because solar power plants usually have large-scale photovoltaic (PV) panels, fast detection and location of fouling and defects across large PV areas are imperative. A drone-mounted infrared thermography system was designed and developed, and its ability to detect rapid fouling on large-scale PV panel systems was investigated. The infrared images were preprocessed using the K neighbor mean filter, and the single PV module on each image was recognized and extracted. Combining the local and global detection method, suspicious sites were located precisely. The results showed the flexible drone-mounted infrared thermography system to have a strong ability to detect the presence and determine the position of PV fouling. Drone-mounted infrared thermography also has good technical feasibility and practical value in the detection of PV fouling detection.

Understanding ozone mechanisms to alleviate ceramic membrane fouling

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Irma Giovanna Llamosas

Ceramic membranes are a strong prospect as an advanced treatment in the drinking water domain. But their high capital cost and the lack of specific research on their performance still discourage their application in this field. Thus, knowing that fouling is the main drawback experienced in filtration processes, this bench-scale study was aimed to assess the impact of an ozonation pre-treatment on the alleviation of the fouling of UF ceramic membranes. Preozonation and filtration steps were performed under two different pH and ozone doses. Chosen pH values were at the limits of natural surface waters range (6.5 and 8.5) to keep practicability. Raw water from the Thousand Isle's river at Quebec-Canada was used for the tests. The filtration setup involved an unstirred dead-end filtration cell operated at constant flux. Results showed that pre-oxidation by ozone indeed reduced the fouling degree of the membranes according to the dose applied (up to 60 and 85% for membranes 8 and 50 kDa, respectively). Direct NOM oxidation was found responsible for this effect as the presence of molecular ozone was not essential to achieve these results. In the context of this experiment, however, pH showed to be more effective than the ozonation pre-treatment to keep fouling at low levels: 70% lower at pH 6.5 than at pH 8.5 for un-ozonated waters, which was contrary to most of the literature found on the topic (Changwon, 2013; De Angelis & Fidalgo, 2013; Karnik et al., 2005; S. Lee & Kim, 2014). This behaviour results mainly from the operation mode used in the experiment, the electrical repulsions between MON molecules at basic pH that led to the accumulation of material on the feed side of the membranes (concentration polarisation) and ulterior cake formation. In addition, solution pH showed an influence in the definition of fouling mechanisms. At solution pH 6.5, which was precisely the isoelectric point of the membranes (+/-6.5), the blocking fouling mode was frequently detected

Mathematical models of membrane fouling in cross-flow micro-filtration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mónica Jimena Ortíz Jerez

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The greatest difficulty arising during cross-flow micro-filtration is the formation of a cake layer on the membrane sur-face (also called fouling, thereby affecting system performance. Fouling has been related to permeate flux decay re-sulting from changes in operating variables. Many articles have been published in an attempt to explain this phe-nomenon but it has not yet been fully understood because it depends on specific solution/membrane interactions and differing parameters. This work was aimed at presenting an analytical review of recently published mathematical models to explain fouling. Although the reviewed models can be adjusted to any type of application, a simple “con-centration polarisation” model is advisable in the particular case of tropical fruit juices for describing the insoluble solids being deposited on membrane surface.

Searching for storm water inflows in foul sewers using fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Schilperoort, Rémy; Hoppe, Holger; de Haan, Cornelis; Langeveld, Jeroen

2013-01-01

A major drawback of separate sewer systems is the occurrence of illicit connections: unintended sewer cross-connections that connect foul water outlets from residential or industrial premises to the storm water system and/or storm water outlets to the foul sewer system. The amount of unwanted storm water in foul sewer systems can be significant, resulting in a number of detrimental effects on the performance of the wastewater system. Efficient removal of storm water inflows into foul sewers requires knowledge of the exact locations of the inflows. This paper presents the use of distributed temperature sensing (DTS) monitoring data to localize illicit storm water inflows into foul sewer systems. Data results from two monitoring campaigns in foul sewer systems in the Netherlands and Germany are presented. For both areas a number of storm water inflow locations can be derived from the data. Storm water inflow can only be detected as long as the temperature of this inflow differs from the in-sewer temperatures prior to the event. Also, the in-sewer propagation of storm and wastewater can be monitored, enabling a detailed view on advection.

Effect of Biological Contact Filters (BCFs on Membrane Fouling in Drinking Water Treatment Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susumu Hasegawa

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Membrane fouling is a serious problem in drinking water treatment systems. Biological contact filters (BCFs are often used as a pretreatment to remove ammonia, dissolved organic matter (DOM, and metal ions such as iron and manganese. In this study, the effect of BCF as a pretreatment for membrane fouling was evaluated using a laboratory-scale mini module consisting of a mini BCF column and a mini MF column. Initially, it was confirmed that the main foulant was a biopolymer (at low concentration in the raw water. Subsequently, the biopolymer concentrations in the BCF influent and effluent were measured with the excitation emission matrix (EEM fluorescence spectroscopy and the liquid chromatograph organic carbon detector (LC-OCD. The fouling potential of the BCF influent and effluent was also measured to evaluate MF membrane fouling rate. The results demonstrate that application of the BCF reduced the biopolymer concentration of the effluent and reduced membrane fouling. The effect of BCF was also established in an actual drinking water treatment plant. It was found that optimizing the contact time of raw water with the BCF was crucial to reduce membrane fouling.

Physical–chemical properties, separation performance, and fouling resistance of mixed-matrix ultrafiltration membranes

KAUST Repository

Hoek, Eric M.V.; Ghosh, Asim K.; Huang, Xiaofei; Liong, Monty; Zink, Jeffrey I.

2011-01-01

Herein we report on the formation and characterization of mixed-matrix ultrafiltration (UF) membranes hand-cast by nonsolvent induced phase inversion. We evaluated nanometer-to-micrometer sized inorganic fillers (silver, copper, silica, zeolite, and silver-zeolite) materials with polysulfone (PSf) as the polymeric dispersing matrix. In general, mixed-matrix membranes were rougher, more hydrophilic, and more mechanically robust. Only sub-micron zeolite-PSf mixed-matrix membranes exhibited simultaneous improvements in water permeability and solute selectivity; all other mixed-matrix membranes were more permeable, but less selective due to defects associated with poor polymer-filler binding. Protein and bacterial fouling resistance of mixed-matrix membranes containing silver, zeolite, and silver-zeolite nanoparticles were compared to a low-fouling, poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) UF membrane. Zeolite and silver containing membranes exhibited better protein fouling resistance (due to higher hydrophilicity), whereas silver and silver-zeolite based membranes produce better bacterial fouling resistance due to antimicrobial properties. Overall, zeolite-PSf and silver exchanged zeolite-PSf membranes offered the best combination of improved permeability, selectivity, and fouling resistance - superior to the commercial PAN membrane. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Physical–chemical properties, separation performance, and fouling resistance of mixed-matrix ultrafiltration membranes

KAUST Repository

Hoek, Eric M.V.

2011-12-01

Herein we report on the formation and characterization of mixed-matrix ultrafiltration (UF) membranes hand-cast by nonsolvent induced phase inversion. We evaluated nanometer-to-micrometer sized inorganic fillers (silver, copper, silica, zeolite, and silver-zeolite) materials with polysulfone (PSf) as the polymeric dispersing matrix. In general, mixed-matrix membranes were rougher, more hydrophilic, and more mechanically robust. Only sub-micron zeolite-PSf mixed-matrix membranes exhibited simultaneous improvements in water permeability and solute selectivity; all other mixed-matrix membranes were more permeable, but less selective due to defects associated with poor polymer-filler binding. Protein and bacterial fouling resistance of mixed-matrix membranes containing silver, zeolite, and silver-zeolite nanoparticles were compared to a low-fouling, poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) UF membrane. Zeolite and silver containing membranes exhibited better protein fouling resistance (due to higher hydrophilicity), whereas silver and silver-zeolite based membranes produce better bacterial fouling resistance due to antimicrobial properties. Overall, zeolite-PSf and silver exchanged zeolite-PSf membranes offered the best combination of improved permeability, selectivity, and fouling resistance - superior to the commercial PAN membrane. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Fouling characteristics and cleaning strategies of NF membranes for the advanced treatment of antibiotic production wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianxing; Li, Kun; Yu, Dawei; Zhang, Junya; Wei, Yuansong

2017-04-01

The nanofiltration (NF) membrane fouling characteristics and cleaning strategies were investigated through a laboratory-scale NF fouling test treating membrane bioreactor (MBR) effluent and MBR-granular activated carbon (GAC) effluent of an antibiotic production wastewater by DK and NF90 membranes, respectively. Results showed that organic fouling is the main NF membrane fouling for treating both the MBR effluent and MBR-GAC effluent. Soluble microbial by-product (SMP)-like and aromatic protein-like substances were the dominant components in the foulants, whereas humic-like substances had little contribution to the NF fouling. The fouling of DK was more severe than that of NF90. However, foulants respond by UV 254 were more easily to foul NF90 membrane. It could get satisfactory effect using combined cleaning of acid (HCl, pH 2.0∼2.5) and alkali (NaOH + 0.3 wt% NaDS, pH 10.0∼10.5). The favorable cleaning strategy is "acid + alkali" for treating MBR-GAC effluent, while it is "alkali + acid" for treating MBR effluent.

Violence in youth sports: hazing, brawling and foul play.

Science.gov (United States)

Fields, S K; Collins, C L; Comstock, R D

2010-01-01

By separating hazing, brawling, and foul play and failing to recognise that their connection to sport binds them together into a cohesive subset of sport injury and youth violence, past research has failed to show how sports-related violence is a broad example of interpersonal violence. The acceptance of violence within the sporting culture may, in part, explain why sports-related violence has not yet been widely recognised as a public health concern. This review shows that sports-related violence, including hazing, brawling and foul play, occurs among youth athletes of all ages and in a variety of different sports. The few studies to address this issue have all acknowledged the dangers of sports-related violence; however, no incident tracking method has been developed. Future research must provide accurate national estimates of the incidence of sports-related violence among youth, identify associated risk factors, evaluate preventive interventions and identify effective methods of distributing and implementing evidence-based interventions. Monitoring the magnitude and distribution of the burden of sports-related violence and building the scientific infrastructure necessary to support the development and widespread application of effective sports-related prevention interventions are essential first steps toward a reduction in the incidence of sports-related violence.

Studies on fouling diatoms from the Zuari Estuary, Goa (west coast of India)

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Redekar, P.D.; Wagh, A.B.

from offshore waters of Bombay High area using aluminium panels and recorded 58 species of fouling diatoms Of these Navicula Coscinodiscus Rhizosolenia and Chaetoceros were found to be common The dominance of Centrales over Pennales in water column... on fouling diatoms from the Zuari estuary, Goa (West coast of India) 119 Pangu (1993) used mild steel, aluminium, fiberglass and glass test panels and the immersion period of panels was long (1 month to 11 months) The fouling diatoms from Waghotana...

INVESTIGATION OF FOULING DEPOSIT FORMATION DURING PASTEURIZATION OF CHILI SAUCE BY USING LAB-SCALE CONCENTRIC TUBE-PASTEURIZER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

NUR ATIKA ALI

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the characteristics of fouling deposits obtained from chilli sauce pasteurization. A lab-scale concentric tube-pasteurizer was used to pasteurize the chilli sauce at 0.712 kg/min and 90±5°C. It was operated for 3 hours. Temperature changes were recorded during pasteurization and the data was used to plot the heat transfer profile and the fouling resistance profile. The thickness of the fouling deposit was also measured and the image was taken for every hour. The fouling deposit was collected at every hour to test its stickiness, hardness and flow behaviour. Proximate analysis was also performed and it shows that the fouling deposit from the chilli sauce is categorized as carbohydrate-based fouling deposits. Activation energy of chilli sauce is 7049.4 J.mole-1 which shows a greater effect of temperature on the viscosity. The hardness, stickiness of fouling deposit and the heat resistance increases as the chilli sauce continuously flows inside the heat exchanger.

Influence of Microalgae onto submerged surfaces on Fouling

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, M.; Eom, C.; Yoon, B.; Yoon, H.; Kim, B.; Chung, K.

2012-12-01

Lots of algae together with organic matter deposited on the submerged surface can be easily observed occurring in the shallower water along the coast. This is mainly because only those organisms with the ability to adapt to the new situations created by man can firmly adhere enough to avoid being washed off. Chemical and microbiological characteristics of the fouling microalgae developed on various surfaces in contact with the seawater were made. The microbial compositions of the microalgae formed on the submerged surfaces were tested for. The quantities of the diverse microalgae in the samples developed on the prohibiting submerged surface were larger when there was no concern about materials for special selection for fouling. To confirm formation of microalgae on adsorbents was done SEM-EDS (Scanning Electron Microscope-Spectrometer) analysis. Microbial identified using optical microscope. In addition to, we quantified attaching microalgae as pass time. Experiment results, ten species which are Nitzshhia sp., Eucampia sp., Coscinodiscus sp., Licmophora sp., Rhizosolenia sp., Cylindrotheca sp., Striateela sp., Thalassionema sp., Guinardia sp., and Helicostomella sp. discovered to reservoir formed biofouling. They showed the important role microbial activity in fouling and corrosion of the surfaces in contact with the any seawater.

Application of Nano PAC on Mitigating Membrane Fouling by Surface Properties Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mi Hairong

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Membrane material has been widely accepted owing to the ability in water treatment, but the membrane fouling problem in using process is seriously restricted the promotion of membrane technology. So in this research nano PAC flocculant is added into the raw water to reach the goals of strengthening treatment efficiency and mitigating membrane fouling. According to the TMP change, it results that the PAC dosage of 45mg/L can realize the purpose to mitigate membrane fouling best. Compared with MBR, the MCBR is 16 days tardiness at the change of TMP, 1/3 gel layer filtration resistance less and 3.5% C element content fewer. The sum of C, O and N elements content, in addition, in the gel layer pollutants is more than 95%. That means membrane pollution is mainly caused by organic matter and nano PAC has the effect on surface properties optimization and membrane fouling mitigating.

Impact of fouling on UV effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dykstra, T.S.; Chauret, C.

2002-01-01

In recent years ultraviolet light has gained in popularity as an attractive disinfection alternative due to its ability to inactivate bacteria and viruses. UV light has the potential to inactivate Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia with a very low potential for the formation of harmful disinfection by-products. Previous studies have reported that particulate material present in the water can act to reduce the exposure of UV light to the receiving waters and that the interference of organic particles can serve to protect bacteria and viruses from intended disinfection. Disinfection capacity can also be reduced by organics in the source water that can accumulate on the surface of quartz sleeves. The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of a medium pressure UV light, at drinking water treatment levels, to inactivate MS 2 bacteriophage after a quartz tube has been fouled with organic rich source water for a 12- week period. To this end the inactivation of MS 2 was determined under clean and fouled conditions, in the presence and absence of humic rich water. The effect of lamp age on inactivation was also investigated. The results suggest that organic fouling of a quartz tube has a significant impact on the disinfection capacity of a medium pressure UV lamp. The presence of organics in the source water also plays a significant role in reducing the capacity of UV for bacterial and viral disinfection. Lamp age also seems to have some effect on the efficiency of UV disinfection. (author)

FOULING ORGANISMS OF BUOYS WITHIN MAKHACHKALA SEAPORT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. N. Imachova

2011-01-01

Full Text Available It is investigated biofouling buoys within Makhachkala seaport. Seasonal dynamics of development of community, structure species and trophic structure is revealed. It is established vertical zonality in distribution of fouling.

Fouling of roughened stainless steel surfaces during convective heat transfer to aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herz, A.; Malayeri, M.R.; Mueller-Steinhagen, H.

2008-01-01

The deterioration of heat transfer performance due to fouling is the prime cause for higher energy consumption and inefficiency in many industrial heat exchangers such as those in power plants, refineries, food and dairy industries. Fouling is also a very complex process in which many geometrical, physical and operating parameters are involved with poorly understood interaction. Among them, the surface roughness is an important surface characteristic that would greatly influence crystallisation fouling mechanisms and hence deposition morphology and stickability to the surface. In this work, the effect of the surface roughness of AISI 304 BA stainless steel surfaces on fouling of an aqueous solution with inverse solubility behaviour has been investigated under convective heat transfer. Several experiments have been performed on roughened surfaces ranging from 0.18 to 1.55 μm for different bulk concentrations and heat fluxes. The EDTA titration method was used to measure the concentration of the calcium sulphate salt in order to maintain it at constant value during each fouling run. Experimental results show that the heat transfer coefficient of very rough surfaces (1.55 μm) decreases more rapidly than that of 0.54 μm. Several facts contribute to this behaviour notably (1) increased of primary heterogeneous nucleation rate on the surfaces; (2) reduction of local shear stress in the valleys and (3) reduced removal rate of the crystals from the surfaces where the roughness elements protrude out of the viscous sub-layer. The results also show linear and proportional variation of the fouling rate and heat flux within the range of operating conditions. In addition, the deposition process in terms of fouling rate could only be affected at lower surface contact angles. Such results would particularly be of interest for new surface treatment technologies which aim at altering the surface texture

Field study of the long-term release of block copolymers from fouling-release coatings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Noguer, Albert Camós; Olsen, A.; Hvilsted, Søren

2017-01-01

The addition of block copolymers (i.e. oils) is a common technique to enhance the biofouling-resistance properties of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based fouling-release coatings. These copolymers diffuse from the bulk to the surface of the coating, thus modifying the properties of the surface an...... fouling-release coatings. Finally, the potential of long-term field-studies is discussed, as compared to short-term laboratory experiments usually performed within fouling-release coatings studies....

Fouling development in direct contact membrane distillation: Non-invasive monitoring and destructive analysis

KAUST Repository

Fortunato, Luca

2017-12-26

Fouling development in direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) for seawater desalination was evaluated combining in-situ monitoring performed using optical coherence tomography (OCT) together with destructive techniques. The non-invasive monitoring with OCT provided a better understanding of the fouling mechanism by giving an appropriate sampling timing for the membrane autopsy. The on-line monitoring system allowed linking the flux trend with the structure of fouling deposited on the membrane surface. The water vapor flux trend was divided in three phases based on the deposition and formation of different foulants over time. The initial flux decline was due to the deposition of a 50–70 nm porous fouling layer consisting of a mixture of organic compounds and salts. Liquid chromatography with organic carbon detection (LC-OCD) analysis revealed the abundance of biopolymer in the fouling layer formed at the initial phase. In the second phase, formation of carbonate crystals on the membrane surface was observed but did not affect the flux significantly. In the last phase, the water vapor flux dropped to almost zero due to the deposition of a dense thick layer of sulfate crystals on the membrane surface.

Slagging and fouling evaluation of PC-fired boilers using AshPro{sup SM}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Zhanhua; Iman, Felicia; Lu, Pisi [SmartBurn, LLC, Madison, WI (United States)

2013-07-01

SmartBurn {sup registered} applied AshPro{sup SM} model to two 512 MW Tangential-fired (T-fired) boilers firing US western sub- bituminous coals to evaluate the boiler slagging behaviors with different operating conditions and OFA. The boiler convective pass fouling behaviors with three different coals were also evaluated. The slagging evaluation results indicate that the OFA configuration and air flow distribution have dramatically impacts on the ash impaction rates and slagging patterns on the furnace walls. Deposit growth and strength vary at the different regions of the furnace walls. The fouling evaluation reveals that the tube bank configuration, the amount of incoming ash, the profiles of flue gas temperature, velocity, and species all have significant impacts on fouling deposit formation, growth, and strength development. In addition, the varying ash particle sizes and chemical compositions from different coals also play important roles on the fouling deposit strength development and removal. The investigation demonstrated that AshPro{sup SM} model can be used to evaluate localized slagging and fouling problems that are related to specific boiler configuration and operating conditions. It can be used to identify the major causes of ash deposition and can guide changes in boiler operation.

The problem of fouling in submerged membrane bioreactors - Model validation and experimental evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Tsibranska, Irene; Vlaev, Serafim; Tylkowski, Bartosz

2018-01-01

Integrating biological treatment with membrane separation has found a broad area of applications and industrial attention. Submerged membrane bioreactors (SMBRs), based on membrane modules immersed in the bioreactor, or side stream ones connected in recycle have been employed in different biotechnological processes for separation of thermally unstable products. Fouling is one of the most important challenges in the integrated SMBRs. A number of works are devoted to fouling analysis and its treatment, especially exploring the opportunity for enhanced fouling control in SMBRs. The main goal of the review is to provide a comprehensive yet concise overview of modeling the fouling in SMBRs in view of the problematics of model validation, either by real system measurements at different scales or by analysis of the obtained theoretical results. The review is focused on the current state of research applying computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling techniques.

Characterization of a non-fouling ultrafiltration membrane

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wei, J.; Helm, G.S.; Corner-Walker, N.

2006-01-01

This report describes the properties of surface-modified poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes. These membranes were created by coating hydrophilic polymers on the support PVDF membrane to reduce the tendency to protein fouling. The modified membranes with different molecular weight cut......-off (MWCO) were characterized by filtration studies using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and an enzyme solution as test media, and the membranes exhibited the non-fouling property. The surface chemistry of the unmodified and modified PVDF membranes was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS......) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS). These surface sensitive techniques were used to confirm the successful surface modification. ToF-SIMS imaging visualizes the distribution of the coating layer on the PVDF membrane. Furthermore, the amount of protein adsorption onto the membrane...

Fouling behaviors of polybenzimidazole (PBI)-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) hollow fiber membranes for engineering osmosis processes

KAUST Repository

Chen, Sicong; Fu, Xiuzhu; Chung, Neal Tai-Shung

2014-01-01

This paper investigated the individual effects of reverse salt flux and permeate flux on fouling behaviors of as-spun and annealed polybenzimidazole (PBI)-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) hollow fiber membranes under forward osmosis (FO) and pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) processes. Two types of membrane fouling had been studied; namely, inorganic fouling (CaSO4·2H2O gypsum scaling) during FO operations and organic fouling (sodium alginate fouling) during PRO operations. It is found that gypsum scaling on the membrane surface may be inhibited and even eliminated with an increase in reverse MgCl2 flux due to competitive formations of MgSO4° and CaSO4·2H2O. In contrast, the increase of reverse NaCl flux exhibits a slight enhancement on alginate fouling in both FO and PRO processes. Comparing to the reverse salt flux, the permeate flux always plays a dominant role in fouling. Therefore, lesser fouling has been observed on the membrane surface under the pressurized PRO process than FO process because the reduced initial flux mitigates the fouling phenomena more significantly than the enhancement caused by an increase in reverse NaCl flux. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Fouling behaviors of polybenzimidazole (PBI)-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) hollow fiber membranes for engineering osmosis processes

KAUST Repository

Chen, Sicong

2014-02-01

This paper investigated the individual effects of reverse salt flux and permeate flux on fouling behaviors of as-spun and annealed polybenzimidazole (PBI)-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) hollow fiber membranes under forward osmosis (FO) and pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) processes. Two types of membrane fouling had been studied; namely, inorganic fouling (CaSO4·2H2O gypsum scaling) during FO operations and organic fouling (sodium alginate fouling) during PRO operations. It is found that gypsum scaling on the membrane surface may be inhibited and even eliminated with an increase in reverse MgCl2 flux due to competitive formations of MgSO4° and CaSO4·2H2O. In contrast, the increase of reverse NaCl flux exhibits a slight enhancement on alginate fouling in both FO and PRO processes. Comparing to the reverse salt flux, the permeate flux always plays a dominant role in fouling. Therefore, lesser fouling has been observed on the membrane surface under the pressurized PRO process than FO process because the reduced initial flux mitigates the fouling phenomena more significantly than the enhancement caused by an increase in reverse NaCl flux. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

How different is the composition of the fouling layer of wastewater reuse and seawater desalination RO membranes?

KAUST Repository

Khan, Muhammad; Busch, Markus; Molina, Veró nica Garcí a; Emwas, Abdul-Hamid M.; Aubry, Cyril; Croue, Jean-Philippe

2014-01-01

To study the effect of water quality and operating parameters on membrane fouling, a comparative analysis of wastewater (WW) and seawater (SW) fouled reverse osmosis (RO) membranes was conducted. Membranes were harvested from SWRO and WWRO pilot plants located in Vilaseca (East Spain), both using ultrafiltration as pretreatment. The SWRO unit was fed with Mediterranean seawater and the WWRO unit was operated using secondary effluent collected from the municipal wastewater treatment plant. Lead and terminal SWRO and WWRO modules were autopsied after five months and three months of operation, respectively. Ultrastructural, chemical, and microbiological analyses of the fouling layers were performed. Results showed that the WWRO train had mainly bio/organic fouling at the lead position element and inorganic fouling at terminal position element, whereas SWRO train had bio/organic fouling at both end position elements. In the case of WWRO membranes, Betaproteobacteria was the major colonizing species; while Ca, S, and P were the major present inorganic elements. The microbial population of SWRO membranes was mainly represented by Alpha and Gammaproteobacteria. Ca, Fe, and S were the main identified inorganic elements of the fouling layer of SWRO membranes. These results confirmed that the RO fouling layer composition is strongly impacted by the source water quality. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

How different is the composition of the fouling layer of wastewater reuse and seawater desalination RO membranes?

KAUST Repository

Khan, Muhammad

2014-08-01

To study the effect of water quality and operating parameters on membrane fouling, a comparative analysis of wastewater (WW) and seawater (SW) fouled reverse osmosis (RO) membranes was conducted. Membranes were harvested from SWRO and WWRO pilot plants located in Vilaseca (East Spain), both using ultrafiltration as pretreatment. The SWRO unit was fed with Mediterranean seawater and the WWRO unit was operated using secondary effluent collected from the municipal wastewater treatment plant. Lead and terminal SWRO and WWRO modules were autopsied after five months and three months of operation, respectively. Ultrastructural, chemical, and microbiological analyses of the fouling layers were performed. Results showed that the WWRO train had mainly bio/organic fouling at the lead position element and inorganic fouling at terminal position element, whereas SWRO train had bio/organic fouling at both end position elements. In the case of WWRO membranes, Betaproteobacteria was the major colonizing species; while Ca, S, and P were the major present inorganic elements. The microbial population of SWRO membranes was mainly represented by Alpha and Gammaproteobacteria. Ca, Fe, and S were the main identified inorganic elements of the fouling layer of SWRO membranes. These results confirmed that the RO fouling layer composition is strongly impacted by the source water quality. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Rejection of micropollutants by clean and fouled forward osmosis membrane

KAUST Repository

Valladares Linares, Rodrigo

2011-12-01

As forward osmosis (FO) gains attention as an efficient technology to improve wastewater reclamation processes, it is fundamental to determine the influence of fouling in the rejection of emerging contaminants (micropollutants). This study focuses on the rejection of 13 selected micropollutants, spiked in a secondary wastewater effluent, by a FO membrane, using Red Sea water as draw solution (DS), differentiating the effects on the rejection caused by a clean and fouled membrane. The resulting effluent was then desalinated at low pressure with a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane, to produce a high quality permeate and determine the rejection with a coupled forward osmosis - low pressure reverse osmosis (FO-LPRO) system. When considering only FO with a clean membrane, the rejection of the hydrophilic neutral compounds was between 48.6% and 84.7%, for the hydrophobic neutrals the rejection ranged from 40.0% to 87.5%, and for the ionic compounds the rejections were between 92.9% and 96.5%. With a fouled membrane, the rejections were between 44.6% and 95.2%, 48.7%-91.5% and 96.9%-98.6%, respectively. These results suggest that, except for the hydrophilic neutral compounds, the rejection of the micropollutants is increased by the presence of a fouling layer, possibly due to the higher hydrophilicity of the FO fouled membrane compared to the clean one, the increased adsorption capacity of hydrophilic compounds and reduced mass transport capacity, membrane swelling, and the higher negative charge of the membrane surface, related to the foulants composition, mainly NOM acids (carboxylic radicals) and polysaccharides or polysaccharide-like substances. However, when coupled with RO, the rejections in both cases increased above 96%. The coupled FO-LPRO system was an effective double barrier against the selected micropollutants. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Rejection of micropollutants by clean and fouled forward osmosis membrane

KAUST Repository

Valladares Linares, Rodrigo; Yangali-Quintanilla, Victor; Li, Zhenyu; Amy, Gary L.

2011-01-01

As forward osmosis (FO) gains attention as an efficient technology to improve wastewater reclamation processes, it is fundamental to determine the influence of fouling in the rejection of emerging contaminants (micropollutants). This study focuses on the rejection of 13 selected micropollutants, spiked in a secondary wastewater effluent, by a FO membrane, using Red Sea water as draw solution (DS), differentiating the effects on the rejection caused by a clean and fouled membrane. The resulting effluent was then desalinated at low pressure with a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane, to produce a high quality permeate and determine the rejection with a coupled forward osmosis - low pressure reverse osmosis (FO-LPRO) system. When considering only FO with a clean membrane, the rejection of the hydrophilic neutral compounds was between 48.6% and 84.7%, for the hydrophobic neutrals the rejection ranged from 40.0% to 87.5%, and for the ionic compounds the rejections were between 92.9% and 96.5%. With a fouled membrane, the rejections were between 44.6% and 95.2%, 48.7%-91.5% and 96.9%-98.6%, respectively. These results suggest that, except for the hydrophilic neutral compounds, the rejection of the micropollutants is increased by the presence of a fouling layer, possibly due to the higher hydrophilicity of the FO fouled membrane compared to the clean one, the increased adsorption capacity of hydrophilic compounds and reduced mass transport capacity, membrane swelling, and the higher negative charge of the membrane surface, related to the foulants composition, mainly NOM acids (carboxylic radicals) and polysaccharides or polysaccharide-like substances. However, when coupled with RO, the rejections in both cases increased above 96%. The coupled FO-LPRO system was an effective double barrier against the selected micropollutants. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Workshop on an Assessment of Gas-Side Fouling in Fossil Fuel Exhaust Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Marner, W. J. (Editor); Webb, R. L. (Editor)

1982-01-01

The state of the art of gas side fouling in fossil fuel exhaust environments was assessed. Heat recovery applications were emphasized. The deleterious effects of gas side fouling including increased energy consumption, increased material losses, and loss of production were identified.

Fouling behavior of silica nanoparticle-surfactant mixtures during constant flux dead-end ultrafiltration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Trzaskus, Krzystof; Lee, Sooi Li; de Vos, Wiebe Matthijs; Kemperman, Antonius J.B.; Nijmeijer, Kitty

2017-01-01

The increasing use of engineered nanoparticles in customer products results in their accumulation in water sources. In this experimental study, we investigated the role of surfactant type (cationic, anionic and non-ionic) and concentration on fouling development, nanoparticle rejection and fouling

In-situ non-invasive device for early detection of fouling in aquatic systems

KAUST Repository

Fortunato, Luca; Leiknes, TorOve

2017-01-01

depth profile of the fouling. Data concerning the depth profile can be extracted and used to assess the fouling on the surface, in one or more aspects, the method can include providing an optical tomography spectrometer; optically positioning the optical

Fouling reduction by ozone-enhanced backwashing process in ultrafiltration of petroleum-based oil in water emulsion

Science.gov (United States)

Aryanti, Nita; Prihatiningtyas, Indah; Kusworo, Tutuk Djoko

2017-06-01

Ultrafiltration membrane has been successfully applied for oily waste water treatment. However, one significant drawback of membrane technology is fouling which is responsible for permeate flux decline as well as reducing membrane performance. One method commonly used to reduce fouling is a backwashing process. The backwashing is carried out by a push of reversed flow from permeate side to the feed side of a membrane to remove fouling on the membrane pore and release fouling release fouling layer on the external side. However, for adsorptive fouling, the backwashing process was not effective. On the other hand, Ozone demonstrated great performance for reducing organics fouling. Hence this research was focused on backwashing process with ozone for removing fouling due to ultrafiltration of petroleum based oil emulsion. Gasoline and diesel oil were selected as dispersed phase, while as continuous phase was water added with Tween 80 as a surfactant. This research found that the Ozone backwashing was effective to improve flux recovery. In ultrafiltration of gasoline emulsion, the flux recovery after Ozone backwashing was in the range of 42-74%. For ultrafiltration of diesel oil emulsion, the permeate flux recovery was about 35-84%. In addition, foulant deposition was proposed and predicting that foulant deposition for ultrafiltration of gasoline-in-water emulsion was surfactant as the top layer and the oil was underneath the surfactant. On the other hand, for ultrafiltration of diesel oil-in-water emulsion, the oil was predicted as a top layer above the surfactant foulant.

Liquid infused porous surfaces for mineral fouling mitigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Charpentier, Thibaut V J; Neville, Anne; Baudin, Sophie; Smith, Margaret J; Euvrard, Myriam; Bell, Ashley; Wang, Chun; Barker, Richard

2015-04-15

Prevention of mineral fouling, known as scale, is a long-standing problem in a wide variety of industrial applications, such as oil production, water treatment, and many others. The build-up of inorganic scale such as calcium carbonate on surfaces and facilities is undesirable as it can result in safety risks and associated flow assurance issues. To date the overwhelming amount of research has mainly focused on chemical inhibition of scale bulk precipitation and little attention has been paid to deposition onto surfaces. The development of novel more environmentally-friendly strategies to control mineral fouling will most probably necessitate a multifunctional approach including surface engineering. In this study, we demonstrate that liquid infused porous surfaces provide an appealing strategy for surface modification to reduce mineral scale deposition. Microporous polypyrrole (PPy) coatings were fabricated onto stainless steel substrates by electrodeposition in potentiostatic mode. Subsequent infusion of low surface energy lubricants (fluorinated oil Fluorinert FC-70 and ionic liquid 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BMIm)) into the porous coatings results in liquid-repellent slippery surfaces. To assess their ability to reduce surface scaling the coatings were subjected to a calcium carbonate scaling environment and the scale on the surface was quantified using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES). PPy surfaces infused with BMIm (and Fluorinert to a lesser extent) exhibit remarkable antifouling properties with the calcium carbonate deposition reduced by 18 times in comparison to untreated stainless steel. These scaling tests suggest a correlation between the stability of the liquid infused surfaces in artificial brines and fouling reduction efficiency. The current work shows the great potential of such novel coatings for the management of mineral scale fouling. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights

CEGB research on the effects of fouling of plastic packings on natural draught cooling tower performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winter, R.J.

1989-01-01

Plastic film packings were first used in CEGB natural draught cooling towers in 1985. Since then, cooling towers at seven power stations have been repacked using various commercial designs of plastic packing, with generally satisfactory results in economic terms. However, fouling of all the packings has occurred to some extent, ranging from very thin films on the surface of the sheets, which actually enhances performance, to heavy and voluminous formations which severely constrict the inter-sheet passages, causing performance loss and threatening the structural integrity of the whole fill. At CERL, methods have been developed to relate the degree of fouling to the thermal performance loss. This information is enabling accurate calculations to be made of the economics of repacking. Samples of fouled packing from operation towers are tested using the Experimental Cooling Tower at the Central Electricity Research Laboratories at Leatherhead. A systematic investigation is also underway of the changes in pressure drop and mass transfer coefficients which take place as fouling develops, using progressively-fouled packing samples from a purpose-built Packing Fouling Facility located at one of the power stations. The performance data obtained is fed-back into models by which the effect of high fouling loadings on various packings is calculated, enabling packing economic life to be predicted

Amphiphilic copolymers for fouling-release coatings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Noguer, Albert Camós; Olsen, Stefan Møller; Hvilsted, Søren

of the coatings [9,10,11]. This work shows the effect of an amphiphilic copolymer that induces hydrophilicity on the surface of the silicone-based fouling release coatings. The behaviour of these copolymers within the coating upon immersion and the interaction of these surface-active additives with other...

Role of membrane fouling substances on the rejection of N-nitrosamines by reverse osmosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujioka, Takahiro; Kodamatani, Hitoshi; Aizawa, Hidenobu; Gray, Stephen; Ishida, Kenneth P; Nghiem, Long D

2017-07-01

The impact of fouling substances on the rejection of four N-nitrosamines by a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane was evaluated by characterizing individual organic fractions in a secondary wastewater effluent and deploying a novel high-performance liquid chromatography-photochemical reaction-chemiluminescence (HPLC-PR-CL) analytical technique. The HPLC-PR-CL analytical technique allowed for a systematic examination of the correlation between the fouling level and the permeation of N-nitrosamines in the secondary wastewater effluent and synthetic wastewaters through an RO membrane. Membrane fouling caused by the secondary wastewater effluent led to a notable decrease in the permeation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) while a smaller but nevertheless discernible decrease in the permeation of N-nitrosomethylethylamine (NMEA), N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) and N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR) was also observed. Fluorescence spectrometry analysis revealed that major foulants in the secondary wastewater effluent were humic and fulvic acid-like substances. Analysis using the size exclusion chromatography technique also identified polysaccharides and proteins as additional fouling substances. Thus, further examination was conducted using solutions containing model foulants (i.e., sodium alginate, bovine serum albumin, humic acid and two fulvic acids). Similar to the secondary wastewater effluent, membrane fouling with fulvic acid solutions resulted in a decrease in N-nitrosamine permeation. In contrast, membrane fouling with the other model foulants resulted in a negligible impact on N-nitrosamine permeation. Overall, these results suggest that the impact of fouling on the permeation of N-nitrosamines by RO is governed by specific small organic fractions (e.g. fulvic acid-like organics) in the secondary wastewater effluent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flux patterns and membrane fouling propensity during desalination of seawater by forward osmosis

KAUST Repository

Li, Zhenyu; Yangali-Quintanilla, Victor; Valladares Linares, Rodrigo; Li, Qingyu; Zhan, Tong; Amy, Gary L.

