Gravity-Driven membrane ultrafiltration: application to the decentralized production of drinking water or water reuse in developing countries
Event details
| Date | 06.05.2014 |
| Hour | 16:15 › 17:15 |
| Speaker | Dr Nicolas Derlon, Process Engineering, EAWAG, Duebendorf |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Abstract:
In this project we propose to develop “gravity-driven membrane (GDM) ultrafiltration”. GDM filtration is an innovative technology that can be applied to the production of drinking water (SAFIR process) or to the on-site treatment of grey water for reuse (Blue Diversion Toilet developed in the Reinvent The Toilet Challenge). Instead of trying to remove the biofilm, the focus in GDM filtration is to engineer the biofilm structure so that biofilm accumulation has only a limited influence on the quantity of produced water (i.e., the water flux). GDM filtration systems are thus operated without energy, without chemical addition, etc, and represent a relevant technology for developing and transient countries. In fact, we observed that biological processes in the biofilm help to significantly improve the quality of the permeate (e.g., in terms of organic substrate removal, virus retention, degradation of microbial toxins, etc). This novel concept of focusing process operation on peaceful “biofilm-membrane” coexistence is the base of two new processes developed at Eawag (the SAFIR process and the Blue Diversion Toilet) that were successfully tested in developing countries (e.g. Uganda). In this presentation I will present some fundamental aspects of our research on GDM filtration as well as some examples of application.
More information on GDM filtration applied to drinking water production and on Blue Diversion Toilet (project leader: Tove Larsen):
Short biography:
Nicolas Derlon hold a MS of Process Engineering from the National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble (INPG, France, 2005) and a PhD in Environmental Science (INSA, University of Toulouse, France, 2008). Nicolas joined the Advanced Water Management Centre (University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia) in January 2009 as Research Officer working on anaerobic sewer biofilms. Since September 2009, Nicolas is researcher at EAWAG in the Process Engineering Department. His research interests include the biological treatment of wastewater (biofilm systems, granular sludge system), the decentralized production of drinking water (e.g. gravity-driven membrane filtration) and excess sludge reduction.
In this project we propose to develop “gravity-driven membrane (GDM) ultrafiltration”. GDM filtration is an innovative technology that can be applied to the production of drinking water (SAFIR process) or to the on-site treatment of grey water for reuse (Blue Diversion Toilet developed in the Reinvent The Toilet Challenge). Instead of trying to remove the biofilm, the focus in GDM filtration is to engineer the biofilm structure so that biofilm accumulation has only a limited influence on the quantity of produced water (i.e., the water flux). GDM filtration systems are thus operated without energy, without chemical addition, etc, and represent a relevant technology for developing and transient countries. In fact, we observed that biological processes in the biofilm help to significantly improve the quality of the permeate (e.g., in terms of organic substrate removal, virus retention, degradation of microbial toxins, etc). This novel concept of focusing process operation on peaceful “biofilm-membrane” coexistence is the base of two new processes developed at Eawag (the SAFIR process and the Blue Diversion Toilet) that were successfully tested in developing countries (e.g. Uganda). In this presentation I will present some fundamental aspects of our research on GDM filtration as well as some examples of application.
More information on GDM filtration applied to drinking water production and on Blue Diversion Toilet (project leader: Tove Larsen):
Short biography:
Nicolas Derlon hold a MS of Process Engineering from the National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble (INPG, France, 2005) and a PhD in Environmental Science (INSA, University of Toulouse, France, 2008). Nicolas joined the Advanced Water Management Centre (University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia) in January 2009 as Research Officer working on anaerobic sewer biofilms. Since September 2009, Nicolas is researcher at EAWAG in the Process Engineering Department. His research interests include the biological treatment of wastewater (biofilm systems, granular sludge system), the decentralized production of drinking water (e.g. gravity-driven membrane filtration) and excess sludge reduction.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
- This event is internal
Organizer
- EESS - IIE
Contact
- Prof. Christof Holliger, LBE