Optimization of RDM-UF for alfalfa wastewater treatment using RSM

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Alfalfa wastewater presents a treatment challenge, requiring efficient methods for resource recovery.
• Ultrafiltration (UF) using rotating disk membrane (RDM) modules offers a potential solution for wastewater treatment and protein recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of RDM-UF for treating alfalfa wastewater.
• To determine the optimal operating conditions for alfalfa wastewater treatment using RDM-UF.
• To evaluate protein recovery, pollution reduction, membrane fouling, and energy costs.

Main Methods:

• Central composite response surface methodology (CCRSM) was employed to study the effects of operating conditions.
• Three UF membranes (PES20, UH030P, PES50) were tested to select the optimal membrane (UH030P).
• Filtration performance, pollution reduction, protein recovery, fouling, and energy consumption were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The optimal membrane was identified as UH030P.
• Optimized operating conditions were determined: flow rate (60 L/h), shear rate (220 × 10^3 s^-1), transmembrane pressure (5.61 bar), and temperature (25 °C).
• The study collected data on pollution reduction, protein recovery, membrane fouling, and energy costs.

Conclusions:

• RDM-UF is a viable technology for alfalfa wastewater treatment, enabling protein recovery and water reuse.
• The established models and optimized conditions provide a framework for efficient RDM-UF application.
• This research contributes to the advancement of membrane-based wastewater treatment and resource recovery.