Sustainable membrane management

低压膜越来越多地被用于饮用水处理。这项相对较新的技术之所以迅速被采用，很大程度上是因为它有更强的能力有效地去除令人关切的污染物。截至2011年，加拿大生产的所有饮用水中有10%以上是使用膜处理的。到2020年，这一数字预计将增加到约25%。定期化学清洗(除水力清洗外)用于防止膜表面残留的物质广泛堆积。虽然化学清洗剂有效，但已有文献证明，化学清洗剂会使膜老化，不可逆转地改变其特性。随着时间的推移，这些变化会降低膜的性能，因此必须更换它们。对于我们的公用事业合作伙伴和其他膜用户来说，更换代表着一笔巨大的资本支出，从大约1,000,000美元到超过20,000,000美元不等。不幸的是，没有足够的工具来使我们的公用事业合作伙伴(和其他人)能够计划与膜更换相关的巨额资本支出。 拟议研究的主要目标是发展我们的公用事业伙伴(以及加拿大和国际上使用膜进行水处理的其他公用事业公司)所需的知识和工具，以便他们能够以有效和可持续的方式更好地规划其水处理资产的运营和管理。为实现这一目标，将采取有重点的办法，以查明促进/尽量减少膜老化的条件，制定可用于估计实际(剩余)预期寿命的方案，查明可用于最大化膜运行预期寿命的方法，并开发使用循证办法操作和管理膜设施的工具。这项研究的独创性源于将开发的基于知识的方法，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.