Use of cake deposition to improve the efficiency of ultra- and microfiltration plants

Fundamental principles and topics of a new approach to designing ultra- and microfiltration plants in which cake deposition and its control are used to improve the membrane filtration efficiency are discussed. A general phenomenological mathematical model for the process of depth membrane filtration, which was suggested by the new approach, is formulated and methods of its numerical and approximate solutions are described. The available particular solutions to the DMF model are analyzed and classified, and recommendations for their practical use are given. The use of the new approach for increasing the efficiency of existing deadend outside-in hollow fiber membrane filters is also discussed. A general mathematical model is formulated for this type of deadend filters and methods of its numerical and approximate solutions are discussed. It is shown that the highest efficiency of outside-in hollow fiber membrane filters can be achieved when the collection efficiency of the membrane surface with respect to suspended particles is highest.