2012-01-01

The membrane fouling propensity of natural seawater during forward osmosis was studied. Seawater from the Red Sea was used as the feed in a forward osmosis process while a 2. M sodium chloride solution was used as the draw solution. The process was conducted in a semi-batch mode under two crossflow velocities, 16.7. cm/s and 4.2. cm/s. For the first time reported, silica scaling was found to be the dominant inorganic fouling (scaling) on the surface of membrane active layer during seawater forward osmosis. Polymerization of dissolved silica was the major mechanism for the formation of silica scaling. After ten batches of seawater forward osmosis, the membrane surface was covered by a fouling layer of assorted polymerized silica clusters and natural organic matter, especially biopolymers. Moreover, the absorbed biopolymers also provided bacterial attachment sites. The accumulated organic fouling could be partially removed by water flushing while the polymerized silica was difficult to remove. The rate of flux decline was about 53% with a crossflow velocity of 16.7. cm/s while reaching more than 70% with a crossflow velocity of 4.2. cm/s. Both concentration polarization and fouling played roles in the decrease of flux. The salt rejection was stable at about 98% during seawater forward osmosis. In addition, an almost complete rejection of natural organic matter was attained. The results from this study are valuable for the design and development of a successful protocol for a pretreatment process before seawater forward osmosis and a cleaning method for fouled membranes. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Combined effects of coagulation and adsorption on ultrafiltration membrane fouling control and subsequent disinfection in drinking water treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Jiajian; Liang, Heng; Cheng, Xiaoxiang; Yang, Haiyan; Xu, Daliang; Gan, Zhendong; Luo, Xinsheng; Zhu, Xuewu; Li, Guibai

2018-06-02

This study investigated the combined effects of coagulation and powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption on ultrafiltration (UF) membrane fouling control and subsequent disinfection efficiency through filtration performance, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal, fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy, and disinfectant curve. The fouling behavior of UF membrane was comprehensively analyzed especially in terms of pollutant removal and fouling reversibility to understand the mechanism of fouling accumulation and disinfectant dose reduction. Pre-coagulation with or without adsorption both achieved remarkable effect of fouling mitigation and disinfection dose reduction. The two pretreatments were effective in total fouling control and pre-coagulation combined with PAC adsorption even decreased hydraulically irreversible fouling notably. Besides, pre-coagulation decreased residual disinfectant decline due to the removal of hydrophobic components of natural organic matters (NOM). Pre-coagulation combined with adsorption had a synergistic effect on further disinfectant decline rate reduction and decreased total disinfectant consumption due to additional removal of hydrophilic NOM by PAC adsorption. The disinfectant demand was further reduced after membrane. These results show that membrane fouling and disinfectant dose can be reduced in UF coupled with pretreatment, which could lead to the avoidance of excessive operation cost disinfectant dose for drinking water supply.

Characterization of soluble microbial products and their fouling impacts in membrane bioreactors

KAUST Repository

Jiang, Tao; Kennedy, Maria Dolores; Schepper, Veerle D.; Nam, Seongnam; Nopens, Ingmar; Vanrolleghem, Peter A.; Amy, Gary L.

2010-01-01

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) fouling is not only influenced by the soluble microbial products (SMP) concentration but by their characteristics. Experiments of separate producing biomass associated products (BAP) and utilization associated products (UAP) allowed the separation of BAP and UAP effects from sludge water (SW). Thus, filtration of individual SMP components and further characterization becomes possible. Unstirred cell filtration was used to study fouling mechanisms and liquid chromatography-organic carbon detection (LC-OCD) and fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) were used to characterize the foulant. Generally, the SMP exhibiting characteristics of higher molecular weight, greater hydrophilicity and a more reduced state showed a higher retention percentage. However, the higher retention does not always yield higher fouling effects. The UAP filtration showed the highest specific cake resistance and pore blocking resistance attributed to their higher percentage of low molecular weight molecules, although their retention percentage was lower than the SW and BAP filtration. The UAP produced in the cell proliferation phase appeared to have the highest fouling potential. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Characterization of soluble microbial products and their fouling impacts in membrane bioreactors

KAUST Repository

Jiang, Tao

2010-09-01

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) fouling is not only influenced by the soluble microbial products (SMP) concentration but by their characteristics. Experiments of separate producing biomass associated products (BAP) and utilization associated products (UAP) allowed the separation of BAP and UAP effects from sludge water (SW). Thus, filtration of individual SMP components and further characterization becomes possible. Unstirred cell filtration was used to study fouling mechanisms and liquid chromatography-organic carbon detection (LC-OCD) and fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) were used to characterize the foulant. Generally, the SMP exhibiting characteristics of higher molecular weight, greater hydrophilicity and a more reduced state showed a higher retention percentage. However, the higher retention does not always yield higher fouling effects. The UAP filtration showed the highest specific cake resistance and pore blocking resistance attributed to their higher percentage of low molecular weight molecules, although their retention percentage was lower than the SW and BAP filtration. The UAP produced in the cell proliferation phase appeared to have the highest fouling potential. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Costs and benefits to European shipping of ballast-water and hull-fouling treatment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fernandes, Jose A.; Santos, Lionel; Vance, Thomas; Fileman, Tim; Smith, David; Bishop, John D.D.; Viard, Frédérique; Queirós, Ana M.; Merino, Gorka; Buisman, Erik; Austen, Melanie C.

2016-01-01

Maritime transport and shipping are impacted negatively by biofouling, which can result in increased fuel consumption. Thus, costs for fouling reduction can be considered an investment to reduce fuel consumption. Anti-fouling measures also reduce the rate of introduction of non-indigenous species

Succession and physiological health of freshwater microalgal fouling in a Tasmanian hydropower canal.

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins, Kathryn J; Andrewartha, Jessica M; McMinn, Andrew; Cook, Suellen S; Hallegraeff, Gustaaf M

2010-08-01

Freshwater microalgal biofouling in hydropower canals in Tarraleah, Tasmania, is dominated by a single diatom species, Gomphonema tarraleahae. The microfouling community is under investigation with the aim of reducing its impact on electricity generation. Species succession was investigated using removable glass slides. Fouled slides were examined microscopically and for chlorophyll a biomass. Chl a biomass increased steeply after 8 weeks (0.09-0.87 mg m(-2)), but increased much earlier on slides surrounded by a biofouled inoculum. Succession began with low profile diatoms such as Tabellaria flocculosa, progressing to stalked diatoms such as Gomphonema spp. and Cymbella aspera. Few chlorophytes and no filamentous algae were present. Pulse amplitude modulated fluorometry was used to measure the physiological health of fouling on the canal wall. Maximum quantum yield (F(v)/F(m)) measurements were consistently <0.18, indicating that the fouling mat consisted of dead or dying algae. The succession and physiological health of cells in the fouling community has broad implications for mitigation techniques used.

Strategies to control zebra mussel fouling at Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwartz, D.; Kasper, J.R.; Pisani, W.

1992-01-01

The zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, is currently infesting the Great Lakes. First discovered in Lake St. Clair, it is now widespread in Lakes Erie and Ontario. The initial efforts relating to zebra mussel control at Wisconsin Public Service Corporation's (WPSC) Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) precipitated from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Generic Letter 89-13 regarding fouling of service water (SW) systems at nuclear power plants. In the summer of 1990, Stone and Webster Engineering Corporation (Stone and Webster) was contracted to perform an evaluation of known problems within the SW system. The purposes of the study were to evaluate the actual and potential magnitude of these problems, to evaluate corrective actions to resolve the problems, and to prepare recommendations which would adequately address the issues. Two of the recommendations of this study were to continue a zebra mussel monitoring program which WPSC had already implemented and to evaluate various biocide injection programs should one be required for zebra mussel control. The concern of utilities operating power stations which use waters infested with zebra mussels as their source of cooling and/or makeup water is that mussels (both adults and veligers) will enter plant water systems and foul piping and heat exchangers. This type of fouling can restrict flow through piping, process equipment, and heat exchangers. This type of fouling can restrict flow through piping, process equipment, and heat exchangers, thereby increasing head losses and reducing heat transfer capabilities. The greatest concern in that fouling of this type is within safety-related piping and equipment that are components of service water systems at nuclear power plants

Two-dimensional stochastic modeling of membrane fouling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wessling, Matthias

2001-01-01

The phenomenon of fouling of microfiltration membranes by much smaller particles such as proteins is described by a new developed simulation algorithm based on diffusion limited aggregation simulation techniques. The model specifies the membrane morphology explicitly and allows to (a) characterize

Numerical simulation of calcium sulfate (CaSO4) fouling in the plate heat exchanger

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zhiming; Zhao, Yu; Han, Zhimin; Wang, Jingtao

2018-07-01

Plate heat exchanger is a widely used apparatus in the industrial production processes. Through a numerical simulation method, this paper calculates the deposition rate of CaSO4 fouling on heat transfer surfaces of the plate heat exchanger under saturation in the bulk. The effects of CaSO4 concentration in the range 0.7 kg/m3 to 1.5 kg/m3, inlet flow velocity under turbulent flow, and the fluid's inlet temperature from 288 K to 328 K on the deposition rate, removal mass rate and fouling resistance are investigated. The simulation results are compared with the experimental results showing similar trend. The simulation results show that the concentration and the flow velocity affect significantly the fouling characteristics in the plate heat exchanger. The deposition mass rate, removal mass rate, and asymptotic value of fouling resistance all increase with the increase in CaSO4 concentration and the inlet temperature of the hot fluid, while the asymptotic value of fouling resistance decreases with the increasing of inlet flow velocity. The influence of the inlet temperature of cold fluid may be negligible.

Numerical simulation of calcium sulfate (CaSO4) fouling in the plate heat exchanger

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zhiming; Zhao, Yu; Han, Zhimin; Wang, Jingtao

2018-01-01

Plate heat exchanger is a widely used apparatus in the industrial production processes. Through a numerical simulation method, this paper calculates the deposition rate of CaSO4 fouling on heat transfer surfaces of the plate heat exchanger under saturation in the bulk. The effects of CaSO4 concentration in the range 0.7 kg/m3 to 1.5 kg/m3, inlet flow velocity under turbulent flow, and the fluid's inlet temperature from 288 K to 328 K on the deposition rate, removal mass rate and fouling resistance are investigated. The simulation results are compared with the experimental results showing similar trend. The simulation results show that the concentration and the flow velocity affect significantly the fouling characteristics in the plate heat exchanger. The deposition mass rate, removal mass rate, and asymptotic value of fouling resistance all increase with the increase in CaSO4 concentration and the inlet temperature of the hot fluid, while the asymptotic value of fouling resistance decreases with the increasing of inlet flow velocity. The influence of the inlet temperature of cold fluid may be negligible.

Membrane morphology and topology for fouling control in Reverse Osmosis filtration systems

Science.gov (United States)

Ling, Bowen; Battiato, Ilenia

2017-11-01

Reverse Osmosis Membrane (ROM) filtration systems are widely utilized in waste-water recovery, seawater desalination, landfill water treatment, etc. During filtration, the system performance is dramatically affected by membrane fouling which causes a significant decrease in permeate flux as well as an increase in the energy input required to operate the system. Design and optimization of ROM filtration systems aim at reducing membrane fouling by studying the coupling between membrane structure, local flow field and foulant adsorption patterns. Yet, current studies focus exclusively on oversimplified steady-state models that ignore any dynamic coupling between fluid flow and transport through the membrane. In this work, we develop a customized solver (SUMembraneFoam) under OpenFOAM to solve the transient equations. The simulation results not only predict macroscopic quantities (e.g. permeate flux, pressure drop, etc.) but also show an excellent agreement with the fouling patterns observed in experiments. It is observed that foulant deposition is strongly controlled by the local shear stress on the membrane, and channel morphology or membrane topology can be modified to control the shear stress distribution and reduce fouling. Finally, we identify optimal regimes for design.

Enhanced fouling by inorganic and organic foulants on pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) hollow fiber membranes under high pressures

KAUST Repository

Chen, Sicong; Wan, Chunfeng; Chung, Neal Tai-Shung

2015-01-01

We have studied, for the first time, the fouling behavior of pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) hollow fiber membranes under low, moderate and high hydraulic pressures. The thin film composite (TFC) polyethersulfone (PES) membrane has a high water permeability and good mechanical strength. Membrane fouling by gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) scalants, sodium alginate, and the combined foulants was examined under various pressures up to an ultrahigh hydraulic pressure of 18bar. In the combined fouling experiments, the membranes were conditioned by one of foulants followed by the other. Flux decline results suggested that such conditioning could increase the rate of combined fouling because of the change in membrane surface chemistry. Specially, the co-existence of gypsum crystals and alginate under 0bar led to the synergistic combined fouling and resulted in a greater flux decline than the sum of individual fouling. Interestingly, such gypsum-alginate synergistic fouling was not observed under high pressure PRO tests because the increased reverse salt flux inhibited the formation of gypsum crystals. Therefore, alginate fouling could be the dominant fouling mechanism for both (1) alginate conditioning and then scalants fouling, and (2) scalants conditioning and then alginate fouling PRO processes under 8bar and 18bar. Since the reverse salt flux increases from 5.6±1.1g/m2h at 0bar to 74.3±9.7g/m2h at 8bar, and finally to 150.5±2.5g/m2h under 18bar, the reverse salt ions lead to substantial declines of normalized flux under 8bar and 18bar because the reverse sodium ions not only reduce the effective driving force across the PRO membrane but also induce a significant cake-enhanced sodium concentration polarization layer and facilitate alginate gelation near the membrane surface. Therefore, the removal of alginate type foulants from the feed water stream may become essential for the success of PRO processes under high pressures.

Enhanced fouling by inorganic and organic foulants on pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) hollow fiber membranes under high pressures

KAUST Repository

Chen, Sicong

2015-04-01

We have studied, for the first time, the fouling behavior of pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) hollow fiber membranes under low, moderate and high hydraulic pressures. The thin film composite (TFC) polyethersulfone (PES) membrane has a high water permeability and good mechanical strength. Membrane fouling by gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) scalants, sodium alginate, and the combined foulants was examined under various pressures up to an ultrahigh hydraulic pressure of 18bar. In the combined fouling experiments, the membranes were conditioned by one of foulants followed by the other. Flux decline results suggested that such conditioning could increase the rate of combined fouling because of the change in membrane surface chemistry. Specially, the co-existence of gypsum crystals and alginate under 0bar led to the synergistic combined fouling and resulted in a greater flux decline than the sum of individual fouling. Interestingly, such gypsum-alginate synergistic fouling was not observed under high pressure PRO tests because the increased reverse salt flux inhibited the formation of gypsum crystals. Therefore, alginate fouling could be the dominant fouling mechanism for both (1) alginate conditioning and then scalants fouling, and (2) scalants conditioning and then alginate fouling PRO processes under 8bar and 18bar. Since the reverse salt flux increases from 5.6±1.1g/m2h at 0bar to 74.3±9.7g/m2h at 8bar, and finally to 150.5±2.5g/m2h under 18bar, the reverse salt ions lead to substantial declines of normalized flux under 8bar and 18bar because the reverse sodium ions not only reduce the effective driving force across the PRO membrane but also induce a significant cake-enhanced sodium concentration polarization layer and facilitate alginate gelation near the membrane surface. Therefore, the removal of alginate type foulants from the feed water stream may become essential for the success of PRO processes under high pressures.

Techno-Economic Analysis of Gas Turbine Compressor Washing to Combat Fouling

OpenAIRE

Abass, Kabir Oliade

2015-01-01

Among the major deterioration problems a gas turbine encountered while in operation is compressor blade fouling. This is the accumulation and adhesion of dirt and sediment on the compressor blade which contributes between 70 to 85% of gas turbine performance loss. Fouling reduces turbine air mass flow capacity, compressor pressure ratio and overall gas turbine efficiency. In most cases, its effect does not manifest immediately in gas turbine power output and efficiency since they are not meas...

Fouling kinetics in microfiltration of protein solutions using different membrane configurations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Sune; Jonsson, Gunnar Eigil

1997-01-01

Protein fouling in microfiltration has a large impact on the permeate flux and observed retention of the proteins despite the fact that the protein molecule is several times smaller than the average pore size in microfiltration membranes. This is due to adsorption and deposition of protein...... molecules and aggregates. The effect of membrane configuration upon protein fouling was investigated in crossflow filtration with asymmetric membranes either in a normal mode or in a reverse mode. It was observed by Jonsson et al. [1] that beer filtration in a reverse mode results in a smaller decrease...... in the flux compared to beer filtration in a normal mode. Similar results for protein filtration were observed by Bowen et al. [2]. One possible way to avoid fouling is the novel backshock technique (see Jonsson et al. [1]). The effect of backshock on protein filtration was investigated using a hollow fiber...

Trophic structure of the fouling community in Odessa Bay (Black Sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Y. Varigin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The trophic structure of the coastal fouling community of Odessa Bay (Black Sea, which was composed of 10 species of macrophytes, 57 invertebrate species and 4 species of fish, was determined. The basic trophic relationship between organisms composing the community is shown. A minimization of interspecific trophic competition within the community is noted. The main sources of food material entering the fouling community were determined. We show that a significant proportion of food in the form of detritus, dissolved organic matter and small planktonic organisms enters the community from the water column. Filtration and pumping activity of sestonophage-organisms, particularly mussels, helps to attract food material to the community. Primary producers of the community are macrophytes and microphytes, which develop on account of their photosynthetic activity and ensure the provision of food to herbivores. The trophic group of detritophages consumes different fractions of the detritus which accumulates in the byssus threads of bivalve molluscs. In this context, mussel druses act as sediment traps, collecting detritus. Numerous polyphages, which are essentially omnivores and do not usually lack food material, were noted in the community. A small group of carnivorous invertebrates, whose representatives actively attack small animals, was identified. The abundance of these species in the community was about 1%, and their biomass less than 0.6%. Fish living in macrophyte weeds are the consumers in the community. We determined that the highest relative abundance (over 36% in the fouling community was reached by sestonophages and polyphages. We found that the undisputed leader in the relative biomass (over 97% in the fouling community ofOdessaBaywas the sestonophages (mainly composed of mussels. We determined that the trophic structure index of the community was 0.94, which confirms the significant dominance in biomass of bivalves over other species in

Development of a Comprehensive Fouling Model for a Rotating Membrane Bioreactor System Treating Wastewater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parneet Paul

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Membrane bioreactors (MBRs are now main stream wastewater treatment technologies. In recent times, novel pressure driven rotating membrane disc modules have been specially developed that induce high shear on the membrane surface, thereby reducing fouling. Previous research has produced dead-end filtration fouling model which combines all three classical mechanisms that was later used by another researcher as a starting point for a greatly refined model of a cross flow side-stream MBR that incorporated both hydrodynamics and soluble microbial products’ (SMP effects. In this study, a comprehensive fouling model was created based on this earlier work that incorporated all three classical fouling mechanisms for a rotating MBR system. It was tested and validated for best fit using appropriate data sets. The initial model fit appeared good for all simulations, although it still needs to be calibrated using further appropriate data sets.

A Practical Approach for Studying Fouling Process in Li-Recovery Pilot Plant

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, M.; Yoon, H.; Eom, C.; Kim, B.; Chung, K.

2011-12-01

The efficiency of selective ion recovery such as lithium from seawater has been major interest of previous studies. However, the characterization of adsorption behavior as well as dissolution yield as discharging environmentally problematic chemical species must carefully studied in various conditions including different seawater conditions [1]. Marine biofouling communities are complex, highly dynamic ecosystems consisting of a diverse range of organisms. The development of such communities begins with bacterial attachment followed by the colonization of higher organisms such as invertebrate larvae and algal spores [2-3]. Monitoring and field studies regarding fouling problems during operation of Li-recovery pilot plant which is designed by the Korea Institute of Geoscience & Mineral Resources (KIGAM) were major concern of this study. We examined fouling process for the duration of exposure time in real marine environment. Substrated with no-antifouling treated material and antifouling treated material were exposed and tested for different behaviors toward fouling in ocean. SEM-EDS (Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy dispersive Spectroscopy) analysis was done for surface identification of specific elements for possible dissolution during seawater exposure. To identify organic compound was used GC-MS (Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometer) analysis. Experiment results, organisms such as alga are fouled the most on 30 days and antitreated material is fouled less than non antitreated material. Operating Li-recovery pilot plant to sea, we need to consider in order to effectively and economically resolve the fouling problem. Acknowledgement : This research was supported by the national research project titled "The Development of Technology for Extraction of Resources Dissolved in Seawater" of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) funded by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. References [1] M. Y. Diego, K. Soren, and D. J. Kim

Fouling Resilient Perforated Feed Spacers for Membrane Filtration

KAUST Repository

Kerdi, Sarah

2018-04-24

The improvement of feed spacers with optimal geometry remains a key challenge for spiral-wound membrane systems in water treatment due to their impact on the hydrodynamic performance and fouling development. In this work, novel spacer designs are proposed by intrinsically modifying cylindrical filaments through perforations. Three symmetric perforated spacers (1-Hole, 2-Hole, and 3-Hole) were in-house 3D-printed and experimentally evaluated in terms of permeate flux, feed channel pressure drop and membrane fouling. Spacer performance is characterized and compared with standard no perforated (0-Hole) design under constant feed pressure and constant feed flow rate. Perforations in the spacer filaments resulted in significantly lowering the net pressure drop across the spacer filled channel. The 3-Hole spacer was found to have the lowest pressure drop (50% - 61%) compared to 0-Hole spacer for various average flow velocities. Regarding permeate flux production, the 0-Hole spacer produced 5.7 L.m-2.h-1 and 6.6 L.m-2.h-1 steady state flux for constant pressure and constant feed flow rate, respectively. The 1-Hole spacer was found to be the most efficient among the perforated spacers with 75% and 23% increase in permeate production at constant pressure and constant feed flow, respectively. Furthermore, membrane surface of 1-Hole spacer was found to be cleanest in terms of fouling, contributing to maintain higher permeate flux production. Hydrodynamic understanding of these perforated spacers is also quantified by performing Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS). The performance enhancement of these perforated spacers is attributed to the formation of micro-jets in the spacer cell that aided in producing enough unsteadiness/turbulence to clean the membrane surface and mitigate fouling phenomena. In the case of 1-Hole spacer, the unsteadiness intensity at the outlet of micro-jets and the shear stress fluctuations created inside the cells are higher than those observed with

Fouling resilient perforated feed spacers for membrane filtration.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerdi, Sarah; Qamar, Adnan; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S; Ghaffour, Noreddine

2018-04-24

The improvement of feed spacers with optimal geometry remains a key challenge for spiral-wound membrane systems in water treatment due to their impact on the hydrodynamic performance and fouling development. In this work, novel spacer designs are proposed by intrinsically modifying cylindrical filaments through perforations. Three symmetric perforated spacers (1-Hole, 2-Hole, and 3-Hole) were in-house 3D-printed and experimentally evaluated in terms of permeate flux, feed channel pressure drop and membrane fouling. Spacer performance is characterized and compared with standard no perforated (0-Hole) design under constant feed pressure and constant feed flow rate. Perforations in the spacer filaments resulted in significantly lowering the net pressure drop across the spacer filled channel. The 3-Hole spacer was found to have the lowest pressure drop (50%-61%) compared to 0-Hole spacer for various average flow velocities. Regarding permeate flux production, the 0-Hole spacer produced 5.7 L m -2 .h -1 and 6.6 L m -2 .h -1 steady state flux for constant pressure and constant feed flow rate, respectively. The 1-Hole spacer was found to be the most efficient among the perforated spacers with 75% and 23% increase in permeate production at constant pressure and constant feed flow, respectively. Furthermore, membrane surface of 1-Hole spacer was found to be cleanest in terms of fouling, contributing to maintain higher permeate flux production. Hydrodynamic understanding of these perforated spacers is also quantified by performing Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS). The performance enhancement of these perforated spacers is attributed to the formation of micro-jets in the spacer cell that aided in producing enough unsteadiness/turbulence to clean the membrane surface and mitigate fouling phenomena. In the case of 1-Hole spacer, the unsteadiness intensity at the outlet of micro-jets and the shear stress fluctuations created inside the cells are higher than those

Organic fouling behavior of superhydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration membranes functionalized with surface-tailored nanoparticles: Implications for organic fouling in membrane bioreactors

KAUST Repository

Liang, Shuai; Qi, Genggeng; Xiao, Kang; Sun, Jianyu; Giannelis, Emmanuel P.; Huang, Xia; Elimelech, Menachem

2014-01-01

This study systematically investigates the organic fouling behavior of a superhydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration membrane functionalized via post-fabrication tethering of surface-tailored silica nanoparticles to poly

Effects of salinity on the characteristics of biomass and membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jang, D.; Hwang, Yuhoon; Shin, H.

2013-01-01

This study investigated the effects of high salinity on the performance and membrane fouling of membrane bioreactor (MBR) with saline wastewater. Synthetic wastewaters containing 5-20g/L salts (NaCl) were treated in identical lab-scale (7L) MBRs monitoring removals of dissolved organic carbon (DOC......; and the changes in microbial composition in turn have affected the performance of the MBRs. Membrane fouling was accelerated by the increased pore blocking resistance at higher salt concentrations. Analysis results of physicochemical and biological characteristics of biomass (EPS, floc size, zeta potential......) verified the impacts of high salinity on the increased membrane fouling....

Identification of effluent organic matter fractions responsible for low-pressure membrane fouling

KAUST Repository

Filloux, Emmanuelle

2012-11-01

Anion exchange resin (AER), powder activated carbon (PAC) adsorption and ozonation treatments were applied on biologically treated wastewater effluent with the objective to modify the effluent organic matter (EfOM) matrix. Both AER and PAC led to significant total organic carbon (TOC) removal, while the TOC remained nearly constant after ozonation. Liquid Chromatography-Organic Carbon Detection (LC-OCD) analysis showed that the AER treatment preferentially removed high and intermediate molecular weight (MW) humic-like structures while PAC removed low MW compounds. Only a small reduction of the high MW colloids (i.e. biopolymers) was observed for AER and PAC treatments. Ozonation induced a large reduction of the biopolymers and an important increase of the low MW humic substances (i.e. building blocks).Single-cycle microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) tests were conducted using commercially available hollow fibres at a constant flux. After reconcentration to their original organic carbon content, the EfOM matrix modified by AER and PAC treatments exhibited higher UF membrane fouling compared to untreated effluent; result that correlated with the higher concentration of biopolymers. On the contrary, ozonation which induced a significant degradation of the biopolymers led to a minor flux reduction for both UF and MF filtration tests. Based on a single filtration, results indicate that biopolymers play a major role in low pressure membrane fouling and that intermediate and low MW compounds have minor impact. Thus, this approach has shown to be a valid methodology to identify the foulant fractions of EfOM. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Marine fouling release silicone/carbon nanotube nanocomposite coatings: on the importance of the nanotube dispersion state.

Science.gov (United States)

Beigbeder, Alexandre; Mincheva, Rosica; Pettitt, Michala E; Callow, Maureen E; Callow, James A; Claes, Michael; Dubois, Philippe

2010-05-01

The present work reports on the influence of the dispersion quality of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in a silicone matrix on the marine fouling-release performance of the resulting nanocomposite coatings. A first set of coatings filled with different nanofiller contents was prepared by the dilution of a silicone/MWCNTs masterbatch within a hydrosilylation-curing polydimethylsiloxane resin. The fouling-release properties of the nanocomposite coatings were studied through laboratory assays with the marine alga (seaweed) Ulva, a common fouling species. As reported previously (see Ref. [19]), the addition of a small (0.05%) amount of carbon nanotubes substantially improves the fouling-release properties of the silicone matrix. This paper shows that this improvement is dependent on the amount of filler, with a maximum obtained with 0.1 wt% of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The method of dispersion of carbon nanotubes in the silicone matrix is also shown to significantly (p = 0.05) influence the fouling-release properties of the coatings. Dispersing 0.1% MWCNTs using the masterbatch approach yielded coatings with circa 40% improved fouling-release properties over those where MWCNTs were dispersed directly in the polymeric matrix. This improvement is directly related to the state of nanofiller dispersion within the cross-linked silicone coating.

Ceramic membrane fouling during ultrafiltration of oil/water emulsions: roles played by stabilization surfactants of oil droplets.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Dongwei; Zhang, Tao; Ma, Jun

2015-04-07

Oil/water (O/W) emulsion stabilized by surfactants is the part of oily wastewater that is most difficult to handle. Ceramic membrane ultrafiltration presently is an ideal process to treat O/W emulsions. However, little is known about the fouling mechanism of the ceramic membrane during O/W emulsion treatment. This paper investigated how stabilization surfactants of O/W emulsions influence the irreversible fouling of ceramic membranes during ultrafiltration. An unexpected phenomenon observed was that irreversible fouling was much less when the charge of the stabilization surfactant of O/W emulsions is opposite to the membrane. The less ceramic membrane fouling in this case was proposed to be due to a synergetic steric effect and demulsification effect which prevented the penetration of oil droplets into membrane pores and led to less pore blockage. This proposed mechanism was supported by cross section images of fouled and virgin ceramic membranes taken with scanning electron microscopy, regression results of classical fouling models, and analysis of organic components rejected by the membrane. Furthermore, this mechanism was also verified by the existence of a steric effect and demulsification effect. Our finding suggests that ceramic membrane oppositely charged to the stabilization surfactant should be applied in ultrafiltration of O/W emulsions to alleviate irreversible membrane fouling. It could be a useful rule for ceramic membrane ultrafiltration of oily wastewater.

Ceramic membrane fouling during ultrafiltration of oil/water emulsions: Roles played by stabilization surfactants of oil droplets

KAUST Repository

Lu, Dongwei

2015-04-07

Oil/water (O/W) emulsion stabilized by surfactants is the part of oily wastewater that is most difficult to handle. Ceramic membrane ultrafiltration presently is an ideal process to treat O/W emulsions. However, little is known about the fouling mechanism of the ceramic membrane during O/W emulsion treatment. This paper investigated how stabilization surfactants of O/W emulsions influence the irreversible fouling of ceramic membranes during ultrafiltration. An unexpected phenomenon observed was that irreversible fouling was much less when the charge of the stabilization surfactant of O/W emulsions is opposite to the membrane. The less ceramic membrane fouling in this case was proposed to be due to a synergetic steric effect and demulsification effect which prevented the penetration of oil droplets into membrane pores and led to less pore blockage. This proposed mechanism was supported by cross section images of fouled and virgin ceramic membranes taken with scanning electron microscopy, regression results of classical fouling models, and analysis of organic components rejected by the membrane. Furthermore, this mechanism was also verified by the existence of a steric effect and demulsification effect. Our finding suggests that ceramic membrane oppositely charged to the stabilization surfactant should be applied in ultrafiltration of O/W emulsions to alleviate irreversible membrane fouling. It could be a useful rule for ceramic membrane ultrafiltration of oily wastewater. © 2015 American Chemical Society.

Application of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to monitor seawater fouling on stainless steels and copper alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feron, D.

1991-01-01

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy may be applied to detect and to follow seawater fouling. Experiments have been conducted with natural seawater flowing inside tube-electrodes at temperatures between 30 deg C and 85 deg C. With stainless steel tubes, mineral and organic foulings have been followed; a linear relationship between the dry weight of the organic fouling and its electrical resistance, has been observed. On copper alloy tubes, only mineral deposits have occurred and so have been detected by impedance spectroscopy. (Author). 5 refs., 6 figs

Searching for storm water inflows in foul sewers using fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schilperoort, R.; Hoppe, H.; Haan, C.; Langeveld, J.G.

2012-01-01

A major drawback of separate sewer systems is the occurrence of illicit connections: unintended sewer cross-connections that connect foul water outlets from residential or industrial premises to the storm water system and/or storm water outlets to the foul sewer system. The amount of unwanted storm

Online fouling detection in electrical circulation heaters using neural networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lalot, S. [M.E.T.I.E.R., Longuenesse Cedex (France); Universite de Valenciennes (France). LME; Lecoeuche, S. [M.E.T.I.E.R., Longuenesse Cedex (France); Universite de Lille (France). Laboratoire 13D

2003-06-01

Here is presented a method that is able to detect fouling during the service of a circulation electrical heater. The neural based technique is divided in two major steps: identification and classification. Each step uses a neural network, the connection weights of the first one being the inputs of the second network. Each step is detailed and the main characteristics and abilities of the two neural networks are given. It is shown that the method is able to discriminate fouling from viscosity modification that would lead to the same type of effect on the total heat transfer coefficient. (author)

Species interactions within a fouling diatom community: Roles of nutrients, initial inoculum and competitive strategies

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Mitbavkar, S.; Anil, A

Diatoms constitute an important component of the fouling community. Although a lot of work has dealt with the fouling diatom community structure, work on the species interactions within the community is still meager. In this regard, a study...

Membrane fouling mechanism of biofilm-membrane bioreactor (BF-MBR): Pore blocking model and membrane cleaning.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yi; Zhang, Wenxiang; Tang, Bing; Ding, Jie; Zheng, Yi; Zhang, Zhien

2018-02-01

Biofilm membrane bioreactor (BF-MBR) is considered as an important wastewater treatment technology that incorporates advantages of both biofilm and MBR process, as well as can alleviate membrane fouling, with respect to the conventional activated sludge MBR. But, to be efficient, it necessitates the establishment of proper methods for the assessment of membrane fouling. Four Hermia membrane blocking models were adopted to quantify and evaluate the membrane fouling of BF-MBR. The experiments were conducted with various operational conditions, including membrane types, agitation speeds and transmembrane pressure (TMP). Good agreement between cake formation model and experimental data was found, confirming the validity of the Hermia models for assessing the membrane fouling of BF-MBR and that cake layer deposits on membrane. Moreover, the influences of membrane types, agitation speeds and transmembrane pressure on the Hermia pore blocking coefficient of cake layer were investigated. In addition, the permeability recovery after membrane cleaning at various operational conditions was studied. This work confirms that, unlike conventional activated sludge MBR, BF-MBR possesses a low degree of membrane fouling and a higher membrane permeability recovery after cleaning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying optimal cleaning cycles for heat exchangers subject to fouling and ageing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pogiatzis, Thomas; Ishiyama, Edward M.; Paterson, William R.; Vassiliadis, Vassilios S.; Wilson, D. Ian

2012-01-01

Fouling of heat exchangers causes reduced heat transfer and other penalties. Regular cleaning represents one widely used fouling mitigation strategy, where the schedule of cleaning actions can be optimised to minimise the cost of fouling. This paper investigates, for the first time, the situation where there are two cleaning methods available so that the mode of cleaning has to be selected as well as the cleaning interval. Ageing is assumed to convert the initial deposit, labelled 'gel', into a harder and more conductive form, labelled 'coke', which cannot be removed by one of the cleaning methods. The second method can remove both the gel layer and the coke layer, but costs more and requires the unit to be off-line longer for cleaning. Experimental data demonstrating the effects of ageing are presented. The industrial application is the comparison of cleaning-in-place methods with off-line mechanical cleaning. A process model is constructed for an isolated counter-current heat exchanger subject to fouling, where ageing is described by a simple two-layer model. Solutions generated by an NLP-based approach prove to be superior to a simpler heuristic. A series of case studies demonstrate that combinations of chemical and mechanical cleaning can be superior to mechanical cleaning alone for certain combinations of parameters.

Formation of fouling deposits on a carbon steel surface from Colombian heavy crude oil under preheating conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Muñoz Pinto, D. A.; Cuervo Camargo, S. M.; Orozco Parra, M.; Laverde, D.; García Vergara, S.; Blanco Pinzon, C.

2016-02-01

Fouling in heat exchangers is produced by the deposition of undesired materials on metal surfaces. As fouling progresses, pressure drop and heat transfer resistance is observed and therefore the overall thermal efficiency of the equipment diminishes. Fouling is mainly caused by the deposition of suspended particles, such as those from chemical reactions, crystallization of certain salts, and some corrosion processes. In order to understand the formation of fouling deposits from Colombian heavy oil (API≈12.3) on carbon steel SA 516 Gr 70, a batch stirred tank reactor was used. The reactor was operated at a constant pressure of 340psi while varying the temperature and reaction times. To evaluate the formation of deposits on the metal surfaces, the steel samples were characterized by gravimetric analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). On the exposed surfaces, the results revealed an increase in the total mass derived from the deposition of salt compounds, iron oxides and alkaline metals. In general, fouling was modulated by both the temperature and the reaction time, but under the experimental conditions, the temperature seems to be the predominant variable that controls and accelerates fouling.

Dynamics of the Fouling Layer Microbial Community in a Membrane Bioreactor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ziegler, Anja Sloth; McIlroy, Simon Jon; Larsen, Poul

2016-01-01

Membrane fouling presents the greatest challenge to the application of membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology. Formation of biofilms on the membrane surface is the suggested cause, yet little is known of the composition or dynamics of the microbial community responsible. To gain an insight...... of the fouling process, we concurrently investigated the communities of the biofilm, MBR bulk sludge, and the conventional activated sludge system used to seed the MBR system over several weeks from start-up. As the biofilm matured the initially abundant betaproteobacterial genera Limnohabitans, Hydrogenophaga...

Electro-Conductive Membranes for Permeation Enhancement and Fouling Mitigation: A Short Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrizia Formoso

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The research on electro-conductive membranes has expanded in recent years. These membranes have strong prospective as key components in next generation water treatment plants because they are engineered in order to enhance their performance in terms of separation, flux, fouling potential, and permselectivity. The present review summarizes recent developments in the preparation of electro-conductive membranes and the mechanisms of their response to external electric voltages in order to obtain an improvement in permeation and mitigation in the fouling growth. In particular, this paper deals with the properties of electro-conductive polymers and the preparation of electro-conductive polymer membranes with a focus on responsive membranes based on polyaniline, polypyrrole and carbon nanotubes. Then, some examples of electro-conductive membranes for permeation enhancement and fouling mitigation by electrostatic repulsion, hydrogen peroxide generation and electrochemical oxidation will be presented.

Electro-Conductive Membranes for Permeation Enhancement and Fouling Mitigation: A Short Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Formoso, Patrizia; Pantuso, Elvira; De Filpo, Giovanni; Nicoletta, Fiore Pasquale

2017-07-28

The research on electro-conductive membranes has expanded in recent years. These membranes have strong prospective as key components in next generation water treatment plants because they are engineered in order to enhance their performance in terms of separation, flux, fouling potential, and permselectivity. The present review summarizes recent developments in the preparation of electro-conductive membranes and the mechanisms of their response to external electric voltages in order to obtain an improvement in permeation and mitigation in the fouling growth. In particular, this paper deals with the properties of electro-conductive polymers and the preparation of electro-conductive polymer membranes with a focus on responsive membranes based on polyaniline, polypyrrole and carbon nanotubes. Then, some examples of electro-conductive membranes for permeation enhancement and fouling mitigation by electrostatic repulsion, hydrogen peroxide generation and electrochemical oxidation will be presented.

CO2 saturated water as two-phase flow for fouling control in reverse electrodialysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moreno, J.; de Hart, N.; Saakes, M.; Nijmeijer, K.

