Polymeric membranes for produced water treatment: an overview of fouling behavior and its control

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Subrata Mondal
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Produced Water ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Polymeric Membrane ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Beneficial Uses ◽  
Water Scarce ◽  
Membrane Treatment

AbstractProduced water (PW) from the oil/gas field is an important waste stream. Due to its highly pollutant nature and large volume of generation, the management of PW is a significant challenge for the petrochemical industry. The treatment of PW can improve the economic viability of oil and gas exploration, and the treated water can provide a new source of water in the water-scarce region for some beneficial uses. The reverse osmosis (RO) and selective nanofiltration (NF) membrane treatment of PW can reduce the salt and organic contents to acceptable levels for some beneficial uses, such as irrigation, and different industrial reuses. However, membrane fouling is a major obstacle for the membrane-based treatment of PW. In this review, the author discusses the polymeric membrane (mainly RO/NF) fouling during PW treatment. Membrane fouling mechanisms by various types of foulants, such as organic, inorganic, colloidal, and biological matters, are discussed. The review concludes with some of the measures to control fouling by membrane surface modification approaches.

A Wall Film Model for Membrane Fouling

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sina Jahangiri Mamouri ◽  
Volodymyr V. Tarabara ◽  
André Bénard
Keyword(s):  
Multiphase Flow ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Membrane Separation ◽  
Film Formation ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Permeate Flux ◽  
Water Separation ◽  
Wall Film ◽  
Oil Water

Deoiling of produced or impaired waters associated with oil and gas production represents a significant challenge for many companies. Centrifugation, air flotation, and hydrocyclone separation are the current methods of oil removal from produced water [1], however the efficiency of these methods decreases dramatically for droplets smaller than approximately 15–20 μm. More effective separation of oil-water mixtures into water and oil phases has the potential to both decrease the environmental footprint of the oil and gas industry and improve human well-being in regions such as the Gulf of Mexico. New membrane separation processes and design of systems with advanced flow management offer tremendous potential for improving oil-water separation efficacy. However, fouling is a major challenge in membrane separation [2]. In this study, the behavior of oil droplets and their interaction with crossflow filtration (CFF) membranes (including membrane fouling) is studied using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. A model for film formation on a membrane surface is proposed for the first time to simulate film formation on membrane surfaces. The bulk multiphase flow is modeled using an Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase flow model. A wall film is developed from mass and momentum balances [3] and implemented to model droplet deposition and membrane surface blockage. The model is used to predict film formation and subsequent membrane fouling, and allow to estimate the actual permeate flux. The results are validated using available experimental data.

scholarly journals Influence of Membrane Vibration on Particles Rejection Using a Slotted Pore Membrane Microfiltration

Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 709
Author(s):  
Asmat Ullah ◽  
Kamran Alam ◽  
Saad Ullah Khan ◽  
Victor M. Starov
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Produced Water ◽  
Separation Efficiency ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Water Separation ◽  
Oil Droplet ◽  
Pore Blockage ◽  
Oil Water Separation ◽  
Microfiltration Membranes ◽  
Membrane Vibration

A new method is proposed to increase the rejection in microfiltration by applying membrane oscillation, using a new type of microfiltration membrane with slotted pores. The oscillations applied to the membrane surface result in reduced membrane fouling and increased separation efficiency. An exact mathematical solution of the flow in the surrounding solution outside the oscillating membrane is developed. The oscillation results in the appearance of a lift velocity, which moves oil particles away from the membrane. The latter results in both reduced membrane fouling and increased oil droplet rejection. This developed model was supported by the experimental results for oil water separation in the produced water treatment. It was proven that the oil droplet concentration was reduced notably in the permeate, due to the membrane oscillation, and that the applied shear rate caused by the membrane oscillation also reduced pore blockage. A four-times lower oil concentration was recorded in the permeate when the membrane vibration frequency was 25 Hz, compared to without membrane vibration. Newly generated microfiltration membranes with slotted pores were used in the experiments.

scholarly journals Zwitterion-Modified Ultrafiltration Membranes for Permian Basin Produced Water Pretreatment

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjalal Babayev ◽  
Hongbo Du ◽  
Venkata S. V. Botlaguduru ◽  
Raghava R. Kommalapati
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Produced Water ◽  
Forward Osmosis ◽  
Dip Coating ◽  
Permeate Flux ◽  
Permian Basin ◽  
Water Pretreatment ◽  
Uf Membranes ◽  
Surface Modified

Unconventional oil and gas extraction generates large quantities of produced water (PW). Due to strict environmental regulations, it is important to recover and reuse PW. In this study, commercial polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were surface-modified with zwitterionic polymer 3-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-l-alanine (l-DOPA) solution to alleviate membrane fouling during the ultrafiltration of shale oil PW of the Permian Basin. UF membranes were coated in l-DOPA solution by using a dip coating technique. Membrane characterization tests confirmed successful l-DOPA coating on UF membranes. While performing the experiments, permeate flux behaviors of the uncoated and coated membranes and antifouling resistance of the zwitterionic coating were evaluated. Among the coated UF membranes with varying coating times from one day to three days, the three-day coated UF membrane showed a good flux performance and the highest fouling resistance. The flux reduced by 38.4% for the uncoated membrane, while the reduction was 16% for the three-day coated membrane after the 5 h ultrafiltration of PW. Both improvements of the flux performance and recovery ratio are attributed to a negatively-charged surface developed on the membranes after the zwitterionic coating. The UF pretreatment also improved the flux behavior of the later forward osmosis (FO) process for PW treatment.

