(449aj) Numerical Analysis and Experimental Investigation of Nano-Composite Ultrafiltration Membranes for Water Treatment

Nanocomposite membranes have been used as a promising technology in water treatment. A variety of nanoparticles have been reported to increase the membrane permeability, selectivity and antifouling properties. Nanoparticles with different physicochemical properties have different effects on the membrane structural and operational behavior. There is a need of predicting nanocomposite membranes for design and optimization purposes to control the membrane flux, fouling, module position and to consider energy consumption. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was used to simulate cross-flow membrane process and fluid flow by solving Navier-Stocks equations coupled with the Darcy's law. Nanocomposite membrane flux was modeled at different cross-flow velocity and different operational pressure. Also, effect of membrane structural properties such as porosity and thickness was studied. This CFD model can be used to better apprehend fluid flows in different geometries and to test the impact of operational parameters on nanocomposite membranes flux and finally could help to effectively increase the permeate flux, reduce the fouling on the membrane. The modeling data is validated with experimental data regarding to nanocomposite membrane flux.