The design approach of pressure or vacuum type membrane systems in a water treatment
plant (WTP) is different than conventional WTP design due to the general physical principles
of each process. For example, the hydraulic grade line, as well other key design
parameters, can change depending on whether a pressure or vacuum type system is
selected. This poses a problem for the design engineer as developing contract documents
for both alternatives would not be cost effective or the best option to minimize the "risk" of
confusion during the bidding process.
To circumvent this problem, it is necessary to implement a membrane procurement process
prior to the development of detailed design documents for the proposed WTP. This
procurement process consists of three key phases which include prequalification, piloting,
and submittal of a detailed proposal for the full-scale design of the membrane filtration WTP.
Proposals from the membrane suppliers are evaluated based on the previously defined
selection criteria, which includes both qualitative and quantitative criteria. Some examples
of qualitative criteria includes piloting performance (i.e. consistency of finished water
product, membrane integrity test procedures, etc.), and proven full-scale performance (large
municipal plants in service, etc.), while the quantitative criteria consists of total capital cost of
membrane system and total present worth cost over the life cycle of the membrane system.
By using this process, it balances out the cost with the tangible qualitative benefits that one
membrane system may have over another.
This paper describes the membrane procurement process used in the design of a
membrane filtration water treatment plant. Includes tables, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 320 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 8 |
| Published : | 03/01/2007 |