2017-01-01

When natural feed waters are used in the operation of a reverse electrodialysis (RED) stack, severe fouling on the ion exchange membranes and spacers occurs. Fouling of the RED stack has a strong influence on the gross power density output; which can decrease up to 50%. Moreover, an increase in the

Influence of natural organic matter fouling and osmotic backwash on pressure retarded osmosis energy production from natural salinity gradients.

Science.gov (United States)

Yip, Ngai Yin; Elimelech, Menachem

2013-01-01

Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) has the potential to produce clean, renewable energy from natural salinity gradients. However, membrane fouling can lead to diminished water flux productivity, thus reducing the extractable energy. This study investigates organic fouling and osmotic backwash cleaning in PRO and the resulting impact on projected power generation. Fabricated thin-film composite membranes were fouled with model river water containing natural organic matter. The water permeation carried foulants from the feed river water into the membrane porous support layer and caused severe water flux decline of ∼46%. Analysis of the water flux behavior revealed three phases in membrane support layer fouling. Initial foulants of the first fouling phase quickly adsorbed at the active-support layer interface and caused a significantly greater increase in hydraulic resistance than the subsequent second and third phase foulants. The water permeability of the fouled membranes was lowered by ∼39%, causing ∼26% decrease in projected power density. A brief, chemical-free osmotic backwash was demonstrated to be effective in removing foulants from the porous support layer, achieving ∼44% recovery in projected power density. The substantial performance recovery after cleaning was attributed to the partial restoration of the membrane water permeability. This study shows that membrane fouling detrimentally impacts energy production, and highlights the potential strategies to mitigate fouling in PRO power generation with natural salinity gradients.

Self-Replenishing Vascularized Fouling-Release Surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Howell, C; Vu, TL; Lin, JJ; Kolle, S; Juthani, N; Watson, E; Weaver, JC; Alvarenga, J; Aizenberg, J

2014-08-13

Inspired by the long-term effectiveness of living antifouling materials, we have developed a method for the self-replenishment of synthetic biofouling-release surfaces. These surfaces are created by either molding or directly embedding 3D vascular systems into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and filling them with a silicone oil to generate a nontoxic oil-infused material. When replenished with silicone oil from an outside source, these materials are capable of self-lubrication and continuous renewal of the interfacial fouling-release layer. Under accelerated lubricant loss conditions, fully infused vascularized samples retained significantly more lubricant than equivalent nonvascularized controls. Tests of lubricant-infused PDMS in static cultures of the infectious bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as well as the green microalgae Botryococcus braunii, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Dunaliella sauna, and Nannochloropsis oculata showed a significant reduction in biofilm adhesion compared to PDMS and glass controls containing no lubricant. Further experiments on vascularized versus nonvascularized samples that had been subjected to accelerated lubricant evaporation conditions for up to 48 h showed significantly less biofilm adherence on the vascularized surfaces. These results demonstrate the ability of an embedded lubricant-filled vascular network to improve the longevity of fouling-release surfaces.

Biomimetic non-fouling surfaces: extending the concepts

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pop-Georgievski, Ognen; Rodriguez-Emmenegger, Cesar; de los Santos Pereira, Andres; Proks, Vladimír; Brynda, Eduard; Rypáček, František

2013-01-01

Roč. 1, č. 22 (2013), s. 2859-2867 ISSN 2050-750X R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP205/12/1702; GA MŠk(CZ) LH13178; GA ČR GAP108/11/1857 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : non-fouling * polymer brushes * polydopamine Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry

Surface and anti-fouling properties of a polyampholyte hydrogel grafted onto a polyethersulfone membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei; Yang, Zhe; Kaufman, Yair; Bernstein, Roy

2018-05-01

Zwitterion polymers have anti-fouling properties; therefore, grafting new zwitterions to surfaces, particularly as hydrogels, is one of the leading research directions for preventing fouling. Specifically, polyampholytes, polymers of random mixed charged subunits with a net-electric charge, offer a synthetically easy alternative for studying new zwitterions with a broad spectrum of charged moieties. Here, a novel polyampholyte hydrogel was grafted onto the surface of polyethersulfone membrane by copolymerizing a mixture of vinylsulfonic acid (VSA) and [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride (METMAC) as the negatively and positively charged monomers, respectively, using various monomer ratios in the polymerization solution, and with N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide as the crosslinker. The physicochemical, morphological and anti-fouling properties of the modified membranes were systematically investigated. Hydrophilic hydrogels were successfully grafted using monomers at different molar ratios. A thin-film zwitterion hydrogel (∼90 nm) was achieved at a 3:1 [VSA:METMAC] molar ratio in the polymerization solution. Among all examined membranes, the zwitterion polyampholyte-modified membrane demonstrated the lowest adsorption of proteins, humic acid, and sodium alginate. It also had low fouling and high flux recovery following filtration with a protein or with an extracellular polymeric substance solution. These findings suggest that this polyampholyte hydrogel is applicable as a low fouling surface coating. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamic analysis of effects of contact angle on interfacial interactions and its implications for membrane fouling control.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jianrong; Shen, Liguo; Zhang, Meijia; Hong, Huachang; He, Yiming; Liao, Bao-Qiang; Lin, Hongjun

2016-02-01

Concept of hydrophobicity always fails to accurately assess the interfacial interaction and membrane fouling, which calls for reliable parameters for this purpose. In this study, effects of contact angle on interfacial interactions related to membrane fouling were investigated based on thermodynamic analysis. It was found that, total interaction energy between sludge foulants and membrane monotonically decreases and increases with water and glycerol contact angle, respectively, indicating that these two parameters can be reliable indicators predicting total interaction energy and membrane fouling. Membrane roughness decreases interaction strength for over 20 times, and effects of membrane roughness on membrane fouling should consider water and glycerol contact angle on membrane. It was revealed existence of a critical water and glycerol contact angle for a given membrane bioreactor. Meanwhile, diiodomethane contact angle has minor effect on the total interaction, and cannot be regarded as an effective indicator assessing interfacial interactions and membrane fouling. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of solids retention time on membrane fouling: characterization of extracellular polymeric substances and soluble microbial products.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Liang; Tian, Zhiyong; Song, Yonghui; Jiang, Wei; Tian, Yuan; Li, Shan

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of solids retention time (SRT) on membrane fouling and the characteristics of biomacromolecules. Four identical laboratory-scale membrane bioreactors (MBRs) were operated with SRTs for 10, 20, 40 and 80 days. The results indicated that membrane fouling occurred faster and more readily under short SRTs. Fouling resistance was the primary source of filtration resistance. The modified fouling index (MFI) results suggested that the more ready fouling at short SRTs could be attributed to higher concentrations of soluble microbial products (SMP). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated that the SRT had a weak influence on the functional groups of the total extracellular polymeric substances (TEPS) and SMP. However, the MBR under a short SRT had more low-molecular-weight (MW) compounds (100 kDa). Aromatic protein and tryptophan protein-like substances were the dominant groups in the TEPS and SMP, respectively.

Scaling and particulate fouling in membrane filtration systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boerlage, S.F.E.

2001-01-01

Membrane filtration technologies have emerged as cost competitive and viable techniques in drinking and industrial water production. Despite advancements in membrane manufacturing and technology, membrane scaling and fouling remain major problems and may limit future growth in the industry. Scaling

Retardation of heat exchanger surfaces mineral fouling by water-based diethylenetriamine pentaacetate-treated CNT nanofluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teng, K.H.; Amiri, Ahmad; Kazi, S.N.; Bakar, M.A.; Chew, B.T.; Al-Shamma’a, A.; Shaw, A.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Decoration EDTA on MWCNT surface to retard the rate of fouling. • Preparation of DTPA-treated MWCNT/water nanofluid. • Evaluating the mitigation of DTPA-treated MWCNT-based water nanofluids. • Retarding of calcium carbonate crystals by MWCNT-DTPA additives. • The effect of additive on the rate of fouling. - Abstract: Mineral scale deposition on heat exchanging surfaces increases the thermal resistance and reduces the operating service life. The effect is usually intensified at higher temperatures due to the inverse temperature solubility characteristics of some minerals in the cooling water. Scale formation build up when dissolved salt crystallize from solution onto the heated surface, forming an adherent deposit. It is very important for heat transfer applications to cope with the fouling problems in industry. In this present study, a set of fouling experiments was conducted to evaluate the mitigation of calcium carbonate scaling by applying DTPA-treated MWCNT-based water nanofluids on heat exchanger surfaces. Investigation of additive DTPA-treated MWCNT-based water nanofluids (benign to the environment) on fouling rate of deposition was performed. 300 mg L −1 of artificially-hardened calcium carbonate solution was prepared as a fouling solution for deposit analysis. Assessment of the deposition of calcium carbonate on the heat exchanger surface with respect to the inhibition of crystal growth was conducted by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The results showed that the formation of calcium carbonate crystals can be retarded significantly by adding MWCNT-DTPA additives as inhibition in the solution.

Study of Separation and Fouling of Reverse Osmosis Membranes during Model Hydrolysate Solution Filtration.

Science.gov (United States)

Ajao, Olumoye; Rahni, Mohamed; Marinova, Mariya; Chadjaa, Hassan; Savadogo, Oumarou

2017-12-15

Prehydrolysate, a dilute solution consisting mainly of pentoses, hexoses, and lesser quantities of organic acids, furfural and phenolics, is generated in the Kraft dissolving pulp process. An obstacle facing the valorization of the solution in hemicellulose biorefineries, by conversion of the sugars into bioproducts such as furfural, is the low sugar concentration. Membrane filtration is typically proposed in several hemicellulose based biorefineries for concentrating the solution, although they are usually generated using different wood species, pretreatment methods, and operating conditions. However, the chemical composition of the solutions is generally not considered. Also, the combined effect of composition and operating conditions is rarely investigated for biorefinery applications. The purpose of this work was to determine the impact of the prehydrolysate composition and operating parameters on the component separation and permeate flux during membrane filtration. Using model prehydrolysate solutions, two commercial reverse osmosis (RO) membranes were screened, and one was selected for use, based on its higher sugar and acetic acid retention. A Taguchi L18 experimental design array was then applied to determine the dominant parameters and limiting factors. Results showed that the feed pressure and temperature have the highest impact on permeate flux, but the least effect on sugar retention. Further experiments to quantify flux decline, due to fouling and osmotic pressure, showed that furfural has the highest membrane fouling tendency, and can limit the lifetime of the membrane. Regeneration of the membrane by cleaning with a sodium hydroxide solution is also effective for reversing fouling. It has been demonstrated that RO can efficiently and sustainably concentrate wood prehydrolysate.

Study of Separation and Fouling of Reverse Osmosis Membranes during Model Hydrolysate Solution Filtration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olumoye Ajao

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Prehydrolysate, a dilute solution consisting mainly of pentoses, hexoses, and lesser quantities of organic acids, furfural and phenolics, is generated in the Kraft dissolving pulp process. An obstacle facing the valorization of the solution in hemicellulose biorefineries, by conversion of the sugars into bioproducts such as furfural, is the low sugar concentration. Membrane filtration is typically proposed in several hemicellulose based biorefineries for concentrating the solution, although they are usually generated using different wood species, pretreatment methods, and operating conditions. However, the chemical composition of the solutions is generally not considered. Also, the combined effect of composition and operating conditions is rarely investigated for biorefinery applications. The purpose of this work was to determine the impact of the prehydrolysate composition and operating parameters on the component separation and permeate flux during membrane filtration. Using model prehydrolysate solutions, two commercial reverse osmosis (RO membranes were screened, and one was selected for use, based on its higher sugar and acetic acid retention. A Taguchi L18 experimental design array was then applied to determine the dominant parameters and limiting factors. Results showed that the feed pressure and temperature have the highest impact on permeate flux, but the least effect on sugar retention. Further experiments to quantify flux decline, due to fouling and osmotic pressure, showed that furfural has the highest membrane fouling tendency, and can limit the lifetime of the membrane. Regeneration of the membrane by cleaning with a sodium hydroxide solution is also effective for reversing fouling. It has been demonstrated that RO can efficiently and sustainably concentrate wood prehydrolysate.

Heat Exchange and Fouling Analysis on a Set of Hydrogen Sulphide Gas Coolers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrés Adrian Sánchez-Escalona

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The sulphide acid coolers are tube and shell jacketed heat exchangers designed to cool down the produced gas from 416,15 K to 310,15 K in addition to separate the sulphur carried over by the outlet gas from the reactor tower. The investigation was carried out by applying the passive experimentation process in an online cooler set in order to determine the heat transfer rates and fouling based on heat resistance. It was corroborated that the operation of this equipment outside design parameters increases outlet gas temperature and liquid sulphur carryovers. Efficiency loss is caused by fouling elements in the fluid, which results in changes in the overall heat transfer rate. The linear tendency of the fouling heat resistance based on time for three gas flowrates.

Influence of membrane properties on fouling in MBRs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Marel, P.

2009-01-01

The membrane bioreactor (MBR) applies membranes for separating activated sludge and the purified water in the activated sludge process used for wastewater treatment. Membrane fouling occurs by activated sludge material depositing on the membrane surface or inside the membrane pores. The subject of

Mechanistic modeling of the loss of protein sieving due to internal and external fouling of microfilters.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolton, Glen R; Apostolidis, Alex J

2017-09-01

Fed-batch and perfusion cell culture processes used to produce therapeutic proteins can use microfilters for product harvest. In this study, new explicit mathematical models of sieving loss due to internal membrane fouling, external membrane fouling, or a combination of the two were generated. The models accounted for membrane and cake structures and hindered solute transport. Internal membrane fouling was assumed to occur due to the accumulation of foulant on either membrane pore walls (pore-retention model) or membrane fibers (fiber-retention model). External cake fouling was assumed to occur either by the growth of a single incompressible cake layer (cake-growth) or by the accumulation of a number of independent cake layers (cake-series). The pore-retention model was combined with either the cake-series or cake-growth models to obtain models that describe internal and external fouling occurring either simultaneously or sequentially. The models were tested using well-documented sieving decline data available in the literature. The sequential pore-retention followed by cake-growth model provided a good fit of sieving decline data during beer microfiltration. The cake-series and cake-growth models provided good fits of sieving decline data during the microfiltration of a perfusion cell culture. The new models provide insights into the mechanisms of fouling that result in the loss of product sieving. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1323-1333, 2017. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Natural Organic Matter Removal and Fouling in a Low Pressure Hybrid Membrane Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vedat Uyak

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to investigate powdered activated carbon (PAC contribution to natural organic matter (NOM removal by a submerged MF and UF hybrid systems. It was found that filtration of surface waters by a bare MF and UF membranes removed negligible TOC; by contrast, significant amounts of TOC were removed when daily added PAC particles were predeposited on the membrane surfaces. These results support the assumption that the membranes surface properties and PAC layer structure might have considerably influential factor on NOM removal. Moreover, it was concluded that the dominant removal mechanism of hybrid membrane system is adsorption of NOM within PAC layer rather than size exclusion of NOM by both of membrane pores. Transmembrane pressure (TMP increases with PAC membrane systems support the view that PAC adsorption pretreatment will not prevent the development of membrane pressure; on the contrary, PAC particles themselves caused membrane fouling by blocking the entrance of pores of MF and UF membranes. Although all three source waters have similar HPI content, it appears that the PAC interaction with the entrance of membrane pores was responsible for offsetting the NOM fractional effects on membrane fouling for these source waters.

Advanced Wastewater Treatment Engineering—Investigating Membrane Fouling in both Rotational and Static Membrane Bioreactor Systems Using Empirical Modelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parneet Paul

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Advanced wastewater treatment using membranes are popular environmental system processes since they allow reuse and recycling. However, fouling is a key limiting factor and so proprietary systems such as Avanti’s RPU-185 Flexidisks membrane bioreactor (MBR use novel rotating membranes to assist in ameliorating it. In earlier research, this rotating process was studied by creating a simulation model based on first principles and traditional fouling mechanisms. In order to directly compare the potential benefits of this rotational system, this follow-up study was carried out using Avanti’s newly developed static (non-rotating Flexidisks MBR system. The results from operating the static pilot unit were simulated and modelled using the rotational fouling model developed earlier however with rotational switching functions turned off and rotational parameters set to a static mode. The study concluded that a rotating MBR system could increase flux throughput when compared against a similar static system. It is thought that although the slowly rotating spindle induces a weak crossflow shear, it is still able to even out cake build up across the membrane surface, thus reducing the likelihood of localised critical flux being exceeded at the micro level and lessening the potential of rapid trans-membrane pressure increases at the macro level.

EDF approach for fouling mitigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dijoux, M.; Nordmann, F.; Stutzmann, A.

2001-01-01

The situation and evolution of fouling of steam generator tubing are described in the 58 French PWR units, and the different studies and actions carried out to try to solve the problem and avoid any power output reduction associated to pressure drop. The remedies include the selection of the best secondary water treatment with amines such as morpholine in order to minimise corrosion product transport as well as mechanical remedies such as sludge lancing or chemical cleaning. Other options like dispersant addition are under evaluation. (R.P.)

Soil model systems used to assess fouling, soil adherence and surface cleanability in the laboratory: a review

OpenAIRE

Toure, Yetioman; Mabon, Nicolas; Sindic, Marianne

2013-01-01

Surface fouling is a chronic problem in processing industries. The hygienic state of surfaces is thus a critical parameter with respect to the performance of the production process and to the final quality of the product. For this reason, cleaning and disinfection are essential. The most important first step in implementing a fouling mitigation strategy through cleaning and disinfection is to understand the mechanisms of fouling. This allows ways to be found to reduce, even to eliminate fouli...

Fouling Release Coatings Based on Polydimethylsiloxane with the Incorporation of Phenylmethylsilicone Oil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miao Ba

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In this study, phenylmethylsilicone oil (PSO with different viscosity was used for research in fouling release coatings based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS. The surface properties and mechanical properties of the coatings were investigated, while the leaching behavior of PSO from the coatings was studied. Subsequently, the antifouling performance of the coatings was investigated by the benthic diatom adhesion test. The results showed that the coatings with high-viscosity PSO exhibited high levels of hydrophobicity and PSO leaching, while the high PSO content significantly decreased the elastic modulus of the coatings and prolonged the release time of PSO. The antifouling results indicated that the incorporation of PSO into coatings enhanced the antifouling performance of the coating by improving the coating hydrophobicity and decreasing the coating elastic modulus, while the leaching of PSO from the coatings improved the fouling removal rate of the coating. This suggests a double enhancement effect on the antifouling performance of fouling release coatings based on PDMS with PSO incorporated.

Environmentally benign sol-gel antifouling and foul-releasing coatings.

Science.gov (United States)

Detty, Michael R; Ciriminna, Rosaria; Bright, Frank V; Pagliaro, Mario

2014-02-18

Biofouling on ships and boats, characterized by aquatic bacteria and small organisms attaching to the hull, is an important global issue, since over 80000 tons of antifouling paint is used annually. This biofilm, which can form in as little as 48 hours depending on water temperature, increases drag on watercraft, which greatly reduces their fuel efficiency. In addition, biofouling can lead to microbially induced corrosion (MIC) due to H2S formed by the bacteria, especially sulfate-reducing bacteria. When the International Maritime Organization (IMO) international convention banned the use of effective but environmentally damaging coatings containing tributyl tin in 2008, the development of clean and effective antifouling systems became more important than ever. New nonbiocidal coatings are now in high demand. Scientists have developed new polymers, materials, and biocides, including new elastomeric coatings that they have obtained by improving the original silicone (polydimethylsiloxane) formulation patented in 1975. However, the high cost of silicones, especially of fluoropolymer-modified silicones, has generally prevented their large-scale diffusion. In 2009, traditional antifouling coatings using cuprous oxide formulated in copolymer paints still represented 95% of the global market volume of anti-fouling paints. The sol-gel nanochemistry approach to functional materials has emerged as an attractive candidate for creating low fouling surfaces due to the unique structure and properties of silica-based coatings and of hybrid inorganic-organic silicas in particular. Sol-gel formulations easily bind to all types of surfaces, such as steel, fiberglass, aluminum, and wood. In addition, they can cure at room temperature and form thin glassy coatings that are markedly different from thick silicone elastomeric foul-releasing coatings. Good to excellent performance against biofouling, low cure temperatures, enhanced and prolonged chemical and physical stability, ease of

Thermal exchanges: heat transfer - burn-out - fouling; Echanges thermiques: transfert de chaleur - brulage - encrassement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Courtaud, M; Ricque, R [Service des Transferts Thermiques, Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires de Grenoble (ISERE) (France)

1967-01-01

Under a contract with the department responsible for EURATOM's ORGEL project, the authors have investigated heat-transfer characteristics, the way in which they are affected by dissolved gases, burn-out and the effect of fouling of the cooling system walls. Heat transfer. Using a circular channel 12 mm in diameter, a single-phase heat-transfer correlation was obtained for OM2, OMP and OM2 plus 10, 20 and 30% HB; Nu = 0.00835 Re{sup 0.9} Pr{sup 0.4} for fluxes between 50 and 100 W/cm{sup 2} and Reynolds numbers between 30,000 and 350,000. The authors studied the way in which heat transfer under boiling conditions is affected by dissolved gases in both free convection and forced convection in annular geometry (18 mm x 22 mm). The occurrence of de gasification, which results in a substantial increase in the transfer coefficient, is governed by the saturation temperature of the gasified fluid. A theoretical method was established for determining the threshold for this phenomenon. At the same time it was shown that charge losses were not affected by the gas content in the de gasification zone. Burn-out. In annular geometry (18 mm x 22 mm) the following correlation was obtained: {phi}BO(W/cm{sup 2}) = 10+19 G{sup 1/2} + (10 + 15 G) {delta} T{sub sub} / 25 (G in 10{sup 3} kg/m{sup 2} s); 5 kg/cm{sup 2} < P < 8 kg/cm{sup 2} 350 deg. C < T{sub fluid} < 400 deg. C; 4 m/s < V < 10 m/s. The dissolved gases have no effect on burn-out. Fouling. The way in which a number of factors affect the fouling of the walls of an annular test section (12 mm x 16 mm) was studied in an out-of-pile loop during tests lasting on average 500 h, as a function of the effect of fouling on the heat-transfer coefficient. The following impurities were added to the basic product, which was commercial-grade OM2: iron (from a ferrous element, which had therefore been introduced into the circuit), high-polymer pyrolysis products (up to 30%), chlorine (30 ppm) and oxygen (300 ppm in the form of

SDI: Is it a reliable fouling index?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Al-Hadidi, A.M.M.; Kemperman, Antonius J.B.; Schippers, J.C.; Wessling, Matthias; van der Meer, Walterus Gijsbertus Joseph

2012-01-01

The ASTM considers the silt density index (SDI) test as a standard test for fouling potential of RO and NF feed waters. Up to date, the SDI is used at many full- and pilot-scale installations. The design and choice of the applied RO pretreatment is to a large extent based on the SDI test on the raw

Inhibition of fouling by animal growth - a study using wood constituents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukla, S.K.

1983-01-01

Inhibitory effects of constituents from Dalbergia retusa, Tectona grandis and Lophira procera heartwoods on fouling were studied in field and laboratory tests and compared with a copper paint. Lophira extract impaired fouling by barnacles and tubeworms, R-4 methoxydalbergione, obtusaquinone and lapachol didn't. Lapachol proved to be more effective than R-4 methoxydalbergione and obtusaquinone against Balanus improvisus in LD 50 -tests. Maximum inhibition of 45 Ca and 14 C uptake in the shell of Balanus improvisus was caused by lapachol. The same trend was observed in studies on alkaline phosphatase of mantel. (orig.) [de

An experimental study on accelerated fouling of aluminum oxide and ferric oxide particles in internally enhanced tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abedin, Mohammad Zoynal; Kim, Nae Hyun [School of Mechanical System Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-15

This paper describes the results of accelerated particulate fouling tests performed on three enhanced tubes and a plain tube. The tests were performed using ferric oxide and aluminum oxide as foulant materials. Three enhanced tubes included 25 start, 10 start helically ribbed tubes and a ripple tube. Effects of the water velocity (0.9 to 1.8 m/s) and foulant concentration (750 to 2500 ppm) were investigated. At 750 ppm, the enhanced tubes fouled almost the same as the plain tube for the entire velocity range tested (0.9 to 1.8 m/s). The enhanced tube fouled faster than the plain tube for cases of high concentration combined with low velocities. Of the three enhanced tubes, the 25 start helically ribbed tube fouled faster than the ripple and the 10 start helically ribbed tubes. One thing to be noted is that the fouling concentrations used in the tests are significantly higher than would be expected in commercial heat exchangers. Also, the velocity range investigated is lower than would be expected in heat exchanger operation.

Minimizing fouling at hydrogenated conical-tip carbon electrodes during dopamine detection in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandra, Shaneel; Miller, Anthony D; Bendavid, Avi; Martin, Philip J; Wong, Danny K Y

2014-03-04

In this paper, physically small conical-tip carbon electrodes (∼2-5 μm diameter and ∼4 μm axial length) were hydrogenated to develop a probe capable of withstanding fouling during dopamine detection in vivo. Upon hydrogenation, the resultant hydrophobic sp(3) carbon surface deters adsorption of amphiphilic lipids, proteins, and peptides present in extracellular fluid and hence minimizes electrode fouling. These hydrogenated carbon electrodes showed a 35% decrease in sensitivity but little change in the limit of detection for dopamine over a 7-day incubation in a synthetic laboratory solution containing 1.0% (v/v) caproic acid (a lipid), 0.1% (w/v) bovine serum albumin and 0.01% (w/v) cytochrome C (both are proteins), and 0.002% (w/v) human fibrinopeptide B (a peptide). Subsequently, during dopamine detection in vivo, over 70% of the dopamine oxidation current remained after the first 30 min of a 60-min experiment, and at least 50% remained over the next half-period at the hydrogenated carbon electrodes. On the basis of these results, an initial average electrode surface fouling rate of 1.2% min(-1) was estimated, which gradually declined to 0.7% min(-1). These results support minimal fouling at hydrogenated carbon electrodes applied to dopamine detection in vivo.

Anti fouling effect of two saturated copper coatings applied on carbon steel structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guiamet, P. S.; Gomez de Saravia, S. G.

2008-01-01

Biofouling is the colonization of man-made substrata by sessile organisms. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the performance of two anti fouling saturated copper coating. Bioassays were carried out at a harbor in Argentine (38 degree centigrade 02' S-57 degree centigrade 32'W). during six months, one series of pipes and panels were removed monthly to estimate the recruitment of macro and micro fouling species and immediately replaced by clean ones. Another series was removed from the beginning of exposure to monitor the development of the established community (accumulative pipes and panels along six months). Data obtained from control (without a saturated copper coating) and saturated-copper coated pipes and panels were compared in order to estimate performance of the coating. One of two saturated copper coating demonstrated a good effect anti fouling. (Author) 25 refs

Membrane fouling and performance evaluation of conventional membrane bioreactor (MBR), moving biofilm MBR and oxic/anoxic MBR.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Sher Jamal; Ahmad, Aman; Nawaz, Muhammad Saqib; Hankins, Nicholas P

2014-01-01

In this study, three laboratory scale submerged membrane bioreactors (MBRs) comprising a conventional MBR (C-MBR), moving bed MBR (MB-MBR) and anoxic-oxic MBR (A/O-MBR) were continuously operated with synthesized domestic wastewater (chemical oxygen demand, COD = 500 mg/L) for 150 days under similar operational and environmental conditions. Kaldnes(®) plastic media with 20% dry volume was used as a biofilm carrier in the MB-MBR and A/O-MBR. The treatment performance and fouling propensity of the MBRs were evaluated. The effect of cake layer formation in all three MBRs was almost the same. However, pore blocking caused a major difference in the resultant water flux. The A/O-MBR showed the highest total nitrogen and phosphorus (PO4-P) removal efficiencies of 83.2 and 69.7%, respectively. Due to the high removal of nitrogen, fewer protein contents were found in the soluble and bound extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of the A/O-MBR. Fouling trends of the MBRs showed 12, 14 and 20 days filtration cycles for C-MBR, MB-MBR and A/O-MBR, respectively. A 25% reduction of the soluble EPS and a 37% reduction of the bound EPS concentrations in A/O-MBR compared with C-MBR was a major contributing factor for fouling retardation and the enhanced filtration capacity of the A/O-MBR.

A study on development of a plugging margin evaluation method taking into account the fouling of shell-and tube heat exchangers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Kyeong Mo; Jin, Tae Eun; Kim, Kyung Hoon

2006-01-01

As the operating time of heat exchangers progresses, fouling caused by water-borne deposits and the number of plugged tubes increase and thermal performance decreases. Both fouling and tube plugging are known to interfere with normal flow characteristics and to reduce thermal efficiencies of heat exchangers. The heat exchangers of Korean nuclear power plants have been analyzed in terms of heat transfer rate and overall heat transfer coefficient as a means of heat exchanger management. Except for fouling resulting from the operation of heat exchangers, all the tubes of heat exchangers have been replaced when the number of plugged tubes exceeded the plugging criteria based on design performance sheet. This paper describes a plugging margin evaluation method taking into account the fouling of shell-and-tube heat exchangers. The method can evaluate thermal performance, estimate future fouling variation, and consider current fouling level in the calculation of plugging margin. To identify the effectiveness of the developed method, fouling and plugging margin evaluations were performed at a component cooling heat exchanger in a Korean nuclear power plant

Artificial cilia for microparticle manipulation and anti-fouling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhang, S.; Wang, Y.; den Toonder, J.M.J.

2016-01-01

The (bio-)fouling of surfaces submerged in liquid forms serious a problem for many applications. One inspiration to address this issue is the use of cilia which, in nature, are found very effective in particle manipulation. We have fabricated magnetically actuated artificial cilia (MAAC) using a

Hydrophilic Fe2O3 dynamic membrane mitigating fouling of support ceramic membrane in ultrafiltration of oil/water emulsion

KAUST Repository

Lu, Dongwei; Cheng, Wei; Zhang, Tao; Lu, Xinglin; Liu, Qianliang; Jiang, Jin; Ma, Jun

2016-01-01

Oil/water (O/W) emulsion is daily produced and difficult to be treated effectively. Ceramic membrane ultrafiltration is one of reliable processes for the treatment of O/W emulsion, yet still hindered by membrane fouling. In this study, two types of Fe2O3 dynamic membranes (i.e., pre-coated dynamic membrane and self-forming dynamic membrane) were prepared to mitigate the fouling of support ceramic membrane in O/W emulsion treatment. Pre-coated dynamic membrane (DM) significantly reduced the fouling of ceramic membrane (i.e., 10% increase of flux recovery rate), while self-forming dynamic membrane aggravated ceramic membrane fouling (i.e., 8.6% decrease of flux recovery rate) after four filtration cycles. A possible fouling mechanism was proposed to explain this phenomenon, which was then confirmed by optical images of fouled membranes and the analysis of COD rejection. In addition, the cleaning efficiency of composite membranes (i.e., Fe2O3 dynamic membrane and support ceramic membrane) was enhanced by substitution of alkalescent water backwash for deionized water backwash. The possible reason for this enhancement was also explained. Our result suggests that pre-coated Fe2O3 dynamic membrane with alkalescent water backwash can be a promising technology to reduce the fouling of ceramic membrane and enhance membrane cleaning efficiency in the treatment of oily wastewater.

Hydrophilic Fe2O3 dynamic membrane mitigating fouling of support ceramic membrane in ultrafiltration of oil/water emulsion

KAUST Repository

Lu, Dongwei

2016-03-17

Oil/water (O/W) emulsion is daily produced and difficult to be treated effectively. Ceramic membrane ultrafiltration is one of reliable processes for the treatment of O/W emulsion, yet still hindered by membrane fouling. In this study, two types of Fe2O3 dynamic membranes (i.e., pre-coated dynamic membrane and self-forming dynamic membrane) were prepared to mitigate the fouling of support ceramic membrane in O/W emulsion treatment. Pre-coated dynamic membrane (DM) significantly reduced the fouling of ceramic membrane (i.e., 10% increase of flux recovery rate), while self-forming dynamic membrane aggravated ceramic membrane fouling (i.e., 8.6% decrease of flux recovery rate) after four filtration cycles. A possible fouling mechanism was proposed to explain this phenomenon, which was then confirmed by optical images of fouled membranes and the analysis of COD rejection. In addition, the cleaning efficiency of composite membranes (i.e., Fe2O3 dynamic membrane and support ceramic membrane) was enhanced by substitution of alkalescent water backwash for deionized water backwash. The possible reason for this enhancement was also explained. Our result suggests that pre-coated Fe2O3 dynamic membrane with alkalescent water backwash can be a promising technology to reduce the fouling of ceramic membrane and enhance membrane cleaning efficiency in the treatment of oily wastewater.

Investigation of Filtration Membranes from the Dairy Protein Industry for Residual Fouling Using Infrared Spectroscopy and Chemometrics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jannie Krog

the reversible fouling can be removed/cleaned. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the residual fouling that is deposited on ultrafiltration and microfiltration membranes after usage. The membrane surfaces are investigated using infrared spectroscopy with an attenuated reflectance sampling unit...... and this is thesis work highlights the strengths and weaknesses of using infrared spectroscopy to investigate residual fouling on membranes and in particular the challenges with the infrared penetration depth when layering in the samples occurs. Real size production membrane cartridges at different stages of use...... microfiltration membrane cartridges were investigated with Attenuated- Total-Reflection Fourier-Transform-Infrared (ATR FT-IR) to map the residual fouling on both types of cartridges. The height of the characteristic amide peaks from proteins were used to determine the relative concentrations. The first...

Fouling Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Matter in Papermaking Process Water on Polyethersulfone Ultrafiltration Membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenpeng Su

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In the papermaking industry, closure of process water (whitewater circuits has been used to reduce fresh water consumption. Membrane separation technology has potential for use in treating process water for recirculation. The purpose of this study was to reveal the fouling characteristics of a polyethersulfone (PES ultrafiltration membrane caused by dissolved organic matter (DOM in process water. Ultrafiltration membranes (UF and DAX ion exchange resins were applied to characterize the molecular weight (MW and hydrophilicity distribution of DOM. The interactions between various fractions of DOM and a PES ultrafiltration membrane were investigated. The membrane fouling characteristics were elucidated by examining the filtration resistances and linearized Herman’s blocking models. The results demonstrated that the membrane was fouled significantly by much of the MW distribution. The membrane was fouled more significantly by the low MW fraction rather than the high MW fraction. The filtration resistances and the fitted equation of Hermia’s laws indicated that hydrophilic organics were the main foulants. The hydrophilic organics partially block the membrane pores and form intermediate blocking, reducing the effective filtration area, while the hydrophobic organics form a gel layer or cake on the surface of the membrane.

Coke fouling process on the oil refining; Processo de incrustacao por coque no refino do petroleo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bombardelli, Clovis; Fiorentin, Leila D.; Negrao, Cezar O.R.; Franco, Admilson T. [Centro Federal de Educacao Tecnologica do Parana (CEFET-PR), Curitiba, PR (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia Mecanica e de Materiais (PPGEM)

2004-07-01

The heavy crude fraction processing is performed under very high vacuum to minimize thermal cracking which cause coke deposition and damage the equipment. The current tendency is to process heavier oil leading to higher process temperatures and consequently to greater fouling. This situation demands better knowledge fouling process by carbonization. This problem is pronounced in the residual gasoil region of a vacuum distillation unit because it obstructs the recirculation circuits and the spray system with serious environmental and economics implications. This paper review the main correlated published work related to coke generation and fouling and presents a discussion about the works. (author)

Full-scale simulation of seawater reverse osmosis desalination processes for boron removal: Effect of membrane fouling.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Pyung-Kyu; Lee, Sangho; Cho, Jae-Seok; Kim, Jae-Hong

2012-08-01

The objective of this study is to further develop previously reported mechanistic predictive model that simulates boron removal in full-scale seawater reverse osmosis (RO) desalination processes to take into account the effect of membrane fouling. Decrease of boron removal and reduction in water production rate by membrane fouling due to enhanced concentration polarization were simulated as a decrease in solute mass transfer coefficient in boundary layer on membrane surface. Various design and operating options under fouling condition were examined including single- versus double-pass configurations, different number of RO elements per vessel, use of RO membranes with enhanced boron rejection, and pH adjustment. These options were quantitatively compared by normalizing the performance of the system in terms of E(min), the minimum energy costs per product water. Simulation results suggested that most viable options to enhance boron rejection among those tested in this study include: i) minimizing fouling, ii) exchanging the existing SWRO elements to boron-specific ones, and iii) increasing pH in the second pass. The model developed in this study is expected to help design and optimization of the RO processes to achieve the target boron removal at target water recovery under realistic conditions where membrane fouling occurs during operation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abundance of bacterial and diatom fouling on various surfaces

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

PrabhaDevi

Abundance of bacterial and diatom fouling on aluminium, fibreglass and stainless steel were studied from Dona Paula waters of the Zuari Estuary. Both these forms were reversibly attached in large numbers to surfaces during the initial 24 hr...

Loss Factor Characterization Methodology for Piezoelectric Ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhuang Yuan; Ural, Seyit O; Uchino, Kenji

2011-01-01

The key factor for the miniaturization of piezoelectric devices is power density, which is limited by the heat generation or loss mechanisms. There are three loss components for piezoelectric vibrators, i.e., dielectric, elastic and piezoelectric losses. The mechanical quality factor, determined by these three factors, is the figure of merit in the sense of loss or heat generation. In this paper, quality factors of resonance and antiresonance for k 31 , k 33 , and k 15 vibration modes are derived, and the methodology to determine loss factors in various directions is provided. For simplicity, we focus on materials with ∞mm (equivalent to 6mm) crystal symmetry for deriving the loss factors of polycrystalline ceramics, and 16 different loss factors among total 20 can be obtained from the admittance/ impedance measurements.

