FINNED SPACER FOR ENHANCED MEMBRANE FOULING CONTROL IN CHLORELLA VULGARIS FILTRATION

Microalgae biomass is an attractive feedstock for biofuels and other applications. Prior utilization the biomass must be harvested, a step that contributes largely to the overall energy and production costs. Membrane filtration is seen as a viable option for microalgae biomass harvesting, but its application is largely limited by membrane fouling that lowers overall process efficiency and productivity. Air bubbling as an established method for membrane fouling is still highly inefficient because of the poor contact with the membrane surface to scour-off the foulant. In this project, membrane fouling problem in microalgae harvesting is addressed by developing a novel finned spacer to enhance the effectiveness of air bubble in membrane fouling control.