Home IDE Tech > Water Solutions > Municipal Reuse > Pulse Flow Reverse Osmosis

PFRO FOR SAFER AND BETTER WATER

A chloramine-free process for producing high-quality potable water from wastewater

Conventional RO operates in stable hydraulic and osmotic conditions, increasing the tendency for scaling and fouling. In addition, these stable conditions enable microorganisms to thrive on the RO membranes and thus form biofouling. IDE Technologies’ proprietary Pulse Flow Reverse Osmosis (PFRO) technology utilizes mechanical and chemical techniques to solve these common RO challenges. It does so by constantly changing the flow regime and the osmotic and hydraulic pressure. As a result, the PFRO system enables an increase in water recovery rate without increasing membrane cleanings or replacements.

How does it work?

Each cycle of PFRO includes two modes: production and flushing. During the production mode, the brine valve is closed, and there is no brine discharge, which means that 100% of the feed flow is passing to the permeate side. During the flushing mode, the brine valve opens for a short period of time, enabling brine to discharge at a high velocity. This creates short and rapid pulses with a high shear force that helps keep the membranes free from fouling.

The result?

PFRO simplifies RO design from a multistage to a single-stage system while allowing operation at a higher flux of up to 50% compared to standard RO systems, leading to CAPEX savings of up to 20%. The PFRO improved ability to address membrane fouling eliminates the need for chloramine in municipal water reuse applications.

Technology Advantages of IDE Eco-Reuse PFRO

ENERGY EFFICIENT – About 35% less energy consumption in the UV/AOP stage. In addition, lower head loss thanks to a single-stage design and proprietary cleaning mechanism.

SIMPLE DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE – Single-stage design, less piping, no interstate boosters.

REDUCED SCALING AND BIOFOULING – Intermittent flow, higher shear force, and unique preventive maintenance mechanism keep the membranes constantly clean.

SAFER – Chloramine free translates to no formation of harmful disinfection by-products such as NDMA.

COST EFFICIENT – Optimized CAPEX is enabled thanks to higher flux RO operation.

HIGH RECOVERY RATES – 90% recovery and higher.