Osmotic power is to produce electric power by using the chemical potential of two flows with the difference of salinity. Water permeates through a semipermeable membrane from a low concentration feed solution to a high concentration draw solution due to osmotic pressure. In a pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) process, river water and wastewater are commonly used as low salinity feed solution, whereas seawater and brine from the SWRO plant are employed as draw solution. During the PRO process using wastewater effluent as feed solution, PRO membrane fouling is usually caused by the convective or diffusive transport of PRO which is the most critical step of PRO membrane in order to prevent membrane fouling. The main objective of this study is to assess the PRO membrane fouling reduction by pretreatment to remove organic matter using coagulation-UF membrane process. The experimental results obtained from the pretreatment test showed that the optimum ferric chloride and PAC dosage for removal of organic matter applied for the coagulation and adsorption process was 50 mg/L as FeCl3 (optimum pH 5.5). Coagulation-UF pretreatment process was higher removal efficiency of organic matter, as also resulting in the substantial improvement of water flux of PRO membrane.

Pretreatment system of desalination process using seawater reverse osmosis(SWRO) membrane is the most critical step in order to prevent membrane fouling. One of the methods is coagulation-UF membrane process. Coagulation-UF membrane systems have been shown to be very efficient in removing turbidity and non-soluble and colloidal organics contained in the source water for SWRO pretreatment. Ferric salt coagulants are commonly applied in coagulation-UF process for pretreatment of SWRO process. But aluminum salts have not been applied in coagulation-UF pretreatment of SWRO process due to the SWRO membrane fouling by residual aluminum. This study was carried out to see the effect of residual matal salt on SWRO membrane followed by coagulation-UF pretreatment process. Experimental results showed that increased residual aluminum salts by coagulation-UF pretreatment process by using alum lead to the decreased SWRO membrane salt rejection and flux. As the salt rejection and flux of SWRO membrane decreased, the concentration of silica and residual aluminum decreased. However, when adjusting coagulation pH for coagulation-UF pretreatment process, the residual aluminum salt concentration was decreased and SWRO membrane flux was increased.

2012년부터 강화된 총인의 농도를 준수하기 위해서는 응집에 의한 물리화학적 처리가 필수적인 후단공정이 되었으며, 현재 국내 하수처리시설 중 약 60%의 처리시설에서 총인처리시설이 설치되었다. 하지만 총인처리시설 운전에 따른 응집제 사용량이 증가하게 되었고, 이에 따라 약품 비용 및 슬러지 처리비 증가 등의 운영비가 상승하였다. 특히 분리막 공법(MBR)의 경우 막 투과수의 응집액 부족으로 인한 응집효율 저하 및 응집제의 과다 주입으로 인한 처리수질 악화 등의 문제가 발생하는 경우도 있다. 본 연구에서는 MBR 공법내에서 별도의 총인처리시설 필요 없이 생물학적 인제거를 극대화 하는 동시에 응집제 사용량을 최소화하면서 처리수의 인농도를 0.2 mg/L 이하로 유지할 수 있는 방안을 도출하고자 하였다.

This study investigated phosphorus removal from secondary treated effluent using coagulation-membrane separation hybrid treatment to satisfy strict regulation in wastewater treatment. The membrane separation process was used to remove suspended phosphorus particles after coagulation/settlement. Membrane separation with 0.2 μm pore size of micro filtration membrane could reduce phosphorus concentration to 0.02 mg P/L after coagulation with 1 mg Al/L dose of polyaluminum chloride (PACl). Regardless of coagulant, the residual concentration of phosphorus decreased as the dose increased from 1.5 to 3.5 mg Al/L, while the target concentration of 0.05 mg P/L or less was achieved at 2.5 mg Al/L for the aluminum sulfate (Alum) and 3.5 mg Al/L for PACl. Moreover, alum showed better membrane flux as make bigger particles than PACl. Alum showed a 40% of flux decrease at 2.5 mg Al/L dose, while PACl indicated a 50% decrease of membrane flux even with a higher dose of 3.5 mg Al/L. Thus, alum was more effective coagulant than PACl considering phosphorus removal and membrane flux as well as its dose. Consequently, the coagulation-membrane separation hybrid treatment could be mitigate regulation on phosphorus removal as unsettleable phosphorus particles were effectively removed by membrane after coagulation.

