Selection of the Best Module Design for Ultrafiltration (UF) Membrane in Dairy Industry: An Application of AHP and PROMETHEE

Membrane with a type module has been expressed one of the key area of interest in dairy industry. Although recent publications have given a chance academics and practitioners to prove successful applications of membrane processes to the vast areas; a small number of publications have been devoted attention to the problem of capital equipment decision-making. To facilitate decision-making process in the membrane separation, this report focuses on the application of analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE), from a group decision-making viewpoint; it uses the Delphi technique to evaluate available alternatives according the criteria elicited from expert's opinions. A real case study on the ultrafiltration membrane area is put forward to determine the best module design based on the five criteria expressed by decision-makers: sanitation design, clean–in-place, packing density, resistance to fouling and shear stress, and relative cost. Finally, the paper utilizes Expert Choice and DECISION LAB software’s to facilitate calculations.