Full Description

There has been tremendous growth in both the size and number of low-pressure membranefiltration systems in the United States. Not only is there growth in the size of new facilities and the number of new facilities in theUnited States, but there is also tremendous growth in the diversity and number of availablemembrane products. While the variety of available membrane products makes the technology available through mostapplications, it has complicated the membrane selection process. While membrane pilot studiescan be performed to evaluate the performance of applicable systems, limitations in funding,availability in space and time can limit the number of membrane pilot systems that can betested. Because each membrane product has its own strengths and limitations, a carefulevaluation of the intended use and available system must be performed. This being given, it iscritical that an appropriate selection framework be used in order to select the appropriatesystems for pilot testing. The criteria selected for this evaluation of membrane systems shouldbe developed based on site-specific conditions. Critical elements in this evaluation include:project definition includingmembrane feed water characteristics andphysical constraints;available systems including system configuration andcompatibility;costs includingcapital,operation,maintenance, andmembrane replacement; and,supplier experience.While capital cost estimates and experience can be solicited directly from suppliers, the othercritical factors need to be carefully evaluated. Choosing a subset of the available systems toevaluate on the pilot scale is critical to the success of a project. In order to choose a propersubset, adequate data must be available to define the application. Elements of project definitioncan be classified into three broad categories: feed water quality, site constraints, and finishedwater quality goals. The definition must then be linked to membrane and system properties thatbest fit the application. Two common scenarios are used as case studies in the paper. Includes 2 references, tables, figures.

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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 11/02/2003 Number of Pages: 16File Size: 1 file , 1.4 MB