Growth of clogs in microchannels

ORAL

Abstract

Porous membranes are used to detect and remove contaminants suspended in a fluid phase, e.g. to filter water. A typical filtration membrane allows the fluid to pass through but traps contaminants. Once a clog is formed in a pore, incoming particles aggregate upstream. This aggregate grows over time, which leads to a dramatic reduction of the flow rate. We consider a model that predicts the growth of the colloidal aggregate formed upon clogging of a microchannel. We present an analytical description to capture the time-evolution of the volume of the aggregate. We then focus on multiple parallel channels to model membrane filtration. In this situation, the growth dynamics of the aggregates are intrinsically coupled. The results of this modeling are compared with experimental data. Our work illustrates the critical influence of clogging events on the flow rate of porous membranes used in practical applications.

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Authors

  • Emilie Dressaire

    NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

  • Alban Sauret

    Princeton Univ, SVI laboratory and Princeton University

  • Emmanuel Villermaux

    Aix Marseille Universit\'e, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, IRPHE UMR 7342, 13384, Aix Marseille University, France, Aix-Marseille Universit\'e, IRPHE, France, IRPHE, Aix-Marseille Universit\'e, France, Aix Marseille Universit\'e, IRPHE, Marseille, France, IRPHE, Aix-Marseille Univ., CNRS, Ecole Centrale Marseille, IRPHE, Aix-Marseille Universit\'e, France

  • Howard A. Stone

    Princeton University, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton Univ, Mechanical \& Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton University, Complex Fluid Group