Back

Purification

The FUNDAWAVE^® is an innovative crossflow filtration solution specifically targeted for applications where flux rates, capital investments, gentle filtration conditions, energy consumption and sanitary design are important. It is designed to continuously deliver low fouling filtration by keeping the media clean by vibrating shear forces combining our experience using vibration for mixing over the past 50 years. Extremely low pressures (TMP) and low shear makes this technology particularly suitable for shear sensitive mammalian and bacterial cells processing.

The FUNDAWAVE^®

The FUNDAWAVE^® is an industrial crossflow filtration solution designed for applications where flux rates, capital investments, gentle filtration conditions, energy consumption and sanitary design play an important role. Through vibrating shear forces, it keeps the media clean by continuously delivering low fouling filtration.

The FUNDAWAVE^® is a modern filtration conception targeting applications that wouldn’t be effective using any other type of solid/liquid separation equipment. The equipment is built on the idea of crossflow with membrane-based filtering media adapted to precise filtration duties. The flow rate is preserved by continually eliminating the solids layer forming on the membrane. The crossflow is done by moving the filter membrane over a stationary liquid, as opposed to traditional tangential flow filtration equipment (TFF).

The filtering membranes are organised in modules, vibrating vertically while keeping the liquid feed still. The relative velocity shifts direction several times per second and generates turbulence on the membrane surface, reducing the fouling layer. The vibrating mass is left at its lowest, reducing the energy input needed as well. The resulting heat input is significantly lowered, and cooling may not be required for some temperature-sensitive products.

The FUNDAWAVE^® handles the feed solution very carefully as there is no need for a large circulation pump. A traditional circulation pump can damage cells, molecules, or other sensitive substances during the process. FUNDAWAVE^® is the greatest product gentle industrial-scale MF and UF system available on the market as it removes the circulation pump, producing even trans-membrane pressures throughout the unit, resulting in the sharpest membrane cut-offs of any industrial system.

Comparison of Filtration Processes

Dead End Filtration Process	TFF Process	FUNDAWAVE® Process
The FUNDABAC® Filter is based on dead-end filtration where the liquid is pressed through a static filter media which retains the solids and lets the liquid flow through. The solids accumulated on the filter media form a cake which is constantly removed. By default, this type of filter is a batch equipment, running in cyclic mode and performing a set of sequence steps. The ability to process the cake with add-on steps including washing, extraction, steaming, and drying is the main advantage of this product. Moreover, the filtration of heel volume guarantees minimal product loss.	Crossflow filtration or tangential flow filtration (TFF) runs similarly to the FUNDAWAVE®. Most of the feed passes tangentially through a stationary filtering media at high speeds. Although constantly removing the filtering layer in the process, the retentate recycles into the feed pump. A pressure build-up is used to press a small portion of the fluid through the membrane at the same time. The key difference is that the TFF filter itself is stationary. To generate the tangential velocities required, the liquid needs to be pumped at high volumes, resulting in high energy consumption. Additionally, the resulting concentrations of solids in the retentate is typically restricted by its pumping capacity.	The FUNDAWAVE® is not reliant on large pumps, neither does it need high-pressure drops. A vibratory device induces the movement of the filtering modules for the stationary liquid. Considerably higher concentration factors are achieved, as the resulting solids concentration in the retentate is not dependent on the flow restrictions and viscosities, as observed in tangential flow systems.

FUNDAWAVE^® vs. FUNDABAC^®

The feasible flux rate is the determining aspect leading to the effective implementation of the filtration equipment for substances that are difficult to filter. In a FUNDABAC^® Candle Filter with typical cycle times of 30-120 min, the long cake build-up time can cause decreasing flux rates due to the cake resistance. The CONTIBAC^® Candle Filter is an enhancement to this shortcoming, as the cake build up time is reduced, and the filtration cycles are quicker. It can run at 5-10 cycles per hour, increasing the overall flux rate.

The FUNDAWAVE^® goes one step further where the actual filtration cycles are reduced to a period substantially shorter than a CONTIBAC^®, where the cake is being removed many times per second. These extremely short cycles lead to entirely new opportunities. For instance, it allows filtration of solids which under normal circumstances would very quickly block the filtering media once a cake layer is formed. The necessary pressure drops are lower than in dead-end filtration, preventing the build-up of solid cakes which are difficult to remove. As there is almost no cake being formed, the filtering elements can be packed very closely which reduces module size and liquid hold up.

Key advantages

• Ideal Separation: The FUNDAWAVE® facilitates separation due to a sharper cut-off, removing the cross-flow pump leads to a system with no pressure loss

• Unique Microfiltration: The FUNDAWAVE® ensures efficient microfiltration at extremely low pressure in the entire system (e.g. 0.1 bar)

• Less Energy: The FUNDAWAVE® reduces energy consumption by 50-90%.

• High Concentration, Viscosity and Solid Load

• Better Product Quality: The FUNDAWAVE® handles the product very gently as the elimination of the cross flow pump eliminates the pump shear

• Higher Yield: The modules are fully drainable of both permeate and retentate which means that all product can be recovered

• Sanitary: The FUNDAWAVE® sets a new sanitary standard with the open and clean design of the modules with no spacers and no flow dead areas

Typical Applications

• Sanitary: Biotech, pharma, cell harvesting, broth filtration, enzyme concentration, biomass fractionation etc

• Food & Beverages: Dairy, milk fractionation, whey concentration, wine filtration, beer filtration, juice filtration, juice concentration etc

• Water: Sterile water, drinking water, pre-filtration, industrial and municipal wastewater etc.

• Industrial: Fuel oil, lubrication media, gear box oils, hydraulic oils, waste streams etc.

• Enquire about this product
• Download Brochure