In this study, it is estimated that ceramic membrane process which can operate stably in harsh conditions replacing existing organic membrane connected with coagulation, sedimentation etc. . Jar-test was conducted by using artificial raw water containing kaolin and humic acid. It was observed that coagulant (A-PAC, 10.6%) 4mg/l is the optimal dose. As a results of evaluation of membrane single filtration process (A), coagulation-membrane filtration process (B) and coagulation-sedimentation-membrane filtration process (C), TMP variation is stable regardless of in Flux 2 m3/m2･day. But in Flux 5 m3/m2･day, it show change of 1-89.3 kpa by process. TMP of process (B) and (C) is increased 11.8, 0.6 kpa each. But, the (A) showed the greatest change of TMP. When evaluate (A) and (C) in Flux 10 m3/m2･day, TMP of (A) stopped operation being exceeded 120 kpa in 20 minutes. On the other hand, TMP of (C) is increased only 3 kpa in 120 minutes. Through this, membrane filtration process can be operated stably by using the linkage between the pretreatment process and the ceramic membrane filtration process. Turbidity of treated water remained under 0.1 NTU regardless of flux condition and DOC and UV254 showed a removal rate of 65-85%, 95% more each at process connected with pretreatment. Physical cleaning was carried out using water and air of 500kpa to show the recovery of pollutants formed on membrane surface by filtration. In (A) process, TMP has increased rapidly and decreased the recovery by physical cleaning as the flux rises. This means that contamination on membrane surface is irreversible fouling difficult to recover by using physical cleaning. Process (B) and (C) are observed high recovery rate of 60% more in high flux and especially recovery rate of process (B) is the highest at 95.8%. This can be judged that the coagulation flocs in the raw water formed cake layer with irreversible fouling and are favorable to physical cleaning. As a result of estimation, observe that ceramic membrane filtration connected with pretreatment improves efficiency of filtration and recovery rate of physical cleaning. And ceramic membrane which is possible to operate in the higher flux than organic membrane can be reduce the area of water purification facilities and secure a stable quantity of water by connecting the ceramic membrane with pretreatment process.

본 연구는 열유도상분리법(thermally induced phase separation, TIPS)을 사용하여, 수처리 분리막에 적용하기 위해, 응고조의 온도 및 열용량의 변화에 따른 분리막의 모폴로지 변화를 관찰하였다. 분리막을 제조하기 위한 소재로는 기계적 물성과 내화학성이 우수한 poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF)와 고분자의 분산 을 도와주는 무기염 소재인 실리카를 사용하였다. 희석제는 dioctyl phthalate (DOP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP)를 사용하였다. 다양한 응고액의 열용량 변화 및 온도에 따른 구조 변화 관찰을 위하여 SEM 이미지를 관찰하였다. 열용량이 증가하거나 응고조의 온도가 높을수록 PVDF의 결정화 속도가 느려져 큰 기공을 나타내며 열용량이 감소하거나 응고조의 온도가 낮을수록 결정화 속도가 증가 하여 작은 기공이 형성되는 것을 확인 하였다.

본 연구는 열유도 상분리법(thermally induced phase separation, TIPS)을 사용하여, 수처리 분리막에 적용하기 위 해, 응고조의 온도 및 열용량의 변화에 따른 분리막의 모폴로지 변화를 관찰하였다. 분리막을 제조하기 위한 소재로는 기계적 물성과 내화학성이 우수한 poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF)와 실리카를 이용하였고, 희석제로는 dioctyl phthalate (DOP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP)를 사용하였다. 다양한 응고액의 열용량 변화에 따른 구조 변화 관찰을 위하여 SEM 이미지를 관찰하였 다. 열용량이 증가할수록 PVDF의 결정화 속도가 느려져 큰 기공을 나타내며 열용량이 작을수록 결정화 속도가 증가하여 작 은 기공이 생기는 것을 확인하였다.

