Membrane monitor developments get Eureka approval

Two water membrane projects have been accepted by Eureka, the European research and development funding and coordination organization, for the award of its approval label.

The awards result from a third call for proposals by Acqueau, Eureka’s water cluster, in January 2011.

The projects are RETOS, real-time control of membrane bioreactors (MBRs), and NADWA, an advanced nano-level membrane sensor.

The RETOS project, with Spanish, French and Belgian partners, develops new real-time control (RTC) tools for optimal MBR operations, combining aspects from the biological, membrane and energy fields. To achieve this, an experienced multidisciplinary team has been created combining skills from engineering, automation and instrumentation companies with research institutes to get the best results.

The project aims to deliver RTC tools to ensure a more efficient design and operation of MBR systems. The tools developed will lead to decreases in the energy consumption of MBRs, whilst at the same time increasing the efficiency of treatment.

A French-German consortium is behind NADWA, which brings an exciting new tool for filtrate quality management – an advanced, mobile nanoparticle trace sensor. This can be used for real time membrane integrity monitoring, and will even target nanoparticles within the 20 nm size range, giving a clear advantage in filtrate quality management in membrane plants.

Based on the Laser Induced Breakdown Detection technique, the instrument will be exclusively designed and optimized for mobilization and measurements in water works, where it will be tested and qualified. French national funding has been confirmed and a potential route for securing German national funding is under discussion.