BOOK
Biofouling of Spiral Wound Membrane Systems
Johannes Simon Vrouwenvelder | Joop Kruithof | Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht
(2011)
Additional Information
Book Details
Abstract
The study of membrane biofouling has increased strongly in the past four years, compared to the previous twenty two years, indicated by the more than doubling of the number of scientific papers. However, no single source gives an updated overview of biofouling. Biofouling of Spiral Wound Membrane Systems gives a complete and comprehensive overview of all aspects of biofouling, bridging the gap between microbiology, hydraulics and membrane technology.Â
High quality drinking water can be produced with membrane filtration processes like reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF). As the global demand for fresh clean water is increasing, these membrane technologies are increasingly important. One of the most serious problems in RO/NF applications is biofouling – excessive growth of biomass – affecting the performance of the RO/NF systems. This can be due to the increase in pressure drop across membrane elements (feed-concentrate channel), the decrease in membrane permeability or the increase in salt passage. These phenomena result in the need to increase the feed pressure to maintain constant production and to clean the membrane elements chemically.Â
Biofouling of Spiral Wound Membrane Systems relates biomass accumulation in spiral wound RO and NF membrane elements with membrane performance and hydrodynamics and determines parameters influencing biofouling. It focuses on the development of biomass in the feed-concentrate (feed-spacer) channel and its effect on pressure drop and flow distribution. It can be used to develop an integral strategy to control biofouling in spiral wound membrane systems. Most past and present methods to control biofouling have not been very successful. An overview of several potential complementary approaches to solve biofouling is given and an integrated approach for biofouling control is proposed.  Â
Table of Contents
Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Half title page | 2 | ||
Title page | 4 | ||
Copyright page | 5 | ||
Contents | 6 | ||
Preface | 14 | ||
Contributors | 16 | ||
Summary | 18 | ||
Biofouling of spiral wound membrane systems | 18 | ||
Problem analysis | 19 | ||
Method development | 19 | ||
Basic studies | 19 | ||
Control studies | 20 | ||
Outlook | 21 | ||
Chapter 1 | 22 | ||
Introduction | 22 | ||
INCREASING DEMAND FOR CLEAN FRESHWATER | 22 | ||
MEMBRANE FILTRATION | 25 | ||
Membrane element | 29 | ||
Membrane fi ltration system | 31 | ||
Membrane fouling | 32 | ||
BIOFILMS AND BIOFOULING | 34 | ||
Biofouling in membrane systems | 35 | ||
SCOPE AND OUTLINE | 37 | ||
Chapter 2 | 42 | ||
Biofouling studies in NF and RO installations* | 42 | ||
INTRODUCTION | 42 | ||
MATERIALS AND METHODS | 44 | ||
Test rig experiments | 44 | ||
Full-scale experiments | 44 | ||
Normalized pressure drop | 46 | ||
Sampling and study of membranes | 46 | ||
Biomass in membrane elements | 47 | ||
Biological parameters of feed water | 48 | ||
Effect of cleaning | 48 | ||
Statistical evaluation | 48 | ||
RESULTS | 48 | ||
Biomass in membrane elements | 48 | ||
Dose-effect studies | 50 | ||
Fouling of membrane plants: use of biomass parameters | 52 | ||
Use of biological parameters of water to predict fouling | 54 | ||
Pretreatment and cleaning | 55 | ||
DISCUSSION | 56 | ||
Selection of a suitable parameter for biofouling | 56 | ||
Use of feed water parameters as process parameters | 59 | ||
Practical implications | 60 | ||
Chapter 3 | 68 | ||
Membrane fouling simulator development* | 68 | ||
INTRODUCTION | 68 | ||
MATERIALS AND METHODS | 72 | ||
Membrane Fouling Simulator | 72 | ||
Membranes and spacers | 73 | ||
Experimental set-up for operation/monitoring of MFS and test rig | 74 | ||
Sampling and analysis of membrane coupons | 75 | ||
RESULTS | 75 | ||
Relationship between linear velocity and pressure drop | 75 | ||
Flow distribution | 76 | ||
Sensitivity for fouling detection | 76 | ||
Reproducibility of MFS experiments | 78 | ||
Comparison of fouling in MFS and membrane elements | 79 | ||
