CERAMIC SOFTENING FILTRATION
FOR BEVERAGE PROCESSING

REFERENCE FACT SHEET

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

  • Filtered water capacity 4,800 m³/d:
    1,680 m³/d (phase 1); additional 3,120 m³/d (phase 2)
  • Brownfield EPC
  • Modification of pre-treatment process steps, replacement of pressurized polymeric ultrafiltration
  • Location: South Africa
  • In operation since 01/2020

PROCESS CHAIN

  • Blended feed water source from municipality and borehole 
  • Lime dosage for precipitation of calcium and magnesium for hardness reduction (lime softening)
  • No settling of precipitants – direct transfer to filtration tanks
  • Dead-end submerged ceramic flat sheet membrane filtration
  • Activated carbon filters for dechlorination
  • UV system 

PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM

CERAFILTEC PFD CocaCola

BLOWER FOR AIR-SCOURING

MIXING TANK 

TRANSFER PUMP 

TRANSFER PUMP 

PRECIPITATION TANK 

BLENDED FEED WATER

INJECTION POINT OF LIME

pH ADJUSTMENT (OPTIONAL)

CERAFILTEC WITH 9 TRAINS AND 1×3 TOWERS PER TRAIN

FILTRATION PUMP

SPRINKLER PUMP

BACKWASH PUMP

CAPCLEAN SPRINKLER PUMP

CHEMICAL PREPARATION TANK

FILTERED WATER TANK

FILTERED WATER

CONCENTRATED SLUDGE DISCHARGE

TANK DRAIN PUMP

PERFORMANCE DATA

The feed water is a blend of municipal and borehole water. Both water streams have different properties. The overall blending ratio is dependent on water availability and quality. Sudden and strong peak events have led to the damage of the previously installed polymeric membrane system. 

CERAFILTEC’s softening filtration process enables operation even with high varying water properties. A small amount of lime is currently being dosed to reach a pH of about 9.6 to reduce calcium hardness only. During peak events, lime is overdosed to reach a pH of about 10.5 to additionally reduce magnesium hardness. In this case, the pH is subsequently adjusted to about 9.6 prior to the ceramic filtration to ensure stable long-term operation. 

Regardless of the total hardness level and lime dosing requirements, all precipitants are directly transferred to the ceramic flat sheet membrane without settling step in between.

PARAMETERUNITFEED WATERFILTERED WATER
T.H.ppm80 (331*)26
Sulphateppm98 (210*)82
Silicappm41 (80*)36
TDSppm365 (421*)290
TSSppm3 (301**)< 1 (nil)
TurbidityNTU0.67 (49**)0.17
pH7.6 (9.6**)9.6
PARAMETERUNITVALUE
No. of trains9
Max. flow per trainm³/hr36.2
Max. flux rateLMH251
Filtration timehrs4 x 3.93
Backwash timesec4 x 70
Recovery rate%96.1
Power consumptionkWhr/m³0.02

   * feed water max values during peak events; ** after lime dosage (inside filtration tank)

T.H.Feed water 80 (331*) ppm
Filtered water 26 ppm
SulphateFeed water 98 (210*) ppm
Filtered water 82 ppm
SilicaFeed water 41 (80*) ppm
Filtered water 36 ppm
TDSFeed water 365 (421*) ppm
Filtered water 290 ppm
TSSFeed water 3 (301**) ppm
Filtered water < 1 (nil) ppm
TurbidityFeed water 0.67 (49**) ppm
Filtered water 0.17 ppm
pHFeed water 7.6 (9.6**)
Filtered water 9.6

*    feed water max values during peak events
** after lime dosage (inside filtration tank)

No. of trains9
Max. flow per train36.2 m³/hr
Max. flux rate251 LMH
Filtration time4 x 3.93 hrs
Backwash time4 x 70 sec
Recovery rate96.1 %
Power consumption0.02 kWhr/m³

PLANT PICTURES

CERAFILTEC_case RSA (0)
Lime mixing and precipitation tanks
CERAFILTEC_case RSA (1)
Tower installation
CERAFILTEC_case RSA (4)
Tower installation
CERAFILTEC_case RSA (8)
Tower installation
CERAFILTEC_case RSA (6)
Air-scouring piping
CERAFILTEC_case RSA (7)
3 installed towers
CERAFILTEC_case RSA (18)
Completed header piping
CERAFILTEC_case RSA (9)
Systems engineering
CERAFILTEC_case RSA (14)
Systems engineering
Phase 2
Completed phase 2