Modeling of Critical Flux Conditions in Crossflow Microfiltration

Abstract

In the process of crossflow microfiltration, a deposit of cake layer tends to form on the membrane, which usually controls the performance of filtration. It is found, however, that there exist a condition under which no deposit of cake layer is made. This condition is called the sub-critical flux condition, and the critical flux here means a flux below which a decline of flux with time due to the deposit of cake layer does not occur. In order to study the characteristics of the critical flux, a numerical model is developed to predict the critical flux condition, and is verified with experimental results. For development of the model, the concept of effective particle diameter is introduced to find a representative size of various particles in relation to diffusive properties of particles. The model is found to be in good match with the experimental results. The findings from the use of the model include that the critical flux condition is determined by the effective particle diameter and the ratio of initial permeate flux to crossflow velocity.