Modeling driving force in processes of ultrafiltration of non-Newtonian fluids

A model for longitudinal pressure profile has been developed. Mechanical energy balance is the core of the model. The model, developed for plate-and-frame configuration of the unit, is based on the following conceptual frameworks and assumptions: the flow is to be isothermal, laminar, incompressible and steady-state; fluid manifests time-independent non-Newtonian behavior viz.: field of apparent viscosity has non-isotropic configuration; deformation of velocity and shear stress profiles is correlated with rheological properties through index in the power law. The paper covers pseudoplastic and dilatant flow. The developed model describes mechanical energy losses, transmembrane energy flux and fluxes passing through entry and exit control planes and gives a calculation of these variables along the membrane surface. The model permits the analysis of the influence of rheological properties of the fluid, geometry parameters of the channel and process variables on the longitudinal pressure profile. The submitted solution does not contain digital integration and can be segmented into a more complicated algorithm. The paper includes the algorithm, the array of calculated data and graphic visualization.