Simulation of resistance of cross-flow microfiltration and force analysis on membrane surface Original Research Article

The major factors influencing cake formation and the overall filtration resistance were the hydrodynamic forces exerted on the membrane. Therefore, the filtration rate increased with the increase of the cross-flow velocity and filtration pressure under a wide range of conditions. In this work the cross-flow microfiltration was simulated by water flow through a porous medium. The bulk flow and flow in porous medium were governed by Navier-Stokes and Darcy equations. The overall resistance of filtration and hydrodynamic shear force exerted on the membrane surface were calculated and integrated. The shear force analysis on the membrane surface is a tool for decaying fouling rate on the membrane and improving the efficiency of the cross-flow microfiltration. This CFD-aided design could help to effectively increase the permeate flux, reduce the fouling on the membrane and extend the washing cycle during filtration.