Modelling Hollow-Fibre Ultrafiltration

摘要

In this paper, we report a mathematical model that incorporates the solution of the detailed concentration profile in a hollow-fibre ultrafiltration membrane system using Dextran and Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as model fluids. Initial experiments on such a system were performed by Clifton et al.[1] in the mid 1980s, and modelled using an approximate function of concentration distribution. This model has since been adopted by many other researchers for simulating systems that are similar in nature. However, this model does not predict very well the pressure drop across the entire fibre length. We have shown, with the incorporation of a more realistic account of mass transfer, that the present model can give good agreements with the experimental results, not only for permeate flux along the fibre but also for the outlet pressures.