MICROFILTER

SPECIFICATION SHEET
IDENTIFICATION
Name of Equipment Microfilter
Equipment Code K-2
Number of Elements 8
Number of tubes per element 93
Function To remove the wet solids from the mixture
Operation Continuous
Type Tubular Microfiltration Membrane
Material Handled Fermentation Broth
OPERATING CONDITION
Pressure Drop 124.07 kPa
Temperature 35C
Filtrate Flow 0.88 m3/h
Permeate Flux 76.3 L/m2-hr
Time of filtration 1.26 h
Total Cycle time 3h
MEMBRANE DESIGN
Filter Membrane Used Polyethersulfone
Area of membrane/per module 0.1247 m2
Pore Size 0.1 micron
Diameter 0.05 m

Length 1m
Operating Mode Cross flow Filtration
HOUSING DESIGN
Materials of Construction Stainless steel 316
Area 11.53 m2
ILLUSTRATION FOR MICROFILTER (K-2):
ASSUMPTIONS:

1. The process will be constant pressure microfiltration.

2. Type of Microfiltration Membrane Tubular
(Reference: UF and MF elements by Synder Filtration)

3. The cake is non-compressible.

4. Particles are spherical in shape.

5. Pressure Drop = 18 psi

(Reference: UF and MF elements by Synder Filtration)

6. Membrane Material: Polyethersulfone (PES)

(Ref: Table 4, Chemical resistance of several membrane materials page 9 Membrane
Filtration Handbook)
7. Velocity= 5 m/s for turbulent flow and good mass transfer
(Ref: pg.1036, Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering, 5th Edition)
8. Recommended Element cross flow rate=1.1 m3 for 1.8 diameter pipe
(Reference: UF and MF elements by Synder Filtration)
9. Size range of solids:

Solid Diameter
(ave)
Crude Fiber 10
Aspergillus Niger 2.75
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae 5
Leucine 9
Starch 9.5
Crude Lipid 8
Ash 0.35
Nutrients 10
(Reference: Particle Size Distribution of Aspergillus Fumigatus spores
emitted from compost using membrane filtration, Compared Size and
Structure of plant particles, National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center
Laboratory Research Division)
List of Equations:

( 2 +2 )
1. = (Ref: Unit Ops Brown; Eq. 205, 208; p.245)
2 ( )

Where:

2. = (Ref: Unit Ops Brown; Eq. 192; p.243)
2[ (1)(1)]

Where:

=
 2
3. = (Ref: Unit Ops Brown; p.242)
32

Where:

= gravitational constant

= diameter of the particle

= Reynolds number factor

= friction factor

4. = + () (Ref: Coulson and Richradson)
()( )

Where:

t= time of filtration, s

V= volume of filtrate, m3

Cb= bulk concentration of particles in the feed (particle volume/feed volume), m3 /m3

r= specific cake resistance, m-1

1 1 2
5. = 180 ( 3 ) ( ) (Ref: Equation 8.5, Coulson and Richardson)

e= porosity of the cake

ds= mean diameter of the particle, m

= , Ns/m2

Am= area of the membrane, m2

V= volume of the filtrate, m3

3
( )

6. = 3
( 2 )

(Ref: Membrane Filtration Handbook, Table 37 Necessary Steps for Designing a System,
pg.117)

7. Viscosity of Filtrate= Viscosity of Liquid

Using Refutas Equation: (Ref: Chemical Professionals)
(1) VBI = 14.534 ln[ln(v + 0.8)] + 10.975
(2) VBI-blend = [wA VBIA] + [wB VBIB] + ... + [wX VBIX]

8. Permeability

(Ref: Unit Ops Brown; p.242)

Where:

= gravitational constant, 1
2

= diameter of the particle, for mesh 200 opening of 0.074 mm 7.4 105

= Reynolds number factor

= friction factor

9. Reynolds Number Factor

Therefore, = 1,

10. Friction factor

(Ref: Unit Ops Brown Fig. 220; p.212)

DETAILED DESIGN COMPUTATION

Selection of Membrane:
 It is suitable to use Polysulfone (PSO) due to its high resistance with
polysaccharides and alcohol. This membrane is also resistant to pH ranges.

OVERALL MATERIAL BALANCE DATA SHEET

Basis: 24 hrs operation

Feed:
Fermentation Broth
kg % Density
(kg/m3)
Isoamyl Alcohol 59115.3196 0.2886 810
Crude Fiber 46590.0000 0.2275 1500
Ethanol 29579.4606 0.1444 789
Biomass 17509.2169 0.0855 995
Water 19404.0573 0.0947 1000
Leucine 15497.7518 0.0757 1293
Starch 3555.9300 0.0174 1,500
Crude Lipid 2505.0000 0.0122 884
Ash 1335.0000 0.0065 810
Isobutanol 896.6274 0.0044 802
nutrients 8831.6814 0.0431 1000
Total 204820.0450 1.0000

Volume of feed = 207.3209831 m3/day =8.6384 m3/h (From Material balance)

Density of Feed= 204,820.0450 kg/ 207.3209831 m3= 987.9369 kg/m3
Mass of solids= 292,852.44 kg/h
 Recommended Volumetric Flow rate from the brochure=1.1 m3/h
Mass of feed (based on the capacity of the membrane, from
3
brochure)=987.9369 3 1.1 = 1,086.7306 = 26,081.5344 /

