Although traditional artificial neural networks have been an attractive topic in modeling membrane filtration, lower efficiency by trial-and-error constructing and random initializing methods often accompanies neural networks. To improve traditional neural networks, the present research used the wavelet network, a special feedforward neural network with a single hidden layer supported by the wa...

A mathematical model is derived to simulate the performance of spiral wound membrane modules for the pervaporative separation of binary liquid mixtures. Permeation through the polymer membrane is described by a detailed solution–diffusion model. Flory–Huggins theory is used to predict solubility of the penetrants, while the composition and temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficients ar...

A 3-D (3-dimensional) numerical modeling approach to analyze the coupling of mineral scale, concentration polarization and permeate flux was developed and demonstrated for a gypsum membrane scaling test in a plate-and-frame RO membrane module geometry. The impact of concentration polarization on mineral gypsum scaling, and in turn the impact of mineral scale on the concentration polarization fi...

In the present study, micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) was used to remove manganese (Mn) (II) from synthetic wastewater. The effects of different operational conditions on the filtration performance of MEUF or the membrane were studied. It was found that the transmembrane pressure has a major influence on the permeate flux and an insignificant effect on the rejection coefficient. The pe...

Air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) experiments were performed with varied temperature and varied module inclination angles to characterize the effect of module angle on permeate production and thermal performance. While AGMD is potentially one of the most energy efficient membrane distillation configurations, transport resistances in the air gap typically dominate the thermal performance, res...