Improving Efficiency through Automated Membrane Cleaning with R3DC
Innovatreat has developed a novel membrane bioreactor that uses a fully automated membrane cleaning process. To improve efficiency and keep the membranes clean, they use Verderflex's R3DC peristaltic pump.
Innovatreat:
Innovatreat was established in 2011 in Owings Mills, Maryland. Their mission is to deliver the absolute best small-flow water treatment technologies on (and for) the planet. As a commitment to this mission, Innovatreat has developed and manufactured a novel membrane bioreactor (MBR) for wastewater treatment and reuse, called miniMBR®. This is a fully integrated, easily serviceable packaged solution that offers efficient separation of contaminants, extended membrane life, and minimal operator intervention. The key components of the miniMBR® are the ultra-filtration membranes that separate biomass from water, which can only produce clean water with high efficiency when the membranes are clean.
Problem:
Ultra-filtration membranes do not stay clean forever. Over time organic and inorganic material accumulates on the surface and reduces the rate at which clean water can be produced. Per Jeff Danner, PhD, National Sales Manager, “Typically, MBR membranes are submerged directly inside the bioreactors, just sitting there in a brown soup where the cassettes cannot be fully cleaned (unless they are removed and separately immersed in cleaning solution). The miniMBR® is different because the filtration membranes are externally mounted, allowing for significantly lower cleaning chemical usage and better overall membrane cleaning capabilities.”
The externally mounted membranes must stay clean for best efficiency, so the miniMBR® features a fully automated membrane cleaning process called Membrane Laundry™. This process is like a drive-through car wash in which the membranes are drained, flushed with clean water, treated with active de-scale (citric acid) and cleaning solutions (chlorine), and flushed again. To deliver de-scale and cleaning solutions, Innovatreat previously used a venturi-feed system that used external potable water to pull the cleaning agent into the water and inject it proportionally. Per Jeff, “these were not very precise. They weren’t very reliable. You couldn’t visually tell when they were working or not.” Innovatreat needed to deliver cleaning agents faster and more reliably than the existing venturi-feed system to ensure optimal performance of its miniMBR®.
Solution:
Innovatreat approached Verder seeking a fast, reliable chemical pump alternative to their venturi-feed system. Verder proposed the R3DC peristaltic pump, a high-flow pump designed for reliability and accuracy. The R3DC was tested and delivered the optimal amount of cleaning agents directly to the membranes in just seconds. Tests also showed the pump was reliable in delivering the correct dosage amount. Moreover, the pump saves a lot of water during the cleaning process, making it an eco-friendly and green solution.
Per Jeff, “In contrast to the venturi system, when we see the Verderflex pump rotating, we are confident that we are precisely feeding the cleaning agent into the membrane.” In addition, since the R3DC is a positive displacement pump, it is unaffected by changing system pressure. Another bonus is the low maintenance, since the pump tubes are the only maintenance item and are easily changed. By including spare pump tubes with each system, Innovatreat further reduces the total cost of ownership by minimizing customer downtime.
Result:
Ultimately, the most important thing for Innovatreat is system efficiency. After testing the Verderflex R3DC pump, Innovatreat re-designed their Membrane Laundry™ system to replace the venturi-system with the R3DC as the preferred cleaning pump solution. The miniMBR® now offers a fast, reliable, and minimal maintenance cleaning procedure that keeps membranes clean, and efficiency maximized.
