• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.455-466
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• 2024

Ground collapse may occur around the tunnel when the cavity caused by groundwater runoff cannot resist the surcharge load. Any cavities or subsidence must be managed to avoid dangerous situations by stabilizing the ground through appropriate remedial measures. Trench and trenchless grouting methods can generally be used for the cavity restoration. The trench method is difficult to properly control the injection range and may cause environmental problems due to grout leakage and damages to the adjacent structures due to grouting pressure. In this study, Membrane-grouting method (MGM) is proposed, which, can be an appropriate trenchless grouting method that fills the void tightly and effectively controls the injection range. This method can be an alternative to eliminating the influence of adjacent structures and environmental pollution by inserting a membrane into the cavity and filling the membrane with grout. The membrane blocks the outflow of grout. In addition, it is easy to control the injection pressure to avoid heaving failure. This paper investigates the principle and application of the MGM using a theoretical method, model test and numerical analysis.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.377-383
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• 2017

A tube-type ceramic membrane for microfiltration was developed, and the membrane module comprised of three membranes was also applied to biological carbon and nitrogen removal processes for post-treatment. Manufacturing the microfiltration membrane was successful with the structure and boundary of the coated and support layers within the membrane module clearly observable. Total kjeldahl nitrogen removal from effluent was additionally achieved through the elimination of solids containing organic nitrogen by use of the ceramic membrane module. Removal of suspended solids and colloidal substances were noticeably improved after membrane filtration, and the filtration function of the ceramic membrane could also easily be recovered by physical cleaning. By using the ceramic membrane module, the system showed average removals of organics, nitrogen, and solids up to 98%, 80% and 99.9%, respectively. Thus, this microfiltration system appears to be an alternative and flexible option for existing biological nutrient removal processes suffering from poor settling performance due to the use of a clarifier.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.207-223
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• 2011

Supported Liquid Membranes (SLMs) have been widely studied as feasible alternative to traditional processes for separation and purification of various chemicals both from aqueous and organic matrices. This technique offers various advantages like active transport, possibility to use expensive extractants, high selectivity, low energy requirements and minimization of chemical additives. SLMs are not yet used at large scale in industrial applications, because of the low stability. In the present paper, after a brief overview of the state of the art of SLM technology the facilitated transport mechanisms of SLM based separation is described, also introducing the small and the big carrousel models, which are employed for transport modeling. The main operating parameters (selectivity, flux and permeability) are introduced. The problems related to system stabilization are also discussed, giving particular attention to the influence of membrane materials (solid membrane support and organic liquid membrane (LM) phase). Various approaches proposed in literature to enhance SLM stability are also reviewed. Modification of the solid membrane support, creating an additional layer on membrane surface, which acts as a barrier to LM phase loss, increases system stability, but the membrane permeability, and then the flux, decrease. Stagnant Sandwich Liquid Membrane (SSwLM), an implementation of the SLM system, results in both high flux and stability compared to SLM. Finally, possible large scale applications of SLMs are also reviewed, evidencing that if the LM separation process is opportunely carried out (no production of byproducts), it can be considered as a green process.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.358-366
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• 2007

This study was performed to investigate the application of bovine amniotic membrane for canine corneal ulcer and to compare bovine amniotic membrane flap to nictitating membrane flap. Corneas were treated with 8.0mm trephine and 100% ethanol was applied and corneal epithelium was removed. This experiment was divided into three groups; control group, nictitating membrane flap group and amniotic membrane + nictitating membrane flap group. To compare corneal healing, fluorescein dye test, histopathological examination and TUNEL assay were performed. The healing size of the corneal epithelium in was largest among groups and it was significantly different with the other groups (P<0.05). Also, inflammatory cell deposits and keratocyte apoptosis in amniotic membrane flap group were smallest, but the width of the corneal epithelium was thickest among groups. Therefore, we tentatively predicted that the amniotic membrane flap would be an alternative effective method for the treatment of superficial canine corneal ulcer.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.291-301
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• 2022

In this study, cement/PVDF hollow-fiber hybrid membranes were prepared via a mixed process of diffusion-induced phase separation and hydration. The presence of X-ray diffraction peaks of Ca(OH)₂, an AFt phase, an AFm phase, and C-S-H phase confirmed the hydration reaction. Good hydrophilicity was obtained. The cross-sectional and surface morphologies of the hybrid membranes showed that an asymmetric pore structure was formed. Hydration products comprising parallel plates of Ca(OH)₂, fibrous ettringite AFt, and granulated particles AFm were obtained gradually. For the hybrid membranes cured for different time, the pore-size distribution was similar but the porosity decreased because of blocking of the hydration products. In addition, the water flux decreased with hydration time, and carbon retention was 90% after 5 h of rejection treatment. Almost all the Zn²⁺ ions were adsorbed by the hybrid membrane. The above results proved that the obtained membrane could be alternative as basement membrane for separation application.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.15-29
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• 2014

