Abstract: A new kind of technique is proposed to renew the fouled membrane in rotary tubular micro-filtration membrane separators, which can renew the fouled membrane by rotating the membrane under low pressure. This is called RRLP technique. The process to implement the RRLP technique is introduced in experimental system, and the RRLP is proved effective by comparing the jump of the curves of the permeate flux versus time under different operation pressure, static membrane and different rotational speeds of membrane. The roles to regenerate the polluted membrane are by means of the centrifugal force of the contamination, the shear stresses along the membrane surface and the cavitation caused by RRLP technique. Observing the process of RRLP and analyzing the dynamic characteristics can confirm all the roles. At last, the properties of the RRLP technique are concluded to be selectivity on the fouled membrane, self-restrictive, low-vibratility with multi-mechanism. The RRLP technique is possible to replace the backwash in regenerating the fouled micro-filtration membrane.

Key words: Cavitation, Fouling, Micro-filtration, Renew, Rotary tubular membrane separator