Final research report on GrahamTek technology released. Download report here:
"SUSTAINING HIGH SYSTEM AVERAGE FLUX USING ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD (EMF) AND INTEGRATED FLOW DISTRIBUTOR (IFD)"
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R&D
tasks and panel of experts|
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Professor A G ( Tony ) Fane UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science & Technology, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052. Website : www.membrane.unsw.edu.au |
| (i) DOTM Technique used for
critical flux analysis: Li, H., Fane, A. G., Coster, H. G. L. and Vigneswaran, S., Direct observation of particle deposition on the membrane surface during crossflow microfiltration, J. Memb. Sci., 149 (I) p 83-09 (1998). Zhang,Y.P., Fane,A.G. and Law, A.W.K., Critical flux and particle deposition of bidisperse suspensions during crossflow microfiltration, J.Memb.Sci. 282 (1-2) 189-197 (2006).
(ii) Tracer technique used for RO fouling and polarisation assessment, (iii) Title submitted to European
Desalination Society Conference |
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GT Research Topics Overview
A G Fane et al.
Objectives
This project has the following objectives
(i) to gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in
the EMF effect in RO desalting applications;
(ii) to establish the conditions where the novel EMF effect minimizes the
fouling of membranes, particularly in RO desalting applications, in terms
of,
- inorganic scale formation,
- particulate fouling,
- bacterial deposition and biofilm formation.
(iii) to examine the effect of the IFD flow distributor on downstream
hydrodynamics, and particularly on the formation of microbubbles;
(iv) to examine alternative flow distributor 'geometries' in terms of
downstream hydrodynamics;
(v) to establish the effect of microbubbles on the fouling of membranes,
particularly in RO desalting applications, in terms of,
- particulate fouling,
- bacterial deposition and biofilm formation,
- (and possibly, inorganic scale formation).
Project tasks
The project will involve a series of well-controlled experiments in
laboratory scale membrane devices, supported by leading edge monitoring
techniques. The laboratory equipment and monitoring techniques are already
established in our laboratories at the UNESCO Centre at UNSW in Sydney and
through the Temasek Professor Programme at NTU in Singapore. The project has
the following tasks:
Task 1. Effect of EMF on bacterial /particle aggregation and implications
for RO
(A review by Professor Hans Coster and Prof Tony Fane)
Task 2 Effect of EMF on scale formation
( A Prof Greg Leslie, Prof T Fane and Dr Nik Zwaneveld)
Task 3. Effect of EMF on Critical Flux of particulates, by DOTM
Effect of small bubbles on critical flux of particulates, by DOTM
( A Prof Adrian Law, Prof T Fane and Yanpeng Zhang)
Task 4. Effect of EMF (and bubbles) on biofilm and particulate fouling in RO
tester
( Prof T Fane and Tzyy Chong)
Task 5 Assessment of the formation of microbubbles by the IFD flow
distributor
( A Prof Adrian Law and Dr Filicia Wicaksana)
A.G.Fane
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Professor Ng How Yong National University of Singapore |
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| GrahamTek -NUS Research Project
Overview How Yong Ng et al. Objective The objective of this Project is to scientifically and/or technically explain the reasons why the GrahamTek RO System using large-diameter 16-inch elements with the GrahamTek patented Flow Distributor and electro-magnetic force is able to achieve a higher performance than the conventional 16-inch x 40 inch RO System utilizing the standard anti-telescoping device (ATD); and Scope The scope of this study is summarized as follows: 1. To model the hydraulic flow of the GrahmTek patented Flow Distributor using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and to investigate the transport characteristics in the RO system with and without the GrahamTek patented Flow Distributor. The results will be used for optimizing the performance of the 16-inch and 8-inch RO systems. 2. To conduct experiments using laboratory-scale RO systems for simulating long channel of RO filtration in the presence and absence of electro-magnetic field. Results obtained from the laboratory-scale studies will be used for calibrating the computer model and verifying its validity and enhance accuracy.
The project will comprise of two (2) parts: Modeling of hydraulic flow of the GrahamTek patented Flow Distributor using CFD will be carried out. Based on the CFD analysis, flow characteristics after the ATD or GrahamTek Flow Distributor will be determined. The flow parameters obtained will be used in modeling for predicting the RO membrane flux. Studies on the transport mechanisms using RO filtration models will be carried out to explain the enhancement of performance by the Flow Distributor compared with the standard ATD in both large-diameter (16 x 40-inch) and the 8 x 40-inch RO systems. Part 2 - Laboratory StudiesLaboratory studies would be conducted using small and long RO filtration setups with different flow characteristics. The purpose of this part of the study is to investigate the impact of the electro-magnetic filed, inlet flow characteristics, channel characteristics and spacers on RO seperation performance. The data will be used for calibration of Part 1 studies. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The dynamics of particles in AC electric fields, including fields induced by alternating magnetic fields. This includes theoretical and experimental studies on the translation, rotation and aggregation of particles in AC fields. Studies include the role and application of the electro-mechanics of particles in particle aggregation, cross-flow filtration, electr-disinfection and the manipulation of living cells. Selected papers: Chilcott, T. C., H. G. L. Coster and E. P. George (1995). "A novel
method Mahaworasilpa, T. L., H. G. L. Coster and E. P. George (1996).
"Forces on Coster, H. G. L. and T. C. Chilcott (1999). "The characterisation of Gaedt, L., Chilcott, T. C., Chan, M., Nantawisarakul, T., Fane, A. G.
and Li, H., Fane, A.G., Coster, H.G.L., Vigneswaran, S. (2003)
"Observation of Park, J.C., Chilcott, T.C., Coster, Hl.G.L., Moon,
S.-H. (2005) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Winters is currently Professor Emeritus in School
Of Natural Sciences at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, New
Jersey USA. He obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Department of
Biological Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, New Jersey
and his Ph.D. in Chemical Biology from Columbia University, New York,
New York in 1970. As Principal Investigator of GrahamTek research, his
role is to coordinate his research with that of Professors Coster, Fane,
Leslie, Law and Ng in explaining how the flow distributor and EMF allow
the GrahamTek 16” membrane achieve very high flux rates without
incurring membrane fouling. The research is focused on Selected papers: Winters, H. “Microfouling of Cartridge Filters and RO Membranes: Mechanisms and Effects”. IDA World Congress on Desalination and Water Reuse, Singapore, 11-15 September 2006. Winters, H. Critical Flux and Fouling of RO Membranes”. Keynote Speaker @ Euromembrane 2000, Judean Hills, Israel, 24-27 September 2000. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr Law is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering in Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and also the Assistant Director of the Singapore Stanford Programme. He obtained his B.Eng. degree from the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Hong Kong, and later M. Sc. and Ph.D. from the Department of Civil Engineering, University of California at Berkeley. After graduate studies, he worked as a hydraulic engineer in the industry, first with Hydro-Research Science at Santa Clara, California and then with Bechtel Corporation at San Francisco, California. From 1995 he has been teaching environmental hydraulics and coastal engineering to civil and environmental engineering students in NTU. His current research interest is in the area of environmental fluid mechanics, with special emphasis on membrane processes, and wastewater disposal and impact in the coastal environment. He was the recipient of the American Society of Civil Engineering Wesley W. Horner Award in 2000, as well as the Bechtel Corporation Outstanding Technical Paper Award in 1999 and 2000. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chong Tzyy Haur obtained his B. Eng. degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of New South Wales, Australia. He is currently a PhD research student at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His research topic is ‘Reverse Osmosis Desalination and Reclamation – Control of Fouling’. |
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