The MBR Book: Principles and Applications of Membrane

Thus far, almost all of the installed MR MBR plant have been based on the SUR
module. More recently, the company has introduced the SteraporeSADF element,
which is based on vertically oriented PVDF fibres. These fibres have a pore size of
0.4 �m and are 2.8 mm o.d. and are potted and framed using the same materials as
for the SUR element. The PVDF elements (Fig. 4.20(a)) are much larger than the PE
ones, being 2000 mm high � 1250 mm wide and 30 mm thick, and provide a smaller
area of 25 m 2 . The units contain 20 elements (and hence provide 500 m 2 total membrane
area) and have dimensions 1553 mm wide � 1443 mm thick � 3124 mm
high. They have an integrated coarse bubble aerator which contributes to the overall
module dry weight of 700 kg (Fig. 4.20(b)).
4.3.3 Memcor
(a) (b)
Figure 4.20 The SteraporeSADF: (a) element and (b) unit
Commercial technologies 181
Memcor, now part of the Siemens group, is a well-established membrane product
supplier dating back to 1982. The membrane product originates from Australia, but
at various times the company has been acquired by USFilter in 1997 and Vivendi
(now Veolia) in 1999 before being acquired by Siemens in July 2004 for $1.4 billion.
At the time of the last acquisition, USFilter had a turnover of $1.2 billion and 5800
employees worldwide. In the potable water sector, their PP and PVDF products
account for �2.5 gigalitres/day (GLD) of total installed membrane treatment capacity,
about 50% of installed capacity in the USA, and almost 800 MLD, close to 30%
of the total installed membrane capacity, in the UK (2005 figures).
The Memcor MemJet ® MBR system was introduced in 2002. It comprises vertically
oriented modules fitted with PVDF 0.04 �m-pore HF membranes. The air bubbles