An Optimal Integrated Immersed Membrane System as Pre-Treatment for Reverse Osmosis Desalination

Funding: 2007: $80,000
2008: $80,000
2009: $60,000

Project Member(s): Vigneswaran, S.

Funding or Partner Organisation: Australian Research Council (Other funds for ARC projects)
Australian Research Council (ARC Discovery Projects)

Start year: 2007

Summary: Reverse Osmosis (RO) is the dominant technology in desalination. An effective pre-treatment is the key to alleviate the major hurdle of RO, membrane fouling. In this study, we will develop an integrated membrane system to minimize RO membrane fouling. We will achieve this through establishing i) new practical fouling indices, and ii) advanced analytical protocol to characterize saline water to arrive at a novel pre-treatment of immersed membrane hybrid system (which couples membranes with flocculation and bio-adsorption). The operating parameters of this system will be optimized through a new control approach. This project will bring the benefits of strong international collaboration and lead to a sustainable pre-treatment technology.

Publications:

Chinu, K, Vigneswaran, S, Erdei, L, Shon, HK, Kandasamy, J & Ngo, HH 2010, 'Comparison of fouling indices in assessing pre-treatment for seawater reverse osmosis', DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, vol. 18, no. 1-3, pp. 187-191.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Keywords: reverse osmosis, pretreatment, immersed membrane filtration, desalination, adsorption, flocculation,

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