Flux

APPENDIX I
Related Equations
Flux
Flux is defined as the permeate flow divided by the total membrane sur-
face area, as shown in the formula below, and is often presented in units
of liters per square meters of membrane surface area per hour (gallons
per day per square foot). Because the flux is greatly affected by the water
temperature, the flux is often normalized to a standard temperature of
25° C (77° F) to account for fluctuations in water viscosity:
QP
J=
ASystem
Where
J 5 flux (L/m2⋅h [gpd/sq ft]),
QP 5 permeate flow (L/h [gpd]), and
ASystem 5 surface area of the membrane system (m2 [sq ft]).
Flux can also be calculated as follows:

J = AP (PT − PO )
Where
AP 5 the membrane permeability coefficient, which is the reciprocal
of resistance to flow (also referred to by the letter K in other ref-
erences, or mass-transfer coefficient [MTC] as defined below)
(dimensionless),
241
242 n Membrane Systems for Wastewater Treatment
PT 5 the transmembrane pressure (TMP) (kPa [psi]), and

PO 5 the osmotic pressure of the feed solution (kPa [psi]).
The above equation clearly shows that for water (feed solution) to flow
through the membrane, the TMP must be greater than the osmotic pres-
sure of the solution to provide a positive driving force.
The effect of temperature on flux can be evaluated as follows:
JT = J25 × 1.03(T − 25)
Where
JT 5 the flux at temperature T (°C) and
J25 5 the flux at temperature 25°C (77°F).
The 25° C (77° F) reference temperature is used in nanofiltration

(NF)/reverse osmosis (RO). For MF/UF, 20°C (68°F) is used for correct-
ing the permeate flux to a reference temperature. The water flux typically
increases by 3% for each degree temperature increase.
Therefore, to be able to evaluate changes in system in performance over
time, all data must be “normalized” to a constant temperature. Figure AI.1
below shows an example of a normalized plot of MTCs for a pressurized
MF system treating unchlorinated secondary effluent. For low-pressure
membrane processes, common practice is to normalize flux data to 20° C
(68° F) using one of the following equations. The expressions within brackets
are correlations of viscosity with temperature:
µT
J20 = JT ⋅ TCF → TCF =
µ 20
( ) (
J20 = JT ⋅ 1.784 − (0.0575 ⋅ T ) + 0.001 ⋅ T 2 − 10−5 ⋅ T 3  )
or
J 20 = J T ⋅ e 
 − 0.032 ⋅ T − 20 
( )
Where
J20 5 normalized flux at 20°C (L/m2⋅h [gpd/sq ft]),
JT 5 actual flux at temperature T (L/m2⋅h [gpd/sq ft]),
Appendix I n 243
FIGURE AI.1—EXAMPLE NORMALIZED MASS-TRANSFER COEFFICIENT 2

⋅h
PLOT FOR A PRESSURE MF SYSTEM (gpd/sq ft/psi 3 0.246 5 L/m
kPa )
(COURTESY OF WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH FOUNDATION).
T 5 water temperature (°C),

TCF 5 temperature correction factor,
m20 5 viscosity of water at 20°C (cP [Pa⋅s]) 5 1.0, and
mT 5 viscosity of water at temperature T, °C (cP [Pa⋅s]).
Total Surface Area

The total surface area represents the total membrane surface area avail-
able for treatment in a membrane system. This may be calculated by multi-
plying the surface area contained within each element by the number of
elements contained in the membrane system, as shown by:
A System = AElement × NElement
Where
ASystem 5 total surface area (m2 [sq ft]),

AElement 5 surface area of each element (m2 [sq ft]), and
NElement 5 number of elements in membrane system.
Transmembrane Pressure
The TMP is defined as the difference between the average feed/concentrate
pressure and the permeate pressure, as shown below. It is effectively the
driving force for flux. The TMP of the membrane system is an overall indi-
cation of the feed pressure requirement; it is used, with the flux, to assess
membrane fouling.
For crossflow mode of operation:
 P + Pc 
TMP =  F − PP
 2 
Where
TMP 5 transmembrane pressure (kPa [psi]),
PF 5 feed pressure (kPa [psi]),
PC 5 concentrate pressure (kPa [psi]), and
PP 5 permeate pressure (kPa [psi]).
For the direct-feed mode of operation:

TMP = PF − PP
It should be noted that, with MF/UF, the feed pressure and concen-
trate pressure are equal.
Net Driving Pressure

Net driving pressure (NDP) is the pressure available to drive the feed water
through the membrane minus the permeate and osmotic backpressure:
1
NDP = PF − P − PC − PP − ∆π
( )
2 F
Where
PF 5 feed pressure (kPa [psi]),
PC 5 concentrate pressure (kPa [psi]),
PP 5 permeate or filtrate pressure (kPa [psi]), and
Dp 5 change in osmotic pressure (kPa [psi]).
Appendix I n 245
Recovery
The percentage of feed that is converted to permeate is called the recovery
(water or liquid) of the membrane system and is calculated by the for-
mula below (see Figure AI.2). Recovery is critical in NF and RO, as not
all of the liquid will go through the membrane surface. In MF and UF,
the liquid stream applied to the membrane surface will go through. Gen-
erally, it is desired to operate at a high recovery, as it minimizes the waste
stream. However, operating at elevated recoveries may result in increased
fouling rates and cleaning frequencies. Manufacturers should be consulted
before altering the operating recovery of the membrane system.
QP
R= × 100%
QF
Where
R 5 recovery (%),
QP 5 permeate flow (L/s [gpm]), and
QF 5 feed flow (L/s [gpm]).
FIGURE AI.2—SCHEMATIC DEPICTING PERCENT RECOVERY.

