| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4483930 | Water Research | 2011 | 14 Pages |
Shear stress has been recognized as an important parameter in controlling particle back-transport from membrane surfaces. However, little is known of the relationship between transient shear conditions induced by air sparging and fouling control near membrane surfaces. In this paper, the different types of surface shear stress profiles that had beneficial effects on minimizing reversible surface fouling were examined. The relationship between different statistical shear parameters (e.g. time-averaged shear, standard deviation of shear and amplitude of shear) and fouling control that have been used by others were examined as well. It was found that the fouling rate for membranes subjected to transient shear conditions was lower than for membranes subjected to constant shear conditions. The magnitude, duration and frequency of the shear conditions were found to have an impact on the fouling rate of membranes. It was also found that although some statistical shear parameters could generally be used to relate shear and fouling, they were inadequate to relate surface shear stress to fouling, for all transient shear conditions examined.
Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (100 K)Download as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Shear stress profiles with beneficial effects on minimizing fouling were examined. ► Transient shear profiles yielded less fouling, compared to constant shear profiles. ► Magnitude, duration and frequency of the shear profiles affected fouling rate. ► Some statistical shear parameters were inadequate in relating shear to fouling.
