Pentair presents breakthrough technology at AWWA/AMTA
Pentair has presented its breakthrough Helix flux enhancement technology at the Membrane Technology Conference & Exposition hosted by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and American Membrane Technology Association (AMTA) in San Antonio, Texas between 1−5 February 2016.
X-Flow’s next generation tubular membrane with Helix technology is designed for industrial processing and water reuse applications and helps to address a bottleneck in high-solids ultrafiltration (UF) by preventing the build-up of foulants.
With advanced hydrodynamics, Helix can help enhance flux, increase flow and save energy. By introducing turbulence right at the membrane wall, the Helix technology provides continuous mixing and efficient removal of the cake layer that would otherwise reduce the membrane’s hydraulic permeability. The resulting higher permeate flow contributes to higher productivity and lower energy costs. Due to the effective membrane cleaning at low crossflow velocities, Pentair claims that Helix significantly reduces the energy footprint compared to standard tubular membrane solutions.
Case study: Performance comparison
After its introduction last year, Helix started delivering promising results. At Hooge Maey, a landfill in Antwerp, Belgium, Pentair initially installed two units − each with six X-Flow Compact 27 membrane modules for leachate treatment. In 2015, six standard modules in one unit were replaced with Compact 27 Helix membrane modules. Flux increased from 150 lmh for the standard Compact 27 to 200 lmh for the Helix Compact 27 membrane module. This results in an energy saving of approximately 35% for the customer.
- Technology: Crossflow MBR
- Crossflow velocity: 3.5 m/s
- UF feed water: 10−15 g/l
- MLSS Energy saved: 35%