Buoyancy Enhanced Membrane Filtration
A Spin on Filtration. Swirltex’s patented buoyancy-enhanced membrane solution is suitable for a wide variety of wastewater treatment applications. Our innovative process turns a liability into an essential resource. The Swirltex technology is designed to allow for greater flow through a smaller surface area. The unique flow pattern keeps contaminants off the surface of the membrane, reducing fouling and therefore resulting in significant cost savings.
Our proprietary buoyancy-based membrane filtration has
revolutionized the way industries can utilize wastewater. The Swirltex system
is designed to be compact, such that it can fit within a modular unit for ease
of transport and flexibility. The incoming wastewater is pumped into the
Swirltex system at a considerably lower energy rate than a traditional membrane
system. The liquid stream is bombarded with gas microbubbles, creating a
flotation effect for the contaminants. The contaminants bind to the gas
bubbles, thus dramatically increasing their buoyancy and allowing them to
float. Both the liquid stream and
buoyant contaminants enter the tubular membrane, where the fluid is spun within
each tube to create a vortex— hence why our solution is called Swirltex. As the stream spins, the lighter
contaminants, including the buoyant solids, are forced into the center of the
membrane tube while the cleaner water is forced toward the membrane walls. The
vortex creates an annular flow-pattern, naturally separating the liquid stream
from the gas contaminants, yielding the clean ultra filtered water. This vortex
motion increases permeate flux by increasing the shear force against the
membrane surface. It also reduces fouling since contaminants are predominantly
prevented from touching the membrane surface.
Traditional tubular membranes can consistently filter to
high-quality water level. However, they are limited by their efficiency and
their tendency to foul or build up with solids. They require constant cleaning
cycles as well as frequent membrane replacements. Swirltex uses off-the-shelf
membranes in a novel way to enable them to be used in difficult wastewater
applications and facilitate water re-use. Swirltex’s unique membrane system
separates solids and liquids based on buoyancy, allowing for higher production
rates and higher quality effluent. The ability to manipulate the buoyancy of
contaminants within the liquid stream allows Swirltex to treat a wide range of
wastewater types that would otherwise not be reusable. The Swirltex technology greatly improves the
efficiency of tubular membranes through an induced centrifugal flow pattern,
resulting in higher recovery at lower energy requirement and minimal fouling
induced flux decline through buoyancy manipulation.
Swirltex builds custom wastewater treatment systems for a wide range of applications. The unique membrane system separates solids and liquids based on buoyancy, allowing for higher production rates and higher quality effluent.
The ability to manipulate the buoyancy of contaminants within the liquid stream allows Swirltex to treat a wide range of wastewater types that would otherwise not be re-usable. In addition, the system consumes a fraction of the energy compared to conventional water treatment methods.