Integrated Membrane Bioreactor for Water Quality Control in Marine Recirculating Aquaculture Systems

The aquaculture live feed organisms Acartia tonsa (a calanoid copepod, experiment 1) and Brachionus “Cayman” (a rotifer, experiment 2) were cultivated in marine recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), respectively. The pilot plant was built as a combination of conventional RAS (cRAS) and as a modified RAS which implemented an ultrafiltration membrane bioreactor (MBR) for the removal of fine suspended solids and colloidal particles as part of the treatment system (mRAS). The two treatment schemes were connected to the same biofilter (a moving bed bioreactor). In the first experiment, the membrane was operated with no extraction of concentrate, and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 6 hours (i.e., water exchange in the cultivation tanks of 4 times per day). In the second experiment, the membrane was operated with daily extraction of concentrate, and HRT of 12 hours. Results show that the MBR option is more efficient in removing particles from the recycle stream than conventional RAS. However, the impact this has on the number of particles in the live feed cultivation tanks is not readily apparent based on particle analysis. The amount of suspended solids added during feeding exceeds the amount removed in the recycle system. This requires a higher recirculation rate and different membrane operating conditions.     

Separation and Fractionation of Oligouronides by Shear‐Enhanced Filtration

Abstract

This paper investigates the separation of anionic oligosaccharides produced by thermal degradation at 120°C of polygalacturonic acids (PGA). Initially, the PGA solution was clarified by two successive centrifugations. These centrifugations were later replaced by two microfiltrations (MF) which did not modify oligosaccharides composition. A dynamic filtration module with a disk rotating at 2000 rpm near a circular organic membrane was used in all filtration steps. Several micro‐ and ultrafiltrations (MF and UF) in cascade (50, 20, and 10 kDa) and a nanofiltration at 1 kDa were used to separate oligomers with degrees of polymerization (Dp) ≤7. Permeate fluxes ranged from 400 Lh^?1m^?2 for the first MF to 240 Lh^?1m^?2 for the 10 kDa UF and 60 to 100 Lh^?1m^?2 for the 1 kDa NF, showing the high potential of dynamic filtration for this application.     

Advances in the Precoat Filtration Process

Abstract

Precoat filtration with body‐feed is widely applied during wine‐making. This technique employs filter aids, such as diatomites (silica particles), to form the precoat layer. However, the spent diatomites, which retain organic matter, represent an important source of pollution and land disposal of this type of waste is forbidden. In addition, these spent diatomites are not regenerable. The aim of this study was to evaluate regenerable filter aids which have a high environmental acceptability. Polyamide particles were characterized as filter aids, tested in precoat filtration and compared to diatomites which are the classic filter aids used in wine filtration.

Polyamide particles seemed to be efficient filter aids, reducing turbidity by 72% and the fouling index by 56% without affecting wine quality.     

Particle Deposition in Laminar Crossflow Filtration of Power Law Slurry

Abstract

A theoretical model for predicting the probability of particle deposition in crossflow filtration of power law slurry is developed. The model is based on the critical angle of friction between depositing particles, which can be estimated by analyzing the forces exerted on the particles. The binding force between the particles due to polymer adsorption plays an important role in the particle deposition. The smaller the flow behavior index of the slurry is, the larger the binding force and the higher the probability of particle deposition will be. The effects of operating conditions such as the crossflow velocity of the slurry and the filtration rate on the probability of particle deposition are also discussed in depth. The calculated values of the probability of particle deposition agree fairly well with the experimental data. A program is designed to simulate the packing structure and the porosity at the cake surface. The porosity increases not only with the increase of the crossflow velocity, but also with the increase of the flow behavior index of the power law slurry.     

Irreversible Fouling in MF/UF Membranes Caused by Natural Organic Matters (NOMs) Isolated from Different Origins

Abstract

For more efficient use of membrane technology in water treatment, it is essential to understand more about the fouling that requires chemical cleaning to be eliminated (i.e., irreversible fouling). In this study, five different MF/UF membranes and four types of organic matter collected from different origins were examined in terms of the degree of irreversible membrane fouling. Experimental results demonstrated that the extent of irreversible fouling differed significantly depending on the properties of both the membrane and organic matter. Among the tested membranes, UF membranes made of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) exhibited the best performance in terms of prevention of irreversible fouling. In contrast, MF membranes, especially one made of polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF), suffered significant irreversible fouling. Conventional methods for characterization of organic matter such as specific ultraviolet absorption (SUVA), XAD fractionation, and excitation‐emission matrix (EEM) were found to be inadequate for prediction of the degree of irreversible fouling. This is because these analytical methods represent an average property of bulk organic matter, while the fouling was actually caused by some specific fractions. It was revealed that hydrophilic fraction of the organic matter was responsible for the irreversible fouling regardless of the type of membranes or organic matter.     