Biotreatment of Hydrate-Inhibitor-Containing Produced Waters at Low pH

SPE Journal ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (06) ◽  
pp. 1254-1260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnold Janson ◽  
Ana Santos ◽  
Altaf Hussain ◽  
Simon Judd ◽  
Ana Soares ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Produced Water ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Ph Control ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Successful Operation ◽  
Gas Field

Summary With proper treatment to remove organics and inorganics, one can use the produced water (PW) generated during oil-and-gas extraction as process water. Biotreatment is generally regarded as the most cost-effective method for organics removal, and although widely used in industrial wastewater treatment, PW biotreatment installations are limited. This paper follows up to an earlier paper published in the SPE Journal (Janson et al. 2014). Although the earlier paper assessed the biotreatability of PW from a Qatari gas field from the summer season, this paper focuses on assessing the biotreatability of PW during the winter season [i.e., containing the thermodynamic hydrate inhibitor monoethylene glycol (MEG) and a kinetic hydrate inhibitor (KHI)]. Tests were conducted in batch and continuous reactors under aerobic mixed-culture conditions without pH control during 31 weeks. The results indicated that one could remove >80% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) through biological treatment of PW with 1.5% MEG added. In contrast, biotreatment can remove only ≈43% of COD and TOC present in PW when 1.5% KHI was added as a hydrate inhibitor; 2-butoxyethanol, a solvent in KHI, is extremely biodegradable; it was reduced in concentration from >5000 to <10 mg/L by biotreatment; the KHI polymer though was only partially biodegradable. Cloudpoint tests conducted on PW with 1.5% KHI added showed only an 8°C increase in cloudpoint temperature (from 35 to 43°C). The target cloudpoint temperature of >60°C was not achieved. Although the feed to the reactors (PW with either KHI or MEG) was at pH 4.5, the reactors stabilized at a pH of 2.6, considered extremely acidic for aerobic bioactivity. The successful operation of an aerobic biological process for an extended period of time at a pH of 2.6 was unexpected, and published reports of bioactivity at that pH are limited. After extensive analytical tests, it was concluded that the pH decrease was caused by the production of an inorganic acid. A mechanism by which hydrochloric acid could be produced biologically was proposed; however, further research in this area by the academic community is recommended.

scholarly journals Reduction of Fouling and Scaling by Calcium Ions on an UF Membrane Surface for an Enhanced Water Pre-Treatment

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 984
Author(s):  
Marina Prisciandaro ◽  
Valentina Innocenzi ◽  
Francesco Tortora ◽  
Giuseppe Mazziotti di Celso
Keyword(s):  
Citric Acid ◽  
Calcium Ions ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Polymeric Membrane ◽  
Experimental Plant ◽  
Citric Acid Concentration ◽  
High Calcium ◽  
Induction Times

The control of fouling and scaling on heat and mass transfer surfaces is of major importance in processes as superficial water treatments, since it also improves the efficiency of the whole process from an energy saving point of view. The aim of the paper is to present the experimental results obtained in the inhibition of the fouling and scaling by calcium ions on an ultrafiltration membrane surface, by using citric acid as an additive. The last is an environmentally friendly additive−a so-called “green additive”, which may represent a reliable alternative to phosphorous and nitrogen based compounds typically used as inhibitors, since it has the characteristics of being non-toxic, non-bio accumulating, and biodegradable. The experimental plant is made of a tangential flow system on a lab scale equipped with a flat sheet ultrafiltration polymeric membrane, whose cut-off is 650 nm. In the first series of experiments, the effect of water hardness and its fouling effect due to calcium ions on membrane permeability has been measured in the range of potable waters. Then, the scaling effect of high calcium concentration in solution (supersaturated conditions) has been quantified by measuring the increase in weight of the membrane, with and without the addition of citric acid as an additive; moreover, the retarding effect of citric acid has been evaluated through the measurement of the induction times for the nucleation of calcium sulfate dihydrate (used as model scalant for fouling). Experiments have been carried out at two different supersaturation ratios (S = 2.25–2.60), at room temperature, in the absence of any additive, and with a citric acid concentration varying in the range 0.01 to 0.50 g/L. Experimental results have shown that the addition of citric acid in solution delays the induction times for gypsum crystals nucleation; moreover, it mitigates the phenomenon of membrane fouling and reduces the pressure drops by allowing an acceptable permeate flow for a longer duration.

Design and Modeling Pile Breakwater for LNG Jetty at Senoro Field, Central Sulawesi

2016 ◽  
Vol 836 ◽  
pp. 227-232
Author(s):  
Kriyo Sambodho ◽  
Muhammad Zikra ◽  
M.R.F Aldhiansyah ◽  
Yeyes Mulyadi
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Model ◽  
Wave Height ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamic Analysis ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Joint Project ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Central Sulawesi

Senoro Gas Development Project is one part of a joint project between Pertamina and Medco E&P in the field of oil and gas exploration, located in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Senoro gas field built a jetty as berthing facility with length around 500 m from the shore. Based on the survey results showed that significant wave height is 2.7 m height at jetty area, while the requirement for vessel berthing larger than 50.000DWT is 0.7 to 1.5 m. Therefore, pile breakwater was planning to build in Senoro jetty area to protect and to reduce the wave height. From bathymetry data shows that the water depth in front of the jetty is between 20-30m. In this case, breakwater conventional or rubble mound type will not be effective for this depth. Thus, pile breakwater is one of the solutions as protection structures for protecting the jetty area from wave attack. The objective of this study is to modeling the performance of pile breakwater to reduce wave height with numerical model. For this study, analysis of the performance of the breakwater is done with numerical model of computational fluid dynamic analysis. The results indicated that pile breakwater was able to reduce the wave height for safety berthing requirement.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document