FLUX ENHANCEMENT IN CROSSFLOW MEMBRANE FILTRATION: FOULING AND IT'S MINIMIZATION BY FLOW REVERSAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shamsuddin Ilias

2005-01-01

Fouling problems are perhaps the single most important reason for relatively slow acceptance of ultrafiltration in many areas of chemical and biological processing. To overcome the losses in permeate flux associated with concentration polarization and fouling in cross flow membrane filtration, we investigated the concept of flow reversal as a method to enhance membrane flux in ultrafiltration. Conceptually, flow reversal prevents the formation of stable hydrodynamic and concentration boundary layers at or near the membrane surface. Further more, periodic reversal of the flow direction of the feed stream at the membrane surface results in prevention and mitigation of membrane fouling. Consequently, these advantages are expected to enhance membrane flux significantly. A crossflow membrane filtration unit was designed and built to test the concept of periodic flow reversal for flux enhancement. The essential elements of the system include a crossflow hollow fiber membrane module integrated with a two-way valve to direct the feed flow directions. The two-way valve is controlled by a controller-timer for periodic reversal of flow of feed stream. Another important feature of the system is that with changing feed flow direction, the permeate flow direction is also changed to maintain countercurrent feed and permeate flows for enhanced mass transfer driving force (concentration difference). In this report, we report our application of Flow Reversal technique in clarification of apple juice containing pectin. The presence of pectin in apple juice makes the clarification process difficult and is believed to cause membrane fouling. Of all compounds found in apple juice, pectin is most often identified as the major hindrance to filtration performance. Based on our ultrafiltration experiments with apple juice, we conclude that under flow reversal conditions, the permeate flux is significantly enhanced when compared with the conventional unidirectional flow. Thus, flow reversal

Understanding the fouling of UF/MF hollow fibres of biologically treated wastewaters using advanced EfOM characterization and statistical tools

KAUST Repository

Filloux, Emmanuelle

2012-08-01

Five secondary effluents and a river water source were characterized using size exclusion chromatography (LC-OCD-UVD-OND) and emission-excitation matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy in order to identify the major effluent organic matter (EfOM) fractions responsible for membrane fouling. This study showed the feasibility of coupling fluorescence EEM and LC-OCD-UVD-OND to investigate the fouling potential as well as a means to differentiate natural organic matter (NOM) from EfOM. The secondary effluents and river water showed a significant difference in organic matter characteristics and fouling potential, highlighting the importance of biological processes and the feed water source on EfOM characteristics and fouling potential. On the basis of statistical analysis, protein-like substances were found to be highly correlated to the fouling potential of secondary effluents. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Understanding the fouling of UF/MF hollow fibres of biologically treated wastewaters using advanced EfOM characterization and statistical tools

KAUST Repository

Filloux, Emmanuelle; Labanowski, Jé rô me; Croue, Jean-Philippe

2012-01-01

Five secondary effluents and a river water source were characterized using size exclusion chromatography (LC-OCD-UVD-OND) and emission-excitation matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy in order to identify the major effluent organic matter (EfOM) fractions responsible for membrane fouling. This study showed the feasibility of coupling fluorescence EEM and LC-OCD-UVD-OND to investigate the fouling potential as well as a means to differentiate natural organic matter (NOM) from EfOM. The secondary effluents and river water showed a significant difference in organic matter characteristics and fouling potential, highlighting the importance of biological processes and the feed water source on EfOM characteristics and fouling potential. On the basis of statistical analysis, protein-like substances were found to be highly correlated to the fouling potential of secondary effluents. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Silt density index and modified fouling index relation, and effect of pressure, temperature and membrane resistance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Al-Hadidi, A.M.M.; Alhadidi, A.; Kemperman, Antonius J.B.; Blankert, B.; Blankert, B.; Schippers, J.C.; Wessling, Matthias; van der Meer, Walterus Gijsbertus Joseph

2011-01-01

Particulate matter present in feed water of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membrane elements tends to deposit on the membrane surface and spacers. This type of fouling results in permeate flux decline, loss of product quality and membrane damage. To characterize the fouling potential of RO feed

Comparison and analysis of membrane fouling between flocculent sludge membrane bioreactor and granular sludge membrane bioreactor.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Jing-Feng

Full Text Available The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of inoculating granules on reducing membrane fouling. In order to evaluate the differences in performance between flocculent sludge and aerobic granular sludge in membrane reactors (MBRs, two reactors were run in parallel and various parameters related to membrane fouling were measured. The results indicated that specific resistance to the fouling layer was five times greater than that of mixed liquor sludge in the granular MBR. The floc sludge more easily formed a compact layer on the membrane surface, and increased membrane resistance. Specifically, the floc sludge had a higher moisture content, extracellular polymeric substances concentration, and negative surface charge. In contrast, aerobic granules could improve structural integrity and strength, which contributed to the preferable permeate performance. Therefore, inoculating aerobic granules in a MBR presents an effective method of reducing the membrane fouling associated with floc sludge the perspective of from the morphological characteristics of microbial aggregates.

Beer Clarification with polysulfone membrane and study on fouling mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Cardoso de Oliveira

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The aims of the present work were to study the relationship between the fluxes, permeate quality, and fouling mechanism. A polysulfone membrane with 100 KDa and 0.12 m² of surface area was used. Permeate fluxes were measured for different pressures (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 bar at the same temperature of 8 ºC. The fluxes measured for each pressure ranged from 22, 24, 27 and 30 kg h-1m-2 at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 bar, respectively. Samples of the feed and permeate were analyzed for pH, color, turbidity, sugar, bitterness, and proteins. The fouling mechanisms observed were cake filtration, partial pore blocking, and complete pore blocking.

A methodology to incorporate organizational factors into human reliability analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Pengcheng; Chen Guohua; Zhang Li; Xiao Dongsheng

2010-01-01

A new holistic methodology for Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) is proposed to model the effects of the organizational factors on the human reliability. Firstly, a conceptual framework is built, which is used to analyze the causal relationships between the organizational factors and human reliability. Then, the inference model for Human Reliability Analysis is built by combining the conceptual framework with Bayesian networks, which is used to execute the causal inference and diagnostic inference of human reliability. Finally, a case example is presented to demonstrate the specific application of the proposed methodology. The results show that the proposed methodology of combining the conceptual model with Bayesian Networks can not only easily model the causal relationship between organizational factors and human reliability, but in a given context, people can quantitatively measure the human operational reliability, and identify the most likely root causes or the prioritization of root causes caused human error. (authors)

Inefficacy of osmotic backwash induced by sodium chloride salt solution in controlling SWRO membrane fouling

Science.gov (United States)

Farooque, A. Mohammed; Al-Jeshi, Subhi; Saeed, Mohamed O.; Alreweli, Ali

2014-12-01

A study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of osmotic backwash induced by high salt (NaCl) concentration solution on feed side of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes, online and offline, in controlling membrane fouling and therefore minimizing/eliminating the need for chemical cleaning. SWRO membranes were deliberately fouled by feeding seawater from an open intake located on the Arabian Gulf Coast without dosing chemicals. The fouled membranes were subjected to offline cleaning with the salt solution of up to 25 % concentration. Despite the partial removal of foulants from the membrane surface, SWRO membrane performance could not be restored, indicating the ineffectiveness of osmotic backwash in aiding offline salt cleaning. Similarly, online osmotic backwash was found to be not only ineffective in removing foulants from membrane surfaces but actually increased the fouling rate, as indicated by faster fouling rates compared to other cases. Although the driving force required for the osmotic backwash existed, the generated back flow proved to be insufficient to detach foulants from membrane surfaces. During the study period, the average SWRO membrane flux was maintained between 19 and 23 LMH, whereas the average generated back flow flux by high salt concentration solution was only 11 LMH, which was not adequate to remove foulants from membrane surfaces. Moreover, it seems that the membrane configuration as well as inherent microstructure of SWRO membrane places certain constraints on the osmotic backwash process and renders osmotic backwash ineffective in tackling SWRO membrane fouling. Hence, chemical cleaning is essential to restore SWRO membrane performance whenever fouling occurs, and the use of highly concentrated salt solution does not have any significant benefit. Membrane autopsy revealed only an insignificant accumulation of biofouling layer despite the absence of disinfection. However, it was shown that culturable biofilm bacteria species

Prediction of Agglomeration, Fouling, and Corrosion Tendency of Fuels in CFB Co-Combustion

Science.gov (United States)

Barišć, Vesna; Zabetta, Edgardo Coda; Sarkki, Juha

Prediction of agglomeration, fouling, and corrosion tendency of fuels is essential to the design of any CFB boiler. During the years, tools have been successfully developed at Foster Wheeler to help with such predictions for the most commercial fuels. However, changes in fuel market and the ever-growing demand for co-combustion capabilities pose a continuous need for development. This paper presents results from recently upgraded models used at Foster Wheeler to predict agglomeration, fouling, and corrosion tendency of a variety of fuels and mixtures. The models, subject of this paper, are semi-empirical computer tools that combine the theoretical basics of agglomeration/fouling/corrosion phenomena with empirical correlations. Correlations are derived from Foster Wheeler's experience in fluidized beds, including nearly 10,000 fuel samples and over 1,000 tests in about 150 CFB units. In these models, fuels are evaluated based on their classification, their chemical and physical properties by standard analyses (proximate, ultimate, fuel ash composition, etc.;.) alongside with Foster Wheeler own characterization methods. Mixtures are then evaluated taking into account the component fuels. This paper presents the predictive capabilities of the agglomeration/fouling/corrosion probability models for selected fuels and mixtures fired in full-scale. The selected fuels include coals and different types of biomass. The models are capable to predict the behavior of most fuels and mixtures, but also offer possibilities for further improvements.

Alkali-assisted membrane cleaning for fouling control of anaerobic ceramic membrane bioreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Mei, Xiaojie; Quek, Pei Jun; Wang, Zhiwei; Ng, How Yong

2017-09-01

In this study, a chemically enhanced backflush (CEB) cleaning method using NaOH solution was proposed for fouling mitigation in anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs). Ex-situ cleaning tests revealed that NaOH dosages ranging from 0.05 to 1.30mmol/L had positive impacts on anaerobic biomass, while higher dosages (>1.30mmol/L) showed inhibition and/or toxic impacts. In-situ cleaning tests showed that anaerobic biomass could tolerate much higher NaOH concentrations due to the alkali consumption by anaerobic process and/or the buffering role of mixed liquor. More importantly, 10-20mmol-NaOH/L could significantly reduce membrane fouling rates (4-5.5 times over the AnMBR with deionized water backflush) and slightly improve methanogenic activities. COD removal efficiencies were over 87% and peaked at 20mmol-NaOH/L. However, extremely high NaOH concentration had adverse effects on filtration and treatment performance. Economic analysis indicated that 12mmol/L of NaOH was the cost-efficient and optimal fouling-control dosage for the CEB cleaning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new insight into membrane fouling mechanism in submerged membrane bioreactor: osmotic pressure during cake layer filtration.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Meijia; Peng, Wei; Chen, Jianrong; He, Yiming; Ding, Linxian; Wang, Aijun; Lin, Hongjun; Hong, Huachang; Zhang, Ye; Yu, Haiying

2013-05-15

Big gap between experimental filtration resistance of cake layer formed on membrane surface and the hydraulic resistance calculated through the Carman-Kozeny equation, suggested the existence of a new membrane fouling mechanism: osmotic pressure during cake layer filtration in SMBR system. An osmotic pressure model based on chemical potential difference was then proposed. Simulation of the model showed that osmotic pressure accounted for the major fraction of total operation pressure, and pH, applied pressure and ionic strength were the key determining factors for osmosis effect. It was found that, variations of osmotic pressure with pH, applied pressure and added ionic strength were well coincident with perditions of model's simulation, providing the first direct evidences of the real occurrence of osmosis mechanism and the feasibility of the proposed model. These findings illustrate the essential role of osmotic pressure in filtration resistance, and improve fundamental understanding on membrane fouling in SMBR systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fouling reduction characteristics of a no-distributor-fluidized-bed heat exchanger for flue gas heat recovery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jun, Y.D.; Lee, K.B.; Islam, S.Z.; Ko, S.B. [Kongju National University, Kong Ju (Republic of Korea). Dept. for Mechanical Engineering

2008-07-01

In conventional flue gas heat recovery systems, the fouling by fly ashes and the related problems such as corrosion and cleaning are known to be major drawbacks. To overcome these problems, a single-riser no-distributor-fluidized-bed heat exchanger is devised and studied. Fouling and cleaning tests are performed for a uniquely designed fluidized bed-type heat exchanger to demonstrate the effect of particles on the fouling reduction and heat transfer enhancement. The tested heat exchanger model (1 m high and 54 mm internal diameter) is a gas-to-water type and composed of a main vertical tube and four auxiliary tubes through which particles circulate and transfer heat. Through the present study, the fouling on the heat transfer surface could successfully be simulated by controlling air-to-fuel ratios rather than introducing particles through an external feeder, which produced soft deposit layers with 1 to 1.5 mm thickness on the inside pipe wall. Flue gas temperature at the inlet of heat exchanger was maintained at 450{sup o}C at the gas volume rate of 0.738 to 0.768 CMM (0.0123 to 0.0128 m{sup 3}/sec). From the analyses of the measured data, heat transfer performances of the heat exchanger before and after fouling and with and without particles were evaluated. Results showed that soft deposits were easily removed by introducing glass bead particles, and also heat transfer performance increased two times by the particle circulation. In addition, it was found that this type of heat exchanger had high potential to recover heat of waste gases from furnaces, boilers, and incinerators effectively and to reduce fouling related problems.

An experimental study of the air-side particulate fouling in finned-tube heat exchangers of air conditioners through accelerated tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Young Chull; Cho, Jae Min; Lee, Jae Keun; Lee, Hyun Uk; Ahn, Seung Phyo; Youn, Deok Hyun; Kang, Tae Wook; Ock, Ju Jo

2003-01-01

The air-side particulate fouling in the heat exchangers of HVAC applications degrades the performance of cooling capacity, pressure drop across a heat exchanger, and indoor air quality. Indoor and outdoor air contaminants foul heat exchangers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the fouling characteristics trough accelerated tests. The fouling characteristics are analyzed as functions of a dust concentration (1.28 and 3.84 g/m 3 ), a face velocity (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 m/s), and a surface condition. The cooling capacity in the slitted finned-tube heat exchangers at the face velocity of 1 m/s decreases about 2% and the pressure drop increases up to 57%. The rate of build-up of fouling is observed to be 3 times slower for this three-fold reduction of dust concentration whilst still approaching the same asymptotic level

Filtration behavior of casein glycomacropeptide (CGMP) in an enzymatic membrane reactor: fouling control by membrane selection and threshold flux operation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luo, Jianquan; Morthensen, Sofie Thage; Meyer, Anne S.

2014-01-01

. In this study, the filtration performance and fouling behavior during ultrafiltration (UF) of CGMP for the enzymatic production of 3′-sialyllactose were investigated. A 5kDa regenerated cellulose membrane with high anti-fouling performance, could retain CGMP well, permeate 3′-sialyllactose, and was found...... to be the most suitable membrane for this application. Low pH increased CGMP retention but produced more fouling. Higher agitation and lower CGMP concentration induced larger permeate flux and higher CGMP retention. Adsorption fouling and pore blocking by CGMP in/on membranes could be controlled by selecting...... a highly hydrophilic membrane with appropriate pore size. Operating under threshold flux could minimize the concentration polarization and cake/gel/scaling layers, but might not avoid irreversible fouling caused by adsorption and pore blocking. The effects of membrane properties, pH, agitation and CGMP...

NOM and TEP fouling of a forward osmosis (FO) membrane: Foulant identification and cleaning

KAUST Repository

Valladares Linares, Rodrigo

2012-12-01

The study of forward osmosis (FO) membranes has increased due to the already demonstrated advantages compared to high-energy membrane processes such as reverse osmosis (RO). This research focuses on characterization of the natural organic matter (NOM) fraction causing fouling on the active layer (AL) of a FO membrane in a novel plate and frame module configuration, facing secondary wastewater effluent as a feed solution (FS) and seawater used as a draw solution (DS). In addition, transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) were observed on the support layer (SL) of the membrane in contact with the DS. The NOM fouling layer, after characterizing the water samples and membranes used, was found to be composed of biopolymers and protein-like substances, which adversely affect the flux of water through the FO membrane. However, NOM fouling showed high reversibility, up to 90% when air scouring for 15. min is used as a cleaning technique. The irreversible fouling in this work was found to be 8.2% after chemical cleaning. On the support layer of the membrane, TEP formed clusters clearly identifiable with an optical microscope and a TEP-specific dye. Chemical cleaning with 1% NaOCl for 10. min proved to be the most effective method to remove TEP. © 2012.

NOM and TEP fouling of a forward osmosis (FO) membrane: Foulant identification and cleaning

KAUST Repository

Valladares Linares, Rodrigo; Yangali-Quintanilla, Victor; Li, Zhenyu; Amy, Gary L.

2012-01-01

The study of forward osmosis (FO) membranes has increased due to the already demonstrated advantages compared to high-energy membrane processes such as reverse osmosis (RO). This research focuses on characterization of the natural organic matter (NOM) fraction causing fouling on the active layer (AL) of a FO membrane in a novel plate and frame module configuration, facing secondary wastewater effluent as a feed solution (FS) and seawater used as a draw solution (DS). In addition, transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) were observed on the support layer (SL) of the membrane in contact with the DS. The NOM fouling layer, after characterizing the water samples and membranes used, was found to be composed of biopolymers and protein-like substances, which adversely affect the flux of water through the FO membrane. However, NOM fouling showed high reversibility, up to 90% when air scouring for 15. min is used as a cleaning technique. The irreversible fouling in this work was found to be 8.2% after chemical cleaning. On the support layer of the membrane, TEP formed clusters clearly identifiable with an optical microscope and a TEP-specific dye. Chemical cleaning with 1% NaOCl for 10. min proved to be the most effective method to remove TEP. © 2012.

Effect of barnacle fouling on ship resistance and powering.

Science.gov (United States)

Demirel, Yigit Kemal; Uzun, Dogancan; Zhang, Yansheng; Fang, Ho-Chun; Day, Alexander H; Turan, Osman

2017-11-01

Predictions of added resistance and the effective power of ships were made for varying barnacle fouling conditions. A series of towing tests was carried out using flat plates covered with artificial barnacles. The tests were designed to allow the examination of the effects of barnacle height and percentage coverage on the resistance and effective power of ships. The drag coefficients and roughness function values were evaluated for the flat plates. The roughness effects of the fouling conditions on the ships' frictional resistances were predicted. Added resistance diagrams were then plotted using these predictions, and powering penalties for these ships were calculated using the diagrams generated. The results indicate that the effect of barnacle size is significant, since a 10% coverage of barnacles each 5 mm in height caused a similar level of added power requirements to a 50% coverage of barnacles each 1.25 mm in height.

A microfluidic membrane chip for in situ fouling characterization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ngene, I.S.; Lammertink, Rob G.H.; Wessling, Matthias; van der Meer, Walterus Gijsbertus Joseph

2010-01-01

A new method for non-invasive in situ monitoring of a microfiltration process is described. In microfiltration systems, local information on the deposition characteristics can be used to determine the cake behavior during a filtration run. Typically, non-invasive methods of fouling study are

Influence of Chlorination and Choice of Materials on Fouling in Cooling Water System under Brackish Seawater Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pauliina Rajala

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Cooling systems remove heat from components and industrial equipment. Water cooling, employing natural waters, is typically used for cooling large industrial facilities, such as power plants, factories or refineries. Due to moderate temperatures, cooling water cycles are susceptible to biofouling, inorganic fouling and scaling, which may reduce heat transfer and enhance corrosion. Hypochlorite treatment or antifouling coatings are used to prevent biological fouling in these systems. In this research, we examine biofouling and materials’ degradation in a brackish seawater environment using a range of test materials, both uncoated and coated. The fouling and corrosion resistance of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V, super austenitic stainless steel (254SMO and epoxy-coated carbon steel (Intershield Inerta160 were studied in the absence and presence of hypochlorite. Our results demonstrate that biological fouling is intensive in cooling systems using brackish seawater in sub-arctic areas. The microfouling comprised a vast diversity of bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae and protozoa. Chlorination was effective against biological fouling: up to a 10–1000-fold decrease in bacterial and archaeal numbers was detected. Chlorination also changed the diversity of the biofilm-forming community. Nevertheless, our results also suggest that chlorination enhances cracking of the epoxy coating.

Influence of Chlorination and Choice of Materials on Fouling in Cooling Water System under Brackish Seawater Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajala, Pauliina; Bomberg, Malin; Huttunen-Saarivirta, Elina; Priha, Outi; Tausa, Mikko; Carpén, Leena

2016-06-15

Cooling systems remove heat from components and industrial equipment. Water cooling, employing natural waters, is typically used for cooling large industrial facilities, such as power plants, factories or refineries. Due to moderate temperatures, cooling water cycles are susceptible to biofouling, inorganic fouling and scaling, which may reduce heat transfer and enhance corrosion. Hypochlorite treatment or antifouling coatings are used to prevent biological fouling in these systems. In this research, we examine biofouling and materials' degradation in a brackish seawater environment using a range of test materials, both uncoated and coated. The fouling and corrosion resistance of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V), super austenitic stainless steel (254SMO) and epoxy-coated carbon steel (Intershield Inerta160) were studied in the absence and presence of hypochlorite. Our results demonstrate that biological fouling is intensive in cooling systems using brackish seawater in sub-arctic areas. The microfouling comprised a vast diversity of bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae and protozoa. Chlorination was effective against biological fouling: up to a 10-1000-fold decrease in bacterial and archaeal numbers was detected. Chlorination also changed the diversity of the biofilm-forming community. Nevertheless, our results also suggest that chlorination enhances cracking of the epoxy coating.

Influence of photo-induced superhydrophilicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the anti-fouling performance of ultrafiltration membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madaeni, S.S., E-mail: smadaeni@yahoo.com [Membrane Research Center, Department of Chemical Engineering, Razi University, Tagh Bostan, 67149 Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ghaemi, N. [Membrane Research Center, Department of Chemical Engineering, Razi University, Tagh Bostan, 67149 Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Chemical Engineering, Kermanshah University of Technology, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Alizadeh, A. [Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Research Centre (NNRC), Faculty of Chemistry, Razi University, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Joshaghani, M. [Faculty of Chemistry, Razi University, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2011-05-01

Fouling is one of the most present prominent problems in almost all membrane processes. An increase in the membrane hydrophilicity is one of the effective ways to improve the membrane resistance to fouling. In this research, TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of composite ultrafiltration (UF) membrane, and then irradiated by ultraviolet (UV) light. The coating of the membrane surface with TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles and radiation with (UV) light led to the considerable increase of hydrophilicity on the membrane surface. The deposition of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles was carried out through coordinance bonds with OH functional groups of the polymer on the membrane surface. The flux through a coated and (UV) light radiated membrane was increased to a large extent compared to a virgin membrane. In this research, the effect of different concentrations of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles in the presence and absence of (UV) irradiation was investigated, and the role of increasing of hydrophilicity on the anti-fouling property of membranes was studied. In order to characterize the membranes FTIR, XRD, SEM, water contact angle and cross-flow filtration were employed. This procedure is a useful technique for improvement of hydrophilicity to decrease (increase) fouling (anti-fouling performance) and enhance the permeation of membranes.

Numerical Evaluation of Averaging BDFT(bidirectional flow tube) Flow Meter on Applicability in the Fouling Condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, J. P.; Jeong, J. H.; Yuna, B. J.; Jerng, D. W.

2013-01-01

The results show that the averaging BDFT is a promising flow meter for the accurate measurement of flow rates in the fouling condition of the NPPs. A new instrumentation, an averaging BDFT, was proposed to measure the accurate flow rate under corrosion environment. In this study, to validate the applicability of the averaging BDFT on the fouling conditions, flow analyses using the CFD code were performed. Analyses results show that this averaging BDFT does not lose the measuring performance even under the corrosion environment. Therefore, it is expected that the averaging BDFT can replace the type flow meters for the feedwater pipe of steam generator of NPPs. Most of the NPPs adopt pressure difference type flow meters such as venturi and orifice meters for the measurement of feedwater flow rates to calculate reactor thermal power. However, corrosion products in the feedwater deposits on the flow meter as operating time goes. These effects lead to severe errors in the flow indication and then determination of reactor thermal power. The averaging BDFT has a potentiality to minimize this problem. Therefore, it is expected that the averaging BDFT can replace the type venturi meters for the feedwater pipe of steam generator of NPPs. The present work compares the amplification factor, K, based on CFD calculation against the K obtained from experiments in order to confirm whether a CFD code can be applicable to the evaluation of characteristic for the averaging BDFT. In addition to this, the simulations to take into account of fouling effect are also carried out by rough wall option

Validation of the method for determination of the thermal resistance of fouling in shell and tube heat exchangers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markowski, Mariusz; Trafczynski, Marian; Urbaniec, Krzysztof

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Heat recovery in a heat exchanger network (HEN). • A novel method for on-line determination of the thermal resistance of fouling is presented. • Details are developed for shell and tube heat exchangers. • The method was validated and sensibility analysis was carried out. • Developed approach allows long-term monitoring of changes in the HEN efficiency. - Abstract: A novel method for on-line determination of the thermal resistance of fouling in shell and tube heat exchangers is presented. It can be applied under the condition that the data on pressure, temperature, mass flowrate and thermophysical properties of both heat-exchanging media are continuously available. The calculation algorithm for use in the novel method is robust and ensures reliable determination of the thermal resistance of fouling even if the operating parameters fluctuate. The method was validated using measurement data retrieved from the operation records of a heat exchanger network connected with a crude distillation unit rated 800 t/h. Sensibility analysis of the method was carried out and the calculated values of the thermal resistance of fouling were critically reviewed considering the results of qualitative evaluation of fouling layers in the exchangers inspected during plant overhaul

Contribution of assimilable organic carbon to biological fouling in seawater reverse osmosis membrane treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinrich, Lauren; LeChevallier, Mark; Haas, Charles N

2016-09-15

Biological fouling occurs on RO membranes when bacteria and nutrients are present in conditions that are conducive to growth and proliferation of the bacteria. Controlling microbial growth on the membranes is typically limited to biocide application (i.e., disinfectants) in seawater RO plants. However, biological growth and subsequent fouling has not been well-managed. Pretreatment has not been focused on nutrient limitation. This project used a biological assay, the assimilable organic carbon (AOC) test to evaluate pretreatment effects on the nutrient supply. The AOC test provided a useful surrogate measurement for the biodegradability or biofouling potential of RO feed water. Biofouling observed in controlled conditions at the bench- and pilot-scale resulted in statistically significant correlations between AOC and the operational effects caused by biofouling. Membrane fouling rates are observed through operational changes over time such as increased differential pressure between the membrane feed and concentrate locations and decreased permeate flux through the membrane. In full scale plants there were strong correlations when AOC was used as a predictor variable for increased differential pressure (0.28-0.55 bar from September-December 2012) and decreased specific flux (1.40 L per hour/(m(2) · bar)). Increased differential pressure was associated with RO membrane biological fouling when the median AOC was 50 μg/L during pilot testing. Conditions were also evaluated at the bench-scale using a flat sheet RO membrane. In a comparison test using 30 and 1000 μg/L AOC, fouling was detected on more portions of the membrane when AOC was higher. Biofilm and bacterial deposits were apparent from scanning electron microscope imaging and biomass measurements using ATP. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving the organic and biological fouling resistance and removal of pharmaceutical and personal care products through nanofiltration by using in situ radical graft polymerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yi-Li; Tsai, Chia-Cheng; Zheng, Nai-Yun

2018-09-01

In this study, an insitu radical graft polarization technique using monomers of 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt (SPM) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) was applied to a commercial nanofiltration membrane (NF90) to improve its removal of six commonly detected pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) and mitigate organic and biological fouling by humic acid (HA) and sodium alginate (SA). Compared with the virgin membrane, the modified NF90 membrane exhibited considerably improved fouling resistance and an increased reversible fouling percentage, especially for SA+HA composite fouling Moreover, the PPCP removal of the modified NF90 membrane was higher than that of the virgin membrane after SA and SA+HA fouling, respectively. Triclosan and carbamazepine, which are poorly rejected, could be effectively removed by modified membrane after SA or SA+HA fouling. Both monomers modified the membrane surface by increasing the hydrophilicity and decreasing the contact angle. The degree of grafting was quantified using attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The mitigation in the fouling was evident from the low quantity of deposit formed on the modified membrane, as observed using scanning electron microscopy. A considerable amount of highly hydrophobic triclosan was adsorbed on the SA-fouled virgin membrane and penetrated through it. By contrast, the adsorption of triclosan was substantially lower in the SPM-modified membrane. After membrane modification, the fouling mechanism changed from solely intermediate blocking to both intermediate blocking and complete blocking after membrane modification. Thus, the in situ radical graft polymerization method effectively reduces organic and biological fouling and provides high PPCP removal, which is beneficial for fouling control and produces permeate of satisfactory quality for application in the field of membrane technology. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Flow and fouling in membrane filters: Effects of membrane morphology

Science.gov (United States)

Sanaei, Pejman; Cummings, Linda J.

2015-11-01

Membrane filters are widely-used in microfiltration applications. Many types of filter membranes are produced commercially, for different filtration applications, but broadly speaking the requirements are to achieve fine control of separation, with low power consumption. The answer to this problem might seem obvious: select the membrane with the largest pore size and void fraction consistent with the separation requirements. However, membrane fouling (an inevitable consequence of successful filtration) is a complicated process, which depends on many parameters other than membrane pore size and void fraction; and which itself greatly affects the filtration process and membrane functionality. In this work we formulate mathematical models that can (i) account for the membrane internal morphology (internal structure, pore size & shape, etc.); (ii) fouling of membranes with specific morphology; and (iii) make some predictions as to what type of membrane morphology might offer optimum filtration performance.

Studies of polypropylene membrane fouling during microfiltration of broth with Citrobacter freundii bacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gryta Marek

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this work a fouling study of polypropylene membranes used for microfiltration of glycerol solutions fermented by Citrobacter freundii bacteria was presented. The permeate free of C. freundii bacteria and having a turbidity in the range of 0.72–1.46 NTU was obtained. However, the initial permeate flux (100–110 L/m2h at 30 kPa of transmembrane pressure was decreased 3–5 fold during 2–3 h of process duration. The performed scanning electron microscope observations confirmed that the filtered bacteria and suspensions present in the broth formed a cake layer on the membrane surface. A method of periodical module rinsing was used for restriction of the fouling influence on a flux decline. Rinsing with water removed most of the bacteria from the membrane surface, but did not permit to restore the initial permeate flux. It was confirmed that the irreversible fouling was dominated during broth filtration. The formed deposit was removed using a 1 wt% solution of sodium hydroxide as a rinsing solution.

Applying thermosettable zwitterionic copolymers as general fouling-resistant and thermal-tolerant biomaterial interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Ying-Nien; Chang, Yung; Wen, Ten-Chin

2015-05-20

We introduced a thermosettable zwitterionic copolymer to design a high temperature tolerance biomaterial as a general antifouling polymer interface. The original synthetic fouling-resistant copolymer, poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-co-poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (poly(VP-co-SBMA)), is both thermal-tolerant and fouling-resistant, and the antifouling stability of copolymer coated interfaces can be effectively controlled by regulating the VP/SBMA composition ratio. We studied poly(VP-co-SBMA) copolymer gels and networks with a focus on their general resistance to protein, cell, and bacterial bioadhesion, as influenced by the thermosetting process. Interestingly, we found that the shape of the poly(VP-co-SBMA) copolymer material can be set at a high annealing temperature of 200 °C while maintaining good antifouling properties. However, while the zwitterionic PSBMA polymer gels were bioinert as expected, control of the fouling resistance of the PSBMA polymer networks was lost in the high temperature annealing process. A poly(VP-co-SBMA) copolymer network composed of PSBMA segments at 32 mol % showed reduced fibrinogen adsorption, tissue cell adhesion, and bacterial attachment, but a relatively higher PSBMA content of 61 mol % was required to optimize resistance to platelet adhesion and erythrocyte attachment to confer hemocompatibility to human blood. We suggest that poly(VP-co-SBMA) copolymers capable of retaining stable fouling resistance after high temperature shaping have a potential application as thermosettable materials in a bioinert interface for medical devices, such as the thermosettable coating on a stainless steel blood-compatible metal stent investigated in this study.

Fouling layer characterization and pore-blocking mechanisms in an ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fouling layer characterization and pore-blocking mechanisms in an UF membrane externally coupled to a UASB reactor. ... Regarding pore-blocking mechanisms, standard blocking was the predominant mechanism at the beginning of filtration, coexisting at the end of it with cake filtration. In the first filtration cycle (1 h), after ...

Temperature and body weight affect fouling of pig pens

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aarnink, A.J.A.; Schrama, J.W.; Heetkamp, M.J.W.; Stefanowska, J.; Huynh, T.T.T.

2006-01-01

Fouling of the solid lying area in pig housing is undesirable for reasons of animal welfare, animal health, environmental pollution, and labor costs. In this study the influence of temperature on the excreting and lying behavior of growing-finishing pigs of different BW (25, 45, 65, 85, or 105 kg)

Assessment of silt density index (SDI) as fouling propensity parameter in reverse osmosis (RO) desalination systems

KAUST Repository

Rachman, Rinaldi

2013-01-01

Due to its simplicity, silt density index (SDI) is extensively used in reverse osmosis systems despite its limitations in predicting membrane fouling. Employing a reliable fouling index with good reproducibility and precision is necessary. The aim of this investigation is to assess the reliability of SDI in order to understand the reasons for the low level of precision and accuracy. Different commercial SDI membranes and feed water quality were used in this study. Results showed the existence of membrane properties\\' variation within manufacturers, which then causes a lack of accuracy in fouling risk estimation. The nature of particles during SDI filtration provides information that particle concentration and size play a significant role in SDI quantification with substantial representation given by particles with size close to membrane nominal pore size. Moreover, turbidity-assisted SDI measurements along with determination of ultrafiltration permeate and clean water fouling potential, establish the indication of nonfouling-related phenomena involved on SDI measurement such as natural organic matter adsorption and hydrodynamic conditions that alters during filtration. Additionally, it was found that the latter affects the sensitivity of SDI by being represented by some portions of SDI values. © 2013 Desalination Publications.

Assessment of silt density index (SDI) as fouling propensity parameter in reverse osmosis (RO) desalination systems

KAUST Repository

Rachman, Rinaldi; Ghaffour, NorEddine; Wali, F.; Amy, Gary L.

2013-01-01

Due to its simplicity, silt density index (SDI) is extensively used in reverse osmosis systems despite its limitations in predicting membrane fouling. Employing a reliable fouling index with good reproducibility and precision is necessary. The aim of this investigation is to assess the reliability of SDI in order to understand the reasons for the low level of precision and accuracy. Different commercial SDI membranes and feed water quality were used in this study. Results showed the existence of membrane properties' variation within manufacturers, which then causes a lack of accuracy in fouling risk estimation. The nature of particles during SDI filtration provides information that particle concentration and size play a significant role in SDI quantification with substantial representation given by particles with size close to membrane nominal pore size. Moreover, turbidity-assisted SDI measurements along with determination of ultrafiltration permeate and clean water fouling potential, establish the indication of nonfouling-related phenomena involved on SDI measurement such as natural organic matter adsorption and hydrodynamic conditions that alters during filtration. Additionally, it was found that the latter affects the sensitivity of SDI by being represented by some portions of SDI values. © 2013 Desalination Publications.

Impact of PAC Fines in Fouling of Polymeric and Ceramic Low-Pressure Membranes for Drinking Water Treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Oligny, Laurent; Bérubé, Pierre R.; Barbeau, Benoit

2016-01-01

This study assessed the issue of membrane fouling in a Hybrid Membrane Process (HMP) due to the export of powdered activated carbon (PAC) fines from a pretreatment contactor. Two parallel pilot-scale ceramic and polymeric membranes were studied. Reversible and irreversible foulings were measured following three cleaning procedures: Physical backwashing (BW), chemically enhanced backwashing (CEB) and Clean-in-Place (CIP). The impacts on fouling of membrane type, operation flux increase and the presence/absence of the PAC pretreatment were investigated. Membranes without pretreatment were operated in parallel as a control. In addition, CIP washwaters samples were analyzed to measure organic and inorganic foulants removed from the membranes. It was observed that for the polymeric membranes, fouling generally increased with the presence of the PAC pretreatment because of the export of fines. On the contrary, the ceramic membranes were not significantly impacted by their presence. The analysis of CIP washwaters showed a greater total organic carbon (TOC) content on membranes with a PAC pretreatment while no similar conclusion could be made for inorganic foulants. PMID:27399788

Impact of PAC Fines in Fouling of Polymeric and Ceramic Low-Pressure Membranes for Drinking Water Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Oligny, Laurent; Bérubé, Pierre R; Barbeau, Benoit

2016-07-07

This study assessed the issue of membrane fouling in a Hybrid Membrane Process (HMP) due to the export of powdered activated carbon (PAC) fines from a pretreatment contactor. Two parallel pilot-scale ceramic and polymeric membranes were studied. Reversible and irreversible foulings were measured following three cleaning procedures: Physical backwashing (BW), chemically enhanced backwashing (CEB) and Clean-in-Place (CIP). The impacts on fouling of membrane type, operation flux increase and the presence/absence of the PAC pretreatment were investigated. Membranes without pretreatment were operated in parallel as a control. In addition, CIP washwaters samples were analyzed to measure organic and inorganic foulants removed from the membranes. It was observed that for the polymeric membranes, fouling generally increased with the presence of the PAC pretreatment because of the export of fines. On the contrary, the ceramic membranes were not significantly impacted by their presence. The analysis of CIP washwaters showed a greater total organic carbon (TOC) content on membranes with a PAC pretreatment while no similar conclusion could be made for inorganic foulants.

Impact of PAC Fines in Fouling of Polymeric and Ceramic Low-Pressure Membranes for Drinking Water Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurent Oligny

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This study assessed the issue of membrane fouling in a Hybrid Membrane Process (HMP due to the export of powdered activated carbon (PAC fines from a pretreatment contactor. Two parallel pilot-scale ceramic and polymeric membranes were studied. Reversible and irreversible foulings were measured following three cleaning procedures: Physical backwashing (BW, chemically enhanced backwashing (CEB and Clean-in-Place (CIP. The impacts on fouling of membrane type, operation flux increase and the presence/absence of the PAC pretreatment were investigated. Membranes without pretreatment were operated in parallel as a control. In addition, CIP washwaters samples were analyzed to measure organic and inorganic foulants removed from the membranes. It was observed that for the polymeric membranes, fouling generally increased with the presence of the PAC pretreatment because of the export of fines. On the contrary, the ceramic membranes were not significantly impacted by their presence. The analysis of CIP washwaters showed a greater total organic carbon (TOC content on membranes with a PAC pretreatment while no similar conclusion could be made for inorganic foulants.

