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Calculations Membrane Processes

This document provides calculations for batch and continuous membrane processes. For batch processes, it explains how to calculate concentration, permeate concentration, and yield based on starting volume, end volume, and rejection rate. For continuous processes, it shows how to calculate concentrate concentration and yield for a single-loop and multi-loop system based on feed concentration, rejection rate, and concentration factor. Diagrams and examples are given to illustrate key terms and equations.

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60 views

Calculations Membrane Processes

This document provides calculations for batch and continuous membrane processes. For batch processes, it explains how to calculate concentration, permeate concentration, and yield based on starting volume, end volume, and rejection rate. For continuous processes, it shows how to calculate concentrate concentration and yield for a single-loop and multi-loop system based on feed concentration, rejection rate, and concentration factor. Diagrams and examples are given to illustrate key terms and equations.

Uploaded by

Anonymous 20VAru
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PS Prozesstechnik GmbH

Neuhausstrasse 36 Tel.: *41 61 544 3003


CH-4057 Basel E-Mail: [email protected]

Pressure driven membrane processes


Calculations
Here we give some important calculation tools for the successfull development of membrane
processes. They will help to calculate the results of whole membrane processes based on
measurement results from lab tests.

Rejection:

For all calculations we assume a concentration independent rejection


cP
R =1− with R = momentary or spot- rejection, cP = momentary permeate concentration,
cF
cF = feed concentration

Batch process:
In a batch process after filling the feed
vessel with the starting volume,
concentration and/or diafiltration (washing)
starts until the final volume or desired
washing is reached. Product is either in the
vessel or the collected permeate.

Concentration:

V0
X = with X = concentration factor, V0 = starting volume, VK = end volume
VK

c K = c0 ⋅ X R with cK = end concentration of concentrate

c P = c0 ⋅
X
X −1
(
1 − X R−1 ) with c P = concentration of collected total permeate

η K = X R−1 with η K = yield in concentrate


Explanations with an example: when you concentrate a batch with a starting product concentration
of c0=10g/l and you concentrate by a volumetric factor of X=5 e.g. from 500ml to 100ml and the
spot rejection for the product on the tested membrane is 95% than the end concentration of
product will reach cK=46.1 g/l, the concentration of the total permeate will be c P = 0.966 g/l (loss of
product) and the yield in concentrate will be η K = 92.3%. This example clarifies the dependency of
yield and rejection.

Calculations batch membrane process


PS Prozesstechnik GmbH
Neuhausstrasse 36 Tel.: *41 61 544 3003
CH-4057 Basel E-Mail: [email protected]

Diafiltration (washing at constand level):

V LM
D = with D = diafiltration factor, VLM = diafiltration volume used, VK = volume of concentrate
VK
(or feed as we operate at constant level here)

cK
= e ( D⋅( R−1) )
c0
Explanation of symbols with an example: a product volume VK = 500ml is washed with VLM =
1000ml, that means diafiltration factor D = 2. Rejection of a componet to be washed out (e.g. a
salt from a solution of larger molecules) may be 0. Than the concentration of the salt after this
washing process will reach cK/c0 = 13.5% of the starting value. The same calculation done for the
product molecule with R = 95% shows that the end concentration of the product will be cK/c0 =
90.5% of the starting concentration.

The overall permeate concentration for a dissolved component calculates as follows

cP =
c0
D
(
⋅ 1 − e ( D ( R−1)) )
And the yields:

η K = e ( D⋅( R −1) ) with η K = yield in concentrate

η P = 1 − e ( D⋅( R−1) ) with η P = yield in permeate


Explanation again with our example of diafiltration of a salt: yield of the product will be 90.5 %.
Yield of salt in the permeate will be 86.5%. Yield in this case can mean efficiency of the washing
process (if an undesired component is washed out) or yield of a low molecular weight product in
the permeate.

Of course calculations of concentration and diafiltration can be combined for combined processes

Calculations batch membrane process


PS Prozesstechnik GmbH
Neuhausstrasse 36 Tel.: *41 61 544 3003
CH-4057 Basel E-Mail: [email protected]

Concentration in a continuous process:

The following sheme shows a continuous membrane filtration unit with 2 loops. In principle a such
a unit may have one or more loops.

The following formulae are resulting from material balance calculated for a continuous membrane
process with one loop.

cK X 1
= ηK =
c F (1 − R ) ⋅ ( X − 1) + 1 (1 − R ) ⋅ ( X − 1) + 1

Again using our example of a membrane with product spot rejection of 95%: if our one-loop unit is
concentrating by a volumetric factor of 5 that means the feed stream is separated in a
concentrate stream of 1/5 of the volume and a permeate stream of 4/5 the volume, the
concentrate concentration will be 4.16 times higher than the feed concentration and yield will be
83.3%

Continuous processes in bigger plants have normally several loops which optimizes the process
but only in the best case with infinite number of loops they would reach the performance of a batch
process. The yield in a continuous process with n-loops and with X as the overall volumetric
concentration factor (equally distributed over all loops) would be:

n
 
 
 1 
ηK =  
 (1 − R ) ⋅  X n − 1 + 1 
1

   
   

In a 4-loop system with a concentration factor of X=5 and product spot rejection of 95%, the
overall yield would be 90.6%. For comparison: the batch process would have 92.5% yield

Calculations continuous membrane process

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