title: Spacer geometry and particle deposition in spiral wound membrane feed channels.
abstract: Deposition of microspheres mimicking bacterial cells was studied experimentally and with a numerical model in feed spacer membrane channels, as used in spiral wound nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane systems. In-situ microscopic observations in membrane fouling simulators revealed formation of specific particle deposition patterns for different diamond and ladder feed spacer orientations. A three-dimensional numerical model combining fluid flow with a Lagrangian approach for particle trajectory calculations could describe very well the in-situ observations on particle deposition in flow cells. Feed spacer geometry, positioning and cross-flow velocity sensitively influenced the particle transport and deposition patterns. The deposition patterns were not influenced by permeate production. This combined experimental-modeling approach could be used for feed spacer geometry optimization studies for reduced (bio)fouling.
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC Delft, The Netherlands; Wetsus, Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Agora 1, P.O. Box 1113, 8900 CC Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: A.I.Radu@tudelft.nl.
authors: A I
authors: AI
authors: Radu
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC Delft, The Netherlands. Electronic address: M.S.H.vanSteen@student.tudelft.nl.
authors: M S H
authors: MSH
authors: van Steen
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC Delft, The Netherlands; Wetsus, Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Agora 1, P.O. Box 1113, 8900 CC Leeuwarden, The Netherlands; King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Water Reuse and Desalination Center, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: J.S.Vrouwenvelder@tudelft.nl.
authors: J S
authors: JS
authors: Vrouwenvelder
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC Delft, The Netherlands. Electronic address: M.C.M.vanLoosdrecht@tudelft.nl.
authors: M C M
authors: MCM
authors: van Loosdrecht
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC Delft, The Netherlands. Electronic address: C.Picioreanu@tudelft.nl.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Picioreanu
mesh_terms: D057219:Biofouling; D005374:Filtration / Q000379:methods*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008863:Microspheres; D008954:Models, Biological; D036103:Nanotechnology; D009995:Osmosis; D014872:Water Movements
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial
keywords: Desalination; Hydrodynamics; Membrane fouling; Microsphere; Particle tracking