Theoretical and Computational Analysis on Double-End Submerged Hollow Fibre Membrane Modules

Keng Boon Lim, Hui An, Peng Cheng Wang, Guiqin Liu and Simon Ching Man Yu
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Keng Boon Lim: Engineering Cluster, Singapore Institute of Technology, 10 Dover Drive, Singapore 138683, Singapore
Hui An: Engineering Cluster, Singapore Institute of Technology, 10 Dover Drive, Singapore 138683, Singapore
Peng Cheng Wang: Engineering Cluster, Singapore Institute of Technology, 10 Dover Drive, Singapore 138683, Singapore
Guiqin Liu: Engineering Cluster, Singapore Institute of Technology, 10 Dover Drive, Singapore 138683, Singapore
Simon Ching Man Yu: Engineering Cluster, Singapore Institute of Technology, 10 Dover Drive, Singapore 138683, Singapore

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 5, 1-25

Abstract: This paper studies the potential increase in permeate output flow rate that submerged hollow fibres can achieve when operating in double-end suction. The flow dynamics of submerged hollow fibre membranes with different combinations of fibre inner diameter, membrane thickness, and membrane permeability were numerically simulated. Fibre features (fibre inner diameter, membrane thickness, and membrane permeability) are then characterised for their effects on the increment in permeate flow rate due to change in configuration. Concurrently, an analytical model of a fibre in double-end suction is modelled. Analysis on the double-end fibre model has indicated that the fibre characteristic ratio, ?, has a direct influence on the relative increase in output flow rate when both ends are open. Parametric investigations on the three fibre features have shown that their effects on relative output increase agree with the co-relations indicated by ?. For fibres with ? less than 4, a proportional relationship between a fibre’s ? value and the percentage increment in permeate flow rate is observed when adopting double-end suction. The fibre characteristic ratio, ?, in addition to characterising flux uniformity, can further be used to consider the effectiveness of applying double-end suction in Submerged Hollow Fibre Membrane Module (SHFMM) systems at the design stage.

Keywords: submerged hollow fibre; double-end suction; permeate flow rate; Computational Fluid Dynamics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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