Retentate/Wet cake:
Wet Solids
kg/day % Density
Crude Fiber 46590.0000 0.3961 1500

Biomass 17509.2169 0.1489 995

Leucine 15497.7518 0.1318 1293

Starch 3555.9300 0.0302 1,500

Crude Lipid 2505.0000 0.0213 884

Ash 1335.0000 0.0113 810

Nutrients 8831.6814 0.0751 1000

Isoamyl Alcohol 11823.0639 0.1005 810

Ethanol 5915.8921 0.0503 789

Water 3880.8115 0.0330 1000

Isobutanol 179.3255 0.0015 802

Total 117623.6730 1.0000

3 3
Volumetric Flowrate: 102.5260 m /day=4.2719 m /h
Density of Wet cake= 117,623.6730/102.5260= 1,147.2571 kg/m3

Filtrate/ Permeate:
 Filtered Liquid
kg Density Volume Viscosity
(kg/m3) (m3) @35 C (cSt)
Isoamyl Alcohol 47292.2557 810 58.3855 3.3317
Ethanol 23663.5685 789 29.9918 1.3878
Water 15523.2459 1000 15.5232 1.00
Isobutanol 717.3019 802 0.8944 3.0401

Total 87196.3720 104.7949

Filtrate Volumetric Flowrate= 104.7949 m3/day

= 4.3665 m3/h
Filtrate Flow= 4.3665 m3/h
Recommended Feed Flow rate= 1.1 m3/h
Equivalent Filtrate= 1.1 m3/h (0.5055) = 0.55605 m3/h
(Ref: Harvesting microalgal biomass using submerged microfiltration
membranes)
=1,122.4179 kg/ m3

From Coulson and Richardson, Volume 2 Equation 8.7,

= +
()( ) ()

Where:

t= time of filtration, s

V= volume of filtrate, m3

Cb= bulk concentration of particles in the feed (particle volume/feed volume), m3 /m3

r= specific cake resistance, m-1

1 1 2
= 180 ( 3 ) ( ) Eq 8.5

e= porosity of the cake

ds= mean diameter of the particle, m

= , Ns/m2

Am= area of the membrane, m2

V= volume of the filtrate, m3

For the porosity:

From material balance:

4.2719 3 3.1803 3
=
3.1803 3
= 0.3432
2

1 0.3432 1
= 180 ( ) ( )
0.34323 1
6.825 6
10

= .

=

 3.1803 3
= = 0.3682
8.6384 3

Based from the journal, On the Design of Microfilters by Polyakov Y. e. al.

Time dependence of t/Q for a Microfilter.

t (s) 144,000 288,000 360,000

V (m3) 0.1 0.14 0.1695

Plotting V versus t/V using Microsoft Office Excel:

x=V
=

0.1

144,000 1.44 106

0.1
288,000 2.057 106 0.14
0.14
 360,000 2.123 106 0.1695
0.1695

2500000

2000000

1500000
t/V

1000000
y = 1E+07x + 487944
R = 0.8831
500000

0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18
V

= 2
+
2()( ) ()

=
2()(1107 )

0.3682(6.27851013 )(1.6688103 )
=
2(124,071.4286)(1107 )

= . (0.1208 = . )

= +
2()( )2 ()
 2 1 2.123 106 1.44 106
= = = = , , .
2()( )2 2 1 0.1695 0.1

= 9,827,338.129 +

= 9,827,338.129 = 1.44 106 9,827,338.129(0.1) = , .

=
2[ (1 )(1 ) ]

2
=
32

FRe=48

=2,600

(1)(6.825 106 )2 (48)

=
32(2600)

K= 2.628x10-14

1.67103 (1122.4179)(0.4678)
=
2(2.6281014 )[1122.245(1 0.4678)(1 0.3432) (1122.4179)(0.4678)(0.3432)]

= 7863.6767

( 2 )
=
2 ( )

7863.6767(0.55602 )
=
(0.1247)2 (124,071.4286)

= .
Total Cycle Time

Description Time (hr)

Time of filtration (tf) 1.26

Time of washing using air (tw) 1

(Ref: http://www.lenntech.com/membrane-
cleaning.htm)

Time of DCR (tdcr) 0.75

Total cycle time 3.01 hrs

Area of element:
Membrane Filtration Handbook, Table 37 Necessary Steps for Designing a System, pg.117

3
( )
=
3
( )
2

Where:

A= area of element (m2)

3
v = Permeate flux ( )
2

= 45 GFD (Ref: typical operating flux for saccharides membrane, Membrane Filtration by
Synder)
m3
= 0.0763 ( )
m2 hr
3
0.88 (
)
=
3
0.0763 ( 2 )

= .
No. of tubes per element:

. =

11.53 2
. =
0.1247 2
. = . =

Number of units of microfilter:

8.6384 3 /
. =
1.1 3 /
. = . =

Design of tube:

2 r =W

L= 1.398 m L= 1.398 m
A= 0.1247 2 = L x W
For 1.1 m3/h Feed flow rate:
= 1.8" (Reference: Membrane Elements by Synder Filtratio)

A= 0.1247 2 = L x 2(D/2)
L=0.8680 m
D=0.0457 m
W=0.1437 m