Optimization of fouling control in submerged hollow fiber membrane systems

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Ultrafiltration membranes are increasingly being used for water and wastewater treatment applications because of their ability to effectively remove many contaminants of interest. However, the retained contaminants can accumulate and foul a membrane surface, increasing the resistance to the permeate flow. To date, limited fundamental knowledge exists regarding the mechanisms governing fouling. As a result, existing commercial membrane systems are designed and operated based largely on a trial-and-error approach using pilot testing to identify the operating conditions. In addition to being capital and time intensive, this approach does not ensure that the conditions that minimize power consumption for fouling control and maximize operating lifetime of membranes are identified. This has limited the widespread application of membrane systems, especially for small and remote communities that do not have access to the capital or expertise to design and/or operate membrane systems. In partnership with engineers at GE Water and Process Technologies (GE), researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) propose to develop the fundamental knowledge necessary to optimize the design and operation of air sparged submerged hollow fiber membrane systems without having to extensively rely on the currently used trial-and-error empirical approach. The outcome from the proposed research would be the development of new air sparging equipment and approaches to optimize the removal of hydraulically reversible fouling and procedures to quantify the effects of chemical cleaning agents and approaches on the operating lifetime of membrane systems.