Effects of ultrasound on the performance improvement of wastewater microfiltration through a porous ceramic filter

Abstract

-Filtration under an ultrasonic field is a technique that is gaining importance in the wastewater treatment research field, not only due to its ability as a cleaning mechanism, but also as a filtration intensifier. The main objective of this research was the study of the influence of ultrasonic waves on the filtration of the oilfield wastewater (known as produced water) in order to increase the operation performance and filter medium regenerative effectiveness. A 0.016 m 2 hollow cylindrical porous ceramic filter was submitted to the filtration of produced water by two mechanisms: conventional filtration under vacuum and filtration under the influence of ultrasonic waves. Experiments were carried out using synthetic produced water by analyzing the variables oil and grease content (O&G) and total suspended solids (TSS) for each filtration run. Backwashing of the filter medium with distilled water was also performed to evaluate the regeneration efficiency. During conventional filtration, permeate flux decreased gradually, becoming stable around 0.06 cm 3 .cm -2 .s -1 . Furthermore, in the filtration assisted by ultrasound, the permeate flux was around 0.15 cm 3 .cm -2 .s -1 . Therefore, ultrasonic waves provided an increase of about 150% in the permeate flux. Moreover, the sonication improved filter medium regeneration effectiveness, even under conditions of high TSS and O&G contents. Taking into consideration the very positive results associated with the application of ultrasonic waves, this filtration technique is likely to become an important industrial process.

New filtration system for efficient recovery of waterborneCryptosporidiumoocysts andGiardiacysts

“…In practice, filtration of large water samples or samples with high levels of turbidity is commonly associated with clogging of filters (DiGiorgio et al 2002). In such cases, application of momentary ultrasound on filter surfaces can increase the flux of fluids through it (Rocha et al 2009), allowing filtration of large volumes of water. It is worth noticing that all tests in this study were conducted using a single filter mounted in one filtration unit, therefore the system proved to be robust and can operate for several weeks without maintenance.…”

Optimal Intermittent Ultrasound-Assisted Latex Particle Fouling Remediation in Ultrafiltration

“…Using ultrasonic waves can help to eliminate the use of chemical cleaning that has a negative impact on the environment or even eliminate alternative measures completely. This process can help in the development and implementation of membrane technology [40]. Ultrasound technique has been shown improving the permeate flux in ultrafiltration and microfiltration processes.…”

Optimal Intermittent Ultrasound-Assisted Latex Particle Fouling Remediation in Ultrafiltration

“…Using ultrasonic waves can help to eliminate the use of chemical cleaning that has a negative impact on the environment or even eliminate alternative measures completely. This process can help in the development and implementation of membrane technology [40]. Ultrasound technique has been shown improving the permeate flux in ultrafiltration and microfiltration processes.…”