Ph.D. MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY FOR (BIO)FOULING IN HOLLOW FIBRE MEMBRANE UNITS UNDER NON-CONTINUOUS OPERATION

Within the Membrane Science & Technology group (www.membrane.nl) of the University of Twente and in close collaboration with Wetsus, we have a vacancy for a Ph.D. position on:

(Bio)fouling in hollow fiber membrane units under non-continuous operation

Safe drinking water provided by a centralized water system is available in only a small part of the world. Point of Use (PoU) and Point of Entry (PoE) systems aim to provide consumers in developing/emerging countries access to safe drinking water in a more cost-effective and sustainable way compared to bottled or boiled water. Preferably, a PoU/PoE system should also improve aesthetic aspects such as taste, odor, color and turbidity. Both Philips as well as Pentair X-Flow, who are involed in this project, produce PoU/PoE systems, especially for emerging and developing countries (e.g. India and China). PoU/PoE systems can be heat/UV based, work by means of a chemical treatment method (e.g. coagulation, adsorption or chemical disinfection), by a physical removal process like membrane technology or by combinations of these.

Similar to other well known membrane applications, (bio)fouling is the major limiting factor reducing flux through a PoU/PoE system and increasing maintenance effort and costs. There are some major differences between PoU/PoE systems and typical industrial membrane applications like intermittent use, simplicity and ease to use, and their short life.

The proposed project shall provide new knowledge on (bio)fouling development in simple and intermittently used PoU/PoE systems. A new and innovative systematic method for analysis of fouling development in PoU/PoE systems will be developed. Based on this knowledge, strategies to prevent or minimize (bio)fouling are suggested. The to be developed method will be used to study the effectiveness of these fouling reductions strategies. In a more general view, this project provides knowledge about the operation of a micro- or ultrafiltration system under no-chemicals and low energy conditions. This may help to reduce the environmental impact of industrial scale systems as well.

The research will be performed at Wetsus, Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands (www.wetsus.nl), in the Biofouling theme. Promotor will be the University of Twente.

We are looking for highly motivated and enthusiastic researchers with an MSc degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, material science or a related topic, with adequate experimental and theoretical skills and a keen interest in drinking water quality improvement. Knowledge of (biological) water treatment technologies, membrane applications, as well as affinity with designing, test setups and test protocols is a pre. Due to the nature of the project, travel and stay abroad for some months in emerging/developing countries can be part of the project.

We prefer independent, self-motivated candidates with a good team spirit, who like to work in an internationally oriented environment. Fluency in English is a requirement. An interview and a scientific presentation will be part of the selection procedure

Interested candidates can send their motivation letter, CV (including references) and list of courses and grades to Dr. Antoine Kemperman (a.j.b.kemperman@utwente.nl; phone: +31 53 489 2956).

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<< Home Home News ICOM 2011 People Teaching Bsc & Msc Assignments Research Vacancies Valorization Publications Intranet	Ph.D. MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY FOR (BIO)FOULING IN HOLLOW FIBRE MEMBRANE UNITS UNDER NON-CONTINUOUS OPERATION Within the Membrane Science & Technology group (www.membrane.nl) of the University of Twente and in close collaboration with Wetsus, we have a vacancy for a Ph.D. position on: (Bio)fouling in hollow fiber membrane units under non-continuous operation Safe drinking water provided by a centralized water system is available in only a small part of the world. Point of Use (PoU) and Point of Entry (PoE) systems aim to provide consumers in developing/emerging countries access to safe drinking water in a more cost-effective and sustainable way compared to bottled or boiled water. Preferably, a PoU/PoE system should also improve aesthetic aspects such as taste, odor, color and turbidity. Both Philips as well as Pentair X-Flow, who are involed in this project, produce PoU/PoE systems, especially for emerging and developing countries (e.g. India and China). PoU/PoE systems can be heat/UV based, work by means of a chemical treatment method (e.g. coagulation, adsorption or chemical disinfection), by a physical removal process like membrane technology or by combinations of these. Similar to other well known membrane applications, (bio)fouling is the major limiting factor reducing flux through a PoU/PoE system and increasing maintenance effort and costs. There are some major differences between PoU/PoE systems and typical industrial membrane applications like intermittent use, simplicity and ease to use, and their short life. The proposed project shall provide new knowledge on (bio)fouling development in simple and intermittently used PoU/PoE systems. A new and innovative systematic method for analysis of fouling development in PoU/PoE systems will be developed. Based on this knowledge, strategies to prevent or minimize (bio)fouling are suggested. The to be developed method will be used to study the effectiveness of these fouling reductions strategies. In a more general view, this project provides knowledge about the operation of a micro- or ultrafiltration system under no-chemicals and low energy conditions. This may help to reduce the environmental impact of industrial scale systems as well. The research will be performed at Wetsus, Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands (www.wetsus.nl), in the Biofouling theme. Promotor will be the University of Twente. We are looking for highly motivated and enthusiastic researchers with an MSc degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, material science or a related topic, with adequate experimental and theoretical skills and a keen interest in drinking water quality improvement. Knowledge of (biological) water treatment technologies, membrane applications, as well as affinity with designing, test setups and test protocols is a pre. Due to the nature of the project, travel and stay abroad for some months in emerging/developing countries can be part of the project. We prefer independent, self-motivated candidates with a good team spirit, who like to work in an internationally oriented environment. Fluency in English is a requirement. An interview and a scientific presentation will be part of the selection procedure Interested candidates can send their motivation letter, CV (including references) and list of courses and grades to Dr. Antoine Kemperman (a.j.b.kemperman@utwente.nl; phone: +31 53 489 2956).