Local wastewater management company Waste Water Ability’s new membrane technology – vibratory shear enhanced processing (V-SEP) – has made it possible to filter streams containing suspended solids without fouling problems exhibited by conventional membrane systems.

The company employs V-SEP for a range of processes.

This includes minimising wastewater generated from manufacturing plants; reducing water and raw material consumption; reducing volumes of wastewater; purifying liquids to achieve higher quality; reducing disposal costs and reducing the need for chemical treatments. 

Membranes have been used to remove dissolved solids from water since the 1950’s. Today’s membranes, however, provide more throughput and better chemical resistance.

Membranes selectively allows some materials/substances to pass through while rejecting others. Therefore, any feed stream sent through a membrane system such as V-SEP will be split in two, with the membrane-selected part of the stream called the permeate and the rejected stream called the concentrate.

In a product recovery or concentration context, the concentrate is the desirable material. In a wastewater or product clarification application, the concentrate represents a concentrated slurry of undesirable contaminants.

There are general classifications of membranes, any of which can be used in a V-SEP.

V-SEP’s vibration comes from its one moving part, the eccentric weight bearing. As the bearing spins, the weight introduces a vibratory action that is translated to the seismic mass.

The vibration is then sent through the torsion spring and on to the filter pack drive. The filter pack then moves back and forth 54 times per second at an amplitude of 5/8” of an inch (-16 mm).

The extreme shear created by the rapid change of direction makes it exceedingly difficult for foulants to attach to the membranes.

Series is the most popular V-SEP product family.

The series is available in three sizes – i8, i36 and i84 –  which are commonly used to meet any flowrate.

The smallest of the V-SEP line is the i8 and is perfectly suited for smaller flows. The available membrane area in the i8 filter pack ranges from 14 m2  to 27 m2.

The i36 is an ideal size for high solids applications and moderate flow rates. The available membrane area in the i36 pack ranges from 42 m2 to 27 m2.

The largest and most commonly used V-SEP is the i84 – multiple nodes of which can be arranged in parallel to meet any flow rate requirement. With up to 130 m2 of membrane area in each filter pack, the i84 is the ideal module size to process larger flow rates.

Many i84 system configurations are available.

The company also has other V-SEP filtration systems, including the LP, P50, Series B and Spiral Ro Systems.

The LP in series LP stands for Lab and Pilot. This V-SEP can be configured for use in lab mode (0.062 m2 membrane area) or in pilot mode (1.49 m2 membrane area). Ideal for data gathering and application development, the LP is the company’s choice for feasibility studies and onsite work.

Designed to fill the gap between the Series i and the LP, the P50 can process a few gallons per minute, and is perfect for applications such as precious metals recovery and other high value/low flow applications.

The smallest V-SEP is the Series B – a scaled-down, low-pressure version of the Series LP. Designed primarily for demos, the light and quiet Series B is a favourite for the company’s salespeople and manufacturer’s reps.

“Our mission is to build, modernise and manage wastewater filtration and fluid separation plants throughout Africa through strategic technology partnerships and product support from partners around the world.”