DISCUSSION | 81 | ||
Evaluation of the Membrane Fouling Simulator | 81 | ||
Potential fi elds of application for the Membrane Fouling Simulator | 83 | ||
DEVELOPMENT OF A SET OF NEW MONITORS | 85 | ||
MFS operation | 88 | ||
MFS use | 90 | ||
SUMMARY | 91 | ||
Chapter 4 | 94 | ||
Sensitive pressure drop measurement* | 94 | ||
INTRODUCTION | 94 | ||
MATERIALS AND METHODS | 95 | ||
Experimental set-up | 95 | ||
Pressure drop measurements | 96 | ||
Sampling and study of membranes modules | 97 | ||
Feed water | 100 | ||
RESULTS | 100 | ||
UF pretreatment | 102 | ||
Development of pressure drop | 105 | ||
Comparison of pressure drop measurements | 106 | ||
Fouling analysis | 106 | ||
DISCUSSION | 107 | ||
Pretreatment effect | 107 | ||
Biofouling mechanism in lead membrane elements | 107 | ||
Biofouling monitoring | 109 | ||
Selection of pressure transmitter | 110 | ||
Potential fouling control | 111 | ||
SUMMARY | 112 | ||
Chapter 5 | 114 | ||
Nuclear magnetic resonance measurement* | 114 | ||
INTRODUCTION | 114 | ||
METHODOLOGY | 115 | ||
Membranes systems | 115 | ||
Membrane module | 115 | ||
Flow cell | 115 | ||
BIOFOULING PROCEDURE | 116 | ||
Membrane module | 116 | ||
Flow cell | 118 | ||
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) microscopy | 118 | ||
Membrane module | 118 | ||
Flow cell | 119 | ||
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION | 119 | ||
Membrane | 119 | ||
Flow cell | 122 | ||
SUMMARY | 127 | ||
Chapter 6 | 130 | ||
Three-dimensional numerical model development* | 130 | ||
INTRODUCTION | 130 | ||
MODEL DESCRIPTION | 133 | ||
Model geometry and computational domains | 133 | ||
Momentum balance (hydrodynamics) | 134 | ||
Mass balance for soluble substrate | 135 | ||
Mass balance for biomass | 136 | ||
Model solution | 138 | ||
MODEL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION | 139 | ||
Interaction between hydrodynamics and biofi lm growth | 141 | ||
Effect of biofi lm formation on the residence time distribution | 155 | ||
Effect of mass transport limitations on the biofi lm development | 160 | ||
Model evaluation | 162 | ||
SUMMARY | 165 | ||
Chapter 7 | 168 | ||
Effect of flux* | 168 | ||
INTRODUCTION | 168 | ||
MATERIALS AND METHODS | 169 | ||
Experimental set-up | 169 | ||
Laboratory study | 169 | ||
Monitors, test rigs and full-scale plant | 170 | ||
NF pilot plant: membrane elements with/without fl ux | 171 | ||
Pressure drop | 172 | ||
Calculation of the ratio of diffusive and convective fl ux | 173 | ||
RESULTS | 176 | ||
Fouling in monitor without fl ux | 176 | ||
Fouling in monitors, test rigs and full-scale plant | 178 | ||
Fouling in membrane elements with/without fl ux in NF pilot plant | 180 | ||
DISCUSSION | 182 | ||
Flux and critical fl ux | 182 | ||
Nutrient rejection | 184 | ||
Biofouling is a feed spacer problem | 184 | ||
SUMMARY | 185 | ||
Chapter 8 | 186 | ||
Effect of feed spacer* | 186 | ||
INTRODUCTION | 186 | ||
MATERIALS AND METHODS | 187 | ||
Terminology | 187 | ||
Experimental set-up | 188 | ||
Full-scale and test-rig investigations with different feed water types | 189 | ||
Comparison full-scale, test-rig and MFS studies | 190 | ||
NF pilot plant: membrane elements with/without permeate production | 190 | ||
Laboratory study | 190 | ||
MRI study | 191 | ||
Pressure drop | 194 | ||
Membrane autopsy | 194 | ||
RESULTS | 195 | ||
Full-scale and test-rig investigations with different feed water types | 195 | ||
Comparison full-scale, test-rig and MFS studies | 196 | ||
Infl uence of permeate production on biofouling | 196 | ||
In-situ visual observations on fouling accumulation | 198 | ||
In-situ MRI observations of fouling accumulation and velocity distribution profi les | 198 | ||
Feed spacer impact on biofouling | 202 | ||
DISCUSSION | 203 | ||
Biomass accumulates on the location with highest impact on feed channel pressure drop | 204 | ||
Biofouling is a feed spacer problem | 204 | ||
Reduction of biofouling by adaptation of spacer geometry and hydrodynamics | 206 | ||
SUMMARY | 207 | ||
Chapter 9 | 208 | ||
Three-dimensional numerical model based evaluation of experimental data* | 208 | ||
INTRODUCTION | 208 | ||
MATERIALS AND METHODS | 210 | ||
