How it works
- an absolute barrier — Unlike a sand filter, MF is a true barrier: nothing larger than the pore gets through, whatever the loading. That is why it displaced conventional filtration for protozoa removal — the log removal does not degrade as the run progresses.
- flux and TMP — Flux is what you demand; transmembrane pressure is what it costs. Their ratio is permeability, and permeability falling is the single number that tells you the membrane is fouling. Watch the trace climb through each run.
- the backwash cycle — Every 20–60 minutes the flow reverses and the cake is lifted off. Most of the TMP comes back — but not all, and that residue accumulates run on run until a chemical clean is needed. Push the interval out and each run ends higher.
- what governs it — Flux against fouling rate. High flux packs the cake tighter and fouls faster, so the run shortens, backwash water rises and net recovery falls. The cheapest membrane plant is usually the one running at modest flux.
Design parameters
The panel opposite runs the same correlations as the MF-570 design sheet, so the animation and the calculator cannot disagree. Drag any of them and the picture responds.
- Permeate flow — m³/h
- Design flux — LMH
- Clean TMP — bar
- Filtration interval — min
- Fouling rate — bar/30 min
Open the full MF-570 design sheet for the governing equations, the accepted design envelopes and the worked calculation.