Technical and economic aspects of crossflow microfiltration

Technical and economic aspects of crossflow microfiltration processes were investigated by making a comparison with those of conventional tertiary wastewater treatment facilities. A technical report was used for cost estimates of the conventional wastewater treatment facilities, while for the crossflow microfiltration process, cost estimates were obtained from the company that was involved in the research project (Renovexx Technology Limited). Beside the cost estimates, the study covered other aspects of both schemes such as permeate quality and operational difficulties. The study showed that the crossflow microfiltration process is reliable in terms of permeate quality with fewer operational problems. The overall cost estimates showed an insignificant difference between both processes. Cost estimates were projected for the coming 40 years using the present worth value.