Feed spacer characterization | 210 | ||
Model description | 211 | ||
Experimental set-up | 214 | ||
MRI study | 215 | ||
Pressure drop | 216 | ||
Membrane autopsy | 216 | ||
RESULTS | 217 | ||
Inventory of feed spacers used in practice | 217 | ||
Biomass growth parameters and pressure drop increase | 217 | ||
Comparison model with experimental data | 218 | ||
Infl uence feed spacer: model and experimental data | 224 | ||
DISCUSSION | 230 | ||
Comparison model with practice | 230 | ||
Spacer relevance | 232 | ||
Future studies and practical implications | 233 | ||
SUMMARY | 234 | ||
Chapter 10 | 238 | ||
Effect of substrate load and linear fl ow velocity* | 238 | ||
INTRODUCTION | 238 | ||
MATERIALS AND METHODS | 240 | ||
Membrane fouling simulator | 240 | ||
Experimental set-up | 241 | ||
Sampling and study of membranes | 241 | ||
RESULTS | 242 | ||
Linear fl ow velocities applied in practice | 247 | ||
Effect of substrate concentration at constant linear velocity | 247 | ||
Effect of linear fl ow velocity at constant substrate concentration | 248 | ||
Effect of linear velocity and substrate concentration at constant substrate load | 248 | ||
Effect of fl ow velocity | 249 | ||
Effect of substrate load reduction | 250 | ||
DISCUSSION | 252 | ||
Plant performance | 252 | ||
Biomass parameters | 252 | ||
Linear fl ow velocities applied in practice | 253 | ||
Biofi lm accumulation | 254 | ||
Pressure drop increase monitoring | 256 | ||
Biofouling analysis | 256 | ||
Biofouling control | 257 | ||
Linear fl ow velocity adaptation: possible consequences | 258 | ||
SUMMARY | 259 | ||
Chapter 11 | 260 | ||
Effect of fl ow regime on biomass accumulation and morphology* | 260 | ||
INTRODUCTION | 260 | ||
MATERIALS AND METHODS | 262 | ||
Experimental set-up | 262 | ||
Membrane fouling simulator (MFS) | 262 | ||
Pressure drop | 264 | ||
Bubble fl ow studies | 264 | ||
Feed water and substrate dosage | 265 | ||
Relative friction factor | 267 | ||
RESULTS | 267 | ||
Effect substrate concentration at constant linear fl ow velocity | 268 | ||
Effect linear fl ow velocity at constant substrate concentration | 269 | ||
Effect linear fl ow velocity at constant substrate load | 269 | ||
Effect bubble fl ow at constant substrate load and linear fl ow velocity | 273 | ||
Effect fl ow regime on biofi lm cohesion strength | 276 | ||
DISCUSSION | 276 | ||
Analogy biofi lm formation in RO/NF and other systems | 276 | ||
Manipulation of biofi lm morphology | 277 | ||
Quantifi cation of biofouling effect | 278 | ||
Future studies and practical implications | 278 | ||
SUMMARY | 280 | ||
Chapter 12 | 282 | ||
Effect of phosphate limitation* | 282 | ||
INTRODUCTION | 282 | ||
MATERIALS AND METHODS | 284 | ||
Experimental set-up | 284 | ||
Plant description | 284 | ||
Membrane fouling simulator | 287 | ||
Pressure drop | 291 | ||
Membrane autopsy from elements and MFSs | 291 | ||
RESULTS | 292 | ||
Full-scale RO investigations | 292 | ||
Comparison of antiscalants | 294 | ||
Growth limiting conditions in RO installation | 295 | ||
Low phosphate concentrations during water treatment | 298 | ||
DISCUSSION | 299 | ||
Biofouling control | 299 | ||
Follow up | 301 | ||
SUMMARY | 301 | ||
Chapter 13 | 306 | ||
Integrated approach for biofouling control* | 306 | ||
INTRODUCTION | 306 | ||
PROBLEM ANALYSIS | 307 | ||
EARLY DETECTION | 309 | ||
BIOFOULING CONTROL | 310 | ||
Strategy | 310 | ||
Potential approaches | 311 | ||
Cleaning strategies | 312 | ||
Advanced cleaning strategies | 314 | ||
Biofouling inhibitor dosage | 316 | ||
Chemical selection and use | 317 | ||
Low flow velocities | 317 | ||
Feed flow reversal | 318 | ||
Feed spacer modifi cation | 319 | ||
Total membrane system | 320 | ||
Growth limiting conditions | 320 | ||
Repetitive stress conditions | 321 | ||
Biofi lm morphology engineering | 321 | ||
Combined approaches | 324 | ||
MOST PROMISING SCENARIOS FOR BIOFOULING CONTROL | 325 | ||
Biofouling tolerant conditions in spiral wound membrane systems | 325 | ||
Capillary membranes | 325 | ||
Phosphate limitation | 326 | ||
SUMMARY | 326 | ||
References | 328 | ||
Nomenclature | 348 | ||
Abbreviations | 348 | ||
List of symbols | 349 | ||
Greek | 350 | ||
Index | 352 |