There is more to assuring the reliable operation of your membrane filtration units than changing the membranes on schedule. This article will cover the basics of troubleshooting membrane filtration units at food, dairy and beverage processing facilities.
Pre-treatment of the feed stock is critical to smooth production and membrane performance. Your facility’s water quality will have an impact on systems like CIP and diafiltration (if needed). Speaking of CIP, plan to work closely with your chemical suppliers to optimize cleaning procedures for better production and membrane life.
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Membrane fouling is one of the most common problems with membrane units. Symptoms of membrane fouling include pressure drops and reduced efficiency.
Depending on the type of fouling that’s occurring, there are various pre-treatment options that may help prevent the fouling in the first place. Operational adjustments may help as well. Contact Caloris for information about what types of prevention strategies and cleaning techniques will work best in your situation.
If your membrane performance is not optimized to achieve your processing goals, there are a few different measures to take. Integrity testing may reveal the cause behind pressure and other anomalies in your equipment.
Permeability monitoring and data analysis are also tools that can be used to diagnose problems to be corrected with your membrane filtration unit. Call us if you need assistance arranging these tests and/or analyzing the results.
Troubleshooting for Different Membrane Types
Specific types of membranes come with their own unique issues to watch out for. Ultrafiltration membranes can experience high trans-membrane pressure and poor permeate quality. Microfiltration challenges include fiber integrity and particle removal efficiency. RO units may experience scaling, biofouling and membrane degradation.
A phenomenon called telescoping can occur in polymeric spiral-wound membranes. When telescoping happens, the membrane layers shift and misalign. Spacer intrusion can lead to localized fouling. Concentration polarization may occur when rejected dissolved substances accumulate near the membrane surface, reducing flux.
If you are using ceramic membranes, be on the lookout for inorganic scaling from minerals, chemical resistance from extreme pH conditions and thermal shock due to rapid temperature changes.
Facilities employing hollow fiber membranes could see fiber breakage, which will affect filtration quality. Uneven flow distribution may result from clogging. Improper backwashing may fail to remove fouling from the fiber bundle core.
Tubular membranes may experience channel plugging, which will reduce the effective filtration area. Flows with abrasive particles could erode the membrane surface over time. Be vigilant about leaks around the seals at the ends of the tubes.
Contact Us for Support
If you are experiencing issues with your membrane filtration equipment, Caloris can recommend best practices based on your specific situation for measures like routine calibration, CIP optimization and when to replace your membranes. We can also provide support for more uncommon scenarios like sudden performance drops, water quality fluctuations and system start-up issues.
Contact Caloris if you would like to talk to an engineer about troubleshooting your membrane unit(s). Call 410-822-6900 or send email to problem.solved@caloris.com.
