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Automated Cleaning Process Design for Nanofiltration (NF) Membranes

by endalton 10 Jul 2025

Here is the professional English translation of the Automated Cleaning Process Design for Nanofiltration (NF) Membranes:


I. Automated Cleaning System Framework

graph LR
    A[Fouling Monitoring] --> B[AI Fouling Type Identification]
    B --> C{Decision Module}
    C -->|Organic Fouling| D[Alkaline Protease Cleaning]
    C -->|Inorganic Scaling| E[Citric Acid Cleaning]
    C -->|Biofouling| F[NaClO + NaOH Cleaning]
    D & E & F --> G[Automatic Execution Unit]
    G --> H[Rinsing & Validation]
    H -->|Pass| I[Resume Operation]
    H -->|Fail| C

II. Core Automation Components

1. Smart Monitoring System

Sensor Type Parameter Trigger Threshold Accuracy
Differential Pressure Transmitter TMP (Transmembrane Pressure) >1.5×Initial Value (e.g., 0.3→0.45 MPa) ±0.5% FS
Flowmeter Permeate Flow >15% decline for 30 min ±1% RD
Turbidimeter Cleaning Effluent Turbidity <10 NTU (Termination Criterion) ±0.1 NTU
Conductivity Meter Cleaning Solution Concentration Setpoint ±5% ±1 μS/cm

2. Chemical Dosing Unit (Modular Design)

|   Tank   |   Chemical Formula              |   Concentration Control  | Heating |
|----------|---------------------------------|--------------------------|---------|
| CIP1     | 0.1% NaOH + 0.05% SDS           | Closed-loop PID          | 40°C   |
| CIP2     | 0.3% Citric Acid + 0.1% EDTA-2Na| Conductivity Feedback    | -       |
| CIP3     | 200ppm NaClO (pH=10.5 adjusted) | ORP Monitoring           | Ambient |
| CIP4     | RO Water Rinse (≥50m³/h)       | Turbidity Control        | -       |

III. Automated Cleaning Procedure (PLC+HMI Control)

Step 1 - Fouling Diagnosis

# Pressure & Flow Joint Algorithm
if (ΔP > 1.5*ΔP0) and (Flow < 0.85*Flow0): 
    activate_cleaning("Emergency Mode")
elif (Runtime > 168h): 
    activate_cleaning("Scheduled Cleaning")

Step 2 - Cleaning Sequence

Phase Operation Duration Control Logic
Drainage Drain membrane housings 3 min Level sensor = 0
Alkaline Wash CIP1 recirculation (2.5× flux) 45 min pH=11.0±0.2
Acid Wash CIP2 recirculation (2.0× flux) 30 min Conductivity ≥8000μS/cm
Oxidation CIP3 recirculation (1.8× flux) 20 min ORP ≥800mV
Rinse RO Water Pulse Flush (Fwd/Bwd) 4 cycles ×5min Effluent turbidity ≤1NTU

Step 3 - Performance Validation

Recovery Rate = (Post-cleaning ΔP / Initial ΔP) × 100%
if Recovery Rate ≥ 95%:
    Switch to production mode
else:
    Activate AI diagnosis + Secondary cleaning

IV. Key Technical Parameters

Parameter Design Value Industry Standard
Temperature Control ±1°C (PID) ±3°C
Dosing Accuracy ≤±2% ≤±5%
Water Consumption ≤3% System Capacity ≤10% System Capacity
Flux Recovery Rate ≥98% (Organic Fouling) 85-92%

V. Safety Systems

  1. Interlocks
    • Isolate permeate line during cleaning (chemical contamination prevention)
    • Pause program when chemical tank level <10%
  2. Emergency Response
    graph TB
        Over-Temp(>55°C) --> Cold_RO_Water_Injection
        Pressure_Surge(>1.8×DP) --> Emergency_Relief_Valve
        pH_Excursion(pH<3 or >12) --> Neutralization_Tank
  3. Data Traceability
    • Automated cleaning reports (ΔP/flow/conductivity trends)
    • Fault code library (100+ failure scenario solutions)

VI. Operational Benefits

Metric Manual Cleaning Automated System
Cleaning Duration 4-6 hours 1.5 hours
Chemical Waste 15-25% ≤3%
Membrane Lifespan 2-3 years 4-5 years
Human Intervention Continuous oversight Fully autonomous

Case Data: Whey Protein NF Concentration System

| Fouling Type   | Pre-clean Flux(LMH) | Post-clean Flux(LMH) | Recovery |
|----------------|---------------------|----------------------|----------|
| Protein Adsorption | 18.2            | 35.5                 | 97.8%    |
| Ca Scaling         | 15.7            | 32.1                 | 96.4%    |
| Biofilm            | 12.3            | 33.8                 | 98.2%    |

 

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