The use of food grade oil in the prevention of vase tunicate fouling on mussel aquaculture gear

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiselle A. BAKKER

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Current mitigation strategies against invasive tunicates on mussel aquaculture gear in Prince Edward Island concentrate on labour-intensive and costly fouling removal. Instead of removal, this study focused on preventing the settlement of the vase tunicate Ciona intestinalis and other fouling organisms by applying a layer of food grade oil to gear prior to recruitment. Laboratory tests established the adherence and persistence of shortening, a food grade oil with a melting point exceeding ambient water temperatures, to rope and mussels. In situ tests showed that shortening decreased C. intestinalis weight and abundance on buoys, spat collector ropes and collector plates but not on mussel socks. Fouling by algae and other tunicates was significantly reduced on most substrates. There were no detrimental effects of shortening treatment on mussel length and abundance on mussel socks, but total mussel weight was significantly lower on shortening-treated socks. Shortening treatment did not significantly affect mussel spat settlement on spat collector ropes, but further evaluation is required. Overall, shortening application has considerable potential for reducing tunicate and other fouling, particularly on buoys.

Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) removal efficiency by a combination of coagulation and ultrafiltration to minimize SWRO membrane fouling

KAUST Repository

Li, Sheng; Lee, Shang-Tse; Sinha, Shahnawaz; Leiknes, TorOve; Amy, Gary L.; Ghaffour, NorEddine

2016-01-01

This study investigated the impact of coagulation on the transformation between colloidal and particulate transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) in seawater; and the effectiveness of a combined pretreatment consisting of coagulation and UF on minimizing TEP fouling of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes. Coagulation with ferric chloride at pH 5 substantially transformed colloidal TEP (0.1–0.4) into particulate TEP (>0.4) leading to a better membrane fouling control. Both 50 and 100 kDa molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) UF membranes removed most of particulate and colloidal TEP without the assistance of coagulation, but coagulation is still necessary for better UF fouling control. The improvement of combined SWRO pretreatment with coagulation and 50 kDa UF membranes was not that much significant compared to UF pretreatment with 50 KDa alone. Therefore, the minimal coagulant dosage for seawater containing TEP should be based on the UF fouling control requirements rather than removal efficiency. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd

Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) removal efficiency by a combination of coagulation and ultrafiltration to minimize SWRO membrane fouling

KAUST Repository

Li, Sheng

2016-07-02

This study investigated the impact of coagulation on the transformation between colloidal and particulate transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) in seawater; and the effectiveness of a combined pretreatment consisting of coagulation and UF on minimizing TEP fouling of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes. Coagulation with ferric chloride at pH 5 substantially transformed colloidal TEP (0.1–0.4) into particulate TEP (>0.4) leading to a better membrane fouling control. Both 50 and 100 kDa molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) UF membranes removed most of particulate and colloidal TEP without the assistance of coagulation, but coagulation is still necessary for better UF fouling control. The improvement of combined SWRO pretreatment with coagulation and 50 kDa UF membranes was not that much significant compared to UF pretreatment with 50 KDa alone. Therefore, the minimal coagulant dosage for seawater containing TEP should be based on the UF fouling control requirements rather than removal efficiency. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd

Influence of membrane properties on fouling in submerged membrane bioreactors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Marel, P.; Zwijnenburg, A.; Kemperman, Antonius J.B.; Wessling, Matthias; Temmink, Hardy; van der Meer, Walterus Gijsbertus Joseph

2010-01-01

Polymeric flat-sheet membranes with different properties were used in filtration experiments with activated sludge from a pilot-scale MBR to investigate the influence of membrane pore size, surface porosity, pore morphology, and hydrophobicity on membrane fouling. An improved flux-step method was

Effect of granular activated carbon addition on the effluent properties and fouling potentials of membrane-coupled expanded granular sludge bed process.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, An; Liang, Heng; Qu, Fangshu; Bai, Langming; Li, Guibai; Ngo, Huu Hao; Guo, Wenshan

2014-11-01

To mitigate membrane fouling of membrane-coupled anaerobic process, granular activated carbon (GAC: 50 g/L) was added into an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB). A short-term ultrafiltration test was investigated for analyzing membrane fouling potential and underlying fouling mechanisms. The results showed that adding GAC into the EGSB not only improved the COD removal efficiency, but also alleviated membrane fouling efficiently because GAC could help to reduce soluble microbial products, polysaccharides and proteins by 26.8%, 27.8% and 24.7%, respectively, compared with the control system. Furthermore, excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy analysis revealed that GAC addition mainly reduced tryptophan protein-like, aromatic protein-like and fulvic-like substances. In addition, the resistance distribution analysis demonstrated that adding GAC primarily decreased the cake layer resistance by 53.5%. The classic filtration mode analysis showed that cake filtration was the major fouling mechanism for membrane-coupled EGSB process regardless of the GAC addition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of skim milk treated with high hydrostatic pressure on permeate flux and fouling during ultrafiltration.

Science.gov (United States)

Leu, Mathilde; Marciniak, Alice; Chamberland, Julien; Pouliot, Yves; Bazinet, Laurent; Doyen, Alain

2017-09-01

Ultrafiltration (UF) is largely used in the dairy industry to generate milk and whey protein concentrate for standardization of milk or production of dairy ingredients. Recently, it was demonstrated that high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) extended the shelf life of milk and improved rennet coagulation and cheese yield. Pressurization also modified casein micelle size distribution and promoted aggregation of whey proteins. These changes are likely to affect UF performance. Consequently, this study determined the effect of skim milk pressurization (300 and 600 MPa, 5 min) on UF performance in terms of permeate flux decline and fouling. The effect of HHP on milk proteins was first studied and UF was performed in total recycle mode at different transmembrane pressures to determine optimal UF operational parameters and to evaluate the effect of pressurization on critical and limiting fluxes. Ultrafiltration was also performed in concentration mode at a transmembrane pressure of 345 kPa for 130 or 140 min to evaluate the decline of permeate flux and to determine fouling resistances. It was observed that average casein micelle size decreased by 32 and 38%, whereas β-lactoglobulin denaturation reached 30 and 70% at 300 and 600 MPa, respectively. These results were directly related to UF performance because initial permeate fluxes in total recycle mode decreased by 25% at 300 and 600 MPa compared with nonpressurized milk, critical flux, and limiting flux, which were lower during UF of milk treated with HHP. During UF in concentration mode, initial permeate fluxes were 30% lower at 300 and 600 MPa compared with the control, but the total flux decline was higher for nonpressurized milk (62%) compared with pressure-treated milk (30%). Fouling resistances were similar, whatever the treatment, except at 600 MPa where irreversible fouling was higher. Characterization of the fouling layer showed that caseins and β-lactoglobulin were mainly involved in membrane fouling after UF of

Growth of fouling diatoms from the Zuari estuary, Goa (west coast of India) under different salinities in the laboratory

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Redekar, P.D.; Wagh, A.B.

Diatoms take part in the initial process of fouling i.e. primary film formation. In order to understand the growth of the diatoms under different salinity conditions in the laboratory, this work was undertaken. Fouling diatoms on glass slides were...

Composite Membrane with Underwater-Oleophobic Surface for Anti-Oil-Fouling Membrane Distillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhangxin; Hou, Deyin; Lin, Shihong

2016-04-05

In this study, we fabricated a composite membrane for membrane distillation (MD) by modifying a commercial hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane with a nanocomposite coating comprising silica nanoparticles, chitosan hydrogel and fluoro-polymer. The composite membrane exhibits asymmetric wettability, with the modified surface being in-air hydrophilic and underwater oleophobic, and the unmodified surface remaining hydrophobic. By comparing the performance of the composite membrane and the pristine PVDF membrane in direct contact MD experiments using a saline emulsion with 1000 ppm crude oil (in water), we showed that the fabricated composite membrane was significantly more resistant to oil fouling compared to the pristine hydrophobic PVDF membrane. Force spectroscopy was conducted for the interaction between an oil droplet and the membrane surface using a force tensiometer. The difference between the composite membrane and the pristine PVDF membrane in their interaction with an oil droplet served to explain the difference in the fouling propensities between these two membranes observed in MD experiments. The results from this study suggest that underwater oleophobic coating can effectively mitigate oil fouling in MD operations, and that the fabricated composite membrane with asymmetric wettability can enable MD to desalinate hypersaline wastewater with high concentrations of hydrophobic contaminants.

Flux Enhancement in Crossflow Membrane Filtration: Fouling and It's Minimization by Flow Reversal. Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shamsuddin Ilias

2005-01-01

Fouling problems are perhaps the single most important reason for relatively slow acceptance of ultrafiltration in many areas of chemical and biological processing. To overcome the losses in permeate flux associated with concentration polarization and fouling in cross flow membrane filtration, we investigated the concept of flow reversal as a method to enhance membrane flux in ultrafiltration. Conceptually, flow reversal prevents the formation of stable hydrodynamic and concentration boundary layers at or near the membrane surface. Further more, periodic reversal of the flow direction of the feed stream at the membrane surface results in prevention and mitigation of membrane fouling. Consequently, these advantages are expected to enhance membrane flux significantly. A crossflow membrane filtration unit was designed and built to test the concept of periodic flow reversal for flux enhancement. The essential elements of the system include a crossflow hollow fiber membrane module integrated with a two-way valve to direct the feed flow directions. The two-way valve is controlled by a controller-timer for periodic reversal of flow of feed stream. Another important feature of the system is that with changing feed flow direction, the permeate flow direction is also changed to maintain countercurrent feed and permeate flows for enhanced mass transfer driving force (concentration difference). Three feed solutions (Bovine serum albumin (BSA), apple juice and citrus fruit pectin) were studied in crossflow membrane filtration. These solutes are well-known in membrane filtration for their fouling and concentration polarization potentials. Laboratory-scale tests on a hollow-fiber ultrafiltration membrane module using each of the feed solutes show that under flow reversal conditions, the permeate flux is significantly enhanced when compared with the conventional unidirectional flow. The flux enhancement is dramatic (by an order of magnitude) with increased feed concentration and

Fouling resistance prediction using artificial neural network nonlinear auto-regressive with exogenous input model based on operating conditions and fluid properties correlations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biyanto, Totok R. [Department of Engineering Physics, Institute Technology of Sepuluh Nopember Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia 60111 (Indonesia)

2016-06-03

Fouling in a heat exchanger in Crude Preheat Train (CPT) refinery is an unsolved problem that reduces the plant efficiency, increases fuel consumption and CO{sub 2} emission. The fouling resistance behavior is very complex. It is difficult to develop a model using first principle equation to predict the fouling resistance due to different operating conditions and different crude blends. In this paper, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) MultiLayer Perceptron (MLP) with input structure using Nonlinear Auto-Regressive with eXogenous (NARX) is utilized to build the fouling resistance model in shell and tube heat exchanger (STHX). The input data of the model are flow rates and temperatures of the streams of the heat exchanger, physical properties of product and crude blend data. This model serves as a predicting tool to optimize operating conditions and preventive maintenance of STHX. The results show that the model can capture the complexity of fouling characteristics in heat exchanger due to thermodynamic conditions and variations in crude oil properties (blends). It was found that the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) are suitable to capture the nonlinearity and complexity of the STHX fouling resistance during phases of training and validation.

Design of poly(vinylidene fluoride)-g-p(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-N-isopropylacrylamide) membrane via surface modification for enhanced fouling resistance and release property

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Guili; Chen, Wei Ning

2017-01-01

Highlights: • PVDF modified membranes were designed by grafting PNIPAAm, PHEMA and their copolymer. • Fouling resistance and release property of membrane were both improved after modification. • Bacterial attachment and detachment were investigated to evaluate fouling release property. • Improvement of the antifouling property was justified by surface property analysis. • The copolymer modified membrane exhibited higher performance to release foulant. - Abstract: Thermo-sensitive polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), hydrophilic polymer poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and copolymer p(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-N-isopropylacrylamide) [P(HEMA-co-NIPAAm)] were synthesized onto poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) in order to improve not only fouling resistance but also fouling release property. The physicochemical properties of membranes including hydrophilicity, morphology and roughness were examined by contact angle analyzer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The antifouling property of membranes was improved remarkably after surface modification according to protein and bacterial adhesion testing, and filtration experiment. Minimum protein adsorption and bacterial adhesion were both obtained on PVDF-g-P(HEMA-co-NIPAAm) membrane, with reduction by 44% and 71% respectively compared to the pristine membrane. The minimum bacterial cells after detachment at 25 °C were observed on the PVDF-g-P(HEMA-co-NIPAAm) membrane with the detachment rate of 77%, indicating high fouling release property. The filtration testing indicated that the copolymer modified membrane exhibited high resistance to protein fouling and the foulant on the surface was released and removed easily by washing, suggesting high fouling release and easy-cleaning capacity. This study provides useful insight in the combined “fouling resistance” and “fouling release�

Design of poly(vinylidene fluoride)-g-p(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-N-isopropylacrylamide) membrane via surface modification for enhanced fouling resistance and release property

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Guili [Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Interdisciplinary Graduate School, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, Singapore 637141 (Singapore); Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, Singapore 637141 (Singapore); School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459 (Singapore); Chen, Wei Ning, E-mail: WNChen@ntu.edu.sg [School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459 (Singapore)

2017-03-15

Highlights: • PVDF modified membranes were designed by grafting PNIPAAm, PHEMA and their copolymer. • Fouling resistance and release property of membrane were both improved after modification. • Bacterial attachment and detachment were investigated to evaluate fouling release property. • Improvement of the antifouling property was justified by surface property analysis. • The copolymer modified membrane exhibited higher performance to release foulant. - Abstract: Thermo-sensitive polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), hydrophilic polymer poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and copolymer p(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-N-isopropylacrylamide) [P(HEMA-co-NIPAAm)] were synthesized onto poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) in order to improve not only fouling resistance but also fouling release property. The physicochemical properties of membranes including hydrophilicity, morphology and roughness were examined by contact angle analyzer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The antifouling property of membranes was improved remarkably after surface modification according to protein and bacterial adhesion testing, and filtration experiment. Minimum protein adsorption and bacterial adhesion were both obtained on PVDF-g-P(HEMA-co-NIPAAm) membrane, with reduction by 44% and 71% respectively compared to the pristine membrane. The minimum bacterial cells after detachment at 25 °C were observed on the PVDF-g-P(HEMA-co-NIPAAm) membrane with the detachment rate of 77%, indicating high fouling release property. The filtration testing indicated that the copolymer modified membrane exhibited high resistance to protein fouling and the foulant on the surface was released and removed easily by washing, suggesting high fouling release and easy-cleaning capacity. This study provides useful insight in the combined “fouling resistance” and “fouling release�

Fouling-resistant polymer brush coatings

KAUST Repository

Thérien-Aubin, Héloïse

2011-11-01

A major problem to be addressed with thin composite films used in processes such as coatings or water purification is the biofouling of the surface. To address this problem in a model system, functionalized polyaramide membranes containing an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator were synthesized as a versatile approach to easily modify the surface properties of the polyaramide. Poly(methacrylic acid) brushes were grown using surface initiated ATRP followed by the functionalization of the poly(methacrylic acid) brushes with different side-chains chosen to reduce adhesion between the membrane and foulant. The relation between membrane fouling and the physicochemical properties of the surface was investigated in detail. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fouling-resistant polymer brush coatings

KAUST Repository

Thé rien-Aubin, Hé loï se; Chen, Lin; Ober, Christopher K.

2011-01-01

A major problem to be addressed with thin composite films used in processes such as coatings or water purification is the biofouling of the surface. To address this problem in a model system, functionalized polyaramide membranes containing an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator were synthesized as a versatile approach to easily modify the surface properties of the polyaramide. Poly(methacrylic acid) brushes were grown using surface initiated ATRP followed by the functionalization of the poly(methacrylic acid) brushes with different side-chains chosen to reduce adhesion between the membrane and foulant. The relation between membrane fouling and the physicochemical properties of the surface was investigated in detail. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fouling control in a lab-scale MBR system: Comparison of several commercially applied coagulants.

Science.gov (United States)

Gkotsis, P K; Batsari, E L; Peleka, E N; Tolkou, A K; Zouboulis, A I

2017-12-01

The Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) integrate the biological degradation of pollutants with membrane filtration-separation during wastewater treatment. Membrane fouling, which is considered as the main process drawback, stems from the interaction between the membrane material and the (organic or inorganic) foulants, leading to membrane's efficiency deterioration. It is widely recognized that the mixed liquor colloidal and Soluble Microbial Products (SMP) are in principal responsible for this undesirable situation. As a result, the appropriate pretreatment of wastewater feed is often considered as necessary procedure and the coagulation/flocculation (C/F) process is regarded as a relevant viable option for wastewater treatment by MBRs in order to improve the effective removal of suspended solids (SS), of colloidal particles, of natural organic matter (NOM), as well as of other soluble materials. The objective of this study is the application of coagulation/flocculation for fouling control of MBR systems by using several commercially available chemical coagulant/flocculant agents. For this purpose, an appropriate lab-scale continuous-flow, fully automatic MBR system has been assembled and various (inorganic) coagulants (i.e. FeCl 3 ∙6H 2 O, Fe 2 (SO 4 ) 3 ·5H 2 O, FeClSO 4 , PFS 0.3 , PAC A9-M, PAC-A16, Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 ·18H 2 O, FO4350SSH, NaAlO 2 ) have been examined. Filterability tests and SMP concentration measurements were also conducted in order to investigate the reversible, as well as the irreversible fouling, respectively. Based upon the obtained results and after selecting the most efficient coagulants (FeCl 3 ·6H 2 O, Fe 2 (SO 4 ) 3 ·5H 2 O, FeClSO 4 , PAC-A9, PAC-A16), an attempt was subsequently performed to correlate the major fouling indices (i.e. TMP, TTF, SMP concentration) in order to improve the overall process operability by this fouling control method. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A semi-empirical model for the prediction of fouling in railway ballast using GPR

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchini Ciampoli, Luca; Tosti, Fabio; Benedetto, Andrea; Alani, Amir M.; Loizos, Andreas; D'Amico, Fabrizio; Calvi, Alessandro

2016-04-01

The first step in the planning for a renewal of a railway network consists in gathering information, as effectively as possible, about the state of the railway tracks. Nowadays, this activity is mostly carried out by digging trenches at regular intervals along the whole network, to evaluate both geometrical and geotechnical properties of the railway track bed. This involves issues, mainly concerning the invasiveness of the operations, the impacts on the rail traffic, the high costs, and the low levels of significance concerning such discrete data set. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) can represent a useful technique for overstepping these issues, as it can be directly mounted onto a train crossing the railway, and collect continuous information along the network. This study is aimed at defining an empirical model for the prediction of fouling in railway ballast, by using GPR. With this purpose, a thorough laboratory campaign was implemented within the facilities of Roma Tre University. In more details, a 1.47 m long × 1.47 m wide × 0.48 m height plexiglass framework, accounting for the domain of investigation, was laid over a perfect electric conductor, and filled up with several configuration of railway ballast and fouling material (clayey sand), thereby representing different levels of fouling. Then, the set of fouling configurations was surveyed with several GPR systems. In particular, a ground-coupled multi-channel radar (600 MHz and 1600 MHz center frequency antennas) and three air-launched radar systems (1000 MHz and 2000 MHz center frequency antennas) were employed for surveying the materials. By observing the results both in terms of time and frequency domains, interesting insights are highlighted and an empirical model, relating in particular the shape of the frequency spectrum of the signal and the percentage of fouling characterizing the surveyed material, is finally proposed. Acknowledgement The Authors thank COST, for funding the Action TU1208 "Civil

Fouling control mechanisms of demineralized water backwash: Reduction of charge screening and calcium bridging effects

KAUST Repository

Li, Sheng

2011-12-01

This paper investigates the impact of the ionic environment on the charge of colloidal natural organic matter (NOM) and ultrafiltration (UF) membranes (charge screening effect) and the calcium adsorption/bridging on new and fouled membranes (calcium bridging effect) by measuring the zeta potentials of membranes and colloidal NOM. Fouling experiments were conducted with natural water to determine whether the reduction of the charge screening effect and/or calcium bridging effect by backwashing with demineralized water can explain the observed reduction in fouling. Results show that the charge of both membranes and NOM, as measured by the zeta potential, became more negative at a lower pH and a lower concentration of electrolytes, in particular, divalent electrolytes. In addition, calcium also adsorbed onto the membranes, and consequently bridged colloidal NOM and membranes via binding with functional groups. The charge screening effect could be eliminated by flushing NOM and membranes with demineralized water, since a cation-free environment was established. However, only a limited amount of the calcium bridging connection was removed with demineralized water backwashes, so the calcium bridging effect mostly could not be eliminated. As demineralized water backwash was found to be effective in fouling control, it can be concluded that the reduction of the charge screening is the dominant mechanism for this. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Influence of Surface Properties of Filtration-Layer Metal Oxide on Ceramic Membrane Fouling during Ultrafiltration of Oil/Water Emulsion.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Dongwei; Zhang, Tao; Gutierrez, Leo; Ma, Jun; Croué, Jean-Philippe

2016-05-03

In this work, ceramic ultrafiltration membranes deposited with different metal oxides (i.e., TiO2, Fe2O3, MnO2, CuO, and CeO2) of around 10 nm in thickness and similar roughness were tested for O/W emulsion treatment. A distinct membrane fouling tendency was observed, which closely correlated to the properties of the filtration-layer metal oxides (i.e., surface hydroxyl groups, hydrophilicity, surface charge, and adhesion energy for oil droplets). Consistent with the distinct bond strength of the surface hydroxyl groups, hydrophilicity of these common metal oxides is quite different. The differences in hydrophilicity consequently lead to different adhesion of these metal oxides toward oil droplets, consistent with the irreversible membrane fouling tendency. In addition, the surface charge of the metal oxide opposite to that of emulsion can help to alleviate irreversible membrane fouling in ultrafiltration. Highly hydrophilic Fe2O3 with the lowest fouling tendency could be a potential filtration-layer material for the fabrication/modification of ceramic membranes for O/W emulsion treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study clearly showing the correlations between surface properties of filtration-layer metal oxides and ceramic membrane fouling tendency by O/W emulsion.

Influence of surface properties of filtration-layer metal oxide on ceramic membrane fouling during ultrafiltration of oil/water emulsion

KAUST Repository

Lu, Dongwei; Zhang, Tao; Gutierrez, Leo; Ma, Jun; Croue, Jean-Philippe

2016-01-01

In this work, ceramic ultrafiltration membranes deposited with different metal oxides (i.e., TiO2, Fe2O3, MnO2, CuO, and CeO2) of around 10 nm in thickness and similar roughness were tested for O/W emulsion treatment. Distinct membrane fouling tendency was observed, which closely correlated to the properties of the filtration-layer metal oxides (i.e. surface hydroxyl groups, hydrophilicity, surface charge, and adhesion energy for oil droplets). In consistent with the distinct bond strength of the surface hydroxyl groups, hydrophilicity of these common metal oxides are quite different. The differences in hydrophilicity consequently lead to different adhesion of these metal oxides towards oil droplets which consists very well with irreversible membrane fouling tendency. In addition, the surface charge of the metal oxide opposite to that of emulsion can help to alleviate irreversible membrane fouling in ultrafiltration. Highly hydrophilic Fe2O3 with lowest fouling tendency could be a potential filtration-layer material for the fabrication/modification of ceramic membranes for O/W emulsion treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study clearly showing the correlations between surface properties of filtration-layer metal oxides and ceramic membrane fouling tendency by O/W emulsion.

Influence of surface properties of filtration-layer metal oxide on ceramic membrane fouling during ultrafiltration of oil/water emulsion

KAUST Repository

Lu, Dongwei

2016-04-01

In this work, ceramic ultrafiltration membranes deposited with different metal oxides (i.e., TiO2, Fe2O3, MnO2, CuO, and CeO2) of around 10 nm in thickness and similar roughness were tested for O/W emulsion treatment. Distinct membrane fouling tendency was observed, which closely correlated to the properties of the filtration-layer metal oxides (i.e. surface hydroxyl groups, hydrophilicity, surface charge, and adhesion energy for oil droplets). In consistent with the distinct bond strength of the surface hydroxyl groups, hydrophilicity of these common metal oxides are quite different. The differences in hydrophilicity consequently lead to different adhesion of these metal oxides towards oil droplets which consists very well with irreversible membrane fouling tendency. In addition, the surface charge of the metal oxide opposite to that of emulsion can help to alleviate irreversible membrane fouling in ultrafiltration. Highly hydrophilic Fe2O3 with lowest fouling tendency could be a potential filtration-layer material for the fabrication/modification of ceramic membranes for O/W emulsion treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study clearly showing the correlations between surface properties of filtration-layer metal oxides and ceramic membrane fouling tendency by O/W emulsion.

Comparison of NF membrane fouling and cleaning by two pretreatment strategies for the advanced treatment of antibiotic production wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianxing; Li, Kun; Yu, Dawei; Zhang, Junya; Wei, Yuansong; Chen, Meixue; Shan, Baoqing

2016-01-01

The nanofiltration (NF) membrane fouling characteristics and cleaning strategies were investigated and compared for treating membrane bioreactor (MBR) effluent and MBR-granular activated carbon (GAC) effluent of an antibiotic production wastewater by DK membrane. Results showed that the fouling of treating MBR effluent was more severe than that of treating MBR-GAC effluent. After filtering for 216 h, the difference of membrane flux decline was obvious between MBR effluent and MBR-GAC effluent, with 14.9% and 10.3% flux decline, respectively. Further study showed that organic fouling is the main NF membrane fouling in the advanced treatment of antibiotic production wastewater for both of the two different effluents. Soluble microbial by-product like and tyrosine-like substances were the dominant components in the foulants, whereas humic-like substances existing in the effluents had little contribution to the NF membrane fouling. A satisfactory efficiency of NF chemical cleaning could be obtained using combination of acid (HCl, pH 2.0-2.5) and alkali (NaOH + 0.3 wt% NaDS, pH 10.0-10.5). The favorable cleaning strategy is acid-alkali for treating the MBR-GAC effluent, while it is alkali-acid for treating the MBR effluent.

Influence of diatomite addition on membrane fouling and performance in a submerged membrane bioreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiao-Li; Song, Hai-Liang; Lu, Ji-Lai; Fu, Da-Fang; Cheng, Bing

2010-12-01

This paper examined the effect of diatomite addition on membrane fouling and process performance in an anoxic/oxic submerged membrane bioreactor (A/O MBR). Particle size distribution, molecular weight distribution and microbial activity have been investigated to characterize the sludge mixed liquor. Results show that diatomite addition is a reliable and effective approach in terms of both membrane fouling mitigation and pollutants removal improvement. The MBR system with diatomite addition of 50 mg/L enhanced the removal of COD, TN and TP by 0.9%, 6.9% and 31.2%, respectively, as compared to the control MBR (without diatomite addition). The NH(4)-N removal always maintained at a high level of over 98% irrespective of diatomite addition. Due to the hybrid effect of adsorption and co-precipitation on fine colloids and dissolved organic matter (DOM) from the addition of diatomite, a reduction in foulants amount, an increase in microbial floc size and an improvement in sludge settleability have been achieved simultaneously. As a result, the membrane fouling rate was mitigated successfully. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fouling release nanostructured coatings based on PDMS-polyurea segmented copolymers

KAUST Repository

Fang, Jason

2010-05-01

The bulk and surface characteristics of a series of coatings based on PDMS-polyurea segmented copolymers were correlated to their fouling release performance. Incorporation of polyurea segments to PDMS backbone gives rise to phase separation with the extensively hydrogen bonded hard domains creating an interconnected network that imparts mechanical rigidity. Increasing the compositional complexity of the system by including fluorinated or POSS-functionalized chain extenders or through nanoclay intercalation, confers further thermomechanical improvements. In analogy to the bulk morphology, the surface topography also reflects the compositional complexity of the materials, displaying a wide range of motifs. Investigations on settlement and subsequent removal of Ulva sporelings on those nanostructured surfaces indicate that the work required to remove the microorganisms is significantly lower compared to coatings based on standard PDMS homopolymer. All in all, the series of materials considered in this study demonstrate advanced fouling release properties, while exhibiting superior mechanical properties and, thus, long term durability. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Worldwide genetic differentiation in the common fouling barnacle, Amphibalanus amphitrite

KAUST Repository

Chen, Hsi-Nien

2014-10-21

© 2014, © 2014 Taylor & Francis. Amphibalanus amphitrite is a common fouling barnacle distributed globally in tropical and subtropical waters. In the present study, the genetic (mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I) and morphological differentiation in A. amphitrite from 25 localities around the world were investigated. The results revealed three clades within A. amphitrite with a genetic divergence of ~ 4% among clades, whereas there were no diagnostic morphological differences among clades. Clade 1 is widely distributed in both temperate and tropical waters, whereas Clade 3 is currently restricted to the tropical region. The deep divergence among clades suggests historical isolation within A. amphitrite; thus, the present geographical overlaps are possibly a result of the combined effects of rising sea level and human-mediated dispersals. This study highlights the genetic differentiation that exists in a common, widely distributed fouling organism with great dispersal potential; future antifouling research should take into account the choice of lineages.

Regression analysis of a chemical reaction fouling model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasak, F.; Epstein, N.

1996-01-01

A previously reported mathematical model for the initial chemical reaction fouling of a heated tube is critically examined in the light of the experimental data for which it was developed. A regression analysis of the model with respect to that data shows that the reference point upon which the two adjustable parameters of the model were originally based was well chosen, albeit fortuitously. (author). 3 refs., 2 tabs., 2 figs

Optimization of MBR hydrodynamics for cake layer fouling control through CFD simulation and RSM design.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Min; Yu, Dawei; Liu, Mengmeng; Zheng, Libing; Zheng, Xiang; Wei, Yuansong; Wang, Fang; Fan, Yaobo

2017-03-01

Membrane fouling is an important issue for membrane bioreactor (MBR) operation. This paper aims at the investigation and the controlling of reversible membrane fouling due to cake layer formation and foulants deposition by optimizing MBR hydrodynamics through the combination of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and design of experiment (DOE). The model was validated by comparing simulations with measurements of liquid velocity and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in a lab-scale submerged MBR. The results demonstrated that the sludge concentration is the most influencing for responses including shear stress, particle deposition propensity (PDP), sludge viscosity and strain rate. A medium sludge concentration of 8820mgL -1 is optimal for the reduction of reversible fouling in this submerged MBR. The bubble diameter is more decisive than air flowrate for membrane shear stress due to its role in sludge viscosity. The optimal bubble diameter was at around 4.8mm for both of shear stress and PDP. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membrane fouling by natural organic matter: Mechanisms and mitigation by pre-ozonation and pH.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Wenzheng; Liu, Teng; Crawshaw, John; Liu, Ting; Graham, Nigel

2018-08-01

The fouling of ultrafiltration (UF) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes during the treatment of surface waters continues to be of concern and the particular role of natural organic matter (NOM) requires further investigation. In this study the effect of pH and surface charge on membrane fouling during the treatment of samples of a representative surface water (Hyde Park recreational lake) were evaluated, together with the impact of pre-ozonation. While biopolymers in the surface water could be removed by the UF membrane, smaller molecular weight (MW) fractions of NOM were poorly removed, confirming the importance of membrane pore size. For NF membranes the removal of smaller MW fractions (800 Da-10 kDa) was less than expected from their pore size; however, nearly all of the hydrophobic, humic-type substances could be removed by the hydrophilic NF membranes for all MW distributions (greater than 90%). The results indicated the importance of the charge and hydrophilic nature of the NOM. Thus, the hydrophilic NF membrane could remove the hydrophobic organic matter, but not the hydrophilic substances. Increasing charge effects (more negative zeta potentials) with increasing solution pH were found to enhance organics removal and reduce fouling (flux decline), most likely through greater membrane surface repulsion. Pre-ozonation of the surface water increased the hydrophilic fraction and anionic charge of NOM and altered their size distributions. This resulted in a decreased fouling (less flux decline) for the UF and smaller pore NF, but a slight increase in fouling for the larger pore NF. The differences in the NF behavior are believed to relate to the relative sizes of ozonated organic fractions and the NF pores; a similar size of ozonated organic fractions and the NF pores causes significant membrane fouling. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Temperature as a predictor of fouling and diarrhea in Slaughter pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Dan Børge; Toft, Nils; Kristensen, Anders Ringgaard

2015-01-01

The PigIT Project aims at improving welfare and production of slaughter pigs by integration of various sensor systems for alarm purposes. Here we present an exploratory analysis to assess the predictive value of temperature sensor data with respect to pen fouling and diarrhea. We recorded...... the temperature at four locations in two double-pens (by the drinking nipples and by the corridor) between November 2013 and December 2014. Logistic regression models were made to express the probability of fouling and diarrhea per day, and were reduced via backwards elimination. Furthermore, fitting the models...... was attempted with the raw temperature data as well as data averaged over 10, 15, 30 and 60 minutes. The predictive performances were evaluated with Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC). For diarrhea, the minimal and maximal temperatures at the water nipple and the corridor, as well as the maximal rate...

Change in the fouling propensity of sludge in membrane bioreactors (MBR) in relation to the accumulation of biopolymer clusters.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Fei-yun; Wang, Xiao-mao; Li, Xiao-yan

2011-04-01

A membrane bioreactor (MBR) and an activated sludge process (ASP) were operated side by side to evaluate the change of sludge supernatant characteristics and the evolution of the sludge fouling propensity. The MBR sludge had a higher organic concentration and more biopolymer clusters (BPC) in the supernatant compared with ASP. BPC increased in both concentration and size in the MBR. The results show that the change in the liquid-phase property had a profound effect on the sludge fouling propensity. MBR operation transformed typical activated sludge to MBR sludge with a higher fouling propensity. Distinct from the ASP, membrane filtration retained soluble microbial products (SMP) within the MBR, and the vast membrane surface provided a unique environment for the transformation of SMP to large size BPC, leading to further sludge deposition on the membrane surface. Thus, membrane filtration is the crucial cause of the inevitable fouling problem in submerged MBRs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flux, rejection and fouling during microfiltration and ultrafiltration of sugar palm sap using a pilot plant scale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wanichapichart, P.

2006-07-01

Full Text Available The possibility of using a pilot plant scale microfiltration (MF and ultrafiltration (UF to clarify and reduce number of bacteria, yeast and mould of sugar palm sap was studied. The membrane used was multi channel tubular ceramic membrane (ZrO2-TiO2 with membrane pore size 0.2 and 0.1 μm and molecular weight cut off (MWCO 300 and 50 kDa for microfiltration and ultrafiltration respectively. The experiment was carried out to investigate the rejection of the components in sugar palm sap, permeate flux and fouling characteristics. The results showed that the turbidity, the total solid, the viscosity and the numbers of bacteria, yeast and mould in the permeate obtained by MF and UF were reduced significantly compared to those of fresh sugar palm sap. The total soluble solid, total sugar, reducing sugar and pH were not affected by MF and UF. The permeate fluxes for all membranes were reduced greatly as the volume concentration ratio (VCR increased due to severe fouling. The irreversible fouling on membrane surface and/or inside the membrane tended to increase with increasing membrane pore size or MWCO. The result also suggested that protein and small particle in the sugar palm sap were probably responsible for the internal fouling of large pore size membrane. According to the physical, chemical and microorganism quality results, both MF and UF showed the potential use for improving the quality of sugar palm sap but flux reduction due to fouling was a major problem affecting the process performance.

Investigation on the conditions mitigating membrane fouling caused by TiO2 deposition in a membrane photocatalytic reactor (MPR) used for dye wastewater treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Damodar, Rahul-Ashok; You, Sheng-Jie; Chiou, Guan-Wei

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The charge differences between particle and membrane accelerate the intensity of fouling and binding of TiO 2 particles. ► Severe fouling at pH 5 and low fouling at pH ≥ 7 at all flux conditions. ► The presence of a very thin TiO 2 cake layer can alter the hydrophilicity of the membrane surface. ► The resistance offered by dense TiO 2 cake layer could dominate the hydrophilic effect of TiO 2 particles. - Abstract: In this study, the effects of MPR's operating conditions such as permeate flux, solution pH, and membrane hydrophobicity on separation characteristics and membrane fouling caused by TiO 2 deposition were investigated. The extent of fouling was measured in terms of TMP and tank turbidity variation. The results showed that, at mildly acidic conditions (pH ∼ 5), the turbidity within the tank decreased and the extent of turbidity drop increased with increasing flux for all the membranes. On the other hand, at pH ≥ 7, the turbidity remained constant at all flux and for all membranes tested. The fouling variation at different pH was closely linked with the surface charge (zeta potential) and hydrophilicity of both membrane and particles. It was observed that the charge differences between the particles and membranes accelerate the intensity of fouling and binding of TiO 2 particles on the membrane surface under different pH conditions. The presence of a very thin layer of TiO 2 can alter the hydrophilicity of the membranes and can slightly decrease the TMP (filtration resistance) of the fouled membranes. Besides, the resistance offered by the dense TiO 2 cake layer would dominate this hydrophilic effect of TiO 2 particles, and it may not alter the filtration resistance of the fouled membranes.

Study on the Fouling Behavior of Polyethylene and Silica Nanoparticles Mixed Matrix Membranes in Filtration of Humic Acid Solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Akbari

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Because most contaminants in water create strong interactions with hydrophobic surfaces, there are usually problems such as flux decline and pore blocking in polyethylene (PE membranes due to irreversible adsorption of foulants on their intrinsic hydrophobic surface. Therefore, in this work, attempts were made to improve the properties of PE membranes in terms of water flux and membrane fouling resistance by dispersion of silica nanoparticles (NPs. First, NPs were synthesized by sol-gel method at two concentrations of ammonia (0.5 and 1 mol/L. The synthesized NPs with smaller size were used to fabricate the mixed matrix PE membranes containing 0, 0.5, 1 and 2 wt% NPs. FE-SEM and EDX analyses were employed to evaluate the morphology and structure of the fabricated membranes and confirmed the presence of NPs in the membranes matrix. The results of pure water flux test revealed that the membrane containing 1 wt% NPs displayed the maximum flux of 30 L/m2.h. Furthermore, the performance and fouling behaviors of membranes during filtration of humic acid solution, one of the most important contaminants of water resources, were studied using a classical fouling model. Fouling mechanism analysis showed that for neat and NPs-embedded membranes containing 0.5 and 2 wt% NPs, the best fit of the data was obtained by cake layer formation as well as the intermediate blocking mechanisms. However, the best fit of the experimental data of NPs-embedded membrane containing 1 wt% occurred with only cake layer formation mechanism. The investigation on membrane fouling resistance showed that 1 wt% NPs-embedded membrane displayed 58% maximum flux recovery and 52% reversibility to total fouling ratio, respectively.