水清洗对空气净化材料过滤性能的影响

用于空气净化的材料一般为一次性使用,但有的应用场所需要对其进行反复水清洗多次使用。通过实验手段,研究常规涤纶纤维层滤料,在荷尘、清洗、烘干、荷尘等多次反复中其过滤效率、阻力、容尘量的变化情况。实验结果表明,清洗对滤料的过滤效率、阻力和容尘量没有明显的影响,滤料可以通过水清洗的方式反复使用。     

Flexible poly(styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene) hybrid nanofibers for bioengineering and water filtration applications

Among the thermoplastic elastomers that play important roles in the polymer industry due to their superior properties, styrene-based species and polyurethane block copolymers are of great interest. Poly(styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene) (SEBS) as a triblock copolymer seems to have the potential to meet many demands in different applications due to various industrial requirements where durability, biocompatibility, breaking elongation, and interfacial adhesion are important. In this study, the SEBS triblock copolymer was functionalized with natural (Satureja hortensis, SH) and synthetic (nanopowder, TiO₂) agents to obtain composite nanofibers by electrospinning and electrospraying methods for use in biomedical and water filtration applications. The results were compared with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composite nanofibers, which are commonly used in these fields. Here, functionalized SEBS nanofibers exhibited antibacterial effect while at the same time improving cell viability. In addition, because of successful water filtration by using the SEBS composite nanofibers, the material may have a good potential to be used comparably to TPU for the application.     

亲油型聚结滤芯饱和度预测模型研究

纤维聚结滤芯广泛用于压缩空气净化、发动机曲轴箱通风、加工和切割等一系列工艺过程中,用于除去气流中的液体气溶胶颗粒。由于聚结滤芯饱和度对于过滤效率及阻力具有重要影响,因此建立饱和度与滤材参数及操作条件之间的关系将有助于优化滤芯结构并提高过滤性能。目前实际工业用聚结滤芯通常由多层微米级玻璃纤维材料组成,然而现有计算模型无法用于此类滤芯的饱和度预测。因此,本文基于多种常用亲油型聚结滤芯压降及饱和度实验测试结果,根据"跳跃-通道"模型及毛细管理论建立了新的饱和度预测模型。通过与大量已发表文献数据对比发现,当饱和值大于0.2时,预测值与实验结果吻合度较好,相对偏差≤20%。随着饱和度的降低,滤芯润湿区域和非润湿区域之间界限逐渐明显,此时无需对毛细管半径进行修正。然而,新模型仍然要依靠压降测量值进行计算,这一问题需在后续工作中加以解决。     

高湿黏性颗粒在聚四氟乙烯微孔膜滤料表面沉积特性的数值模拟

基于聚四氟乙烯(PTFE)微孔膜滤料扫描电镜(SEM)图像,建立PTFE微孔膜滤料微观结构模型,采用计算流体力学和离散单元法(CFD?DEM)耦合的方法对黏性颗粒在微孔膜滤料表面沉积特性进行模拟,引入液桥力模型,忽略范德华力的作用,统计计算域内颗粒的受力情况,分析了不同表面能条件下3~6 ?m粒径颗粒在微孔膜滤料表面的沉积特性,将模拟结果与黏附效率的经验公式进行对比。结果表明,黏附效率与经验值、颗粒受力与液桥力模型的相对误差均在6%以内,CFD?DEM耦合计算方法可用于模拟不同环境湿度条件下的颗粒沉积;过滤风速、粒径与黏性是影响沉积形态的重要因素,提高过滤风速及增大颗粒粒径与黏性,颗粒更易在滤料表面形成稳定的树突结构,黏附效率及含尘压降增加。环境相对湿度影响两物体间液桥体积,接触力影响颗粒沉积,当增加表面能与液桥体积时,接触力及液桥力均相应增加,根据受力平衡原理,环境相对湿度对颗粒沉积影响很大。     

不同相对湿度下亲疏水纳米纤维膜空气过滤性能实验研究

利用静电纺丝法制备了表面静态接触角为23.6°的具有亲水功能的PAN/PVP复合纳米纤维膜、接触角为81.2°的PAN纳米纤维膜、接触角为131.9°的具有疏水功能的PAN/PVDF复合纳米纤维膜。利用自行搭建的空气过滤实验台,在40%、55%、70%三种相对湿度下对三种纳米纤维膜进行空气过滤实验,对纳米纤维膜的过滤效率、阻力损失及品质因子进行分析。结果表明：三种纳米纤维膜的过滤效率随着相对湿度的增大而升高,PAN/PVP膜和PAN膜的阻力损失随着相对湿度的增大而增加,PAN/PVDF的阻力损失随着相对湿度的增大而减小;PAN/PVP膜和PAN膜的品质因子随着相对湿度的增大而减小,PAN/PVDF膜的品质因子随着相对湿度的增大而增大,湿度越大,PAN/PVDF纳米纤维膜的过滤性能越显著。