Mathematicail simulation of unsteady floww throuth hollow fiber membrane

Abstract EN

Water flowing through hollow fiber membrane comprises two types of flow each having its ; characteristics.

The first is the flow inside the fiber channel, and the second is the : he fiber porous wall.

Water flow through hollow fiber membrane, HFM, is unsteady nonuinform flow due to the accumulation of rejected material on the fiber surface causing a change ic resistance along the fiber length with time.

Under these conditions, a mathematical model was developed to simulate water flow through hollow fiber membrane based upon the governing the flow inside the fiber channel and through the fiber wall, equations conditions imposed by flow boundaries, and implicit finite difference technique for 1 differential equations.

The model was verified by using published laboratory data.

A very good agreement was obtained between the measured and predicted s under the same conditions.

The mathematical model was applied to three types of commercially available fiber modules variation of flux, the trans membrane pressure, the thickness of the rejected materials along the fiber length, the flow rate, and the effect of the pot length on the fiber hydraulic It was found there is considerable variation in the hydraulic performance of the three Therefore, the mathematical model provides a tool to work on finding the optimal HOIIOW fiber membrane.