Abstract
A novel strategy for membrane fouling control based on combination of intermittent gas sparging and transmembrane pressure set-point (TMPsp) for backwashing initiation was assessed at laboratory scale. Ultrafiltration of anaerobic suspensions, complex and highly concentrated, was carried out at supracritical permeate fluxes and different TMPsp values. Intermittent gas sparging effectively mitigated reversible fouling mainly caused by a cake layer formed of large particles, regardless of the selected TMPsp. In fact, cycle duration increased with dimensionless gas-sparging time (Θgs) and TMPsp, although this trend diminished with rising permeate flux (Jp). Additionally, backwashing initiation by TMPsp demonstrated its high effectiveness in preventing residual fouling, independent of the applied conditions (Θgs, J, and TMPsp). As a result, high net permeate fluxes were obtained at moderate J and low Θgs values. Therefore, the applied combined strategy is a promising option for reducing gas consumption that s...
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