Fundamental aspects of centrifugal membrane separation

Abstract A new membrane filtration process which uses the dynamic environment created on board a centrifuge rotor to enhance the performance of the separation process is described. Centrifugal membrane separation (CMS) combines the energy savings associated with centrifugal reverse osmosis (CRO) with the natural alleviation of concentration polarization and fouling due to the dynamic environment. A research centrifuge was constructed to compare the CMS process directly with a conventional process. An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the effects of centripetal and Coriolis acceleration on membrane performance. A description of the apparatus and the experimental results for various membrane orientations are presented. Significant reduction in the fouling rate and virtual elimination of concentration polarization have been shown.