Microfiltration (MF) and Ultrafiltration (UF) membrane processes capable of producing highly purified water have been extensively applied as a pretreatment process in the wastewater reuse field with the improvement of membrane properties and resistance, development of operating protocols, and improvement of technologies of backwashing and physicochemical cleaning, and improvement of scale and antifoulants. However, despite of the development of membrane production and process technologies, fouling still remains unresolved. This study confirmed that foulants such as polysaccharides, proteins and humic substances existed in final treated effluent (secondary effluent) by fluorescence excitation emission matrix (FEEM) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. In addition, when constructing ozone oxidation and coagulation processes as a hybrid process, the removal efficiency was 5.8%, 6.9%, 5.9%, and 28.2% higher than that of the single process using coagulation in turbidity, color, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and UV254, respectively. The reversible and irreversible resistances in applying the hybrid process consisting of ozone oxidation and coagulation processes were lower than those in applying ozone oxidation and coagulation processes separately in UF membrane process. Therefore, it is considered possible to apply ozonation/coagulation as a pretreatment process for stable wastewater reuse by and then contributing to the reduction of fouling when calculating the optimal conditions for ozone oxidation and coagulation and then to applying them to membrane processes.

A membrane bioreactor by sequentially alternating the inflow and by applying a two-stage coagulation control based on pre-coagulation was evaluated in terms of phosphorus removal efficiency and cost-savings. The MBR consisted of two identical alternative reaction tanks, followed by aerobic, anoxic and membrane tanks, where the wastewater and the internal return sludge alternatively flowed into each alternative reaction tank at every 2 hours. In the batch-operated alternative reaction tank, the initial concentration of nitrate rapidly decreased from 2.3 to 0.4 mg/L for only 20 minutes after stopping the inflow, followed by substantial release of phosphorus up to 4 mg/L under anaerobic condition. Jar test showed that the minimum alum doses to reduce the initial PO4-P below 0.2 mg/L were 2 and 9 mol-Al/mol-P in the wastewater and the activated sludge from the membrane tank, respectively. It implies that a pre-coagulation in influent is more cost-efficient for phosphorus removal than the coagulation in the bioreactor. On the result of NUR test, there were little difference in terms of denitrification rate and contents of readily biodegradable COD between raw wastewater and pre-coagulated wastewater. When adding alum into the aerobic tank, alum doses above 26 mg/L as Al2O3 caused inhibitory effects on ammonia oxidation. Using the two-stage coagulation control based on pre-coagulation, the P concentration in the MBR effluent was kept below 0.2 mg/L with the alum of 2.7 mg/L as Al2O3, which was much lower than 5.1∼7.4 mg/L as Al2O3 required for typical wastewater treatment plants. During the long-term operation of MBR, there was no change of the TMP increase rate before and after alum addition.

뛰어난 물성을 가진 poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)는 정밀여과 (MF)와 한 외여과 (UF) 분리막의 소재로써 많이 연구되고 있다. 기공의 크기를 조절하는 것은 분리막을 제조하는데 있어 중요한 요소이다. 본 연구에서는 매우 간단한 방법으로 분리막의 기공 크기를 조절하는 새로운 방법을 제시하고자 한다. PVDF 한외여과 분리막의 기공 크기는 유리판 위에 150 ㎛의 두께로 주조된 PVDF 도프 용액이 응고조 (증류수)속으로 들어가는 속도를 통해 조절되었다. 이 때 PVDF 한외여과 분리막의 기공 크기는 응고조에 들어가는 PVDF 도프 용액의 속도가 감소될수록 증가하는 경향을 보였다.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane has high resistance to chlorine, which is a great advantages in chemical cleaning to recover water flux during membrane processes in drinking water systems. A humic kaolin water with approximately 4 mg/L of DOC and 10 NTU of turbidity was prepared as a feed water. Coagulation pretreatment with or without settling was applied. The coagulation with settling showed the greatest water production. The reduced flux was effectively recovered by NaOCl cleaning, i.e., 21% recovery by 50 mg/L of NaOCl cleaning and 49% recovery by 500 mg/L NaOCl cleaning. The images of SEM and AFM analyses were corresponded to the water flux variation. However, when the floc was accumulated on the membrane surfaces, the efficiency of NaOCl cleaning was substantially limited. In addition, dynamic contact angle became greater after cleaning, which indicates changes in characteristics of fouling layer such as surface hydrophobicity. Proper cleaning technologies during enhanced backwash using NaOCl would expand application of PTFE membranes in drinking water systems.

