JWS Issue 1 pp59-74.pdfVIP

Journal of Water Sustainability, Volume 1, Issue 1, May 2011, 59–74 ? University of Technology Sydney Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology Scale-up Design of a Spacer-Filled Disk-Type Membrane Module Using CFD Yu-Ling Li, Kuo-Lun Tung* RD Center for Membrane Technology and Dept. of Chemical Engineering Chung Yuan University, Chung-Li, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan ABSTRACT The scale-up design of a spacer-filled disk-type membrane module has been conducted by using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) technique. A three-dimensional CFD technique was used to analyze fluid flow in the mem- brane module, permeate flux, permeate volumetric flow rate and the distribution of permeation rates on the mem- brane surfaces. The numerical results showed that there were variations in the volumetric flow rate and permeation rates with different membrane module sizes. As radius ratio of the collection tube to radius of the spacer-filled disk-type membrane module was smaller than 0.162, a series of membrane module could be considered instead of large membrane module sizes based on the same total membrane areas. Microscopic understanding derived from the CFD analysis can improve the design of collection tubes, spacer thicknesses and membrane module sizes to enhance module performance and assist the construction of new designs. Keywords: membrane module, membrane bioreactor, CFD, spacer-filled disk, wastewater treatment 1.0 INTRODUCTION Flat-sheet membranes and tubular membranes are fabricated in several membrane modules. Plate and frame, rotating disk, spiral-wound configurations, annular-gap dynamic mem- brane modules and pleated membrane car- tridges are made with flat-sheet membranes; tubular, capillary and hollow-fiber geometries are made with tubular-membrane modules. Hence, membrane modules are chosen based on various treated targets. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been widely used to understand the hydrodynamic behavior of