Crossflow microfiltration in water treatment: new pretreatment and innovative operating conditions

Funding: 2000: $21,080
2001: $21,080

Project Member(s): Vigneswaran, S.

Funding or Partner Organisation: Australian Research Council (ARC SPIRT (Strategic Partnerships with Industry Re)
United KG Pty Ltd (Kilpatrick Green Partner Funds)

Start year: 2000

Summary: Crossflow microfiltration, a membrane process, is becoming popular in water and wastewater treatment for reuse. Its main problem is clogging of membrane pores. This will be minimised (i) by introducing a new design of unsaturated flow static flocculator to reduce the solid load to the membranes and to modify the deposit characteristics; and (ii) by operating the membrane filtration below critical flux. This study will be carried out at a treatment plant site and will aid in the successful design and operation of membrane filtration plants, as well as providing the practical research training of two masters students.

Publications:

Guo, WS, Vigneswaran, S, Ngo, HH & Chapman, H 2004, 'Experimental investigation of adsorption-flocculation-microfiltration hybrid system in wastewater reuse', JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE, vol. 242, no. 1-2, pp. 27-35.
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Chapman, H, Vigneswaran, S, Ngo, HH, Dyer, S & Ben Aim, R 2002, 'Pre-flocculation of secondary treated wastewater in enhancing the performance of microfiltration', DESALINATION, vol. 146, no. 1-3, pp. 367-372.
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Keywords: Microfiltration; Static flocculator; Wastewater treatment; Critical flux; Mathematical models; Pilot-scale experiments

FOR Codes: Prevention and treatment of pollution, Waste management and recycling, Chemical Engineering not elsewhere classified, Water and Sanitary Engineering

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.