Achilles' heel?
We got it covered.
performance
The membrane module is often considered the Achilles heel of any Membrane Bioreactor, but Blue Foot has the solution.
A wastewater treatment plant should always be reliable and easy to operate, as business continuity depends upon it. It should also be economically viable, with attractive OPEX and CAPEX. Blue Foot’s unique membrane technology offers optimal performance and reliability over time. The unique properties of the membrane sheets all translate into customer benefits. Here’s how.
Backwashable
Flux
Aeration
Footprint
backwashable
The only flat sheet membranes that you can truly backwash.
Backwashing membrane modules in a membrane bioreactor is essential for robust membrane operation, but almost impossible in most submerged membrane systems. Flat sheet membranes are especially prone to immediate damage when performing a backwash. Typically, a thin membrane layer is spot welded or glued to a stiff backing material, which does not allow a significant backpressure to be applied. This makes a backwash, a short but very effective hydraulic cleaning method, useless.
Blue Foot has developed the world’s only flat sheet membranes that uses a frequent backwash, making the membrane sheets easy to clean. Due to its unique composition, the IPC® membrane can withstand a backwash pressure of up to 2 bar. This enables maximizing membrane bioreactor uptime and operating flux.
Flux
Twice the flux rate compared to competing products.
The flux rate of a membrane module is the amount of clean water that is filtered per membrane surface area per hour, typically expressed in litres per square meter per hour or ‘lmh’. Typical values are relatively low and range from 10 – 20 lmh, making it necessary to install a vast membrane area.
Our IPC® membrane sheets set itself apart through a high continuous flux rate. This is the result of a number of factors: the PVDF ultrafiltration membrane material, its average pore size of 0,04 μm, and most important, the fact a backwash is an integral part of its operation . This allows us to achieve twice the flux rate of most competing products, resulting in only half the membrane surface area to be installed.
Aeration
50% aeration compared to most competing systems.
Aeration is an integral part of any Membrane Bioreactor operation. The aeration demand accounts for the vast majority of the energy consumption of a membrane bioreactor.
Most submerged membrane systems require an aeration rate of 8 – 20 m3 of air for every m3 of filtered water. Extensive tests and long-term operational wastewater treatment plant data indicate that the aeration rate of the Blue Foot membrane modules is the lowest in the market by far. The membrane modules typically use 5-8 m3 of air for every m3 of filtered water. Due to the high design flux rate, the aeration rate per m3 of filtrate produced is significantly lower. So, they require approximately 50% of the aeration of most competing systems.
This translates into an immediate benefit in terms of both CAPEX and OPEX. Since the blowers only need to deliver 50% of the required air at the same pressure, the installation costs for the blower section and piping are significantly lower. In addition, only half the power is required to drive the blowers, resulting in much lower energy costs and CO2 footprint.
Competitive performance: Specific Aeration Demand per m3 water treated
footprint
1,5 to 3 times smaller than competing systems.
For any submerged membrane bioreactor the design flux rate, physical configuration of the membrane modules and the placement of the membrane modules inside a membrane filtration basin determine the required footprint for a specific wastewater treatment plant capacity. Most contemporary submerged membrane systems accommodate 100 – 200 m2 of membrane surface area per m2 of filtration tank footprint. Some capillary membrane systems go up to 300 m2 per m2 of tank footprint. However, their relatively low design flux rate forces the need for a large membrane surface area to be installed, resulting in a filtrate capacity of 2-4 m3/h per m2 of filtration tank footprint.
Due to its triple deck design and compact membrane sheets, the Blue Foot membrane modules have a high packing density of 230 -290 m2 of membrane area per m2 of filtration tank footprint. Combined with the high design flux rate, the result becomes clear: our membrane modules produce between 6 (nominal) and 12 (peak) m3/h per m2 of tank footprint. In other words: 1,5 to 3 times smaller than others.
Competitive performance: Permeate flow per m2 footprint
What makes our membrane unbreakable?
With the patented IPC® membrane sheets , the membrane layer is integrated into the 3D backing material without the need to weld or glue. This creates an inherently unbreakable bond that makes the membrane sheets almost indestructible and sets Blue Foot apart.
The impressive performance is only one side of the story. The best-in-class membrane technology serves a higher purpose. It offers our partners and customers reliable wastewater treatment technology that works flawlessly and that is attractive from a financial and operational point of view.
Why not design your new wastewater treatment plant with the best membrane proposition in the market?
