Enhancement of the permeate flux due to reduction of cake layer resistance by air-liquid twophase
 flow in a cross flow spiral wound microfiltration membrane has been investigated.
 Experiments were carried out with two different suspension systems, namely baker’s yeast
 suspension with a dry mass concentration of 5.4 kg m-3 and the colloidal suspension of starch
 and bacteria having a dry mass concentration of 3.41 kg m-3. An air-liquid two-phase flow was
 generated by injecting the air at the inlet of the membrane module and was fed into a
 horizontally mounted assembly of a spiral wound microfiltration membrane. The effect of air
 dispersion was studied on flux enhancement, specific cake layer resistance and loading of
 cake mass on the membrane surface. This study shows that by air dispersion, the permeate
 flux can be enhanced up to 60 percent for the colloidal suspension of starch and bacteria
 while a flux enhancement of 40 percent was achieved for yeast suspension. The specific cake
 layer resistance reduced by a factor of 10 for both of the suspensions when air was injected
 into the feed stream. The results of this study depict that the technique of air dispersion is
 effective in increasing the permeate flux for the suspension systems containing below and
 above micron sized particulates.