Expert membrane system design and selection for metal finishing waste water treatment

摘要

An integrated decision support system to aid in the design and selection of membrane-based treatment systems for metal finishing and electroplating waste water is the focus of this research. The modular system offers basic information on membrane, electroplating and metal finishing processes, an expert system for treating waste water from these processes, a simulator and a multicriteria scoring module for ranking the design options. The simulator tracks ion concentrations, offers design recommendations based on effluent limits of regulated materials and technical feasibility, and calculates recovery and crude cost estimates of the treatment system. Although the system targets metal finishing and electroplating, it addresses the more fundamental issue of membrane technology transfer.