A Study on the Biofouling Control in Membrane Processes Using High Voltage Impulse

Although membrane technologies are widely applied to the water and wastewater treatment processes, strategy for the control of membrane biofouling is strongly required. In this study, a possibility of control of membrane biofouling using HVI(High Voltage Impulse) was verified based on the inactivation of microorganisms by the HVI. The HVI system was consisted of power supply, voltage amplifier, impulse generator and disinfection chamber and the model microorganism was E. coli. When 15[kV/cm] of electric fields was applied to the E. coli solution, inactivation of the microorganism was found. A possibility of the control of membrane biofouling using HVI was verified with experiments of membrane filtration with and without exposure of the HVI to biomass solution. Another membrane filtration experiments with the contaminated membranes by E. coli solution were carried out and indicate that the HVI could be used as an alternative method for membrane biofouling control. A series of simulation of the electric fields between electrodes and microorganisms was carried out for the visualization of the disinfection that showed where the electric fields are formed.

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