Lecture 13

Topic-5

Dr. M. Khabir Uddin

Professor
Department of Environmental Sciences
Jahangirnagar University
 Hollow fiber
• The hollow fiber membrane module consists of a bundle of
hundreds to thousands of hollow fibers.
• The entire assembly is inserted into a pressure vessel.
• The feed can be applied to the inside of the fiber (inside out
flow) or the outside of the fiber (outside in flow)
Spiral wound
• In the spiral wound membrane, a flexible permeate spacer is
placed between two flat membrane sheets.
• The membranes are sealed on three sides
• The open side is attached to a perforated pipe.
• A flexible feed spacer is added and the flat sheets are rolled
into a tight circular configuration
 Plate and Frame
• Plate and Frame membrane modules are comprised of
a series of flat membrane sheets and support plates.
• The water to be treated passes between the
membranes of two adjacent membrane assemblies.
• The plates supports the membranes and provides a
channel for the permeate to flow out of the unit.
• The pale and Frame configuration are most
commonly used for electrodialysis modules.
 Pleated-cartridge Filters

• Pleated-cartridge Filters are used most commonly in microfiltration

applications and usually are designed as disposable units.
• These are used almost exclusively to concentrate virus from treated
wastewater for analysis.

Pressure Vessels

• The primary purpose of pressure vessel is to support the membrane

and keep the feed water and product stream isolated.
• The vessel must also be designed to prevent leaks
and pressure losses to the outside, minimize the
buildup of salts and fouling, and to permit easy
replacement of the membranes.
• Depending on the operating pressure and the
characteristics of the feed water, a variety of
materials have been used, including plastics and
fiberglass tubes.
• Steel pressure tubes are required for some
reverse-osmosis applications and stainless steel is
required for seawater and brackish water having
high TDS.
 Membrane Operation

• The operation of membrane processes are quit simple. A pump

is used to pressurize the feed solution and to circulate it
through the module.
• A valve is used to maintain the pressure retentate.
• The permeate is withdrawn, typically at atmospheric pressure.
• As constituents in the feedwater accumulate on the
membranes, the pressure builds up on the feed side, the
membrane flux starts to decrease, and the percent rejection
also starts to decrease.
• When the performance has deteriorated to a give level, the
membrane modules are taken out of service and backwashed
and / or cleaned chemically.
 Microfiltration and Ultrafiltration
• Three different process configurations are used with Microfiltration
and Ultrafiltration units.
• In the first configuration known as cross flow the feed water is
pumped with cross flow tangential to the membrane.
• Water that does not pass through the membrane is recirculated
through the membrane after blending with additional feed water.
• The second configuration is also known as cross flow is similar to
the first with the exception that the water does not pass through the
membrane is recirculated to a storage reservoir.
• The third configuration is known as direct feed ( also dead-end) in
that there is no cross flow.
• All of the water applied to the membrane passes through the
membrane.
 Reverse Osmosis

• When two solutions having different solute concentrations are separated by

a semipermeable membrane, a difference in chemical potential will exist
across the membrane.
• Water will tend to diffuse through the membrane from the
lower-concentration (higher potential) side to the higher-concentration
(lower-potential) side.
• In a system having a finite volume, flow continues until the pressure
difference balances the chemical potential difference.
• This balancing pressure difference is termed as osmotic pressure and is a
function of solute characteristics and concentration and temperature.
• If a pressure gradient opposite in the direction and greater than the osmotic
pressure is imposed across the membrane, flow from the more concentrated
to the less concentrated region will occur and termed as reverse osmosis.
 Osmotic
pressure

∆P0
∆P

Membrane Membrane

Fresh Saline Fresh

Saline
Applied
∆P<∆P0 pressure ∆P=∆P0
Osmosis ∆Pa Equilibrium

Membrane
∆Pa>∆P0
Fresh Saline
Reverse
osmosis
 Membrane fouling

• The term fouling is used to describe the potential deposition

and accumulation of constituents in the feed stream on the
membrane.
• It is an important consideration in the design and operation of
membrane systems as it affects
• Pretreatment needs,
• Cleaning requirements,
• Operating conditions,
• Cost, and
• Performance.
Fouling of the membrane can occur in three general forms

• A build up of the constituents in the feed water on the

membrane surface,

• The formation of chemical precipitates due to the chemistry of

the feedwater, and

• Damage to the membrane due to the presence of chemical

substances that can react with the membrane or biological
agents that can colonize the membrane.
 Constituents in wastewater that can affect the performance of
membranes through the mechanism of fouling
Types of fouling Responsible constituents Remarks
Fouling ( cake formation) Metal oxides, organic and By controlling these
inorganic colloids, bacteria, substances damage can be
microbes controlled.
Scaling (precipitation) Calcium sulfate, calcium Scaling can be reduced by
carbonate, silica, barium limiting salts content,
sulfate, calcium fluoride adding acids can limits the
formation of calcium
carbonate
Damage to membrane Acids, bases, pH extremes, By controlling these
free chlorine, bacteria, free substances damage can be
oxygen controlled. Extent of
damage depends on the
nature of the membrane.
 Application of Membrane
• With evolving health concerns and the development of new and lower-cost
membranes, the application of membrane technologies in the field of
environmental engineering has increased dramatically within the last 5
years.
• The typical applications for membrane technologies in wastewater
treatment are as follows:
✔ Aerobic and anaerobic biological treatment
✔ Membrane aeration biological treatment
✔ Membrane extraction biological treatment
✔ Pretreatment for effective disinfection
✔ Pretreatment for Nanofiltration and reverse osmosis
✔ Effluent reuse
✔ Wastewater softening
✔ Effluent dispersal
✔ Two-stage treatment for boiler use
 Electrodialysis
Electrodialysis is a process where, ionic components of a solution
are separated through the use of semipermeable ion-selective
membranes. It has a variety of reuse applications in
wastewater treatment fields.
Theory of Electrodialysis
Theory of Electrodialysis

• Application of an electrical potential between the two

electrode causes an electric current to pass through the
solution, which in turn causes a migration of cations towards
the negative electrode and a migration of anions toward the
positive electrode.
• Because of the alternate spacing of cation- and
anion-permeable membranes, cells of concentrated and dilute
salts are formed.
Theory of Electrodialysis continue……

• Wastewater is pumped through the membranes, which is separated by

spacers and assembled into stacks.
• The wastewater is usually retained for about 10 to 20 days in a single stack
or stage.
• Dissolved solids removals vary with the
• Wastewater temperature
• Amounts of electrical current passed
• Type of amount of ions
• Perm-selectivity of the membrane
• Fouling and scaling potential of the wastewater
• Wastewater flow rates, and
• Number and configuration of stages
End of lecture 13