Sustainable membrane management

低压膜越来越多地用于饮用水处理。这种相对较新的技术之所以能够迅速被采用，主要是因为它能够更有效地去除令人担忧的污染物。截至2011年，加拿大生产的所有饮用水中有10%以上使用膜处理。到2020年，这一数字预计将增加到约25%。定期的化学清洗（除水力清洗外）用于防止保留在膜表面上的材料的大量积累。虽然有效，但化学清洁剂已被记录为“老化”膜，不可逆地改变其特性。随着时间的推移，这些变化会降低膜性能，因此必须更换。对于我们的公用事业合作伙伴和其他膜用户来说，更换膜是一项重大的资本支出，从约1，000，000美元到超过约20，000，000美元不等。不幸的是，没有足够的工具来授权我们的公用事业合作伙伴（和其他人）计划与膜更换相关的大量资本支出。拟议研究的主要目标是开发我们的公用事业合作伙伴（以及加拿大和国际上使用膜进行水处理的其他公用事业）所需的知识和工具，以便他们可以更好地规划其水处理资产的运营和管理。这一目标将通过以下方式实现：采用重点突出的方法来确定促进/最大限度地减少膜老化的条件，制定可用于估计实际（剩余）预期寿命的协议，确定可用于最大限度地提高膜运行预期寿命的方法，并开发使用循证方法运行和管理膜设施的工具。这项研究的原创性源于将开发的以知识为基础的方法，以制定解决膜长期老化的策略。

Low pressure membranes are increasingly being used for drinking water treatment. The rapid adoption of this relatively new technology largely results from its greater ability to effectively remove contaminants of concern. As of 2011, more than 10% of all potable water produced in Canada was treated using membranes. By 2020, this number is expected to increase to approximately 25%. Periodic chemical cleaning (in addition to hydraulic cleaning) is used to prevent extensive accumulation of material retained on the membrane surface. Although effective, chemical cleaning agents have been documented to 'age' membranes, irreversibly changing their characteristics. Over time, these changes decrease membrane performance such that they must be replaced. For our public utility partners, and other users of membranes, replacement represents a significant capital expenditure, ranging from ~$1,000,000 to over ~$20,000,000. Unfortunately, there are no adequate tools to empower our public utility partners (and others) to plan for the large capital expenditures associated with membrane replacement. The primary objective of the proposed research is to develop the knowledge and tools required by our public utility partners (as well as by other public utilities throughout Canada and internationally which use membranes for water treatment) such that they may better plan the operation and management of their water treatment assets in an effective and sustainable manner. This objective will be achieved by employing a focused approach to identify conditions that promote/minimize membrane ageing, develop protocols that can be used to estimate the actual (remaining) life expectancy, identify approaches that can be used to maximize membrane operating life expectancy, and develop tools to operate and manage membrane facilities using an evidence-based approach. The originality of this research stems from the knowledge-based approaches that will be developed to formulate strategies to address long-term aging of membranes.