Membrane Configurations
In the membrane field, the term module is used to describe a complete unit composed of the membranes,
the pressure support structure, the feed inlet, the outlet permeate and retentate streams, and an overall support structure.
The principal types of membrane modules are:
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1. Tubular, where membranes are placed inside a support porous tubes,
and these tubes are placed together in a cylindrical shell to form the unit module.
Tubular devices are primarily used in micro and ultra filtration applications because of their
ability to handle process streams with high solids and high viscosity properties,
as well as for their relative ease of cleaning.
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2. Hollow Fiber(HF), consists of a bundle of hundreds to thousands of hollow fibers.
The entire assembly is inserted into a pressure vessel. The feed can be applied to the inside of the fiber
(inside-out flow) or the outside of the fiber (outside-in flow).
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3. Spiral Wound, where a flexible permeate spacer is placed between two flat membranes sheet.
A flexible feed spacer is added and the flat sheets are rolled into a circular configuration.
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4. Plate and Frame(i.e. Flat Sheet (FS)), consist of a series of flat membrane sheets and support plates.
The water to be treated passes between the membranes of two adjacent membrane assemblies.
The plate supports the membranes and provides a channel for the permeate to flow out of the unit module.
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5. Ceramic and Polymeric Flat Sheet Membranes and Modules, Flat sheet membranes are typically
built-into a submerged vacuum driven filtration systems which consist of stacks of modules each with a number of sheets.
Filtration mode is outside-in where the water passes through the membrane and is collected
in permeate channels. Cleaning can be performed by aeration, back wash and CIP.