The use of membrane separation of coagulation products in water treatment enables efficient process performance even under conditions previously considered unfeasible with traditional sand filtration. A key change lies in the separation efficiency, which no longer relies on large agglomerates of precipitate—separation can be achieved with flocs that are not visible to the naked eye. This allows for a much wider pH range, as pH is no longer a decisive factor for separation itself. On the contrary, for humic waters and aluminum-based coagulation, lower pH levels may actually be more effective in reducing the content of organic substances in treated water. Additionally, a significant influence of pH on the length of filtration cycles has been observed. The project aims to investigate these operational observations in greater detail using scientific methods, and most importantly, to transfer these insights into a practical, applicable product. This product would be a membrane unit utilizing in-line coagulation, with the core innovation being a software solution that translates the above-mentioned insights into an algorithm. The algorithm's goal is to enhance the specificity of the technology, achieving both fully autonomous operation and customizable user prioritization—such as maximum removal of organic substances, targeted removal of specific compounds, or extended filtration cycle durations. Ideally, the result would be a combination of prolonged filtration cycles with optimal removal of selected substances. The technology could be applied in conventional water treatment plants as well as mobile container-based systems. Membrane technologies generally offer significantly lower specific energy consumption, and optimizing filtration cycles could reduce this further, thus lowering the carbon footprint compared to traditional systems.
Because the project’s goal is to develop new technology, the maximum possible use of semi-operational units is expected, with testing conducted directly on pilot equipment in the field. This approach should accelerate development and more precisely target a market-ready solution. Nonetheless, laboratory work will be indispensable, particularly in cases where sample transportation could compromise quality. The testing process will be carried out in three stages, each involving different raw water sources. Each stage will follow a similar sequence of steps aimed at characterizing the composition of incoming water, evaluating the effectiveness of removing specific substances or substance groups under various process settings, examining filtration cycle lengths, and analyzing the properties of the resulting precipitates. This will be followed by the software optimization phase and its testing, alongside validation of previously gained insights in long-term operation. The project will also explore and test various coagulants and membrane module materials.
Project CZ.01.01.01/01/22_002/0000556 is co-financed by the European Union under the Operational Programme Technology and Applications for Competitiveness, supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic.