Reduced-Order Dynamic Modeling, Fouling Detection, and Optimal Control of Solar-Powered Direct Contact Membrane Distillation

KAUST Repository

Karam, Ayman M.

2016-12-01

Membrane Distillation (MD) is an emerging sustainable desalination technique. While MD has many advantages and can be powered by solar thermal energy, its main drawback is the low water production rate. However, the MD process has not been fully optimized in terms of its manipulated and controlled variables. This is largely due to the lack of adequate dynamic models to study and simulate the process. In addition, MD is prone to membrane fouling, which is a fault that degrades the performance of the MD process. This work has three contributions to address these challenges. First, we derive a mathematical model of Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD), which is the building block for the next parts. Then, the proposed model is extended to account for membrane fouling and an observer-based fouling detection method is developed. Finally, various control strategies are implemented to optimize the performance of the DCMD solar-powered process. In part one, a reduced-order dynamic model of DCMD is developed based on lumped capacitance method and electrical analogy to thermal systems. The result is an electrical equivalent thermal network to the DCMD process, which is modeled by a system of nonlinear differential algebraic equations (DAEs). This model predicts the water-vapor flux and the temperature distribution along the module length. Experimental data is collected to validate the steady-state and dynamic responses of the proposed model, with great agreement demonstrated in both. The second part proposes an extension of the model to account for membrane fouling. An adaptive observer for DAE systems is developed and convergence proof is presented. A method for membrane fouling detection is then proposed based on adaptive observers. Simulation results demonstrate the performance of the membrane fouling detection method. Finally, an optimization problem is formulated to maximize the process efficiency of a solar-powered DCMD. The adapted method is known as Extremum

Forward Osmosis/Low Pressure Reverse Osmosis for Water Reuse: Removal of Organic Micropollutants, Fouling and Cleaning

KAUST Repository

Linares, Rodrigo

2011-07-01

Forward osmosis (FO) is a natural process in which a solution with high concentration of solutes is diluted when being in contact, through a semipermeable membrane, with a low concentration solution. This osmotic process has been demonstrated to be efficient to recover wastewater effluents while diluting a saline draw solution. Nevertheless, the study of the removal of micropollutants by FO is barely described in the literature. This research focuses on the removal of these substances spiked in a secondary wastewater effluent, while diluting water from the Red Sea, generating feed water that can be desalinated with a low pressure reverse osmosis (LPRO) system. Another goal of this work is to characterize the fouling of the FO membrane, and its effect on micropollutants rejection, as well as the membrane cleaning efficiency of different methods. When considering only FO with a clean membrane, the rejection of the hydrophilic neutral compounds was between 48.6% and 84.7%, for the hydrophobic neutrals the rejection ranged from 40.0% to 87.5%, and for the ionic compounds the rejections were between 92.9% and 96.5%. With a fouled membrane, the rejections were between 44.6% to 95.2%, 48.7% to 91.5% and 96.9% to 98.6%, respectively. These results suggest that, except for the hydrophilic neutral compounds, the rejection of the micropollutants is increased by the fouling layer, possibly due to the higher hydrophilicity of the FO fouled membrane compared to the clean one, the increased adsorption capacity and reduced mass transport capacity, membrane swelling, and the higher negative charge of the surface, related to the foulants. However, when coupled with low pressure reverse osmosis, the rejections for both, the clean and fouled membrane, increased above 98%. The fouling layer, after characterizing the wastewater effluent and the concentrated wastewater after the FO process, proved to be composed of biopolymers, which can be removed with air scouring during short periods

Fouling and biocorrosion of a high-alloy steel in the Golden Horn bay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koryakova, M.D.; Nikitin, V.M.; Suponina, A.P.; Kharchenko, U.V.; Zvyagintsev, A.Yu.

2002-01-01

The studies on the effect of contamination of the Golden Horn bay waters (the Peter the Great Bay in the Japanese Sea) on formation of the community of the bacterio- and macrofouling and corrosion resistance of the Kh18N10T high-alloy steel are continued. The dissolved and chemically absorbed oxygen, pH, saprophytes, oil-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing bacteria and heavy metals are among the medium indicators, characterizing the level of pollution of the regions of the samples testing. It is shown, that the obtained experimental data extend our understanding of the dependent effect of three factors: the sea medium → fouling → corrosion resistance of the Kh18N10T high-alloy steel [ru

Optimisation and Characterisation of Anti-Fouling Ternary SAM Layers for Impedance-Based Aptasensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Miodek

2015-09-01

Full Text Available An aptasensor with enhanced anti-fouling properties has been developed. As a case study, the aptasensor was designed with specificity for human thrombin. The sensing platform was developed on screen printed electrodes and is composed of a self-assembled monolayer made from a ternary mixture of 15-base thiolated DNA aptamers specific for human thrombin co-immobilised with 1,6-hexanedithiol (HDT and further passivated with 1-mercapto-6-hexanol (MCH. HDT binds to the surface by two of its thiol groups forming alkyl chain bridges and this architecture protects from non-specific attachment of molecules to the electrode surface. Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS, the aptasensor is able to detect human thrombin as variations in charge transfer resistance (Rct upon protein binding. After exposure to a high concentration of non-specific Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA solution, no changes in the Rct value were observed, highlighting the bio-fouling resistance of the surface generated. In this paper, we present the optimisation and characterisation of the aptasensor based on the ternary self-assembled monolayer (SAM layer. We show that anti-fouling properties depend on the type of gold surface used for biosensor construction, which was also confirmed by contact angle measurements. We further studied the ratio between aptamers and HDT, which can determine the specificity and selectivity of the sensing layer. We also report the influence of buffer pH and temperature used for incubation of electrodes with proteins on detection and anti-fouling properties. Finally, the stability of the aptasensor was studied by storage of modified electrodes for up to 28 days in different buffers and atmospheric conditions. Aptasensors based on ternary SAM layers are highly promising for clinical applications for detection of a range of proteins in real biological samples.

Membrane Fouling Potential of Secondary Effluent Organic Matter (EfOM) from Conventional Activated Sludge Process

KAUST Repository

Wei, Chunhai; Amy, Gary L.

2012-01-01

Secondary effluent organic matter (EfOM) from a conventional activated sludge process was filtered through constant-pressure dead-end filtration tests with a sequential ultrafiltration (UF, molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of 10k Dalton) and nanofiltration (NF, MWCO of 200 Dalton) array to investigate its membrane fouling potential. Advanced analytical methods including liquid chromatography with online carbon detection (LC-OCD) and fluorescent excitation-emission matrix (F-EEM) were employed for EfOM characterization. EfOM consisted of humic substances and building blocks, low molecular weight (LMW) neutrals, biopolymers (mainly proteins) and hydrophobic organics according to the sequence of their organic carbon fractions. The UF rejected only biopolymers and the NF rejected most humics and building blocks and a significant part of LMW neutrals. Simultaneous occurrence of cake layer and standard blocking during the filtration process of both UF and NF was identified according to constant-pressure filtration equations, which was possibly caused by the heterogeneous nature of EfOM with a wide MW distribution (several ten to several million Dalton). Thus the corresponding two fouling indices (kc for cake layer and ks for standard blocking) from UF and NF could characterize the fouling potential of macromolecular biopolymers and low to intermediate MW organics (including humics, building blocks, LMW neutrals), respectively. Compared with macromolecular biopolymers, low to intermediate MW organics exhibited a much higher fouling potential due to their lower molecular weight and higher concentration.

A novel surface cleaning method for chemical removal of fouling lead layer from chromium surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gholivand, Kh.; Khosravi, M.; Hosseini, S.G.; Fathollahi, M.

2010-01-01

Most products especially metallic surfaces require cleaning treatment to remove surface contaminations that remain after processing or usage. Lead fouling is a general problem which arises from lead fouling on the chromium surfaces of bores and other interior parts of systems which have interaction with metallic lead in high temperatures and pressures. In this study, a novel chemical solution was introduced as a cleaner reagent for removing metallic lead pollution, as a fouling metal, from chromium surfaces. The cleaner aqueous solution contains hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) as oxidizing agent of lead layer on the chromium surface and acetic acid (CH 3 COOH) as chelating agent of lead ions. The effect of some experimental parameters such as acetic acid concentration, hydrogen peroxide concentration and temperature of the cleaner solution during the operation on the efficiency of lead cleaning procedure was investigated. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that using this procedure, the lead pollution layer could be completely removed from real chromium surfaces without corrosion of the original surface. Finally, the optimum conditions for the complete and fast removing of lead pollution layer from chromium surfaces were proposed. The experimental results showed that at the optimum condition (acetic acid concentration 28% (V/V), hydrogen peroxide 8% (V/V) and temperature 35 deg. C), only 15-min time is needed for complete removal of 3 g fouling lead from a chromium surface.

Anti-fouling protection on a ship's hull: evaluation of recent developments and formulation of innovative alternatives

OpenAIRE

Meskens, R.

2017-01-01

Marine fouling, or the growth of marine organisms on fully or partly submerged structures, is an unwanted phenomenon in the marine industry. Bio fouling will increase the hydrodynamic drag of ships, causing an increased fuel consumption, promote the corrosion of the metallic structures and trigger undesired transport of invasive species (IMO and the environment 2009, 2009).The impact is economic as well as environmental. More fuel consumption is synonym for more CO2 and other detrimental emis...

Fouling diatom community with reference to substratum variability in tropical marine environment

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Mitbavkar, S.; Desai, D.V.; Khandeparker, L.; Anil, A.C.; Wagh, A.B.

form encountered. The paper deals with the qualitative and quantitative aspects of diatom colonization, their community structure, and correlation between the prevailing diatom population in the environment and that in the fouling community...

Use of genetic algorithm to identify thermophysical properties of deposited fouling in heat exchanger tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adili, Ali; Ben Salah, Mohieddine; Kerkeni, Chekib; Ben Nasrallah, Sassi

2009-01-01

At high temperature, the circulation of fluid in heat exchangers provides a tendency for fouling accumulation to take place on the internal surface of tubes. This paper shows an experimental process of thermophysical properties estimation of the fouling deposited on internal surface of a heat exchanger tube using genetic algorithms (GAs). The genetic algorithm is used to minimize an objective function containing calculated and measured temperatures. The experimental bench using a photothermal method with a finite width pulse heat excitation is used and the estimated parameters are obtained with high accuracy

Contact angle studies on PDMS surfaces fouled by bovine serum albumin

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Windvoel, VT

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has a hydrophobic surface, forming a contact angle of around 110º with deionised water. It is due to its hydrophobic nature that the elastomer is prone to bio-fouling, such as non-specific adsorption of biomaterials like...

Fouling in gravity driven Point-of-Use drinking water treatment systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chawla, Charu; Zwijnenburg, A.; Kemperman, Antonius J.B.; Nijmeijer, Dorothea C.

2017-01-01

This paper describes fouling in simulated Point-of-Use (PoU) systems based on low pressure hollow fiber ultrafiltration membranes. Various operational configurations such as recirculation of feed, discontinuous vs. continuous filtration, and inside/out vs. outside/in were compared to study their

Butenolide inhibits marine fouling by altering the primary metabolism of three target organisms

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Yifan

2012-06-15

Butenolide is a very promising antifouling compound that inhibits ship hull fouling by a variety of marine organisms, but its antifouling mechanism was previously unknown. Here we report the first study of butenolides molecular targets in three representative fouling organisms. In the barnacle Balanus (=Amphibalanus) amphitrite, butenolide bound to acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase 1 (ACAT1), which is involved in ketone body metabolism. Both the substrate and the product of ACAT1 increased larval settlement under butenolide treatment, suggesting its functional involvement. In the bryozoan Bugula neritina, butenolide bound to very long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACADVL), actin, and glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). ACADVL is the first enzyme in the very long chain fatty acid β-oxidation pathway. The inhibition of this primary pathway for energy production in larvae by butenolide was supported by the finding that alternative energy sources (acetoacetate and pyruvate) increased larval attachment under butenolide treatment. In marine bacterium Vibrio sp. UST020129-010, butenolide bound to succinyl-CoA synthetase β subunit (SCSβ) and inhibited bacterial growth. ACAT1, ACADVL, and SCSβ are all involved in primary metabolism for energy production. These findings suggest that butenolide inhibits fouling by influencing the primary metabolism of target organisms. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

High-resolution phylogenetic analysis of residual bacterial species of fouled membranes after NaOCl cleaning.

Science.gov (United States)

Navarro, Ronald R; Hori, Tomoyuki; Inaba, Tomohiro; Matsuo, Kazuyuki; Habe, Hiroshi; Ogata, Atsushi

2016-05-01

Biofouling is one of the major problems during wastewater treatment using membrane bioreactors (MBRs). In this regard, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) has been widely used to wash fouled membranes for maintenance and recovery purposes. Advanced chemical and biological characterization was conducted in this work to evaluate the performance of aqueous NaOCl solutions during washing of polyacrylonitrile membranes. Fouled membranes from MBR operations supplemented with artificial wastewater were washed with 0.1% and 0.5% aqueous NaOCl solutions for 5, 10 and 30 min. The changes in organics composition on the membrane surface were directly monitored by an attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FT-IR) spectrometer. In addition, high-throughput Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes was applied to detect any residual microorganisms. Results from ATR-FT-IR analysis indicated the complete disappearance of functional groups representing different fouling compounds after at least 30 min of treatment with 0.1% NaOCl. However, the biomolecular survey revealed the presence of residual bacteria even after 30 min of treatment with 0.5% NaOCl solution. Evaluation of microbial diversity of treated samples using Chao1, Shannon and Simpson reciprocal indices showed an increase in evenness while no significant decline in richness was observed. These implied that only the population of dominant species was mainly affected. The high-resolution phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of numerous operational taxonomic units (OTUs) whose close relatives exhibit halotolerance. Some OTUs related to thermophilic and acid-resistant strains were also identified. Finally, the taxonomic analysis of recycled membranes that were previously washed with NaOCl also showed the presence of numerous halotolerant-related OTUs in the early stage of fouling. This further suggested the possible contribution of such chemical tolerance on their survival against NaOCl washing, which in turn

Macroalgal Introductions by Hull Fouling on Recreational Vessels: Seaweeds and Sailors

Science.gov (United States)

Mineur, Frédéric; Johnson, Mark P.; Maggs, Christine A.

2008-10-01

Macroalgal invasions in coastal areas have been a growing concern during the past decade. The present study aimed to assess the role of hull fouling on recreational yachts as a vector for macroalgal introductions. Questionnaire and hull surveys were carried out in marinas in France and Spain. The questionnaires revealed that the majority of yacht owners are aware of seaweed introductions, usually undertake short range journeys, dry dock their boat at least once a year, and use antifouling paints. The hull survey showed that many in-service yachts were completely free of macroalgae. When present, fouling assemblages consisted mainly of one to two macroalgal species. The most commonly found species was the tolerant green seaweed Ulva flexuosa. Most of the other species found are also cosmopolitan and opportunistic. A few nonnative and potentially invasive Ceramiales (Rhodophyta) were found occasionally on in-service yachts. On the basis of the information gathered during interviews of yacht owners in the surveyed area, these occurrences are likely to be uncommon. However they can pose a significant risk of primary or secondary introductions of alien macroalgal species, especially in the light of the increase in yachting activities. With large numbers of recreational yachts and relatively rare occurrences of nonnative species on hulls, comprehensive screening programs do not seem justified or practical. The risks of transferring nonnative species may, however, be minimized by encouraging the behaviors that prevent fouling on hulls and by taking action against neglected boats before they can act as vectors.

Separation, Characterization and Fouling Potential of Sludge Waters from Different Biological Wastewater Treatment Processes

KAUST Repository

Xue, Jinkai

2011-07-01

The major limitation, which hinders the wider application of membrane technology and increases the operating costs of membranes involved in wastewater treatment plants, is membrane fouling induced by organic matter. Extracellular polymeric products (EPS) and soluble microbial products (SMP) are the two most mentioned major foulants in publications, for which the debate on precise definitions seems to be endless. Therefore, a concept of sludge water, which conceptually covers both EPS and SMP, has been developed in this research. A standard procedure of sludge water separation, which is centrifugation at 4000g for 15 min followed by 1.2μm glass fiber filter filtration, was established based on separation experiments with membrane tank sludge from the KAUST MBR wastewater treatment plant. Afterwards, sludge waters from the KAUST MBR WWTP anoxic tank, aerobic tank and membrane tank as well as sludge waters from the Jeddah WWTP anoxic tank, aerobic tank and secondary effluent were produced through the previously developed standard procedure. The obtained sludge water samples were thereafter characterized with TOC/COD, LC-­‐OCD and F-­‐EEM, which showed that KAUST anoxic/ aerobic /membrane tank sludge waters had similar characteristics for all investigated parameters, yet the influent naturally had a higher DOC and biopolymer concentration. Moreover, lower TOC/COD, negligible biopolymers and low levels of humics were found in KAUST effluent. Compared with the KAUST MBR WWTP, the Jeddah WWTP’s sludge waters generally had higher DOC and biopolymer concentrations. To investigate sludge water fouling potential, the KAUST membrane tank sludge water as well as the Jeddah secondary effluent were filtrated through a membrane array consisting of an ultrafiltration (UF) Millipore RC10kDa at the first step followed by a nanofiltration (NF) KOCH Acid/Base stable NF200 at the second step. It was found that cake layer and standard blocking occurred simultaneously during both

Different types of asynchronous music and effects on performance of basketball foul shot.

Science.gov (United States)

Geisler, G; Leith, L M

2001-12-01

48 undergraduate women performed basketball foul shots with and without background music. Slow music, fast music, and music personally selected by subjects did not significantly affect shooting performance.

Contextual factors, methodological principles and teacher cognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rupert Walsh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Teachers in various contexts worldwide are sometimes unfairly criticized for not putting teaching methods developed for the well-resourced classrooms of Western countries into practice. Factors such as the teachers’ “misconceptualizations” of “imported” methods, including Communicative Language Teaching (CLT, are often blamed, though the challenges imposed by “contextual demands,” such as large class sizes, are sometimes recognised. Meanwhile, there is sometimes an assumption that in the West there is a happy congruence between policy supportive of CLT or Task-Based Language Teaching, teacher education and supervision, and curriculum design with teachers’ cognitions and their practices. Our case study of three EFL teachers at a UK adult education college is motivated by a wish to question this assumption. Findings from observational and interview data suggest the practices of two teachers were largely consistent with their methodological principles, relating to stronger and weaker forms of CLT respectively, as well as to more general educational principles, such as a concern for learners; the supportive environment seemed to help. The third teacher appeared to put “difficult” contextual factors, for example, tests, ahead of methodological principles without, however, obviously benefiting. Implications highlight the important role of teacher cognition research in challenging cultural assumptions.

Preparation, Characterization and Analysis of Fouling Mechanisms of TiO2- Embedded PVDF Membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoones Jafarzadeh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Titanium dioxide (TiO2-embedded polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF mixed matrix membranes were prepared through a nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS method. The structure of the membranes was characterized by FESEM, EDX, water drop contact angle measurement, pure water flux and mean pore radius analysis. The results showed that the prepared membranes had asymmetric structures with macro-voids and the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles increased the size of macro-voids. Moreover, pure water flux increased from 41 kg/m2h to 162 kg/m2h the content of TiO2 nanoparticles increased from 1 wt% to 5 wt% as embedded membrane. The contact angle dropped from 100° for 1 wt% TiO2- embedded membrane to 69° for 5 wt% TiO2-embedded membrane, showing that the hydrophilicity of membranes increased by addition of inorganic TiO2 nanoparticles. The fouling behavior oftheprepared mixed matrix membranes was studied in filtration process of 1% humic acid solution. The results showed that fouling resistance of the membranes increased with higher content of TiO2 nanoparticles. The results of classic fouling modeling of membranes showed that for 2 and 5 wt% TiO2-embedded membranes the best fit of the data occurred with the intermediate blockage model whereas cake formation model was the dominant mechanism for other membranes. Moreover, the analysis of fouling mechanisms by combined models showed that cake filtration-intermediate blockage model was in good agreement with the experimental data for all membranes. Finally, the results showed that the rejection of membranes increased with the addition of TiO2 nanoparticles, and then decreased.

Anti-fouling behavior of hyperbranched polyglycerol-grafted poly(ether sulfone) hollow fiber membranes for osmotic power generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xue; Cai, Tao; Chung, Tai-Shung

2014-08-19

To sustain high performance of osmotic power generation by pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO) processes, fouling on PRO membranes must be mitigated. This is especially true for the porous support of PRO membranes because its porous structure is very prone to fouling by feeding river water. For the first time, we have successfully designed antifouling PRO thin-film composite (TFC) membranes by synthesizing a dendritic hydrophilic polymer with well-controlled grafting sites, hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG), and then grafting it on poly(ether sulfone) (PES) hollow fiber membrane supports. Compared to the pristine PES membranes, polydopamine modified membranes, and conventional poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-grafted membranes, the HPG grafted membranes show much superior fouling resistance against bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption, E. coli adhesion, and S. aureus attachment. In high-pressure PRO tests, the PES TFC membranes are badly fouled by model protein foulants, causing a water flux decline of 31%. In comparison, the PES TFC membrane grafted by HPG not only has an inherently higher water flux and a higher power density but also exhibits better flux recovery up to 94% after cleaning and hydraulic pressure impulsion. Clearly, by grafting the properly designed dendritic polymers to the membrane support, one may substantially sustain PRO hollow fiber membranes for power generation.

Marine bacterial transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) and TEP precursors: Characterization and RO fouling potential

KAUST Repository

Li, Sheng

2015-10-31

This paper investigated the characteristics and membrane fouling potential of bacterial transparent exopolymer particles (TEP)/TEP precursors released from two marine bacteria, Pseudidiomarina homiensis (P. homiensis) and Pseudoalteromonas atlantica (P. atlantica), isolated from the Red Sea. Results showed that both bacteria grew at the similar rate, but the production of TEP/TEP precursors from P. atlantica was higher than that from P. homiensis. During the 168. h of incubation time, production rates of TEP/TEP precursors from P. atlantica and P. homiensis were 0.30 and 0.08 xanthan gum eq. mg/L-h, respectively. Isolated bacterial TEP precursors were mainly biopolymer, and P. atlantica produced a significantly higher concentration of biopolymer than that produced by P. homiensis. TEP/TEP precursors from both marine bacteria possessed protein-like material and were very similar in composition to previously reported foulants isolated from a fouled reverse osmosis (RO) membrane. Bacterial TEP/TEP precursors mostly consisted of aliphatic hydrocarbon from amino acids and amide group carbon of proteins (around 55%). Bacterial TEP precursors caused obvious fouling on RO membranes, which may create an ideal environment for bacteria attachment and promote to biofouling.

The Influence of PEG400 and Acetone on Polysulfone Membrane Morphology and Fouling Behaviour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.T.P. Aryanti

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Modification of polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane was conducted by blending polysulfone with PEG400 and acetone as additives. The influence of each additive on the resulted membrane morphology and fouling characteristics were investigated. The experimental results showed that the hydrophilicity of the polysulfone membrane was improved by the increase of PEG400 in the polysulfone membrane. The water contact angle of the membrane was decreased from 76.1° to 38.31° when 35 %wt of PEG400 was added into the polysulfone solution, while the water content of the membrane was increased by around 38%. The high concentration of PEG400 in the polysulfone solution led to the formation of longer finger-like cavities in the membrane structure and resulted in a thicker membrane skin layer. The high concentration of PEG400 also contributed to the increase in hydraulic resistance of the membrane due to organic matter fouling. This problem could be minimized by the addition of acetone into the polysulfone solution, which resulted in a lower fouling resistance of organic matter during up to five hours of peat water filtration.

Influence of feed composition and membrane fouling on forward osmosis performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schneider, Carina; Sathyadev Rajmohan, Rajath; Zarebska, Agata

2016-01-01

at the beginning and at the end of each experiment, regarding their total solids (TS), volatile solids (VS), total suspended solids (TSS), particle size distribution, Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), Total available nitrogen (TAN), total organic carbon (TOC) and total phosphate (TP). The fouled membranes were...

Short communication: Evaluation of a sol-gel-based stainless steel surface modification to reduce fouling and biofilm formation during pasteurization of milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dylan Zhe; Jindal, Shivali; Amamcharla, Jayendra; Anand, Sanjeev; Metzger, Lloyd

2017-04-01

Milk fouling and biofilms are common problems in the dairy industry across many types of processing equipment. One way to reduce milk fouling and biofilms is to modify the characteristics of milk contact surfaces. This study examines the viability of using Thermolon (Porcelain Industries Inc., Dickson, TN), a sol-gel-based surface modification of stainless steel, during thermal processing of milk. We used stainless steel 316L (control) and sol-gel-modified coupons in this study to evaluate fouling behavior and bacterial adhesion. The surface roughness as measured by an optical profiler indicated that the control coupons had a slightly smoother finish. Contact angle measurements showed that the modified surface led to a higher water contact angle, suggesting a more hydrophobic surface. The modified surface also had a lower surface energy (32.4 ± 1.4 mN/m) than the control surface (41.36 ± 2.7 mN/m). We evaluated the susceptibility of control and modified stainless steel coupons to fouling in a benchtop plate heat exchanger. We observed a significant reduction in the amount of fouled layer on modified surfaces. We found an average fouling weight of 19.21 mg/cm 2 and 0.37 mg/cm 2 on the control and modified stainless steel coupons, respectively. We also examined the adhesion of Bacillus and biofilm formation, and observed that the modified stainless steel surface offered greater resistance to biofilm formation. Overall, the Thermolon-modified surface showed potential in the thermal processing of milk, offering significantly lower fouling and bacterial attachment than the control surface. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A new approach for determination of fouling potential by colloidal nanoparticles during reverse osmosis (RO) membrane filtration of seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Ji Yeon; Lim, Sungil; Park, Kihong

2013-01-01

A direct measurement of number concentration of colloidal nanoparticles (15–450 nm) in water was made with the membrane filtration-differential mobility analyzer technique, and its corresponding flux decline rate (FDR) was determined by laboratory-scale RO fouling test unit using varying number concentrations of silica nanoparticles in artificial seawaters. This relationship was used to predict fouling potential of colloidal nanoparticles in reverse osmosis (RO) membrane process of seawaters in RO plant. It was found that the FDR linearly increased with the increasing number of colloidal nanoparticles for the given concentration range and that the relationship between the number concentration and the FDR also depended on RO membrane surface properties. Data for estimated FDR values for natural seawaters after pretreatment showed a clear difference among samples, which is contrary to the pre-existing index such as silt density index and modified fouling index. Our data suggest that measurement of colloidal nanoparticles is useful for selection of proper pretreatment and successful operation of RO membrane process along with other particle fouling predictors accounting for large particles (>450 nm).

A new approach for determination of fouling potential by colloidal nanoparticles during reverse osmosis (RO) membrane filtration of seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Ji Yeon; Lim, Sungil; Park, Kihong, E-mail: kpark@gist.ac.kr [Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), School of Environmental Science and Engineering (Korea, Republic of)

2013-04-15

A direct measurement of number concentration of colloidal nanoparticles (15-450 nm) in water was made with the membrane filtration-differential mobility analyzer technique, and its corresponding flux decline rate (FDR) was determined by laboratory-scale RO fouling test unit using varying number concentrations of silica nanoparticles in artificial seawaters. This relationship was used to predict fouling potential of colloidal nanoparticles in reverse osmosis (RO) membrane process of seawaters in RO plant. It was found that the FDR linearly increased with the increasing number of colloidal nanoparticles for the given concentration range and that the relationship between the number concentration and the FDR also depended on RO membrane surface properties. Data for estimated FDR values for natural seawaters after pretreatment showed a clear difference among samples, which is contrary to the pre-existing index such as silt density index and modified fouling index. Our data suggest that measurement of colloidal nanoparticles is useful for selection of proper pretreatment and successful operation of RO membrane process along with other particle fouling predictors accounting for large particles (>450 nm).

Identification of Material Parameters for the Simulation of Acoustic Absorption of Fouled Sintered Fiber Felts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolas Lippitz

2016-08-01

Full Text Available As a reaction to the increasing noise pollution, caused by the expansion of airports close to residential areas, porous trailing edges are investigated to reduce the aeroacoustic noise produced by flow around the airframe. Besides mechanical and acoustical investigations of porous materials, the fouling behavior of promising materials is an important aspect to estimate the performance in long-term use. For this study, two sintered fiber felts were selected for a long-term fouling experiment where the development of the flow resistivity and accumulation of dirt was observed. Based on 3D structural characterizations obtained from X-ray tomography of the initial materials, acoustic models (Biot and Johnson–Champoux–Allard in the frame of the transfer matrix method were applied to the sintered fiber felts. Flow resistivity measurements and the measurements of the absorption coefficient in an impedance tube are the basis for a fouling model for sintered fiber felts. The contribution will conclude with recommendations concerning the modeling of pollution processes of porous materials.

Effects of bamboo charcoal on fouling and microbial diversity in a flat-sheet ceramic membrane bioreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wenjie; Liu, Xiaoning; Wang, Dunqiu; Jin, Yue

2017-11-01

Membrane fouling is a problem in full-scale membrane bioreactors. In this study, bamboo charcoal (BC) was evaluated for its efficacy in alleviating membrane fouling in flat-sheet membrane bioreactors treating municipal wastewater. The results showed that BC addition markedly improved treatment performance based on COD, NH 4 + -N, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus levels. Adding BC slowed the increase in the trans-membrane pressure rate and resulted in lower levels of soluble microbial products and extracellular polymeric substances detected in the flat-sheet membrane bioreactor. BC has a porous structure, and a large quantity of biomass was detected using scanning electron microscopy. The microbial community analysis results indicated that BC increased the microbial diversity and Aminomonas, Anaerofustis, uncultured Anaerolineaceae, Anaerolinea, and Anaerotruncus were found in higher abundances in the reactor with BC. BC addition is an effective method for reducing membrane fouling, and can be applied to full-scale flat-sheet membrane bioreactors to improve their function. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A study on the formation of fouling in a heat exchanging system for Han-river water as cooling water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sung, Sun Kyung; Suh, Sang Ho; Rho, Hyung Woon; Cho, Young Il

2003-01-01

Scale is formed when hard water is heated or cooled in heat transfer equipments such as heat exchangers, condensers, evaporators, cooling towers, boilers, and pipe walls. When scale deposits in a heat exchanger surface, it is traditionally called fouling. The objective of the present study is to investigate the formation of fouling in a heat exchanging system. A lab-scale heat exchanging system is built-up to observe and measure the formation of fouling experimentally. Water analyses are conducted to obtain the properties of Han river water. In the present study a microscopic observation is conducted to visualize the process of scale formation. Hardness of Han-river water is higher than that of tap water in Seoul

Airfoil-shaped micro-mixers for reducing fouling on membrane surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Clifford K; Altman, Susan J; Clem, Paul G; Hibbs, Michael; Cook, Adam W

2012-10-23

An array of airfoil-shaped micro-mixers that enhances fluid mixing within permeable membrane channels, such as used in reverse-osmosis filtration units, while minimizing additional pressure drop. The enhanced mixing reduces fouling of the membrane surfaces. The airfoil-shaped micro-mixer can also be coated with or comprised of biofouling-resistant (biocidal/germicidal) ingredients.

Improving the reliability of open-cycle water systems: Application of biofouling surveillance and control techniques to sediment and corrosion fouling at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, K.I.; Neitzel, D.A.

1987-03-01

Biofouling surveillance and control techniques are evaluated for their applicability to sediment and corrosion fouling and suggestions are given to improve their effectiveness. Alternate techniques to better detect and control sedimentation and corrosion are also evaluated. Environmental conditions that allow biofouling, sedimentation, and corrosion to occur are summarized. A correlation between sediment and corrosion is identified and the causes are described. Environmental regulations, especially those in the Clean Water Act of 1977, are reviewed to identify those that may limit or prevent the use of surveillance and control techniques described in this report. Flow velocity is the major design factor that determines whether or not biofouling, sedimentation, and corrosion will occur. Monitoring flow conditions can provide early warning of conditions that will allow fouling to occur. Visual inspection is the most common and most effective technique for identifying the cause and extent of fouling in the open-cycle water system. Most biofouling control techniques in current use are not effective against sediment and corrosion. Frequent, high-velocity flushing of cooling loops may effectively remove sediment and reduce under-sediment corrosion. Alternate biocide treatments such as targeted chlorination or the use of ozone or 2,2-dibromo-3-nitrilo propionamide (DBNPA) may also be effective in reducing under-sediment corrosion

Fibrinogen Reduction During Selective Plasma Exchange due to Membrane Fouling.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohkubo, Atsushi; Okado, Tomokazu; Miyamoto, Satoko; Hashimoto, Yurie; Komori, Shigeto; Yamamoto, Motoki; Maeda, Takuma; Itagaki, Ayako; Yamamoto, Hiroko; Seshima, Hiroshi; Kurashima, Naoki; Iimori, Soichiro; Naito, Shotaro; Sohara, Eisei; Uchida, Shinichi; Rai, Tatemitsu

2017-06-01

Fibrinogen is substantially reduced by most plasmapheresis modalities but retained in selective plasma exchange using Evacure EC-4A10 (EC-4A). Although EC-4A's fibrinogen sieving coefficient is 0, a session of selective plasma exchange reduced fibrinogen by approximately 19%. Here, we investigated sieving coefficient in five patients. When the mean processed plasma volume was 1.15 × plasma volume, the mean reduction of fibrinogen during selective plasma exchange was approximately 15%. Fibrinogen sieving coefficient was 0 when the processed plasma volume was 1.0 L, increasing to 0.07 when the processed plasma volume was 3.0 L, with a mean of 0.03 during selective plasma exchange. When fibrinogen sieving coefficient was 0, selective plasma exchange reduced fibrinogen by approximately 10%. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed internal fouling of EC-4A's hollow fiber membrane by substances such as fibrinogen fibrils. Thus, fibrinogen reduction by selective plasma exchange may be predominantly caused by membrane fouling rather than filtration. © 2017 International Society for Apheresis, Japanese Society for Apheresis, and Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy.

Irreversible membrane fouling abatement through pre-deposited layer of hierarchical porous carbons

KAUST Repository

Hamad, Juma; Dua, Rubal; Kurniasari, Novita; Kennedy, Maria Dolores; Wang, Peng; Amy, Gary L.

2014-01-01

In this work, dual-templated hierarchical porous carbons (HPCs), produced from a coupled ice-hard templating approach, are shown to be a highly effective solution to the commonly occurring problem of irreversible fouling of low-pressure membranes

Thiolated polyethylene oxide as a non-fouling element for nano-patterned bio-devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lisboa, Patricia; Valsesia, Andrea; Colpo, Pascal; Gilliland, Douglas; Ceccone, Giacomo; Papadopoulou-Bouraoui, Andri; Rauscher, Hubert; Reniero, Fabiano; Guillou, Claude; Rossi, Francois

2007-01-01

This work describes the synthesis of a thiolated polyethylene oxide that self-assembles on gold to create a non-fouling surface. Thiolated polyethylene oxide was synthesised by reacting 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid with polyethylene glycol mono methyl ether. The coverage of the thiolated polyethylene oxide on gold was studied by cyclic voltammetry, and the modified surfaces were characterised by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ellipsometry. Protein resistance was assessed using quartz crystal microbalance. Results showed a non-fouling character produced by the thiolated polyethylene oxide. The synthesised product was used as the passivation layer on nano-patterned surfaces consisting of arrayed nano-spots, fabricated by plasma based colloidal lithography. The specific adsorption of anti-bovine serum albumin in the mercaptohexadecanoic acid spots was verified by atomic force microscopy

Nanomaterials for membrane fouling control: accomplishments and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qian; Mi, Baoxia

2013-11-01

We report a review of recent research efforts on incorporating nanomaterials-including metal/metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon-based nanomaterials, and polymeric nanomaterials-into/onto membranes to improve membrane antifouling properties in biomedical or potentially medical-related applications. In general, nanomaterials can be incorporated into/onto a membrane by blending them into membrane fabricating materials or by attaching them to membrane surfaces via physical or chemical approaches. Overall, the fascinating, multifaceted properties (eg, high hydrophilicity, superparamagnetic properties, antibacterial properties, amenable functionality, strong hydration capability) of nanomaterials provide numerous novel strategies and unprecedented opportunities to fully mitigate membrane fouling. However, there are still challenges in achieving a broader adoption of nanomaterials in the membrane processes used for biomedical applications. Most of these challenges arise from the concerns over their long-term antifouling performance, hemocompatibility, and toxicity toward humans. Therefore, rigorous investigation is still needed before the adoption of some of these nanomaterials in biomedical applications, especially for those nanomaterials proposed to be used in the human body or in contact with living tissue/body fluids for a long period of time. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to predict that the service lifetime of membrane-based biomedical devices and implants will be prolonged significantly with the adoption of appropriate fouling control strategies. Copyright © 2013 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fouling of coarse-clastic sediments with macrophytes depending on the rate of abrasion, Murmansk coast

Science.gov (United States)

Malavenda, S. V.; Mitayev, M. V.; Malavenda, S. S.; Gerasimova, M. V.

2017-05-01

It is shown for the first time that the hydrodynamics and average daily gradient of air temperature affect the rate of abrasion of the coarse-clastic material on the boulder littoral of the Murmansk coast, as well as the density of its fouling by macroalgae. The proportion and biomass of species-explerents vary depending on the hydrological and meteorological conditions. The annual species-explerents ( Acrosiphonia arcta, Blidingia minima, Spongomorpha aeruginosa, Pylaiella littoralis) are the basis for new phytocenoses. In the fucus phytocenoses of the boulder littoral, these groupings represent the intermediate stage of fouling of the coarse-clastic material.

