A power plant resolved severe fouling in its ultrafiltration system caused by a wastewater upset using an innovative cleaning protocol targeting fiber lumen and pores. With specialised chemicals and pore-focused circulation, the plant restored system performance to startup levels, ensuring reliable water production and operational efficiency.
A power plant relying on ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) faced a critical operational challenge. A wastewater treatment upset severely fouled the UF system, drastically reducing water production.
Despite multiple cleaning attempts with sodium hypochlorite and citric acid, transmembrane pressure (TMP) remained high, and flux showed no improvement.
The plant’s inability to meet water demands jeopardised operations, with the issue persisting for over a month.
To address the severe fouling, the plant sought an innovative cleaning approach. Engineers conducted cleaning studies using specialty high pH chemicals, achieving only partial success.
Realising the problem lay within the fiber lumen and pores, a unique pore-cleaning protocol was developed. Cleaning solutions were circulated with the filtrate valve open, forcing the solution through the fiber pores. This method, combined with AWC UF-429, effectively dislodged the organic and biological fouling, restoring fiber permeability.
The optimised cleaning regimen successfully restored UF system performance to startup levels.
By targeting the fiber lumen and pores, the plant overcame fouling that standard surface-cleaning methods failed to address.
The innovative cleaning protocol not only resolved the immediate crisis but also provided a robust solution for maintaining long-term system efficiency.
This case demonstrates the effectiveness of advanced cleaning strategies tailored to specific fouling challenges. By focusing on internal fiber cleaning and leveraging specialised cleaning chemicals, the power plant restored critical water production, ensuring operational continuity. This success highlights the importance of customised approaches to water treatment challenges, enabling facilities to optimise performance and reliability.
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AWC provides water treatment solutions with a wide range of membrane chemicals, including antiscalants and cleaners for RO, NF, UF, and MF systems. They offer analytical services like membrane testing, cleaning studies, and autopsies, using lab simulations to ensure effective scale inhibition and optimal membrane system performance
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