본 연구에서는 응고조와 도프조성에 따른 투과특성을 알아보기 위해 첨가제로 PEG, PVP를 사용하였고, 상전이법을 이용하여 PSf 평막을 제조하였다. 고분자의 농도, 첨가제의 농도 그리고 응고조의 조성을 달리하여 제막하였다. 평막의 모폴로지와 수투과도를 각각 FE-SEM과 수투과 테스트 장치를 이용하여 측정하였다. 가장 높은 수투과도(986 L/mh)는 PSf 15 wt%, PEG 25 wt% 그리고 응고조로 물이 사용되었을 경우 나타났다. PSf/PEG조성일때 응고조에 DMAc의 함량이 증가할수록 순수투과도는 급격히 감소하였다. 그러한 결과 첨가제의 함량과 응고조의 조성의 변화가 모폴로지와 수투과 특성에 영향을 미치는 것을 확인하였다.

본 연구는 Y 정수장의 세라믹 정밀여과막 공정을 위한 최적의 응집 조건을 도출하고자 수행되었다. 쟈테스트 결과 Y댐 원수의 pH를 7로 조정 시 응집효율이 가장 우수하였으며, 원수 탁도가 10 NTU 이하인 평상시 탁도 조건하에서 최적 응집제 주입량은 3 mg/L (as Al2O3)인 것으로 나타났다. 최적 응집제를 선정하기 위하여 응집제 종류(PAC, PACS (II), PAHCS)별로 미니모듈 실험장치를 이용하여 평가한 결과 PAC를 주입하고 원수 pH를 7로 조정한 경우 비여과유속 감소율이 가장 낮은 것으로 나타났다. 원수 탁도를 10~150 NTU로 변화시키며 미니모듈에서 비여과유속 감소율을 평가한 결과 원수탁도 10~30 NTU 조건에서는 응집제 주입량 증가에 따라 비여과유속 감소율이 크게 감소하였으나 원수탁도가 50 NTU 이상에서는 응집제 주입량을 증가시켜도 비여과유속 감소율에 큰 차이가 없는 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 Y 정수장을 위해서 는 원수탁도 10 NTU 이하에서는 PAC (11% as Al2O3) 30 mg/L, 10~50 NTU에서는 30~50 mg/L, 50 NTU 이상에서는 50 mg/L이 적절하다.

In this study, we have investigated to find optimal pre-treatment flocculation condition by analyzing the floc growth rate with mixing conditions and the membrane permeation flux for pre-treatment step of the membrane process. The higher mixing intensity showed a constant floc size index (FSI) values, and lower mixing intensity increased the degree of dispersion of the FSI values. Results of comparing the distribution characteristics of the FSI value and the permeation flux were more effective in increasing flux when the FSI values were 0.2 or higher. The degree of dispersion of FSI was relatively large in 40 rpm mixing condition compared to 120 rpm. In 40 rpm mixing condition, it decreased the permeation flux compared to 120 rpm because various sizes of flocs were distributed. Coagulation-UF membrane process enhanced 30%∼40% of the flux rate compare to UF alone process, and the coagulation-MF process increased up to 5% of the flux rate compare to MF alone process. Pre-treatment, that is, coagulation process, has been found to be less effects on relatively larger pore size for MF membrane. For UF membrane, the flux was a little bit same when applying only the rapid mixing process or rapid mixing with slow mixing processes together. In case of MF membrane, the flux was improved when rapid mixing process applied with slow mixing process together.

The objectives of this paper are the characterization of the pretreatment of wastewater by microfiltration (MF) membranes for river maintenance and water recycling. This is done by investigation of the proper coagulation conditions, such as the types and doses of coagulants, mixing conditions (velocity gradients and mixing periods), pH, etc., using jar tests. The effluent water from a pore control fiber (PCF) filter located after the secondary clarifier at Kang-byeon Sewage Treatment Plant (K-STP) was used in these experiments. Two established coagulants, aluminum sulfate (Alum) and poly aluminum chloride (PAC), which are commonly used in sewage treatment plants to treat drinking water, were used in this research. The results indicate that the optimal coagulation velocity gradients (G) and agitation period (T) for both Alum and PAC were 200-250 s-1 and 5 min respectively, but the coagulation efficiencies for both Alum and PAC were lower at low values of G and T. For a 60 min filtration period on the MF, the flux efficiencies (J/J0 (%)) at the K-STP effluent that were coagulated by PAC and Alum were 92.9 % and 79.9 %, respectively, under the same coagulation conditions. It is concluded that an enhanced membrane process is possible by effective filtration of effluent at the K-STP using the coagulation-membrane separation process.