Variation of superficial velocity of a submerged module (YEF) by module size and aerator types Original Research Article

The superficial velocity of a submerged module (YEF) was investigated to design better air distribution system. Air from the aerator tends to channel more to center part as the module becomes bigger. A 3-way aerator showed more uniform distribution of air bubbles among the fibers. Therefore, the 3-way aerator was selected as an optimized aerator for modules with 500 and 1000 mm diameters. In tissue suspension filtration, the critical fluxes of 500A and 1000A. Submerged modules were 30 LMH (L/m2/h) and 15 LMH, respectively. In kaolin suspension tests, different flux declining trend of the modules was observed. The flux decreased with the increase of kaolin concentration and with the decrease of air flow rate. An optimum air flow rate to maintain a critical flux existed. Cake resistance decreased as the air flow increased, but did not decrease further over a certain air flow rate.