I. The "Three-way Flow" Mechanism
In inopor's tubular ceramic membranes, the active layer responsible for separation is coated on the inside of the internal channels. During filtration, the fluid is divided into three key paths:
- Feed: The industrial wastewater or process medium to be treated is pumped into the internal channels of the ceramic membrane tube.
- Permeate (Filtrate): Driven by the operating pressure (i.e., Transmembrane Pressure, TMP), solvents and minute particles smaller than the membrane pore size penetrate through the membrane layer and the porous ceramic support from the inside out, and are collected as clean filtrate.
- Concentrate: Particles larger than the pore size are retained within the channels. As the fluid continues to move forward, they eventually flow out from the other end, becoming a highly concentrated liquid.
II. Core Advantage of Cross-flow Technology: Regulating the "Cake Layer" The biggest problem with general filtration is that impurities quickly clog the pores completely. The "cross-flow" design is specifically intended to solve this pain point:
- Formation of the Cake Layer: During the filtration process, retained particles do form a cake layer on the channel surface. This creates resistance to liquid penetration, leading to a decrease in permeate flow rates.
- Dynamic Equilibrium of Turbulences: To solve this problem, pumps are used to maintain the feed at a high flow speed of 3 to 5 m/s (cross-flow velocity). This high-speed flow generates strong "turbulences" inside the channels.
- Automatic Cleaning Mechanism: The flushing force of the turbulences continuously carries away the accumulated particles from the membrane surface. This allows the "accumulation" and "detachment" of particles to reach a perfect dynamic equilibrium, effectively controlling the thickness of the cake layer and preventing the membrane pores from being completely blocked.
III. Further System Performance Enhancement To maintain long-term stable operation of cross-flow filtration, the system can also incorporate the following operational methods:
- Regular Back Flushes: Utilizing reverse pressure, the permeate side fluid is flushed back through the membrane into the channels to instantly break up the cake layer on the feed side, keeping the filtration performance at an optimal state.
- Physical Assistance: By further increasing the cross-flow velocity, or by adding an air-water mixture on the feed side, the flushing force on the membrane surface can be enhanced to minimize cake layer formation.
