Performance of a transverse flow bubbleless membrane aerator

A novel transverse flow hollow fiber membrane aerator has been proposed for the oxygenation of water. The aerator can achieve high rates of gas transfer at reasonable power input. In the transverse flow modules studied, individually sealed fibers were mounted vertically at the bottom of a channel with water flow horizontally past the fibers. The gas-filled fibers tend to rise vertically due to buoyancy, while bending downstream due to the drag force exerted by the flowing water. Mathematical models that predict oxygen transfer rates and gas transfer performance data are presented. With this module configuration, a high mass transfer coefficient can be achieved at low liquid flow rates resulting in an energy efficient process.