A Rotating Membrane Contactor: Application to Biologically Active Systems

Gas transfer through hollow fiber membranes allows for rapid transfer kinetics, high transfer efficiencies, and the ability to precisely control transfer rates. Despite these advantages, membrane gas transfer has not been used extensively in industrial fermentation or wastewater treatment. Module pl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inWater environment research Vol. 71; no. 2; pp. 163 - 168
Main Authors Johnson, Drew W., Semmens, Michael J., Gulliver, John S.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Alexandria, VA Water Environment Federation 01.03.1999
Subjects
Aeration
Applied sciences
Capital costs
Coefficients
Exact sciences and technology
FIBER MEMBRANES
Flow velocity
FOULING
GAS TRANSFER
Operating costs
Other wastewaters
Oxygen
P branes
Pollution
Research Papers
Surface areas
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
Wastewaters
Water treatment and pollution
Membrane separation
Rotating system
Biofouling
Hollow fiber
Urban waste water
Physicochemical purification
Waste water purification
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Summary:Gas transfer through hollow fiber membranes allows for rapid transfer kinetics, high transfer efficiencies, and the ability to precisely control transfer rates. Despite these advantages, membrane gas transfer has not been used extensively in industrial fermentation or wastewater treatment. Module plugging and biofouling are problematic with current contactor designs, making membrane gas transfer unattractive for applications where the growth of microorganisms is encouraged. Recently, a novel rotating contactor configuration was designed to give high transfer rates and simultaneously alleviate these problems. In the rotating contactor configuration, the hollow fiber membranes are pulled through the water, reducing energy requirements. Solids are also able to pass through the fluidized fibers without being filtered. In addition, the entire fiber length experiences a similar flow velocity. This makes the control of biological fouling possible. Pilot plant experiments on a rotating membrane contactor operated in wastewater are presented. The performance of the rotating contactor design in such an environment where the potential for biological fouling exists is evaluated as a function of operating parameters and time in service. Membrane failures are addressed and the transfer performance is compared to other contactor configurations and aeration systems.
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ISSN:1061-4303
1554-7531
DOI:10.2175/106143099X121382