Simulation of ultrafiltration process and application to pilot tests

A mathematical model for the simulation of ultrafiltrationprocess has been developed in this study. Ultrafiltration tests were carried out on an aqueous solution of lignosulphonate - a natural polymer - employing a pilot-scale ultrafiltration configuration that accommodates spiral wound membranes. The developed model consists of equations simulating mass transport phenomena across membrane surface involving the transport parameters of ultrafiltration process - solvent membrane permeability (Lp), solute membrane permeability (Ls), diffusivity coefficient of solute over boundary layer thickness (Ds/δ) and solute reflection coefficient (σ). The knowledge of the model parameters facilitates the prediction of membrane performance and its characterization. The dependence of model parameters on operating conditions - operating pressure (Δp), feed flow rate (Qf), feed concentration (Xf) - was also investigated. The experimental data points of pilot-scale tests were correlated in order to calculate the model parameters, and the prediction results were found to be in good agreement with the experimental data.