All reverse osmosis membranes tend to foul over time. This usually leads to reduced membrane permeability and increased differential pressure where more pressure is required to produce less permeate water. To remove foulant, membranes are cleaned using clean-in-place (CIP) solutions. A plethora of commodity and bespoke formulated membrane chemical cleaners are available to plant operators. In this paper, the authors present the argument for using a formulated cleaner incorporating microbubbles to enhance the effectiveness in mega-SWRO plants. Five case studies are presented which demonstrate successful long-term performance of one microbubble cleaner, Genesol 704. In all five cases, experienced plant operators have continues to employ microbubble cleaning over other CIP technologies. In particular, Mostaganem SWRO has carried out forty seven cleans on sixteen trains over a three year period, highlighting the reliability of the product in removing foulant and extending membrane lifespan.
Stéphane Jarrige; Mike Sinfield; Adnan Al Ghamdi; Stephen Chesters; Asif Sheikh; Muhammed Bilal; Dr. Tariq Nada; Ahmed Al Harthi; Abderrezak Goulmane.
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