| Membrane systems |
 |
| June
29, 2005 | To
ensure emergency water supplies, Siemens is using
mobile water treatment units featuring membrane
systems. In the aftermath of the tsunami catastrophe,
for example, the company delivered Memcor AXIM
mobile water treatment units to the devastated
region. The system is equipped with membrane
filtration modules that can produce up to 100
cubic meters of water daily, which is sufficient
to supply a small town. The picture shows a bundle
of membrane fibres which have a thickness in
the range of nanometers. |
|
| To ensure emergency water supplies, Siemens is using
mobile water treatment units featuring membrane systems.
In the aftermath of the tsunami catastrophe, for
example, the company delivered Memcor AXIM mobile
water treatment units to the devastated region. The
system is equipped with membrane filtration modules
that can produce up to 100 cubic meters of water
daily, which is sufficient to supply a small town. The Memcor AXIM membrane modules consist of approximately
10,000 porous synthetic fibers contained in a cylindrical
housing. A pump forces the contaminated water from
outside the module through the membrane to the inside.
Finally, the filtered water is also disinfected to
ensure it does not contain any viruses. The result
is high-quality drinking water.
Each
pore in the membrane filter measures 100 nanometers
in diameter (one-millionth of one millimeter).
Pushing contaminated water through these filters
under high pressure removes protozoa, bacteria,
algae and other microorganisms — entirely without the use of chemicals.
The finest of the membrane filters, known as “reverse
osmosis filters”, can even remove particles measuring
less than one nanometer. Only water molecules can
pass through these filters.
As
the research magazine Pictures of the Future reports,
ultra-filtration technology has now been significantly
improved by the company inge AG — with
funding from Siemens. inge AG engineers in Greifenberg,
near Munich, developed a new type of membrane filter,
the “Multibore” membrane, which is more durable and
works with lower water pressure than conventional
systems. The filter's individual tubular membrane
fibers are made of a specially developed polyether
sulphone filter material. This material displays
a special porosity, which allows much greater water
flow than is found in conventional filters. It is
also easier to clean, which means savings on energy
and maintenance costs when the system is in operation.
Link: http://www.siemens.com/pof ; http://www.inge-ag.de (German)
Dr. Norbert Aschenbrenner
Siemens InnovationNews
Editor Pictures of the Future
Wittelsbacherplatz 2
80333 München
ph +49 89 636 33438
cell +49 160 3687739
fax +49 89 636 35292
www.siemens.com/innovation
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