title: Implications of short and long term critical flux experiments for laboratory-scale MBR operations.
abstract: This paper evaluates the critical flux obtained by different techniques including tests with different flux step lengths (20 and 40 min and 7 days) and modes of operation (continuous and intermittent) under low and high MLSS concentrations. The paper also analyses a couple of long-term tests (flow rate of 40 and 20 L/day) to obtain the time required to reach the critical flux experimentally and compares those values with the results obtained numerically from a mathematical model. It was found that intermittent mode with membrane relaxation was useful in controlling the fouling of membrane and in restoring the membrane from fouling at lower MLSS.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville QLD 4811, Australia. dimuth.navaratna@jcu.edu.au
authors.forename: Dimuth
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Navaratna
authors.forename: Veeriah
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jegatheesan
mesh_terms: D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D019149:Bioreactors; D002138:Calibration; D007753:Laboratories; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010539:Permeability; D011312:Pressure; D012996:Solutions; D013997:Time Factors; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D012996:Solutions