Contaminant Removal (or Rejection)

Contaminant removal is defined as the percentage of a contaminant re-
moved from the feed stream by the membrane and may be calculated by
the formula shown below. Contaminant removal may be calculated for any
parameter of interest (turbidity, total suspended solids, total organic car-
bon, etc.); however, consistent units must be maintained throughout the
calculation:
CF − CP
RCont = ×100%
CF
Where
RCont 5 contaminant removal (%),
CF 5 feed contaminant concentration (e.g., mg/L), and
CP 5 permeate contaminant concentration (e.g., mg/L).
Backwash Volume
Microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) backwash volumes can be
estimated with the following equation:
V = No. of backwashes per day × Volume per backwash
1440BWV
BWint
=
Where
BWV 5 volume of water used per backwash (L) and
BWint 5 backwash interval in minutes (minutes).
A mass balance around the membrane process can be used to estimate

the concentration of feed water constituents in the backwash water accord-
ing to the following equation:
Cf
CBW =
1− r
Appendix I n 247
Where
Cf 5 concentration of constituent in the feed water and
r 5 system recovery.
Langelier Saturation Index

The most common method for determining the solubility of calcium carbon-
ate (CaCO3) in water is the Langelier saturation index (LSI). Waters that are
negative on this index indicate an undersaturated condition with respect to
CaCO3 (tendency to dissolve CaCO3), whereas waters that are positive indi-
cate an oversaturated condition (tendency to precipitate CaCO3). The LSI
equation is as follows:
LSI = pH − pH s
pH s = (9.3 + A + B) − (C + D)
Where
pHs 5 saturation pH for CaCO3,
(log10[ Total dissolved solids] – 1)
A 5
10
B 5 213.12 3 log10 (°C1273) 1 34.55,
C 5 log10 [Ca12 as CaCO3] 2 0.4, and
D 5 log10 [Alkalinity as CaCO3].
Stiff and Davis Scaling Index

Other equations used for determining the solubility of calcium carbonate
include the Stiff and Davis scaling index (SDSI). The SDSI equation is as
follows:
SDSI = pH − pCa − pAlk − K

Where
pCa 5 negative logarithm of the calcium molarity, as in LSI;
pAlk 5 negative logarithm of the alkalinity in equivalents per liter,
as in LSI; and
K 5 different empirical constant from LSI to account for tempera-
ture and ionic strength.
Silt Density Index

The tendency for the water feed to foul a membrane can be evaluated with
a filterability test called the silt density index (SDI). The SDI is primarily
applicable in NF/RO. The test is described in the ASTM standard no. D4185.
The test is very simple and consists of a 0.45-mm (1.8 3 10–5-in.) cellu-
lose acetate membrane in a dead-end filtration cell. The test is conducted
for 15 minutes, labeled the total test time, Tt or T15. The time, in minutes,
needed to collect the initial 500 mL (30.5 cu in.) of filtrate is recorded as
Ti. The time needed to collect another 500 mL (30.5 cu in.) of filtrate
after the filter has been online for 15 minutes is recorded as Tf. Standard
conditions for the SDI determination call for a 47-mm-diam (1.85-in.-diam)
filter and an applied pressure of 206.8 kPa (30 psi or 2 bar) and a total
test time of 15 minutes. The SDI is calculated according to
100  1 −
Ti 
Tf 
SDI = Tt
Where
Ti 5 time in minutes needed to collect the initial 500 mL (30.5 cu in.),
Tf 5 time needed to collect 500 mL (30.5 cu in.) after being online for
15 minutes, and
Tt 5 total time of the test, 15 minutes.
For successful operation of hollow-fiber and spiral-wound RO mem-

branes, a SDI of 2 to 3 is desirable in desalting membranes, with 3 to 5 as
an upper limit. For best performance, membrane manufacturers will recom-
mend the SDI limit. Exceeding the SDI limit will require pretreatment of the
Appendix I n 249
feed to the membrane and may require some operational changes, such as
reduced flux rate. With lower SDI, pretreatment may be advisable, as it
reduces the cleaning cycle.
Solubility Product
The solubility product for a given salt can be found using the following
equation:
Ksp = [Cation]# × [Anion]#
Where
Ksp 5 a value for the solubility product,
[Cation] 5 the cation concentration,
[Anion] 5 the anion concentration, and
# 5 the quantity of the particular ion present within the salt
molecule.

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APPENDIX I

Flux can also be calculated as follows:

PT 5 the transmembrane pressure (TMP) (kPa [psi]), and

JT = J25 × 1.03(T − 25)

The 25° C (77° F) reference temperature is used in nanofiltration

FIGURE AI.1—EXAMPLE NORMALIZED MASS-TRANSFER COEFFICIENT 2

T 5 water temperature (°C),

Total Surface Area

A System = AElement × NElement

ASystem 5 total surface area (m2 [sq ft]),

For the direct-feed mode of operation:

Net Driving Pressure

FIGURE AI.2—SCHEMATIC DEPICTING PERCENT RECOVERY.

Contaminant Removal (or Rejection)

A mass balance around the membrane process can be used to estimate

Langelier Saturation Index

Stiff and Davis Scaling Index

SDSI = pH − pCa − pAlk − K

Silt Density Index

For successful operation of hollow-fiber and spiral-wound RO mem-

Ksp = [Cation]# × [Anion]#

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