Thursday, March 12, 2015

What You Need To Know About Membrane Systems

By Leslie Ball


The recent technological advancement have provided rise to breakthroughs in water reuse reclamation and wastewater treatment. This progresses have put membrane systems on the list. The systems have stood up as essential innovations embraced in treatment and reclamation plus also being among the top upgrades and expansions in wastewater plants.

Around thirty years past is when the first membrane wastewater treatments got put into practice. A prompt rise in wastewater volumes being treated in the previous decade has however been seen to turn out being of great standards and being of reusing purposes only. By facts, majority of municipal facilities on wastewater are embracing this great technology in large extents as the technology has an ability of providing unparalleled capabilities to meet the vigorous needs.

Since this process has the ability of separating at molecular levels up to the point where particles can be seen, it hence implies that larger amounts of separation requirements are able to be met through this membrane processes. The technology at most time does not require phase changes so as to make separations. As a result, energy needs become relatively low unless there may be a need for large energy amounts to increase the pressure of the steam needed to drive permeating components across the membrane.

Membranes stand out as the best options when they are able to remove contaminants that the other technologies have failed in removing. They are also more pocket friendly compared to other alternatives. They also do require far much less area in terms of land than the competing brands. This is made possible by their ability to replace various units of treatment processes with just a single one.

In application to wastewater treatment, membranes are currently getting used as tertiary advanced treatments in the removal of some dissolved species. This species are usually comprised of; phosphorous, nitrogen species, organic compounds, human pathogens, and various others. Technologies which have adopted to the use of membranes include; high and low pressure membranes and the membrane bioreactors.

Among the major challenge posed by usage of membranes in wastewater treatment is high potential fouling. This kind of fouling is normally caused by colloids, tiny organisms that have not been properly removed by the regular pretreatment methods, and also some soluble organic compounds. The fouling usually increase feed pressure leading to need for frequent cleanup of the membrane.

The above results to reduction in efficiency plus shorter membrane life span. Extra technical barriers likely to result comprise of complexity and increased costs for residual or concentrate disposal from high pressured membranes. To add on to this, membranes are likely to have chemical incompatibilities with certain process solution which can result to weak systems that may extend to making their lifespan turning out unacceptably short.

Membrane method of water treatment is getting favored at very quick rates. The selection is not only feasible but also smart move especially to those having plans on upgrading their plants or expanding their capacities. Benefits in situations that are land locked such as, salinity obstacles and groundwater recharge; industrial/urban reuse; agriculture; and in expansion of water supplies meeting minimal effluent nutrients.




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