Low pressure membrane filtration, such as microfiltration
(MF) and ultrafiltration (UF), are at a critical stage in their development. The water
treatment community needs the dispersed knowledge on these processes consolidated into a
source that can be readily used as a reference to support the transition of membrane technology
to large-scale applications (greater than 100 MGD). In addition, water systems considering
smaller applications need a single, reliable and usable source of information on existing
membrane installations to support informed decisions on the suitability of membranes for them.
The membrane knowledge base developed through the project founded by the American Water
Works Association Research Foundation (AwwaRF) will provide the drinking water community
with a knowledge base of the installed
MF/UF plants that are greater than 1 MGD. Another key component of the project is to generate
an updated database of all installed MF/UF plants worldwide regardless of plant capacity. The
database would list basic information of these installations, which includes the geographic
location of the plant, the plant production startup date, the design of hydraulic capacity, the type of
membrane, the manufacturer of the employed membrane, the membrane model, and the source
of raw water to the membrane plant. Membrane vendors were contacted to provide the list of
their existing installations of MF/UF water treatment plants and the future plants that have
contracts granted.
The project consists of two phases. In the first phase, a literature search and a comprehensive
survey were conducted to capture the existing knowledge of full-scale MF/UF installations
worldwide. In the second phase, the captured information was consolidated into a knowledge
base and validated through follow-up phone calls and emails for questionable or additional
information.
The data intensive nature of this project calls for an approach to allow easy
and quick access to all information by the project team. Hence, during the first phase, the project
team developed a user-friendly interactive project web site to facilitate survey completion. The
Membrane Knowledge Base web site also includes a searchable database of literature. The
literature database includes abstracts of literature related to full-scale use of low pressure
membranes for drinking water treatment. Pilot-scale studies having applicable information are
also included. As of August 15, 2003, over 130 literature references have been included in the
literature search database. A comprehensive questionnaire was developed to gather a wealth of
information from membrane plants participating in the survey. Input from utility representatives,
regulators, academics and consultants were used in developing the survey, to ensure it meets the
needs of the entire membrane user community. Includes figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 290 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 5 |
| Published : | 11/02/2003 |
