Since fouling-release coating systems do not prevent settlement, various methods to quantify the tenacity of adhesion of fouling organisms on these systems have been offered. One such method is the turbulent channel flow apparatus. The question remains how the results from laboratory scale tests relate to the self-cleaning of a ship coated with a fouling-release surface. This paper relates the ...

* Current address: Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd, Private Bag 11029, Palmerston North, New Zealand Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT Fouling of heat exchangers in the dairy industry has been investigated extensively and a large number of studies are reported in literature. This review focuses on the mechanisms of milk fouling, detailing the role of protein denaturation and aggregation...

The present work focuses on understanding and control of biopolymer fouling in ultrafiltration of a typical surface water and nearby secondary effluent for direct and indirect portable use. Characterization results show that both kinds of biopolymers are of similar molecular weight. Longer than one year water quality monitoring results show that the C/N ratio in the secondary effluent biopolyme...

In an industrial seawater cooling system, the effects of three different antifouling treatments, viz. sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), aliphatic amines (Mexel®432) and UV radiation, on the characteristics of the fouling formed were evaluated. For this study a portable pilot plant, as a side-stream monitoring system and seawater cooling system, was employed. The pilot plant simulated a power plant s...

Capillary dependent systems are highly influenced by surface fouling and may degrade as material surface properties change. In anticipation of a spacecraft microgravity fluids management system exposed to highly variable wetting conditions, the impact of urine wastewater fouling on capillary contact angle was examined. The results indicate that, in general, surface fouling can decrease the cont...

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) have several advantages such as high-quality effluent, small footprint and less sludge production over conventional activated sludge systems, and are therefore considered to be a promising technology for future wastewater treatment. For wider use of MBRs, however, high-energy consumption in the operation of MBRs, mainly attributed to membrane fouling, needs to be add...

The fouling of a spiral wound reverse osmosis (RO) membrane after nearly 1 year of service in a brackish water treatment plant was investigated using optical and electron microscopic methods, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Both the top surface and the cross-section of the fouled membrane were analysed to moni...

A single-fibre microfiltration system was employed to investigate the importance of various operating and sludge property parameters to the membrane fouling during sludge filtration. The sludge was obtained from a submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR). A series of comparative and correlative filtration and fouling tests were conducted on the influence of the operating variables, sludge propertie...

Novel signal-processing protocols were used to extend the in situ sensitivity of ultrasonic frequency-domain reflectometry (UFDR) for real-time monitoring of microfiltration (MF) membrane fouling during protein purification. Different commercial membrane materials, with a nominal pore size of 0.2 µm, were challenged using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and amylase as model proteins. Fouling induced...

Membrane fouling is a major drawback of reverse osmosis (RO) membrane filtration as it negatively affects the quantity and quality of the permeate and lifespan of the membrane. Spacer plays a pivotal role in hydrodynamics of the membrane channel thus influencing the membrane fouling. In this study, a series of novel sinusoidal spacers that can form unobstructed sinusoidal membrane channels were...