Berghof Membranes Technology (BMT) products

The UF (ultrafiltration) 5 mm membrane modules from Berghof Membranes are excellent in treating low-strength wastewater that contains a low amount of solids. The smaller inner diameter of the 5 mm membrane tubes means more membranes can be packaged into a membrane module. Further, the greater packing density means a larger membrane area can be achieved with less modules, meaning that plants can be designed with a smaller footprint while still achieving the desired flux. Crossflow applications with low-strength wastewater can be processed and concentrated up to 10 g/l. Berghof Membranes offers a variety of membrane modules made of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) and polyvinylchloride (PVC). Both module types are available in backwashable and non-backwashable configurations.

The degrading, recycling and reuse of wastewater that contains high amounts of solids can be a real challenge for wastewater treatment plants. Although conventional activated sludge systems (CAS) can achieve the required degree of filtration, the prohibitive costs are a major downfall as these systems require a settler, sand filtration and disinfection. This results in a higher footprint for the wastewater treatment facility and a low permeate flow. The innovative solutions from Berghof Membranes can operate at a low crossflow velocity of 1.0 – 2.0 m/s, meaning that our wastewater treatment systems are able to generate high fluxes (50 – 100 LMH) with low energy consumption (0.2 kWh/m3 – 0.8 kWh/m3).

History has shown that cleaning wastewater streams with chemicals that contain high pH values achieves the best results. A major disadvantage is that many membranes are not robust enough to withstand the highly concentrated alkaline detergents, resulting in wear and tear of the membrane and degradation of the membrane’s performance and service life.

We at Berghof Membranes believe in external membrane filtration and it is the passion that drives us to “think outside the box” of membrane technology for wastewater treatment. The external filtration systems are positioned outside the bioreactor and utilize variable crossflow velocity to keep the membranes working at optimal conditions. If necessary, this process is supported with permeate backwash (temporarily reversed permeate flow) or chemical backwash protocols. Tubular membrane filtration is frequently applied for wastewater treatment in the external configuration because of the greater ease in cleaning, zero odor emissions and overall superior robustness.