Modeling and design optimization for pleated membrane filters*

Pleated membrane filters, which offer larger surface area to volume ratios than unpleated membrane filters, are used in a wide variety of applications. The performance of the pleated filter, typically characterized by a flux-throughput plot, however indicates that the equivalent unpleated filter provides better performance under the same pressure drop. Earlier work (Sanaei and Cummings 2016) used a highly-simplified membrane model to investigate how the pleating effect and membrane geometry impact performance. In this work, we extend this investigation, using asymptotic method to consider in detail how membrane pore morphology affects performance, and how to optimize performance through varying the pore shape within the membrane. Our optimization is designed to maximize the total throughput while simultaneously assuring adequate particle removal, which is an essential part of filtration. Within a given class of pore shapes we are able to use our newly derived model to find numerically the optimal pore shape. Our current work involves formulating our optimization as an optimal control problem, which we aim to solve to determine the optimal profile over all possible pore shapes.