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Membrane and Desalination Technologies - TCE Moodle Website

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<strong>Membrane</strong> Technology: Past, Present <strong>and</strong> Future 19<br />

a<br />

b<br />

Influent Retentate<br />

Bioreactor<br />

Sludge<br />

wastage<br />

Influent<br />

Sludge<br />

wastage<br />

Air<br />

External cross-flow MBR<br />

Vacuum Pump<br />

Air<br />

Submerged MBR<br />

Recirculation<br />

pump<br />

Permeate<br />

<strong>Membrane</strong> module<br />

Bioreactor<br />

Fig. 1.10. Schematics of MBR systems.<br />

<strong>Membrane</strong> module<br />

higher capital <strong>and</strong> operating costs are considered as the disadvantages of MBRs compared to<br />

other biological processes (73).<br />

3. CURRENT STATUS OF MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY<br />

Permeate<br />

<strong>Membrane</strong> technology has come a long way since its origins in the 1960s <strong>and</strong> is now<br />

experiencing a blossoming initiated in the early 1990s. <strong>Membrane</strong>s are widely accepted as the<br />

best available technology for water <strong>and</strong> wastewater treatment. Rising concerns for increasing<br />

population growth <strong>and</strong> scarcity of freshwater resources, as well as more stringent water<br />

quality regulations are the major reasons for the adoption of membrane technology. <strong>Membrane</strong>s<br />

are also used in application areas such as chemical <strong>and</strong> pharmaceutical processing,<br />

energy production, environmental monitoring <strong>and</strong> quality control, as well as food <strong>and</strong><br />

beverage processing. Besides this, membranes are key components in fuel cells <strong>and</strong> bioseparation<br />

systems.

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