Methodology for studying of influence of fire factor on geosystems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuriy Vasilovyth Buts

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Materials about the impact of emergency situations of the technogenic and natural character, caused by fires, on geosystems are presented. Methodological features of researches on fire factor influence on geosystem components are shown.

Avaliação do fouling na microfiltração de cerveja – estudo das resistências = Evaluation of fouling in beer microfiltration: a study of resistances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatiana Valesca Rodriguez Alicieo

2007-07-01

Full Text Available A microfiltração em fluxo cruzado é uma alternativa na clarificação e esterilização de cerveja, em relação ao processo tradicional, já que elimina a formação dos resíduos gerados no método convencional, reduz as perdas de cerveja e melhora a qualidade do produto. O desempenho do processo é limitado pelo fouling causado na membrana. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar um estudo de fouling na microfiltração de cerveja por meio da avaliação das resistências. Os experimentos foram feitos em batelada com cerveja bruta, em uma unidade piloto de ultrafiltração tangencial. As membranas utilizadas foram do tipo tubulares cerâmicas, com tamanhos nominais de poros de 0,2; 0,3; 0,4; 0,6 e 0,8 mm e as pressões de trabalho foram de 1,0 a 4,0 bar, na temperatura de 6±1ºC. Utilizando o modelo de resistências em série foram determinados os valores da resistência intrínseca da membrana, das resistências devidas à polarização de concentração e à colmatagem.Cross-flow microfiltration is an attractive alternative method for fluid clarification and sterilization in the brewing industries. The advantages are: elimination of filter aids, reduced beer losses and better product quality. The performance is still limited in flux terms due to membrane fouling. This work aimed to study the mechanism of fouling in beer microfiltration by means of calculating resistances. The experiments were conducted in batch with raw beer, in a cross flow ultrafiltration pilot unit. The membranes were tubular ceramics, with mean pore diameter of 0.2; 0.3; 0.4; 0.6 and 0.8 mm and the pressures work were from 1.0 to 4.0 bar, at a temperature of 6±1ºC. From the model of resistances in series, the values obtained were of membrane intrinsic resistance, resistances due to polarization of concentration and colmatage.

Superheater fouling in a BFB boiler firing wood-based fuel blends

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stam, A.F.; Haasnoot, K.; Brem, Gerrit

2014-01-01

Four different fuel blends have been fired in a 28 MWel BFB. Wood pellets (test 0) were not problematic for about ten years, contrary to a mixture of demolition wood, wood cuttings, compost overflow, paper sludge and roadside grass (test 1) which caused excessive fouling at a superheater bundle

Fouling of heat exchanger surfaces by dust particles from flue gases of glass furnaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mutsaers, P.L.M.; Beerkens, R.G.C.; Waal, H. de (Nederlandse Centrale Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Delft. Inst. of Applied Physics)

1989-08-01

Fouling by dust particles generally leads to a reduction of the heat transfer and causes corrosion of secondary heat exchangers. A deposition model, including thermodynamic equilibrium calculations, has been derived and applied to describe the deposition (i.e. fouling) process and the nature of the deposition products in a secondary heat exchanger. The deposition model has been verified by means of laboratory experiments, for the case of flue gases from soda-lime glass furnaces. Corrosion of iron-containing metallic materials, caused by the deposition products, has been briefly investigated with the same equipment. There is a close similarity between the experimental results and model calculations. The largest deposition rates from flue gases on cylindrical tubes in cross-flow configuration, are predicted and measured at the upstream stagnation point. The lowest deposition rates are determined at downstream stagnation point locations. At tube surface temperatures of approximately 520 to 550 K, the fouling rate on the tube reaches a maximum. In this temperature region NaHSO{sub 4} is the most important deposition product. This component is mainly formed at temperatures from 470 up to 540 K. The compound Na{sub 3}H(SO{sub 4}){sub 2} seems to be stable up to 570 K, for even higher temperatures Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} has been found. These deposition products react with iron, SO{sub 3}, oxygen and water vapour forming the complex corrosion product Na{sub 3}Fe(SO{sub 4}){sub 3}. NaHSO{sub 4}, which is formed at tube surface temperatures below 540 K, causes more severe corrosion of iron-containing materials than Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4}. Maintaining temperatures of the heat exchanger surfaces above 550 to 600 K reduces the fouling tendency and corrosion in case of flue gases from oil-fired soda-lime glass furnaces. (orig.).

Fouling-Resistant Membranes for Treating Concentrated Brines for Water Reuse in Advanced Energy Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hendren, Zachary [RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States); Choi, Young Chul [RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)

2014-10-14

The high total dissolved solids (TDS) levels in the wastewater quality generated from unconventional oil and gas development make the current state-of-the art approach to water treatment/disposal untenable. Our proposed membrane technology approach addresses the two major challenges associated with this water: 1) the membrane distillation process removes the high TDS content, which is often 8 times higher than that of seawater, and 2) our novel membrane coating prevents the formation of scale that would otherwise pose a significant operational hurdle. This is accomplished through next-generation electrically conductive membranes that mitigate fouling beyond what is currently possible, and allow for the flexibility to treat to the water to levels desirable for multiple reuse options, thus reducing fresh water withdrawal, all the way to direct disposal into the environment. The overall project objective was to demonstrate the efficacy of membrane distillation (MD) as a cost-savings technology to treat concentrated brines (such as, but not limited to, produced waters generated from fossil fuel extraction) that have high levels of TDS for beneficial water reuse in power production and other industrial operations as well as agricultural and municipal water uses. In addition, a novel fouling-resistant nanocomposite membrane was developed to reduce the need for chemicals to address membrane scaling due to the precipitation of divalent ions in high-TDS waters and improve overall MD performance via an electrically conductive membrane distillation process (ECMD). This anti-fouling membrane technology platform is based on incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into the surface layer of existing, commercially available MD membranes. The CNTs impart electrical conductivity to the membrane surface to prevent membrane scaling and fouling when an electrical potential is applied.

A note on the fouling hydroids from the offshore waters of Bombay

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Venugopalan, V.P.; Wagh, A.B.

This short communication brings out the preliminary results of the studies on fouling hydroids from an offshore region of the Arabian sea. A total of ten species falling under four different families have been collected of these four species viz...

Investigation of severe UF membrane fouling induced by three marine algal species

KAUST Repository

Merle, Tony; Dramas, Laure; Gutierrez, Leonardo; Garcia-Molina, Veronica; Croue, Jean-Philippe

2016-01-01

Index (HIFI) was correlated to their biopolymer content but this correlation is specific for each species. Solution pre-filtration through a 1.2 μm membrane proved that cells and particulate algal organic matter (p-AOM) considerably contribute to fouling

Triblock Copolymers with Grafted Fluorine-Free Amphiphilic Non-Ionic Side Chains for Antifouling and Fouling-Release Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Y Cho; H Sundaram; C Weinman; M Paik; M Dimitriou; J Finlay; M Callow; J Callow; E Kramer; C Ober

2011-12-31

Fluorine-free, amphiphilic, nonionic surface active block copolymers (SABCs) were synthesized through chemical modification of a polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene-ran-butylene)-block-polyisoprene triblock copolymer precursor with selected amphiphilic nonionic Brij and other surfactants. Amphiphilicity was imparted by a hydrophobic aliphatic group combined with a hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) group-containing moiety. The surfaces were characterized by dynamic water contact angle, atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) analysis. In biofouling assays, settlement (attachment) of both spores of the green alga Ulva and cells of the diatom Navicula on SABCs modified with Brij nonionic side chains was significantly reduced relative to a PDMS standard, with a nonionic surfactant combining a PEG group and an aliphatic moiety demonstrating the best performance. Additionally, a fouling-release assay using sporelings (young plants) of Ulva and Navicula suggested that the SABC derived from nonionic Brij side chains also out-performed PDMS as a fouling-release material. Good antifouling and fouling-release properties were not demonstrated for the other two amphiphilic surfaces derived from silicone and aromatic group containing nonionic surfactants included in this study. The results suggest that small differences in chemical surface functionality impart more significant changes with respect to the antifouling settlement and fouling-release performance of materials than overall wettability behavior.

Retention of Silica Nanoparticles in a Lab-Scale Membrane Bioreactor: Implications for Process Performance and Membrane Fouling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Larracas Sibag

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In conventional activated sludge (CAS involving aerobic biological processes, the retention of silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs has no detrimental effect on chemical oxygen demand (COD and ammonia nitrogen (NH3–N removal. However, for the membrane bioreactor (MBR system, which is also based on the activated sludge process in addition to the membrane separation process, it has implications not only on the process performance but also on membrane fouling. To investigate these two implications in lab-scale experiments, we continuously operated a control MBR and two experimental MBRs, in which the 28 nm SiO2 NPs and 144 nm SiO2 NPs were added separately to the influent at a final concentration of 100 mg/L. Although the retention of SiO2 NPs in the MBR, as confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS analysis, did not compromise the COD and NH3–N removal, it resulted in substantial increases in the transmembrane pressure (TMP suggesting the onset of membrane fouling. Analyses by batch-dead end filtration revealed the same fouling trend as observed during the continuous MBR experiments; membrane fouling is aggravated in the presence of SiO2 NPs. This was evident from permeate flux decline of between 30% and 74% at very low TMP (5 kPa and the further increases in the total resistance.

Performance and Fouling Study of Asymmetric PVDF Membrane Applied in the Concentration of Organic Fertilizer by Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanfei Liu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This study proposes using membrane distillation (MD as an alternative to the conventional multi-stage flushing (MSF process to concentrate a semi-product of organic fertilizer. By applying a unique asymmetric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF membrane, which was specifically designed for MD applications using a nonsolvent thermally induced phase separation (NTIPS method, the direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD performance was investigated in terms of its sustainability in permeation flux, fouling resistance, and anti-wetting properties. It was found that the permeation flux increased with increasing flow rate, while the top-surface facing feed mode was the preferred orientation to achieve 25% higher flux than the bottom-surface facing feed mode. Compared to the commercial polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE membrane, the asymmetric PVDF membrane exhibited excellent anti-fouling and sustainable flux, with less than 8% flux decline in a 15 h continuous operation, i.e., flux decreased slightly and was maintained as high as 74 kg·m−2·h−1 at 70 °C. Meanwhile, the lost flux was easily recovered by clean water rinsing. Overall 2.6 times concentration factor was achieved in 15 h MD operation, with 63.4% water being removed from the fertilizer sample. Further concentration could be achieved to reach the desired industrial standard of 5x concentration factor.

Reduced membrane fouling in a novel bio-entrapped membrane reactor for treatment of food and beverage processing wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Kok-Kwang; Lin, Cheng-Fang; Panchangam, Sri Chandana; Andy Hong, Pui-Kwan; Yang, Ping-Yi

2011-08-01

A novel Bio-Entrapped Membrane Reactor (BEMR) packed with bio-ball carriers was constructed and investigated for organics removal and membrane fouling by soluble microbial products (SMP). An objective was to evaluate the stability of the filtration process in membrane bioreactors through backwashing and chemical cleaning. The novel BEMR was compared to a conventional membrane bioreactor (CMBR) on performance, with both treating identical wastewater from a food and beverage processing plant. The new reactor has a longer sludge retention time (SRT) and lower mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) content than does the conventional. Three different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 6, 9, and 12 h were studied. The results show faster rise of the transmembrane pressure (TMP) with decreasing hydraulic retention time (HRT) in both reactors, where most significant membrane fouling was associated with high SMP (consisting of carbohydrate and protein) contents that were prevalent at the shortest HRT of 6 h. Membrane fouling was improved in the new reactor, which led to a longer membrane service period with the new reactor. Rapid membrane fouling was attributed to increased production of biomass and SMP, as in the conventional reactor. SMP of 10-100 kDa from both MBRs were predominant with more than 70% of the SMP <100 kDa. Protein was the major component of SMP rather than carbohydrate in both reactors. The new reactor sustained operation at constant permeate flux that required seven times less frequent chemical cleaning than did the conventional reactor. The new BEMR offers effective organics removal while reducing membrane fouling. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation on the conditions mitigating membrane fouling caused by TiO{sub 2} deposition in a membrane photocatalytic reactor (MPR) used for dye wastewater treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Damodar, Rahul-Ashok [Department of Bioenvironmental Engineering and R and D Center for Membrane Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung li 320, Taiwan, ROC (China); You, Sheng-Jie, E-mail: sjyou@cycu.edu.tw [Department of Bioenvironmental Engineering and R and D Center for Membrane Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung li 320, Taiwan, ROC (China); Chiou, Guan-Wei [Department of Civil Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung li 320, Taiwan, ROC (China)

2012-02-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The charge differences between particle and membrane accelerate the intensity of fouling and binding of TiO{sub 2} particles. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Severe fouling at pH 5 and low fouling at pH {>=} 7 at all flux conditions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The presence of a very thin TiO{sub 2} cake layer can alter the hydrophilicity of the membrane surface. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The resistance offered by dense TiO{sub 2} cake layer could dominate the hydrophilic effect of TiO{sub 2} particles. - Abstract: In this study, the effects of MPR's operating conditions such as permeate flux, solution pH, and membrane hydrophobicity on separation characteristics and membrane fouling caused by TiO{sub 2} deposition were investigated. The extent of fouling was measured in terms of TMP and tank turbidity variation. The results showed that, at mildly acidic conditions (pH {approx} 5), the turbidity within the tank decreased and the extent of turbidity drop increased with increasing flux for all the membranes. On the other hand, at pH {>=} 7, the turbidity remained constant at all flux and for all membranes tested. The fouling variation at different pH was closely linked with the surface charge (zeta potential) and hydrophilicity of both membrane and particles. It was observed that the charge differences between the particles and membranes accelerate the intensity of fouling and binding of TiO{sub 2} particles on the membrane surface under different pH conditions. The presence of a very thin layer of TiO{sub 2} can alter the hydrophilicity of the membranes and can slightly decrease the TMP (filtration resistance) of the fouled membranes. Besides, the resistance offered by the dense TiO{sub 2} cake layer would dominate this hydrophilic effect of TiO{sub 2} particles, and it may not alter the filtration resistance of the fouled membranes.

Gravity-driven membrane system for secondary wastewater effluent treatment: Filtration performance and fouling characterization

KAUST Repository

Wang, Yiran; Fortunato, Luca; Jeong, Sanghyun; Leiknes, TorOve

2017-01-01

Gravity-driven membrane (GDM) filtration is one of the promising membrane bioreactor (MBR) configurations. It operates at an ultra-low pressure by gravity, requiring a minimal energy. The objective of this study was to understand the performance of GDM filtration system and characterize the biofouling formation on a flat sheet membrane. This submerged GDM reactor was operated at constant gravitational pressure in treating of two different concentrations of secondary wastewater effluent. Morphology of biofilm layer was acquired by an in-situ and on-line optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanning in a fixed position at regular intervals. The thickness and roughness calculated from OCT images were related to the variation of flux, fouling resistance and permeate quality. At the end of experiment, fouling was quantified by total organic carbon (TOC) and adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) method. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was also applied for biofouling morphology observation. The biofouling formed on membrane surface was mostly removed by physical cleaning confirmed by contact angle measurement before and after cleaning. This demonstrated that fouling on the membrane under ultra-low pressure operation was highly reversible. The superiority and sustainability of GDM in both flux maintaining and long-term operation with production of high quality effluent was demonstrated.

Gravity-driven membrane system for secondary wastewater effluent treatment: Filtration performance and fouling characterization

KAUST Repository

Wang, Yiran

2017-04-21

Gravity-driven membrane (GDM) filtration is one of the promising membrane bioreactor (MBR) configurations. It operates at an ultra-low pressure by gravity, requiring a minimal energy. The objective of this study was to understand the performance of GDM filtration system and characterize the biofouling formation on a flat sheet membrane. This submerged GDM reactor was operated at constant gravitational pressure in treating of two different concentrations of secondary wastewater effluent. Morphology of biofilm layer was acquired by an in-situ and on-line optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanning in a fixed position at regular intervals. The thickness and roughness calculated from OCT images were related to the variation of flux, fouling resistance and permeate quality. At the end of experiment, fouling was quantified by total organic carbon (TOC) and adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) method. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was also applied for biofouling morphology observation. The biofouling formed on membrane surface was mostly removed by physical cleaning confirmed by contact angle measurement before and after cleaning. This demonstrated that fouling on the membrane under ultra-low pressure operation was highly reversible. The superiority and sustainability of GDM in both flux maintaining and long-term operation with production of high quality effluent was demonstrated.

Enzyme immobilization by fouling in ultrafiltration membranes: Impact of membrane configuration and type on flux behavior and biocatalytic conversion efficacy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luo, Jianquan; Meyer, Anne S.; Jonsson, Gunnar Eigil

2014-01-01

Enzyme-immobilization in membranes accomplished by fostering membrane fouling was evaluated. Four different membrane configurations and five membranes were compared for immobilization of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in terms of enzyme loading, permeate flux and final biocatalytic conversion...... and PLGC regenerated cellulose membranes. With these two highly hydrophilic membranes, the ADH enzyme activity was fully retained even after 24h of storage of the membrane. Filtration blocking and resistance models were used to analyze the fouling/immobilization mechanisms and give explanations...... for the different results. The work confirms that fouling-induced enzyme immobilization is a promising option for enhancing biocatalytic productivity, and highlights the significance of the membrane type and configuration for optimal performance....

THE METHODOLOGICAL REVIEW OF THE STUDIES INVESTIGATING THE SUCCESS AND FAILURE FACTORS IN NEWPRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haluk Köksal

2013-05-01

Much has been written on the factors which can distinguish between successful and failure products. However, the methodologies in this area of research are almost as numerous as the articles which have been written. This article reviews the studies on new product success and failure factors from the methodological perspective.

Marine bacterial transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) and TEP precursors: Characterization and RO fouling potential

KAUST Repository

Li, Sheng; Winters, Harvey; Jeong, Sanghyun; Emwas, Abdul-Hamid M.; Vigneswaran, Saravanamuthu; Amy, Gary L.

2015-01-01

This paper investigated the characteristics and membrane fouling potential of bacterial transparent exopolymer particles (TEP)/TEP precursors released from two marine bacteria, Pseudidiomarina homiensis (P. homiensis) and Pseudoalteromonas atlantica

Impact of organic fractions identified by SEC and fluorescence EEM on the hydraulic reversibility of ultrafiltration membrane fouling by secondary effluents

KAUST Repository

Haberkampa, Jens

2011-05-01

Loss of membrane filtration performance due to organic fouling is still a significant drawback for the application of low-pressure membranes in tertiary wastewater treatment. The present study investigates the relevance of different organic fractions present in secondary effluents in terms of hydraulically reversible and irreversible fouling of hollow-fibre ultrafiltration membranes. A good correlation between the hydraulically reversible filtration resistance and the total organic biopolymer concentration according to size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was observed. Qualitatively biopolymers consist mainly of polysaccharides as well as proteins with high molecular weight. Polysaccharides are retained by the membrane pores, but can be removed by simple UF backwashing. On the other hand, fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) analysis indicates that the extent of the hydraulically irreversible fouling correlates with the presence of protein-like substances. Removal of protein-like substances by biological slow sand filtration or chemical coagulation results in the significant reduction of the hydraulically irreversible fouling, which is presumably due to proteins in the molecular range of biopolymers. In contrast to the comparatively low sensitivity of colorimetric methods for the analysis of proteins and polysaccharides, the combined application of size exclusion chromatography and fluorescence EEM analysis is a promising tool for the determination of the organic fouling propensity of secondary effluents. ©2011 Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

Impact of organic fractions identified by SEC and fluorescence EEM on the hydraulic reversibility of ultrafiltration membrane fouling by secondary effluents

KAUST Repository

Haberkampa, Jens; Ernst, Mathias; Paar, Hendrik; Pallischeck, Daniela; Amy, Gary L.; Jekel, Martin R.

2011-01-01

Loss of membrane filtration performance due to organic fouling is still a significant drawback for the application of low-pressure membranes in tertiary wastewater treatment. The present study investigates the relevance of different organic fractions present in secondary effluents in terms of hydraulically reversible and irreversible fouling of hollow-fibre ultrafiltration membranes. A good correlation between the hydraulically reversible filtration resistance and the total organic biopolymer concentration according to size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was observed. Qualitatively biopolymers consist mainly of polysaccharides as well as proteins with high molecular weight. Polysaccharides are retained by the membrane pores, but can be removed by simple UF backwashing. On the other hand, fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) analysis indicates that the extent of the hydraulically irreversible fouling correlates with the presence of protein-like substances. Removal of protein-like substances by biological slow sand filtration or chemical coagulation results in the significant reduction of the hydraulically irreversible fouling, which is presumably due to proteins in the molecular range of biopolymers. In contrast to the comparatively low sensitivity of colorimetric methods for the analysis of proteins and polysaccharides, the combined application of size exclusion chromatography and fluorescence EEM analysis is a promising tool for the determination of the organic fouling propensity of secondary effluents. ©2011 Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

Low fouling polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane via click chemistry

KAUST Repository

Xie, Yihui

2014-10-13

Hydrophilic surfaces are known to be less prone to fouling. Ultrafiltration membranes are frequently prepared from rather hydrophobic polymers like polysulfone (PSU). Strategies to keep the good pore forming characteristics of PSU, but with improved hydrophilicity are proposed here. PSU functionalized with 1,2,3-triazole ring substituents containing OH groups was successfully synthesized through click chemistry reaction. The structures of the polymers were confirmed using NMR spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). High thermal stability (>280°C) was observed by thermal gravimetric analysis. Elemental analysis showed the presence of nitrogen containing triazole group with different degrees of functionalization (23%, 49%, 56%, and 94%). The glass transition temperature shifted with the introduction of triazole pendant groups from 190°C (unmodified) to 171°C. Ultrafiltration membranes were prepared via phase inversion by immersion in different coagulation baths (NMP/water mixtures with volume ratios from 0/100 to 40/60). The morphologies of these membranes were studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The optimized PSU bearing triazole functions membranes exhibited water permeability up to 187 L m-2 h-1 bar-1, which is 23 times higher than those prepared under the same conditions but with unmodified polysulfone (PSU; 8 L m-2 h-1 bar-1). Results of bovine serum albumin protein rejection test indicated that susceptibility to fouling decreased with the modification, due to the increased hydrophilicity, while keeping high protein rejection ratio (>99%).

Evaluation and optimization of hepatocyte culture media factors by design of experiments (DoE) methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Jia; Mandenius, Carl-Fredrik; Lübberstedt, Marc; Urbaniak, Thomas; Nüssler, Andreas K N; Knobeloch, Daniel; Gerlach, Jörg C; Zeilinger, Katrin

2008-07-01

Optimization of cell culture media based on statistical experimental design methodology is a widely used approach for improving cultivation conditions. We applied this methodology to refine the composition of an established culture medium for growth of a human hepatoma cell line, C3A. A selection of growth factors and nutrient supplements were systematically screened according to standard design of experiments (DoE) procedures. The results of the screening indicated that the medium additives hepatocyte growth factor, oncostatin M, and fibroblast growth factor 4 significantly influenced the metabolic activities of the C3A cell line. Surface response methodology revealed that the optimum levels for these factors were 30 ng/ml for hepatocyte growth factor and 35 ng/ml for oncostatin M. Additional experiments on primary human hepatocyte cultures showed high variance in metabolic activities between cells from different individuals, making determination of optimal levels of factors more difficult. Still, it was possible to conclude that hepatocyte growth factor, epidermal growth factor, and oncostatin M had decisive effects on the metabolic functions of primary human hepatocytes.

Butenolide inhibits marine fouling by altering the primary metabolism of three target organisms

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Yifan; Zhang, Huoming; He, Lisheng; Liu, Changdong; Xü , Ying; Qian, Peiyuan

2012-01-01

Butenolide is a very promising antifouling compound that inhibits ship hull fouling by a variety of marine organisms, but its antifouling mechanism was previously unknown. Here we report the first study of butenolides molecular targets in three

Anti-fouling properties of microstructured surfaces bio-inspired by rice leaves and butterfly wings.

Science.gov (United States)

Bixler, Gregory D; Theiss, Andrew; Bhushan, Bharat; Lee, Stephen C

2014-04-01

Material scientists often look to biology for new engineering solutions to materials science problems. For example, unique surface characteristics of rice leaves and butterfly wings combine the shark skin (antifouling) and lotus leaf (self-cleaning) effects, producing the so-called rice and butterfly wing effect. In this paper, we study antifouling properties of four microstructured surfaces inspired by rice leaves and fabricated with photolithography and hot embossing techniques. Anti-biofouling effectiveness is determined with bioassays using Escherichia coli whilst inorganic fouling with simulated dirt particles. Antifouling data are presented to understand the role of surface geometrical features resistance to fouling. Conceptual modeling provides design guidance when developing novel antifouling surfaces for applications in the medical, marine, and industrial fields. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fouling prevention of peptides from a tryptic whey hydrolysate during electromembrane processes by use of monovalent ion permselective membranes

OpenAIRE

Persico, Mathieu; Bazinet, Laurent

2017-01-01

Peptide adsorption occurring on conventional anion- and cation-exchange membranes is one of the main technological locks in electrodialysis (ED) for hydrolysate demineralization. Hence, the peptide fouling of monovalent anion (MAP) and monovalent cation (MCP) permselective membranes was studied and compared to conventional membranes (AMX-SB and CMX-SB). It appeared that the main peptide sequences responsible for fouling were TPEVDDEALEKFDK, VAGTWY and VLVLDTDYK for both anionic membranes; and...

EDTA fouling in dead-end ultrafiltration of low level radioactive wastewater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niu, Lixia [Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (MARC), Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055 (China); Zhang, Xue [Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Zhao, Xuan, E-mail: zhxinet@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn [Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Hu, Hongying [Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control State Key Joint Laboratory, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (MARC), Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055 (China)

2015-12-15

Highlights: • EDTA in LLRW caused unrecoverable UF membrane fouling. • The rejection of nuclides by UF was significantly enhanced with EDTA addition. • The nuclide (except Ag) deposition on membrane increased with EDTA addition. • Reducing EDTA in the feed water or alkaline/ultrasonic washing were suggested. - Abstract: EDTA is widely used as a detergent, and finally enters into wastewater. The influence of EDTA on ultrafiltration of low level radioactive wastewater (LLRW) was investigated under different operation conditions. As the main organic pollutant, EDTA led to unrecoverable membrane fouling and the normalized flux decreased from 100% to 85% depending on its concentration. The clogging caused by EDTA increased the surface roughness of the membrane, leading to the flux reduction. Both nuclide rejections and depositions on the membrane surfaces were enhanced with EDTA addition, due to the strong complexation of the nuclides with EDTA. However, Ag deposition on the membrane decreased slightly in the presence of EDTA, which may be caused by the stronger attraction of Ag to the unmodified membrane than that to the EDTA-modified one. Transmembrane pressure (TMP) and molecular weight cut off (MWCO) of membranes had negligible effects on membrane fouling, while the nuclide rejections by membrane and the depositions of nuclides on membrane both decreased significantly when the TMP increased to 0.2 MPa and MWCO increased from 5 kDa to 30 kDa. Based on these results, it clearly showed that EDTA even at a low concentration had strong effects on the performance of UF treating LLRW. Therefore, it is suggested for industrial application that pretreatments to reduce EDTA or alkaline/ultrasonic washing involved in UF process were necessary to reduce the nuclide depositions on the membrane surfaces and irradiation dose of membrane surface.

Efficacy and Ecotoxicity of Novel Anti-Fouling Nanomaterials in Target and Non-Target Marine Species.

Science.gov (United States)

Avelelas, Francisco; Martins, Roberto; Oliveira, Tânia; Maia, Frederico; Malheiro, Eliana; Soares, Amadeu M V M; Loureiro, Susana; Tedim, João

2017-04-01

Biofouling is a global problem that affects virtually all the immersed structures. Currently, several novel environmentally friendly approaches are being tested worldwide to decrease the toxicity of biocides in non-fouling species, such as the encapsulation/immobilization of commercially available biocides, in order to achieve control over the leaching rate. The present study addresses the toxicity of two widely used booster biocides, zinc pyrithione (ZnPT) and copper pyrithione (CuPT), in its free and incorporated forms in order to assess their toxicity and anti-fouling efficacy in target and non-target species. To achieve this goal, the following marine organisms were tested; the green microalgae Tetraselmis chuii (non-target species) and both target species, the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum and the mussel Mytilus edulis. Organisms were exposed to both biocides, two unloaded nanostructured materials and nanomaterials loaded with biocides, from 10 μg/L to 100 mg/L total weight, following standard protocols. The most eco-friendly and simultaneously efficient anti-fouling solution against the two photosynthetic species (nanoclays loaded with ZnPT) was then tested on mussels to assess its lethal efficacy (LC 50  = 123 μg/L) and compared with free biocide (LC 50  = 211 μg/L) and unloaded material (LC 50  > 1000 μg/L). A second exposure test with sub-lethal concentrations (lower than 100 μg/L), using mussels, was carried out to assess biochemical changes caused by the tested compounds. Oxidative stress, detoxification and neurotransmission markers were not responsive; however, different antioxidant patterns were found with free ZnPT and loaded nanoclay exposures. Thus, the immobilization of the biocide ZnPT into nanoclays proved to be a promising efficient and eco-friendly anti-fouling strategy.

Fouling development in direct contact membrane distillation: Non-invasive monitoring and destructive analysis

KAUST Repository

Fortunato, Luca; Jang, Yongsun; Lee, Jung Gil; Jeong, Sanghyun; Lee, Sangho; Leiknes, TorOve; Ghaffour, NorEddine

2017-01-01

of organic compounds and salts. Liquid chromatography with organic carbon detection (LC-OCD) analysis revealed the abundance of biopolymer in the fouling layer formed at the initial phase. In the second phase, formation of carbonate crystals on the membrane

Flexible Design and Operation of Multi-Stage Flash (MSF Desalination Process Subject to Variable Fouling and Variable Freshwater Demand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Said Alforjani Said

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This work describes how the design and operation parameters of the Multi-Stage Flash (MSF desalination process are optimised when the process is subject to variation in seawater temperature, fouling and freshwater demand throughout the day. A simple polynomial based dynamic seawater temperature and variable freshwater demand correlations are developed based on actual data which are incorporated in the MSF mathematical model using gPROMS models builder 3.0.3. In addition, a fouling model based on stage temperature is considered. The fouling and the effect of noncondensable gases are incorporated into the calculation of overall heat transfer co-efficient for condensers. Finally, an optimisation problem is developed where the total daily operating cost of the MSF process is minimised by optimising the design (no of stages and the operating (seawater rejected flowrate and brine recycle flowrate parameters.

How Do Polyethylene Glycol and Poly(sulfobetaine) Hydrogel Layers on Ultrafiltration Membranes Minimize Fouling and Stay Stable in Cleaning Chemicals?

KAUST Repository

Le, Ngoc Lieu

2017-05-18

We compare the efficiency of grafting polyethylene glycol (PEG) and poly(sulfobetaine) hydrogel layer on poly(ether imide) (PEI) hollow-fiber ultrafiltration membrane surfaces in terms of filtration performance, fouling minimization and stability in cleaning solutions. Two previously established different methods toward the two different chemistries (and both had already proven to be suited to reduce fouling significantly) are applied to the same PEI membranes. The hydrophilicity of PEI membranes is improved by the modification, as indicated by the change of contact angle value from 89° to 68° for both methods, due to the hydration layer formed in the hydrogel layers. Their pure water flux declines because of the additional permeation barrier from the hydrogel layers. However, these barriers increase protein rejection. In the exposure at a static condition, grafting PEG or poly(sulfobetaine) reduces protein adsorption to 23% or 11%, respectively. In the dynamic filtration, the hydrogel layers minimizes the flux reduction and increases the reversibility of fouling. Compared to the pristine PEI membrane that can recover its flux to 42% after hydraulic cleaning, the PEG and poly(sulfobetaine) grafted membranes can recover their flux up to 63% and 94%, respectively. Stability tests show that the poly(sulfobetaine) hydrogel layer is stable in acid, base and chlorine solutions, whereas the PEG hydrogel layer suffers alkaline hydrolysis in base and oxidation in chlorine conditions. With its chemical stability and pronounced capability of minimizing fouling, especially irreversible fouling, protective poly(sulfobetaine) hydrogel layers have great potential for various membrane-based applications.

Carbohydrade metabolism in suspended and attached cells of marine fouling diatom, Navicula sp.

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Bhosle, N.B.; Sawant, S.S.; Garg, A.; Wagh, A.B.

A marine fouling diatom, @iNavicula@@ sp. was cultured in the laboratory under 12-hour light : 12-hour dark conditions. Cells in suspension and attached to the flask walls were analyzed for chlorophyll a, cell organic carbon, total cell carbohydrate...

Seasonal variations in the fouling diatom community structure from a monsoon influenced tropical estuary

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Mitbavkar, S.; Anil, A.C.

Seasonal variations in the fouling diatom community from a monsoon influenced tropical estuary were investigated. The community composition did not differ significantly between stainless steel and polystyrene substrata due to dominance by Navicula...

Impact of synthetic or real urban wastewater on membrane bioreactor (MBR) performances and membrane fouling under stable conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Villain, Maud; Bourven, Isabelle; Guibaud, Gilles; Marrot, Benoît

2014-03-01

Influence of substrate type (synthetic (SWW) or real wastewater (RWW)) on lab scale MBR performances (e.g. COD and N-NH4(+) removal rates and bioactivities) was assessed. Membrane fouling was related to MBR biological medium characteristics. With RWW, autotrophic biomass was better acclimated with complete ammonium removal. MBR biological medium was characterized by main soluble microbial products (SMP) (proteins, polysaccharides and humic-like substances) quantification and molecular weights (MW) distribution determination. The biological medium of SWW acclimation contained 60mgL(-1) more of SMP, mainly composed of proteins and polysaccharides. A protein fraction having high MW (>600kDa) could be responsible for higher removable fouling fraction in that case. SMP of RWW experiment were mainly composed of small proteic and humic-like fractions, poorly retained by the membrane and resulting in a weak augmentation of irremovable and irreversible fouling fractions compared to SWW acclimation. Therefore RWW utilization is preferable to approach real operating MBR. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CO2 saturated water as two-phase flow for fouling control in reverse electrodialysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, J; de Hart, N; Saakes, M; Nijmeijer, K

2017-11-15

When natural feed waters are used in the operation of a reverse electrodialysis (RED) stack, severe fouling on the ion exchange membranes and spacers occurs. Fouling of the RED stack has a strong influence on the gross power density output; which can decrease up to 50%. Moreover, an increase in the pressure loss occurs between the feed water inlet and outlet, increasing the pumping energy and thus decreasing the net power density that can be obtained. In this work, we extensively investigated the use of CO 2 saturated water as two-phase flow cleaning for fouling mitigation in RED using natural feed waters. Experiments were performed in the REDstack research facility located at the Afsluitdijk (the Netherlands) using natural feed waters for a period of 60 days. Two different gas combinations were experimentally investigated, water/air sparging and water/CO 2 (saturated) injection. Air is an inert gas mixture and induces air sparging in the stack. In the case of CO 2 , nucleation, i.e. the spontaneous formation of bubbles, occurs at the spacer filaments due to depressurization of CO 2 saturated water, inducing cleaning. Results showed that stacks equipped with CO 2 saturated water can produce an average net power density of 0.18 W/m 2 under real fouling conditions with minimal pre-treatment and at a low outside temperature of only 8 °C, whereas the stacks equipped with air sparging could only produce an average net power density of 0.04 W/m 2 . Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements showed that the stacks equipped with air sparging increased in stack resistance due to the presence of stagnant bubbles remaining in the stack after every air injection. Furthermore, the introduction of CO 2 gas in the feed water introduces a pH decrease in the system (carbonated solution) adding an additional cleaning effect in the system, thus avoiding the use of environmentally unwanted cleaning chemicals. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All

Fundamentals of membrane bioreactors materials, systems and membrane fouling

CERN Document Server

Ladewig, Bradley

2017-01-01

This book provides a critical, carefully researched, up-to-date summary of membranes for membrane bioreactors. It presents a comprehensive and self-contained outline of the fundamentals of membrane bioreactors, especially their relevance as an advanced water treatment technology. This outline helps to bring the technology to the readers’ attention, and positions the critical topic of membrane fouling as one of the key impediments to its more widescale adoption. The target readership includes researchers and industrial practitioners with an interest in membrane bioreactors.

Irreversible fouling of membrane bioreactors due to formation of a non-biofilm gel layer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poorasgari, Eskandar; Larsen, Poul; Zheng, Xing

2014-01-01

Extra-cellular polymeric substances (EPS), known to contribute to fouling in membrane bio-reactors (MBRs), are generally divided into bound and free EPS. The free EPS are able to form a gel layer on the membrane active surface. The mechanisms involved in formation of such layer and its effects...... on performance of the MBR membranes were studied. The free EPS, extracted by centrifugation and microfiltration, contained a significant amount of humic-like substances. Under static contact to the membrane, adsorption of humic-like substances to the membrane occurred and could be explained by conventional...... adsorption kinetics. Due to static adsorption, surface roughness of the membrane declined significantly, indicating that adsorbed matters to the membranefilled the cavities of the membrane surface. Filtration of the free EPS caused 50% waterflux decline. The fouling resistance linearly increased...

Microbial fouling control in heat exchangers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCoy, W.F.

