Dairy Processing - May/June 2024 - 70

EQUIPMENT
high-oxidant levels at a US-based dairy producer. The
system generated an immediate alarm, which prompted an
Ecolab Global Intelligence Center engineer to investigate
and intervene. The engineer determined the root cause of
the issue, which helped the producer avoid replacing the
membrane prematurely, saving an estimated $87,000.
A majority of Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions'
focus in the dairy industry is around the processing of whey,
lactose and dairy byproducts with regards to the spiral wound
membrane products.
" A big thing to consider is the lifetime you will get out of
your systems, so you're getting more value, " Eastling said.
" There's also been a big push towards sustainability and
reducing carbon emissions. We have a line that will reduce
the amount of bypass flow around the element, improving the
overall efficiency of the concentration process, and reduce the
amount of power consumed by equipment itself, resulting in a
5-9% power consumption reduction. "
MAINTENANCE MATTERS
Each piece of equipment has a specific, unique cleaning
protocol to address scale, fouling, microbiological growth and
other conditions.
" RO membranes require the most robust strategy, and a
clean in place strategy is typically custom designed to the
local water quality and application, " Hughes said.
It's wise for dairy processors to evaluate the maintenance
requirements and operational costs of different filtration
systems before selecting what's best for them. After all,
regular maintenance, including filter replacement and
cleaning, is essential to keep systems running efficiently so
factoring in ongoing costs should be part of selecting the
best system.
" Energy efficiency is another important consideration, "
Eastling said. " Some filtration systems, such as reverse
osmosis, can be energy-intensive, so processors should
explore energy-efficient options to minimize operating costs
and environmental impact. "
While initial costs can be significant, the long-term
benefits, such as improved product quality, increased
efficiency and compliance with regulations, can outweigh the
upfront expense. All of these should be included when dairy
processors choose the right water filtration system.
Daniel Murphy, technical sales engineer for Vacaville,
Calif.-based Synder Filtration, noted processors should take
care to regularly diagnose their membranes to understand their
life cycles.
" Maximizing life span of a membrane while also pinpointing
the best time to replace can be tricky, " he said. " Processors
should take measurements of any concentrate leakage, as well as
70 MAY-JUN 2024 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
clean water flux measurements after CIP. These measurements
can serve as diagnostic tools to find the best time to replace
a membrane. "
Membranes and filtration equipment continue to become
more sophisticated, robust and efficient, so it's important to
understand all aspects.
" While spiral-wound filtration membranes have remained
the same at their core for many years, materials and
processing optimizations have continued to improve, " Murphy
said. " These improvements continue to benefit processors. "
Clean Water Technology
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Dairy Processing - May/June 2024

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