skip to main content
Back to Project Search

Fouling in Membrane Filtration Systems

Project

Project Details

Program
Earth Science and Engineering
Field of Study
​Environmental science and engineering
Division
Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering
Faculty Lab Link
https://www.kaust.edu.sa/en/study/faculty/vrouwenvelder-johannes
Center Affiliation
Water Desalination and Reuse Center

Project Description

In the last decades the use of membrane systems for fresh water production has increased strongly to supply the growing water demand due to increasing human population, industrial and agricultural activity, economic growth and urbanization. Fouling represent one of the major drawbacks of membrane systems. In this project, we aim to explore different techniques in order to study the fouling developed in the system and relate with the membrane performance decrease. ​

About the Researcher

Johannes Vrouwenvelder
Professor, Environmental Science and Engineering
Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division

Affiliations

Education Profile

  • Ph.D., Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, 2009

Research Interests

a€‹Professor Vrouwenvelder studies microbiological and process technological aspects of water treatment and transport. This includes fouling control of membrane systems and cooling towers, and sensors and tools for biofouling/biofilm monitoring and rapid sensitive microbial water quality monitoring. Additionally, Professor Vrouwenvelder performs numerical modelling of fouling and water treatment system performance, and studies the dynamics of the microbial ecology of water distribution systems.

Selected Publications

  • Early non-destructive biofouling detection and spatial distribution: application of oxygen sensing optodes | N.M. Farhat, M. Staal, A. Siddiqui, S.M. Borisov, S.S. Bucs, J.S. Vrouwenvelder Water Research, Volume 83, p. 10-20, (2015)
  • Dynamics of bacterial communities before and after distribution in a full-scale drinking water network | J. El-Chakhtoura, E. Prest, P. Saikaly, M.C.M. van Loosdrecht, F. Hammes, J.S. Vrouwenvelder Water Research, Volume 74, p. 180-190. (2015)
  • Experimental and numerical characterization of the water flow in spacer-filled channels of spiral-wound membranes | S.S. Bucs, R. Valladares Linares, J.O. Marston, A.I. Radu, J.S. Vrouwenvelder, C. Picioreanu, Water Research, Volume 87, p. 299-310, (2015)
  • Biological stability of drinking water: Controlling factors, methods, and challenges | E.I. Prest, F. Hammes, M.C.M. van Loosdrecht, J.S. VrouwenvelderFrontiers in Microbiology, Volume 7, Issue FEB, Article number 45 (2016)
  • Development and characterization of 3D-printed feed spacers for spiral wound membrane systems | A. Siddiqui, N.M. Farhat, S.S. Bucs, R. Valladares Linares, C. Picioreanu, J.C. Kruithof, M.C.M. van Loosdrecht, J. Kidwell, J.S. Vrouwenvelder, Water Research, Volume 91, p. 55-67, (2016)

Desired Project Deliverables

​The student will learn various approaches to characterize the fouling developed in membrane filtration systems. He/She will learn different techniques (i.e. Confocal, Flow Cytometry, ATP, SEM, LCOCD etc). Several experiments will be run in order to relate the fouling developed in the system with the overall performance.
On this page

We are shaping the
World of Research

Be part of the journey with VSRP

Find a Project
3-6 months
Internship period
100+
Research Projects
3.5/4
Cumulative GPA
310
Interns a Year