1991-01-01

Biofilm formation in turbulent flow has been studied a great deal during the last 15 years. Such studies have provided the basis for further experiments designed to test the efficacy of industrial antimicrobials against biofilms in laboratory models and in actual real-world industrial water-treatment programs. Biofilm microbiology is relevant from the industrial perspective because adherent populations of microorganisms often cause an economic impact on industrial processes. For example, it is the adherent population of microorganisms in cooling-water systems that can eventually contribute to significant heat transfer and fluid frictional resistances. The microbiology of biofilms in heat exchangers can be related to the performance of industrial antimicrobials. The development of fouling biofilms and methods to quantitatively observe the effect of biofouling control agents are discussed in this paper

An experimental study on the thermal and fouling characteristics in a washable shell and helically coiled heat exchanger by the Wilson plot method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koo, Kyoung Min; Ahn, Young Chull [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Jun Hyeon; Hur, Hyun; Na, Byung Chul; Hwang, Yoon Jae; Kim, Byung Soon [LG Electronics, Changwon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jae Keun [EcoEnergy Research Institute, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2016-06-15

Brazed plate heat exchangers (BPHEX) are broadly used in water source heat pump systems for their large heat transfer capacity. Despite their high heat transfer rate, their high-performance rate tends to decrease sharply, due to fouling and they cannot be cleaned. So the thermal and fouling resistances of washable Shell and helically coiled tube heat exchangers (SCHEX) are designed and experimentally investigated in this study. Heat exchangers with two different tube types are studied and compared with a brazed plate heat exchanger. The overall thermal resistance coefficient of the heat exchangers as determined by using Wilson plots is 38% lower than that of the brazed plate heat exchanger at a Reynolds number of 2460. Fouling test results revealed that regular maintenance and physical cleaning can be used to maintain the thermal resistance of fouling of the washable heat exchanger at a level equal to or less than that of the brazed plate heat exchanger.

Effects of dissolved organic matters (DOMs) on membrane fouling in anaerobic ceramic membrane bioreactors (AnCMBRs) treating domestic wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Xiaodi; Koh, Yoong Keat Kelvin; Ng, How Yong

2015-12-01

Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) have been regarded as a potential solution to achieve energy neutrality in the future wastewater treatment plants. Coupling ceramic membranes into AnMBRs offers great potential as ceramic membranes are resistant to corrosive chemicals such as cleaning reagents and harsh environmental conditions such as high temperature. In this study, ceramic membranes with pore sizes of 80, 200 and 300 nm were individually mounted in three anaerobic ceramic membrane bioreactors (AnCMBRs) treating real domestic wastewater to examine the treatment efficiencies and to elucidate the effects of dissolved organic matters (DOMs) on fouling behaviours. The average overall chemical oxygen demands (COD) removal efficiencies could reach around 86-88%. Although CH4 productions were around 0.3 L/g CODutilised, about 67% of CH4 generated was dissolved in the liquid phase and lost in the permeate. When filtering mixed liquor of similar properties, smaller pore-sized membranes fouled slower in long-term operations due to lower occurrence of pore blockages. However, total organic removal efficiencies could not explain the fouling behaviours. Liquid chromatography-organic carbon detection, fluorescence spectrophotometer and high performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence and ultra-violet detectors were used to analyse the DOMs in detail. The major foulants were identified to be biopolymers that were produced in microbial activities. One of the main components of biopolymers--proteins--led to different fouling behaviours. It is postulated that the proteins could pass through porous cake layers to create pore blockages in membranes. Hence, concentrations of the DOMs in the soluble fraction of mixed liquor (SML) could not predict membrane fouling because different components in the DOMs might have different interactions with membranes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Study on Anti – Fouling Behaviour and Mechanical Properties of PVA/Chitosan/TEOS Hybrid membrane in The Treatment of Copper Solution

Science.gov (United States)

Sulaiman, N. A.; Kassim Shaari, N. Z.; Rahman, N. Abdul

2018-05-01

In a wastewater treatment by using membrane filtration, fouling has been one of the major problems. In this study, the anti-fouling behaviour of the fabricated thin-film composite membrane were studied during the treatment of water containing copper ion. The membranes were prepared from a polymer blend of 2wt.% chitosan with 10 wt.% poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and then it was cross – linked with tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) through sol-gel method. The membrane had been evaluated for its resistance against organic fouling where humic acid had been chosen as organic foulant model which represent the natural organic matter (NOM) in water or wastewater. The dead-end filtration experiments were carried out by using 50 ppm of copper solution with and without the presence of humic acid as feed solution, which was passed through two types of thin film composite membranes. The possible reversible fouling was evaluated by using relative flux decay (RFD) and relative flux recovery (RFR) calculations. The percentage of copper ion removal was evaluated by using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Based on the results, with the presence of humic acid, the membrane incorporated with silica precursor (TEOS) showed lower flux decay (3%) and higher flux recovery (76%), which show that the formulated hybrid membrane possesses the anti fouling property. The same trend was observed in the mechanical properties of hybrid membrane, where the presence of TEOS has improved the tensile strength and flexibility of the membrane. Therefore, the fabricated thin film composite with the anti-fouling properties and good physical flexibility has potential to be used in the treatment of wastewater containing heavy metal as it could result in good saving in term of operational cost.

Characterization of biofoulants illustrates different membrane fouling mechanisms for aerobic and anaerobic membrane bioreactors

KAUST Repository

Xiong, Yanghui; Harb, Moustapha; Hong, Pei-Ying

2015-01-01

efficiency, the fouling mechanisms were different. Molecular weight (MW) fingerprint profiles showed that a majority of fragments in anaerobic soluble microbial products (SMP) were retained by the membrane and some fragments were present in both SMP

Membrane fouling of forward osmosis (FO) membrane for municipal wastewater treatment: A comparison between direct FO and OMBR.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yan; Tian, Jiayu; Zhao, Zhiwei; Shi, Wenxin; Liu, Dongmei; Cui, Fuyi

2016-11-01

In this work, membrane fouling behavior in a direct forward osmosis (FO) and an osmotic membrane bioreactor (OMBR) for municipal wastewater treatment was systematically investigated and compared. During the long-term operation, much severer flux decline was observed for the direct FO than that for the OMBR. The cake layer was found to be much thicker, together with large amounts of microorganisms growing on the membrane surface in direct FO. Interestingly, no obvious attachment of microorganisms on the membrane surface was observed in the OMBR. The fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and excitation emission matrices (EEM) analyses showed the polysaccharides and proteins were the dominant organic foulants in the fouling layer, and the quantity of the organic substances was also higher in direct FO than that in OMBR. Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) results indicated the main inorganic elements in the fouling layer were Ca, Mg, Fe and P, all of which exhibited higher relative percentages in direct FO than that in OMBR. The occurrence of higher contents of microorganisms, organic foulants and inorganic elements in the cake layer caused a higher filtration resistance for the FO membrane in the direct FO. Although more severe membrane fouling was identified in direct FO, the hydraulic and chemical cleaning was more effective on recovering the water permeability of the membrane in direct FO than that in OMBR. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heat treatment of whole milk by the direct joule effect--experimental and numerical approaches to fouling mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Fillaudeau, L; Winterton, P; Leuliet, J C; Tissier, J P; Maury, V; Semet, F; Debreyne, P; Berthou, M; Chopard, F

2006-12-01

The development of alternative technologies such as the direct Joule effect to pasteurize and sterilize food products is of great scientific and industrial interest. Our objective was 1) to gain insight into the ability to ensure ultra-high-temperature treatment of milk and 2) to investigate the links among thermal, hydraulic, and electrical phenomena in relation to fouling in a direct Joule effect heater. The ohmic heater [OH; E perpendicular to v (where E is the electrical field and v is the velocity); P (power) = 15 kW] was composed of 5 flat rectangular cells [e (space between the plate and electrode) = 15 mm, w (wall) = 76 mm, and L (length of the plate in plate heat exchanger or electrode) = 246 mm]--3 active cells to ensure heating and 2 (at the extremities) for electrical insulation and the recovery of leakage currents. In the first step, the thermal performance of the OH was investigated vs. the flow regimen [50 conductivity of fluids (0.1 thermal approach (thermal and electrical balance, modeling of the temperature profile of a fluid) and local analysis of the wall temperature of the electrode. An empirical correlation was established to estimate the temperature gradient, T(w)-T(b) (where T(w) is the wall temperature and T(b) is the product temperature) under clean conditions (without fouling) and was used to define operating conditions for pure-volume and direct-resistance heating. In the second step, the ability of OH to ensure the ultra-high-temperature treatment of whole milk was investigated and compared with a plate heat exchanger. Special care was taken to investigate the heat transfer phenomena occurring over a range of temperatures from 105 to 138 degrees C. This temperature range corresponds to the part of the process made critical by protein and mineral fouling. The objectives were 1) to demonstrate the ability of an OH to ensure heat treatment of milk, 2) to study the thermal and hydraulic performance with an increasing power and temperature

Impact of the Interaction between Aquatic Humic Substances and Algal Organic Matter on the Fouling of a Ceramic Microfiltration Membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaolei; Fan, Linhua; Roddick, Felicity A

2018-02-01

The influence of the interaction between aquatic humic substances and the algal organic matter (AOM) derived from Microcystis aeruginosa on the fouling of a ceramic microfiltration (MF) membrane was studied. AOM alone resulted in a significantly greater flux decline compared with Suwannee River humic acid (HA), and fulvic acid (FA). The mixture of AOM with HA and FA exhibited a similar flux pattern as the AOM alone in the single-cycle filtration tests, indicating the flux decline may be predominantly controlled by the AOM in the early filtration cycles. The mixtures resulted in a marked increase in irreversible fouling resistance compared with all individual feed solutions. An increase in zeta potential was observed for the mixtures (becoming more negatively charged), which was in accordance with the increased reversible fouling resistance resulting from enhanced electrostatic repulsion between the organic compounds and the negatively-charged ceramic membrane. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and size exclusion chromatography analyses showed an apparent increase in molecular size for the AOM-humics mixtures, and some UV-absorbing molecules in the humics appeared to participate in the formation of larger aggregates with the AOM, which led to greater extent of pore plugging and hence resulted in higher irreversible fouling resistance.

Impact of the Interaction between Aquatic Humic Substances and Algal Organic Matter on the Fouling of a Ceramic Microfiltration Membrane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaolei Zhang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The influence of the interaction between aquatic humic substances and the algal organic matter (AOM derived from Microcystis aeruginosa on the fouling of a ceramic microfiltration (MF membrane was studied. AOM alone resulted in a significantly greater flux decline compared with Suwannee River humic acid (HA, and fulvic acid (FA. The mixture of AOM with HA and FA exhibited a similar flux pattern as the AOM alone in the single-cycle filtration tests, indicating the flux decline may be predominantly controlled by the AOM in the early filtration cycles. The mixtures resulted in a marked increase in irreversible fouling resistance compared with all individual feed solutions. An increase in zeta potential was observed for the mixtures (becoming more negatively charged, which was in accordance with the increased reversible fouling resistance resulting from enhanced electrostatic repulsion between the organic compounds and the negatively-charged ceramic membrane. Dynamic light scattering (DLS and size exclusion chromatography analyses showed an apparent increase in molecular size for the AOM-humics mixtures, and some UV-absorbing molecules in the humics appeared to participate in the formation of larger aggregates with the AOM, which led to greater extent of pore plugging and hence resulted in higher irreversible fouling resistance.

Experimental investigation of the behaviour and fate of block copolymers in fouling-release coatings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Noguer, Albert Camós

Fouling-release coatings (FRC) were developed as an environmentally friendly alternative after the ban of highly toxic antifouling coatings based on tributyltin. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) has been the most widely used polymer for FRC, and its fouling-inhibition properties have been enhanced....... FRC provide superior fuel savings to the shipping industry on the first stages of immersion compared to other current technologies, albeit its performance declines over time. This project is mainly concerned with improving the understanding of FRC and identifying the causes that result...... to the interfaces of the PDMS film could be observed by following the fluorescence intensity at different depths over time. The chemical stability of PDMS-PEG-based copolymers in PDMS coatings immersed for up to 30 months in seawater in Singapore was also investigated. The copolymer remaining in the coatings after...

Cake layers and long filtration times protect ceramic micro-filtration membranes for fouling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lu, J.

2013-01-01

The objective of this research was to decrease membrane fouling of a ceramic microfiltration system and at the same time increase the recovery. A conventional operation in micro- and ultrafiltration is an in-line coagulation and a frequent hydraulic backwash. The idea about these frequent backwashes

Performance and fouling characteristics of different pore-sized submerged ceramic membrane bioreactors (SCMBR).

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Le; Ng, How Yong; Ong, Say Leong

2009-01-01

The membrane bioreactor (MBR), a combination of activated sludge process and the membrane separation system, has been widely used in wastewater treatment. However, 90% of MBR reported were employing polymeric membranes. The usage of ceramic membranes in MBR is quite rare. Four submerged ceramic membrane bioreactors (SCMBRs) with different membrane pore size were used in this study to treat sewage. The results showed that the desirable carbonaceous removal of 95% and ammonia nitrogen removal of 98% were obtained for all the SCMBRs. It was also showed that the ceramic membranes were able to reject some portions of the protein and carbohydrate, whereby the carbohydrate rejection rate was much higher than that of protein. Membrane pore size did not significantly affect the COD and TOC removal efficiencies, the composition of EPS and SMP or the membrane rejection rate, although slight differences were observed. The SCMBR with the biggest membrane pore size fouled fastest, and membrane pore size was a main contributor for the different fouling potential observed.

Molecular fouling resistance of zwitterionic and amphiphilic initiated chemically vapor-deposited (iCVD) thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, R; Goktekin, E; Wang, MH; Gleason, KK

2014-08-08

Biofouling is a universal problem in various applications ranging from water purification to implantable biomedical devices. Recent advances in surface modification have created a rich library of antifouling surface chemistries, many of which can be categorized into one of the two groups: hydrophilic surfaces or amphiphilic surfaces. We report the straightforward preparation of antifouling thin film coatings in both categories via initiated chemical vapor deposition. A molecular force spectroscopy-based method is demonstrated as a rapid and quantitative assessment tool for comparing the differences in antifouling characteristics. The fouling propensity of single molecules, as opposed to bulk protein solution or bacterial culture, is assessed. This method allows for the interrogation of molecular interaction without the complication resulted from protein conformational change or micro-organism group interactions. The molecular interaction follows the same trend as bacterial adhesion results obtained previously, demonstrating that molecular force probe is a valid method for the quantification and mechanistic examination of fouling. In addition, the molecular force spectroscopy-based method is able to distinguish differences in antifouling capability that is not resolvable by traditional static protein adsorption tests. To lend further insight into the intrinsic fouling resistance of zwitterionic and amphiphilic surface chemistries, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, advancing and receding water contact angles, and atomic force microscopy are used to elucidate the film properties that are relevant to their antifouling capabilities.

Long-term dynamics of the state of the fouling community in the Odessa Bay (Black Sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Y. Varigin

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This article examines the long-term dynamics of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the coastal fouling community of OdessaBay(Black Sea for the last 40 years. It compares the data on this community obtained by different researchers in 1976, 1994 and 2016 . The number of species included in the fouling community decreased from 103 (1976 to 43 (1994 and then rose to 62 by 2016. As a possible reason for this reduction in the species composition of the community the influence of large-scale anthropogenic eutrophication, which was already strongly evident in the north-western part of the Black Seain the 1970s, is proposed. This phenomenon was accompanied by periodic outbreaks of mass abundance of planktonic algae, secondary water pollution, the development of hypoxia and a frequent suffocation effect on the benthos, which caused the disappearance from the community of 41 species of invertebrates. The reduction in the number of species affected representatives of the following taxons: Polychaeta, Amphipoda, Gastropoda and Bivalvia. Currently, the core of the community includes the same species of invertebrates as in the past. It is based on Bivalvia mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis. Among the attached forms , Mytilaster lineatus (Bivalvia and Amphibalanus improvisus (Cirripedia play a leading role, and among mobile – representatives of Polychaeta, Isopoda, Amphipoda and Gastropoda. It is shown that 10 of the 25 species, recorded the first time for this community in the 1970s, have become abundant in modern conditions. The primacy in the relative density in the composition of the community at the present time has passed from the amphipod crustaceans to bivalve molluscs. The highest relative biomass, both in the past and in the present-day conditions was observed in representatives of Bivalvia. The structure of the resistance of the fouling community to the effects of unstable environmental factors specific to the coastal zone is

Electrochemical acidification of Kraft black liquor by electrodialysis with bipolar membrane: Ion exchange membrane fouling identification and mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Haddad, Maryam; Mikhaylin, Sergey; Bazinet, Laurent; Savadogo, Oumarou; Paris, Jean

2017-02-15

Integrated forest biorefinery offers promising pathways to sustainably diversify the revenue of pulp and paper industry. In this context, lignin can be extracted from a residual stream of Kraft pulping process, called black liquor, and subsequently converted into a wide spectrum of bio-based products. Electrochemical acidification of Kraft black liquor by electrodialysis with bipolar membrane results in lignin extraction and caustic soda production. Even though the implementation of this method requires less chemicals than the chemical acidification process, fouling of the ion exchange membranes and especially bipolar membrane impairs its productivity. Membrane thickness and ash content measurements along with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental analysis (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) analysis were performed to identify the nature and mechanisms of the membrane fouling. The results revealed that the fouling layer mostly consisted of organic components and particularly lignin. Based on our proposed fouling mechanisms, throughout the electrodialysis process the pH of the black liquor gradually decreased and as a result more proton ions were available to trigger protonation reaction of lignin phenolic groups and decrease the lignin solubility. Due to the abundance of the proton ions on the surface of the cation exchange layers of the bipolar membrane, destabilized lignin macro-molecules started to self-aggregate and formed lignin clusters on its surface. Over the time, these lignin clusters covered the entire surface of the bipolar membrane and the spaces between the membranes and, eventually, attached to the surface of the cation exchange membrane. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cross-sectional analysis of fouled SWRO membranes by STEM-EDS

KAUST Repository

Aubry, Cyril

2014-01-01

The intact cross-section of two fouled reverse osmosis membranes was characterized using a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) equipped with an electron energy dispersive spectroscope (EDS). Focused ion beam (FIB) was used to prepare a thin lamella of each membrane. These lamellas were then attached to a TEM grid for further STEM/EDS analysis. The foulant in sample A was mainly inorganic in nature and predominantly composed of alumino-silicate particles. These particles were surrounded by carbon at high concentrations, indicating the presence of organic materials. Iron was diffusely present in the cake layer and this could have enhanced the fouling process. The cake layer of membrane B was mainly consisted of organic matter (C, O, and N representing 95% of the total elemental composition) and organized in thin parallel layers. Small concentrations of Si, F, Na, Mg, and Cl were detected inside the active layer and support layer of the membrane. Due to the high sensitivity of the cake layer of membrane A to the electron beam, STEM/EDS line analyses might have been performed on large areas. On the other hand, the cake layer of sample B was resistant to the electron beam and the resolution of STEM/EDS was gradually improved until obtaining a resolution of 25. nm. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Impact of the fouling mechanism on enzymatic depolymerization of xylan in different configurations of membrane reactors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mohd Sueb, Mohd Shafiq Bin; Luo, Jianquan; Meyer, Anne S.

2017-01-01

In order to maximize enzymatic xylan depolymerization while simultaneously purifying the resulting monosaccharide (xylose), different ultrafiltration (UF) membrane reactor configurations were evaluated. Initial results showed that the two hydrolytic enzymes required for complete depolymerization...... which hindered enzymatic attack in addition to fouling. Reaction with both enzymes followed by UF was found to be the optimal configuration, providing at least 40% higher xylan hydrolysis than the cascade configuration (involving sequential reaction with each of the enzymes separately......) and the simultaneous reaction-filtration with both enzymes, respectively. This study thus confirmed that the reactor configuration has a crucial impact on the performance of both the reaction and the separation process of xylose during enzymatic xylan degradation, and that the type of fouling mechanism varies...

METHODOLOGY FOR DETERMINING THE OPTIMAL CLEANING PERIOD OF HEAT EXCHANGERS BY USING THE CRITERIA OF MINIMUM COST

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanileisy Rodríguez Calderón

2015-04-01

Full Text Available One of the most serious problems of the Process Industry is that when planning the maintenance of the heat exchangers is not applied the methodologies based on economic criteria to optimize periods of cleaning surfaces resulting in additional costs for the company and for the country. This work develops and proposes a methodical based on the criterion of Minimum Cost for determining the optimal cleaning period. It is given an example of application of this method to the case of intercoolers of a centrifugal compressor with a high fouling level.It occurs this because is used sea water with many microorganisms as cooling agent which severely embeds transfer surfaces of side water. The methodology employed can be generalized to other applications.

In-line coagulation prior to UF of treated domestic wastewater - foulants removal, fouling control and phosphorus removal

KAUST Repository

Zheng, Xing; Plume, Stephan; Ernst, Mathias; Croue, Jean-Philippe; Jekel, Martin R.

2012-01-01

The present work investigated fouling control and phosphorus removal by applying in-line coagulation prior to ultrafiltration (UF) of treated domestic wastewater. Experiments were conducted in both lab- and pilot-scale under close to neutral pH condition. Lab-scale foulant removal tests showed that increasing the dosage of FeCl3, AlCl3 and polymeric aluminum chloride (PACl) can improve biopolymer removal. Specifically, PACl reduced preferentially the proteinaceous fraction of biopolymer while the other two coagulants showed no significant preference. The filterability of water samples was improved after coagulation, which is contributed to biopolymer removal and the formation of larger particles. Pilot UF experiments demonstrated that in-line coagulation improved the performance of UF to a large extent. Within 0.037-0.148mmol Me3+/L dosage range, adding more FeCl3 and AlCl3 slowed down the development of trans-membrane pressure (TMP) correspondingly, while changing PACl dosage showed little effect on the variation of TMP increase rate. Further investigations indicated that PACl related precipitates contributed to more irreversible fouling than that which the monomeric coagulants made. Fouling control is thus considered as a co-effect determined by foulant removal efficiency, fouling layer structure and the adherence of hydrolysis products/precipitates onto the membrane. With respect to phosphorus removal, dosing FeCl3 and AlCl3 achieved higher removal efficiency than using PACl. Based on lab- and pilot-scale results, dosing FeCl3 and AlCl3 at a relative dosage of over 2.5mol Me3+ per mol total phosphorus (TP) in feedwater is necessarily required to keep the TP concentration under 50μg/L in UF permeate. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

In-line coagulation prior to UF of treated domestic wastewater - foulants removal, fouling control and phosphorus removal

KAUST Repository

Zheng, Xing

2012-06-01

The present work investigated fouling control and phosphorus removal by applying in-line coagulation prior to ultrafiltration (UF) of treated domestic wastewater. Experiments were conducted in both lab- and pilot-scale under close to neutral pH condition. Lab-scale foulant removal tests showed that increasing the dosage of FeCl3, AlCl3 and polymeric aluminum chloride (PACl) can improve biopolymer removal. Specifically, PACl reduced preferentially the proteinaceous fraction of biopolymer while the other two coagulants showed no significant preference. The filterability of water samples was improved after coagulation, which is contributed to biopolymer removal and the formation of larger particles. Pilot UF experiments demonstrated that in-line coagulation improved the performance of UF to a large extent. Within 0.037-0.148mmol Me3+/L dosage range, adding more FeCl3 and AlCl3 slowed down the development of trans-membrane pressure (TMP) correspondingly, while changing PACl dosage showed little effect on the variation of TMP increase rate. Further investigations indicated that PACl related precipitates contributed to more irreversible fouling than that which the monomeric coagulants made. Fouling control is thus considered as a co-effect determined by foulant removal efficiency, fouling layer structure and the adherence of hydrolysis products/precipitates onto the membrane. With respect to phosphorus removal, dosing FeCl3 and AlCl3 achieved higher removal efficiency than using PACl. Based on lab- and pilot-scale results, dosing FeCl3 and AlCl3 at a relative dosage of over 2.5mol Me3+ per mol total phosphorus (TP) in feedwater is necessarily required to keep the TP concentration under 50μg/L in UF permeate. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Fusion integral experiments and analysis and the determination of design safety factors - I: Methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youssef, M.Z.; Kumar, A.; Abdou, M.A.; Oyama, Y.; Maekawa, H.

1995-01-01

The role of the neutronics experimentation and analysis in fusion neutronics research and development programs is discussed. A new methodology was developed to arrive at estimates to design safety factors based on the experimental and analytical results from design-oriented integral experiments. In this methodology, and for a particular nuclear response, R, a normalized density function (NDF) is constructed from the prediction uncertainties, and their associated standard deviations, as found in the various integral experiments where that response, R, is measured. Important statistical parameters are derived from the NDF, such as the global mean prediction uncertainty, and the possible spread around it. The method of deriving safety factors from many possible NDFs based on various calculational and measuring methods (among other variants) is also described. Associated with each safety factor is a confidence level, designers may choose to have, that the calculated response, R, will not exceed (or will not fall below) the actual measured value. An illustrative example is given on how to construct the NDFs. The methodology is applied in two areas, namely the line-integrated tritium production rate and bulk shielding integral experiments. Conditions under which these factors could be derived and the validity of the method are discussed. 72 refs., 17 figs., 4 tabs

Dendrimeric Thin-Film Composite Membranes: Free Volume, Roughness, and Fouling Resistance

KAUST Repository

Phuoc, Duong

2017-11-10

Copolyamide films with a thickness from 50 to 780 nm were fabricated by interfacial polymerization between mixtures of m-phenylene diamine and primary amine-terminated polyamidoamine dendrimers (PAMAM) in the aqueous phase and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) in the organic phase. Different PAMAM generations (G0, d = 15 Å, Z = 4; G3, d = 36 Å, Z = 32; and G5, d = 54, Z = 128, where d is the measured diameter and Z is the number of terminal groups) and concentrations were used to obtain copolyamide films with different crosslinked structures. The influences of the concentration and degree of branching (PAMAM generation) on free volume were analysed via positon annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) and correlated with the separation properties of copolyamide films. Besides, surface and intrinsic properties of copolyamide films under different conditions were compared. The high hydrophilicity of PAMAM in the copolyamide network leads to the formation of a hydration layer on the copolyamide surface, which minimizes fouling. The separation performance of copolyamide membranes with various PAMAM networks was investigated in forward osmosis (FO) experiments. Understanding the correlation between the PAMAM structure/concentration, free volume, thickness, and surface intrinsic properties leads to the design of suitable fouling resistant thin-film composite membranes in a single interfacial polymerization process.

Multiple Approaches for Testing Novel Coatings in the Laboratory and in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii with Emphasis on the Global, Problem-Fouling Invertebrates

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-25

Multiple Approaches for Testing Novel Coatings in the Laboratory and in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii with Emphasis on the Global, Problem-Fouling Invertebrates 5a...on the Global, Problem-Fouling Invertebrates ONR AWARD NUMBER: N00014-11-1-0167 PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR: Michael G. Hadfield, Ph.D...luteoviolacea a phage tail-like component that is capable of inducing the metamorphosis of a marine invertebrate . However, our continued studies in the

Irreversible fouling of membrane bioreactors due to formation of a non-biofilm gel-like layer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poorasgari, Eskandar; Larsen, Poul; Zheng, Xing

2013-01-01

Extra-cellular polymeric substances (EPS), known to contribute to fouling in membrane bio-reactors (MBR)s, are generally divided into bound and free EPS. The free EPS are able to form a gel-like layer on the membrane active surface. The mechanisms involved in formation of such layer and its effects...... on performance of the MBR membranes were studied. The free EPS, extracted by centrifugation and microfiltration, contained a significant amount of humic-like substances. Under static contact to the membrane, adsorption of humic-like substances to the membrane occurred and could be explained by conventional...... adsorption kinetics. Due to static adsorption, surface roughness of the membrane declined significantly indicating that adsorbed matters to the membrane filled the cavities of the membrane surface. Filtration of the free EPS caused 50% water flux decline. The fouling resistance linearly increased...

Long-term performance and fouling analysis of full-scale direct nanofiltration (NF) installations treating anoxic groundwater

KAUST Repository

Beyer, Florian; Rietman, Bas M.; Zwijnenburg, Arie; Van Den Brink, Paula J.; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S.; Jarzembowska, Monika; Laurinonyte, Judita; Stams, Alfons JM M; Plugge, Caroline M.

2014-01-01

. Investigations using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), total organic carbon (TOC) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurements revealed a complex mixture of organic, biological and inorganic materials. The fouling

A Comparative Study of Fouling and Bottom Ash from Woody Biomass Combustion in a Fixed-Bed Small-Scale Boiler and Evaluation of the Analytical Techniques Used

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lara Febrero

2015-05-01

Full Text Available In this work, fouling and bottom ash were collected from a low-power boiler after wood pellet combustion and studied using several analytical techniques to characterize and compare samples from different areas and determine the suitability of the analysis techniques employed. TGA results indicated that the fouling contained a high amount of organic matter (70%. The XRF and SEM-EDS measurements revealed that Ca and K are the main inorganic elements and exhibit clear tendency in the content of Cl that is negligible in the bottom ash and increased as it penetrated into the innermost layers of the fouling. Calcite, magnesia and silica appeared as the major crystalline phases in all the samples. However, the bottom ash was primarily comprised of calcium silicates. The KCl behaved identically to the Cl, preferably appeared in the adhered fouling samples. This salt, which has a low melting point, condenses upon contact with the low temperature tube and played a crucial role in the early stages of fouling formation. XRD was the most useful technique applied, which provided a semi-quantitative determination of the crystalline phases. FTIR was proven to be inadequate for this type of sample. The XRF and SEM-EDS, techniques yield similar results despite being entirely different.

Early warning of diarrhea and pen fouling in growing pigs using sensor-based monitoring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, D. B.; Toft, Nils; Kristensen, A. R.

2016-01-01

then identify specific pens in need of extra attention. Here we evaluate the value of monitoring live weight, feed usage, humidity, drinking behavior and pen temperature in relation to early warnings of diarrhea and pen fouling in slaughter pigs. Materials and methods: We used data collected in 16 pens (8...... double-pens) between November 2013 and December 2014 at a commercial Danish farm. During this time, three new batches were inserted. We monitored the mean live weight of the pigs per pen (weekly, only in 4 pens), feed usage per double-pen (daily), humidity per section (daily), temperature at two...... positions per pen (hourly), water flow per double-pen (liters/hour/pig) and drinking frequency per pen (activations/hour/pig). Staff registrations of diarrhea and pen fouling were the events of interest. The data were divided into a learning set (15 events) and a test set (18 events). The data were modeled...

Copper current collectors reduce long-term fouling of air cathodes in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Myung, Jaewook; Yang, Wulin; Saikaly, Pascal; Logan, Bruce E

2018-01-01

Long-term operation of wastewater-fed, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with cathodes made of activated carbon and stainless steel (SS) current collectors can result in decreased performance due to cathode fouling. Copper has good antimicrobial properties, and it is more electrically conductive than SS. To demonstrate that a copper current collector could produce a more fouling resistant cathode, MFCs with air cathodes using either SS or copper current collectors were operated using domestic wastewater for 27 weeks. The reduction in biofouling over time was shown by less biofilm formation on the copper cathode surface compared to SS cathodes, due to the antimicrobial properties of copper. Maximum power densities from 17–27 weeks were 440 ± 38 mW/m2 using copper and 370 ± 21 mW/m2 using SS cathodes. The main difference in the microbial community was a nitrifying community on the SS cathodes, which was not present on the copper cathodes.

Copper current collectors reduce long-term fouling of air cathodes in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Myung, Jaewook

2018-02-05

Long-term operation of wastewater-fed, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with cathodes made of activated carbon and stainless steel (SS) current collectors can result in decreased performance due to cathode fouling. Copper has good antimicrobial properties, and it is more electrically conductive than SS. To demonstrate that a copper current collector could produce a more fouling resistant cathode, MFCs with air cathodes using either SS or copper current collectors were operated using domestic wastewater for 27 weeks. The reduction in biofouling over time was shown by less biofilm formation on the copper cathode surface compared to SS cathodes, due to the antimicrobial properties of copper. Maximum power densities from 17–27 weeks were 440 ± 38 mW/m2 using copper and 370 ± 21 mW/m2 using SS cathodes. The main difference in the microbial community was a nitrifying community on the SS cathodes, which was not present on the copper cathodes.

Ash fouling monitoring and key variables analysis for coal fired power plant boiler

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shi Yuanhao

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Ash deposition on heat transfer surfaces is still a significant problem in coal-fired power plant utility boilers. The effective ways to deal with this problem are accurate on-line monitoring of ash fouling and soot-blowing. In this paper, an online ash fouling monitoring model based on dynamic mass and energy balance method is developed and key variables analysis technique is introduced to study the internal behavior of soot-blowing system. In this process, artificial neural networks (ANN are used to optimize the boiler soot-blowing model and mean impact values method is utilized to determine a set of key variables. The validity of the models has been illustrated in a real case-study boiler, a 300MW Chinese power station. The results on same real plant data show that both models have good prediction accuracy, while the ANN model II has less input parameters. This work will be the basis of a future development in order to control and optimize the soot-blowing of the coal-fired power plant utility boilers.

The Performance and Fouling Control of Submerged Hollow Fiber (HF Systems: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ebrahim Akhondi

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The submerged membrane filtration concept is well-established for low-pressure microfiltration (MF and ultrafiltration (UF applications in the water industry, and has become a mainstream technology for surface-water treatment, pretreatment prior to reverse osmosis (RO, and membrane bioreactors (MBRs. Compared to submerged flat sheet (FS membranes, submerged hollow fiber (HF membranes are more common due to their advantages of higher packing density, the ability to induce movement by mechanisms such as bubbling, and the feasibility of backwashing. In view of the importance of submerged HF processes, this review aims to provide a comprehensive landscape of the current state-of-the-art systems, to serve as a guide for further improvements in submerged HF membranes and their applications. The topics covered include recent developments in submerged hollow fiber membrane systems, the challenges and developments in fouling-control methods, and treatment protocols for membrane permeability recovery. The highlighted research opportunities include optimizing the various means to manipulate the hydrodynamics for fouling mitigation, developing online monitoring devices, and extending the submerged HF concept beyond filtration.

Quand la foule devient peuple … avec Léon Gambetta When the Crowd Becomes People… with Léon Gambetta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aude Dontenwille-Gerbaud

2010-09-01

Full Text Available De 1870 à 1882 en France, la foule se montre un acteur essentiel dans la construction de la Troisième République. Non plus la foule qui prend la Bastille ou celle des barricades, mais la foule qui ovationne les grands leaders républicains qui ne peuvent faire sans elle. Si l’on veut bien considérer les discours « fondateurs » de Léon Gambetta, non pas seulement dans leur dimension textuelle, mais également dans leur profonde théâtralité, il convient d’analyser les grands rassemblements comme la naissance d’une modernité politique. La mémoire des foules révolutionnaires hante les esprits. Tout à la fois source vive d’inspiration pour le tribun ou d’inquiétude pour les conservateurs, les foules républicaines sont l’objet de toutes les attentions. Dans ce moment clef de l’histoire de France, le projet républicain entend les instruire, transformer en quelque sorte l’énergie issue de la foule « aveugle » en celle d’un peuple éclairé. La philosophie politique permet à l’historien d’analyser autrement ce moment fondateur. Les éclairages de Jürgen Habermas, Claude Lefort et Paul Ricoeur amènent à dépasser l’analyse classique d’une idée républicaine, pour évoquer la construction d’une société démocratique.From 1870 to 1882 in France, the crowd becomes a central actor in the construction of the Third Republic. The image of the crowd assaulting the Bastille or controlling the barricades is replaced by a crowd cheering the great republican leaders who rely on its support. A sound assessment of Léon Gambetta’s “founding” speeches needs to consider not only their textual content but also their theatrical dimension in order to analyse these events as forerunners of modern politics. As the memory of the revolutionary crowds is persisting in the first years of the Third Republic, the republican crowds catch the attention of actors from all sides of the political spectrum. In this key

Development of a dynamic model for cleaning ultra filtration membranes fouled by surface water

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zondervan, Edwin; Betlem, Ben H.L.; Roffel, Brian

2007-01-01

In this paper, a dynamic model for cleaning ultra filtration membranes fouled by surface water is proposed. A model that captures the dynamics well is valuable for the optimization of the cleaning process. The proposed model is based on component balances and contains three parameters that can be

Application of transient analysis methodology to heat exchanger performance monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rampall, I.; Soler, A.I.; Singh, K.P.; Scott, B.H.

1994-01-01

A transient testing technique is developed to evaluate the thermal performance of industrial scale heat exchangers. A Galerkin-based numerical method with a choice of spectral basis elements to account for spatial temperature variations in heat exchangers is developed to solve the transient heat exchanger model equations. Testing a heat exchanger in the transient state may be the only viable alternative where conventional steady state testing procedures are impossible or infeasible. For example, this methodology is particularly suited to the determination of fouling levels in component cooling water system heat exchangers in nuclear power plants. The heat load on these so-called component coolers under steady state conditions is too small to permit meaningful testing. An adequate heat load develops immediately after a reactor shutdown when the exchanger inlet temperatures are highly time-dependent. The application of the analysis methodology is illustrated herein with reference to an in-situ transient testing carried out at a nuclear power plant. The method, however, is applicable to any transient testing application

Fouling control mechanisms of demineralized water backwash: Reduction of charge screening and calcium bridging effects

KAUST Repository

Li, Sheng; Heijman, Bas G J; Verberk, J. Q J C; Le-Clech, Pierre; Lu, Jie; Kemperman, Antoine J B; Amy, Gary L.; Van Dijk, Johannis C.

2011-01-01

with demineralized water can explain the observed reduction in fouling. Results show that the charge of both membranes and NOM, as measured by the zeta potential, became more negative at a lower pH and a lower concentration of electrolytes, in particular, divalent

Influence of fermentation liquid from waste activated sludge on anoxic/oxic- membrane bioreactor performance: Nitrogen removal, membrane fouling and microbial community.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Xiaomeng; Zhou, Zhen; Mei, Xiaojie; Ma, Yan; Xie, Zhenfang

2018-02-01

In order to investigate effects of waste activated sludge (WAS) fermentation liquid on anoxic/oxic- membrane bioreactor (A/O-MBR), two A/O-MBRs with and without WAS fermentation liquid addition were operated in parallel. Results show that addition of WAS fermentation liquid clearly improved denitrification efficiency without deterioration of nitrification, while severe membrane fouling occurred. WAS fermentation liquid resulted in an elevated production of proteins and humic acids in bound extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) and release of organic matter with high MW fractions in soluble microbial product (SMP) and loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS). Measurement of deposition rate and fluid structure confirmed increased fouling potential of SMP and LB-EPS. γ-Proteobacteria and Ferruginibacter, which can secrete and export EPS, were also found to be abundant in the MBR with WAS fermentation liquid. It is implied that when WAS fermentation liquid was applied, some operational steps to control membrane fouling should be employed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparation of Sulfobetaine-Grafted PVDF Hollow Fiber Membranes with a Stably Anti-Protein-Fouling Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qian Li

2014-04-01