Reverse Osmosis (RO) desalination has gained wide and increasing acceptance around the world as a straightforward undertaking to alleviate the alarming water crisis. An enhanced monitoring of the quality of the water feeding in seawater RO (SWRO) plant through the application of an effective pretreatment option is one of the keys to the success of RO technology in desalination plants. Over the past 10 years, advances in ultrafiltration (UF) membrane technologies in application for water and wastewater treatment have prompted an impetus for using membrane pretreatment in seawater desalination plants. By integrating SWRO plant with UF pretreatment, the rate of membrane fouling can be significantly reduced and thus extend the life of RO membrane. With the growing importance and significant advances attained in UF pretreatment, this review presents an overview of UF pretreatment in SWRO plants. The advantages offered by UF as an alternative of pretreatment option are compared to the existing conventionally used technologies. The current progress made in the integration of SWRO with UF pretreatment is also highlighted. Finally, the recent advances pursued in UF technology is reviewed in order to provide an insight and hence path the way for the future development of this technology.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 2011

The deficiency of clean water is a major global concern because all the living creatures rely on the drinkable water for survival. On top of this, abundant of clean water supply is also necessary for household, metropolitan inhabitants, industry, and agriculture. Among many purification processes, advances in low-energy membrane separation technology appear to be the most effective solution for water crisis because membranes have been widely recognized as one of the most direct and feasible approaches for clean water production. The aim of this article is to give an overview of (1) two new emerging membrane technologies for water reuse and desalination by forward osmosis (FO) and membrane distillation (MD), and (2) the molecular engineering and development of highly permeable hollow fiber membranes, with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polybenzimidazole (PBI) as the main focuses for the aforementioned applications in National University of Singapore (NUS). This article presents the main results of membrane module design, separation performance, membrane characteristics, chemical modification and spinning conditions to produce novel hollow fiber membranes for FO and MD applications. As two potential solutions, MD and FO may be synergistically combined to form a hybrid system as a sustainable alternative technology for fresh water production.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.67-75
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• 2011

Although membrane technologies are widely applied to the water and wastewater treatment processes, strategy for the control of membrane biofouling is strongly required. In this study, a possibility of control of membrane biofouling using HVI(High Voltage Impulse) was verified based on the inactivation of microorganisms by the HVI. The HVI system was consisted of power supply, voltage amplifier, impulse generator and disinfection chamber and the model microorganism was E. coli. When 15[kV/cm] of electric fields was applied to the E. coli solution, inactivation of the microorganism was found. A possibility of the control of membrane biofouling using HVI was verified with experiments of membrane filtration with and without exposure of the HVI to biomass solution. Another membrane filtration experiments with the contaminated membranes by E. coli solution were carried out and indicate that the HVI could be used as an alternative method for membrane biofouling control. A series of simulation of the electric fields between electrodes and microorganisms was carried out for the visualization of the disinfection that showed where the electric fields are formed.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.111-123
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• 2020

Growing industrialization and climate change lead to the huge demand for clean drinking water. Desalination of sea water by membrane separation process is one of the alternative and economically viable methods to fulfil the demand for water. In the membrane separation process, the presence of 2D materials enhances the performance of membrane by facilitating the water permeation, salt rejection, flux rate, and selectivity compared to the traditional reverse osmosis thin-film-composite membranes. In this review, composite membranes with different kinds of 2D materials are discussed on the basis of materials synthesis, characterization and desalination process.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.500-505
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• 2004

The present study was to investigate the purification of a fermentation broth by an electromicrofiltration membrane. Microfiltration runs with a crude and a centrifuged broth, with solution of particles recovered from centrifugation and with permeates from microfiltration experiments were thus compared. Microfiltration performances were governed by colloids and small particles that induced sharp initial flux declines. For these results, the evolution of the overall membrane resistance was increased by $80\%$ in comparison with the electromicrofiltration membrane. The main focus of this study was set on the enhancement of the filtrate flux by an electric field. This pressure electrofiltration leads to a drastic improvement of the filtration by $100\%$ and the filtration time was thereby reduced. Pressure electrofiltration serves as an inter­esting alternative to the cross-flow filtration and it effectively separates advantageous constitu­ents such as amino acids and biopolymers from a fermentation broth. They were equally main­tained during the microelectrofiltration, although they were significantly reduced by $45\%$ by the microfiltration without the application of an electric field. Accordingly, since the electrofiltration membrane was provided more permeability, this study experimentally demonstrates that the permeability inside a membrane can be controlled using an electric field.