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Challenge
The reverse osmosis (RO) membranes used in seawater desalination are susceptible to biological fouling and plugging with fine silt. Therefore seawater desalination requires extensive pre-treatment in order expand the lifespan of the RO membranes.
Conventional seawater pre-treatment methods such as sand filters and clarifiers are unable to meet the quality standards without applying multiple barriers. This increases the consumption of chemicals and energy as well as the system’s footprint.
Solution
Pentair X-Flow is the first company to supply two membranes specifically designed for seawater pre-treatment:
Seaguard – Multiple membranes (up to 4) installed in horizontal membrane housings.
Seaflex – Single membranes installed vertically and connected directly to feed and filtrate headers.
Pentair X-Flow’s hollow fibre UF membranes remove all fine silt and turbidity and screen microbiology. The UF membranes thereby provide a simple solution to produce water that meets the highest standards for SDI, turbidity and microbiology.
Ultrafiltration membranes typically operate at low pressures with low energy consumption while achieving a high output of clean water. The choice for either seatwater pre-treatment UF membrane depends on aspects such as feed water quality, plant capacity and site layout.
The Pentair X-Flow Seaguard and Seaflex seawater pre-treatment membrane modules are being produced with ISO 9000 certification.
 Benefits
• Energy reduction • Compact footprint • Low operating cost • Improved water quality • Increased lifespan of the RO membranes
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