Effect of different commercial feed spacers on biofouling of reverse osmosis membrane systems: A numerical study

Szilard Bucs; Andrea I. Radu; Vasile Lavric; Johannes S. Vrouwenvelder; Cristian Picioreanu

doi:10.1016/j.desal.2013.11.007

Effect of different commercial feed spacers on biofouling of reverse osmosis membrane systems: A numerical study

Szilard Bucs, Andrea I. Radu, Vasile Lavric, Johannes S. Vrouwenvelder, Cristian Picioreanu

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

120 Scopus citations

Abstract

Feed spacers and hydrodynamics have been found relevant for the impact of biofouling on performance in reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane systems.The objectives of this study on biofouling development were to determine the impact of (i) linear flow velocity and bacterial cell load, (ii) biomass location and (iii) various feed spacer geometries as applied in practice as well as a modified geometry spacer.A three-dimensional mathematical model for biofouling of feed spacer channels including hydrodynamics, solute mass transport and biofilm formation was developed in COMSOL Multiphysics and MATLAB software.Results of this study indicate that the feed channel pressure drop increase caused by biofilm formation can be reduced by using thicker and/or modified feed spacer geometry and/or a lower flow rate in the feed channel. The increase of feed channel pressure drop by biomass accumulation is shown to be strongly influenced by the location of biomass. Results of numerical simulations are in satisfactory agreement with experimental data, indicating that this micro-scale mechanistic model is representative for practice. The developed model can help to understand better the biofouling process of spiral-wound RO and NF membrane systems and to develop strategies to reduce and control biofouling. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	26-37
Number of pages	12
Journal	Desalination
Volume	343
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2013.11.007
State	Published - Jun 2014

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01
Acknowledgements: This work was performed at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and Delft University of Technology. The preparation of this article was supported by funds of KAUST (www.kaustedu. sa), Evides waterbedrijf (www.evides.nl), Wetsus, Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology (www.wetsus.nl) and by the Sectorial Operational Programme "Human Resources Development 2007-2013" of the Romanian Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection through the Financial Agreement POSDRU/88/1.5/8/60203. Wetsus is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, the European Union European Regional Development Fund, the Province of Fryslan, the city of Leeuwarden and by the EZ-KOMPAS Program of the "Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland". The authors thank the participants of the research theme "Biofouling" and Evides waterbedrijf for the fruitful discussions.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Water Science and Technology
General Materials Science
General Chemical Engineering
General Chemistry
Mechanical Engineering

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10.1016/j.desal.2013.11.007

Cite this

@article{4dbfe1bcb3024d889c02f58abdac925e,

title = "Effect of different commercial feed spacers on biofouling of reverse osmosis membrane systems: A numerical study",

abstract = "Feed spacers and hydrodynamics have been found relevant for the impact of biofouling on performance in reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane systems.The objectives of this study on biofouling development were to determine the impact of (i) linear flow velocity and bacterial cell load, (ii) biomass location and (iii) various feed spacer geometries as applied in practice as well as a modified geometry spacer.A three-dimensional mathematical model for biofouling of feed spacer channels including hydrodynamics, solute mass transport and biofilm formation was developed in COMSOL Multiphysics and MATLAB software.Results of this study indicate that the feed channel pressure drop increase caused by biofilm formation can be reduced by using thicker and/or modified feed spacer geometry and/or a lower flow rate in the feed channel. The increase of feed channel pressure drop by biomass accumulation is shown to be strongly influenced by the location of biomass. Results of numerical simulations are in satisfactory agreement with experimental data, indicating that this micro-scale mechanistic model is representative for practice. The developed model can help to understand better the biofouling process of spiral-wound RO and NF membrane systems and to develop strategies to reduce and control biofouling. {\textcopyright} 2013 Elsevier B.V.",

author = "Szilard Bucs and Radu, {Andrea I.} and Vasile Lavric and Vrouwenvelder, {Johannes S.} and Cristian Picioreanu",

