| Summary: |
One of the main problems associated with the implementation of membrane processes to water treatment is its exploitation cost and its environmental impact, which are greatly increased by fouling problems. The type of most frequent fouling, more problematic and more difficult to address is the biofouling, which is characterized by the adhesion of microorganisms to surfaces in contact with aqueous medium.
Membrane systems, due to their design and construction characteristics (surfaces very porous, with hydrophobic characteristic) and their operation conditions (shear stress and operating pressure), favors biofouling formation. This leads to high exploitation costs on the application of membrane processes to water treatment, also with high environmental and energetic impact.
The implementation of combined and integrated strategies is critical to mitigate the impact of biofouling on membrane processes. These strategies should rely on prevention and monitoring, capable of providing information about the fouling tendency of the system in an informed and timely basis.
Project pBio4.0 - Preventing Biofouling in Membrane Systems, proposes a set of research and development activities, towards the prevention of Biofouling in Reverse Osmosis Systems (RO), with the aim to reduce the amount of biocide agents typically and directly used in such processes.
The Project pBio4.0 aims to develop an innovative technological solution based on a concept previously conceived and developed by the project team, the bHousing, which includes a specially designed casing and conceived to maximize the antimicrobial efficacy of the biocides anchored to solid supports (particles).
The main goal is to create a new, unique and patentable product.
In order to demonstrate the applicability and efficacy of the developed solution, the bHousing will be firstly installed and tested industrially on a water production Reverse Osmosis unit from CIN - Corporação Industrial do Norte, SA. CIN is a refer  |
Summary
One of the main problems associated with the implementation of membrane processes to water treatment is its exploitation cost and its environmental impact, which are greatly increased by fouling problems. The type of most frequent fouling, more problematic and more difficult to address is the biofouling, which is characterized by the adhesion of microorganisms to surfaces in contact with aqueous medium.
Membrane systems, due to their design and construction characteristics (surfaces very porous, with hydrophobic characteristic) and their operation conditions (shear stress and operating pressure), favors biofouling formation. This leads to high exploitation costs on the application of membrane processes to water treatment, also with high environmental and energetic impact.
The implementation of combined and integrated strategies is critical to mitigate the impact of biofouling on membrane processes. These strategies should rely on prevention and monitoring, capable of providing information about the fouling tendency of the system in an informed and timely basis.
Project pBio4.0 - Preventing Biofouling in Membrane Systems, proposes a set of research and development activities, towards the prevention of Biofouling in Reverse Osmosis Systems (RO), with the aim to reduce the amount of biocide agents typically and directly used in such processes.
The Project pBio4.0 aims to develop an innovative technological solution based on a concept previously conceived and developed by the project team, the bHousing, which includes a specially designed casing and conceived to maximize the antimicrobial efficacy of the biocides anchored to solid supports (particles).
The main goal is to create a new, unique and patentable product.
In order to demonstrate the applicability and efficacy of the developed solution, the bHousing will be firstly installed and tested industrially on a water production Reverse Osmosis unit from CIN - Corporação Industrial do Norte, SA. CIN is a reference company in its activity sector and is partner of this project. |
| Results: |
1-Foram funcionalizadas partículas biocídicas com uma base de óxido de alumínio (Alumina: Al2O3, cerca de 2-3 mm de diâmetro) na qual fora incorporados, separadamente, os bicoidas DBPNA, CMIT e cloreto de benzalcónio (este último, um sal de amónio quaternário). A caracterizações das propriedades físicas das diversas partículas e os testes de ação biocídica efetuados permitiram concluir que o método de funcionalização mais adequado foi a funcionalização inicial da alumina com dopamina e no final a incoporação do agente biocida (com ênfase para o cloreto de benzalcónio).
2-O design do reator bHousing foi efetuado após testes laboratoriais que permitiram definir as características do respetivo leito de partículas, quanto a porosidade e tempo de residência. Os resultados obtidos em laboratório forneceram indicações positivas quanto à capacidade letal deste sistema de tratamento da água. Recoerrendo a um modelo matemático simplificado da ação bactericida das partículas e a estudos de CFD, fez-se a estimação dos parâmetros do modelo cinético e em seguida a simulação para diferentes geometrias (diâmetro e comprimento). O reator à escala piloto foi testado na empresa CIN. |