Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulation of Cross-flow Mode Operation of Membrane for Downstream Processing

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Membrane filtration is vital for high-quality permeate flux in industries like dairy, pharma, and bioseparation.
• Cross-flow operation enhances industrial effluent treatment, as seen in Tripura's rubber industry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations for cross-flow membrane modules.
• To analyze pressure, flow, and shear stress within the membrane module.

Main Methods:

• CFD simulations were performed using ANSYS Fluent 6.3.
• Gambit 2.4.6 was used for meshing, with a grid size of 100,674 nodes.
• A laminar model and Pressure-Velocity coupled Simple Algorithm were employed.

Main Results:

• The study predicted pressure, pressure drop, flow phenomena, wall shear stress, and shear strain rate.
• CFD simulations were used to analyze the cross-flow membrane module.

Conclusions:

• CFD simulation results demonstrated strong agreement with experimental data.
• The validated CFD model can reliably predict cross-flow membrane performance.