note = "KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledgements: This work was performed at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and Delft University of Technology. The preparation of this article was supported by funds of KAUST (www.kaustedu. sa), Evides waterbedrijf (www.evides.nl), Wetsus, Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology (www.wetsus.nl) and by the Sectorial Operational Programme {"}Human Resources Development 2007-2013{"} of the Romanian Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection through the Financial Agreement POSDRU/88/1.5/8/60203. Wetsus is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, the European Union European Regional Development Fund, the Province of Fryslan, the city of Leeuwarden and by the EZ-KOMPAS Program of the {"}Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland{"}. The authors thank the participants of the research theme {"}Biofouling{"} and Evides waterbedrijf for the fruitful discussions.",

year = "2014",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.desal.2013.11.007",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "343",

pages = "26--37",

journal = "Desalination",

issn = "0011-9164",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

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T1 - Effect of different commercial feed spacers on biofouling of reverse osmosis membrane systems: A numerical study

AU - Bucs, Szilard

AU - Radu, Andrea I.

AU - Lavric, Vasile

AU - Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S.

AU - Picioreanu, Cristian

N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledgements: This work was performed at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and Delft University of Technology. The preparation of this article was supported by funds of KAUST (www.kaustedu. sa), Evides waterbedrijf (www.evides.nl), Wetsus, Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology (www.wetsus.nl) and by the Sectorial Operational Programme "Human Resources Development 2007-2013" of the Romanian Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection through the Financial Agreement POSDRU/88/1.5/8/60203. Wetsus is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, the European Union European Regional Development Fund, the Province of Fryslan, the city of Leeuwarden and by the EZ-KOMPAS Program of the "Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland". The authors thank the participants of the research theme "Biofouling" and Evides waterbedrijf for the fruitful discussions.

PY - 2014/6

Y1 - 2014/6

N2 - Feed spacers and hydrodynamics have been found relevant for the impact of biofouling on performance in reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane systems.The objectives of this study on biofouling development were to determine the impact of (i) linear flow velocity and bacterial cell load, (ii) biomass location and (iii) various feed spacer geometries as applied in practice as well as a modified geometry spacer.A three-dimensional mathematical model for biofouling of feed spacer channels including hydrodynamics, solute mass transport and biofilm formation was developed in COMSOL Multiphysics and MATLAB software.Results of this study indicate that the feed channel pressure drop increase caused by biofilm formation can be reduced by using thicker and/or modified feed spacer geometry and/or a lower flow rate in the feed channel. The increase of feed channel pressure drop by biomass accumulation is shown to be strongly influenced by the location of biomass. Results of numerical simulations are in satisfactory agreement with experimental data, indicating that this micro-scale mechanistic model is representative for practice. The developed model can help to understand better the biofouling process of spiral-wound RO and NF membrane systems and to develop strategies to reduce and control biofouling. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

AB - Feed spacers and hydrodynamics have been found relevant for the impact of biofouling on performance in reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane systems.The objectives of this study on biofouling development were to determine the impact of (i) linear flow velocity and bacterial cell load, (ii) biomass location and (iii) various feed spacer geometries as applied in practice as well as a modified geometry spacer.A three-dimensional mathematical model for biofouling of feed spacer channels including hydrodynamics, solute mass transport and biofilm formation was developed in COMSOL Multiphysics and MATLAB software.Results of this study indicate that the feed channel pressure drop increase caused by biofilm formation can be reduced by using thicker and/or modified feed spacer geometry and/or a lower flow rate in the feed channel. The increase of feed channel pressure drop by biomass accumulation is shown to be strongly influenced by the location of biomass. Results of numerical simulations are in satisfactory agreement with experimental data, indicating that this micro-scale mechanistic model is representative for practice. The developed model can help to understand better the biofouling process of spiral-wound RO and NF membrane systems and to develop strategies to reduce and control biofouling. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

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U2 - 10.1016/j.desal.2013.11.007

DO - 10.1016/j.desal.2013.11.007

M3 - Article

SN - 0011-9164

VL - 343

SP - 26

EP - 37

JO - Desalination

JF - Desalination

ER -

Effect of different commercial feed spacers on biofouling of reverse osmosis membrane systems: A numerical study

Abstract

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