BACU Civil Engineering Students Visit Almasa to Explore Membrane Manufacturing
On , we welcomed BACU civil engineering students to Almasa Environmental for an industrial visit. Ms. Raghad Alshalabi, a faculty member at British Applied College, Umm Al Quwain (BACU), accompanied the group.
Membrane manufacturing was the focus of the visit. The students had an opportunity to connect a process they encounter in their engineering studies, filtration, with the equipment that makes it possible. Our CEO, Mr. Khalid Wang, joined the group to share his knowledge and experience of working in the water and wastewater treatment industry.
From a hollow fibre to a working treatment plant
At Almasa, we manufacture membrane modules in the UAE for use in wastewater treatment. Inside each module, bundles of hollow fibres provide the surface through which water passes. The walls of the fibres contain tiny pores that allow water through while holding back suspended solids. Grouping many fibres together gives the module a large filtration area within a relatively small tank.
In our membrane bioreactor systems, these fibres work alongside a biological treatment process. Microorganisms break down organic matter in the wastewater. The membrane then separates the treated water from the mixture while retaining the microorganisms in the system, where they continue treating incoming wastewater.
What membrane manufacturing has to do with civil engineering
For a civil engineer planning a treatment plant, the choice of equipment shapes the layout of the entire site. A membrane bioreactor can perform the separation step without a secondary settling tank. On a project with limited land, such as a hotel with its own treatment plant, that choice affects how much space the engineer must set aside and where the tanks and pipework can go.
That link between a single fibre and the footprint of a treatment plant gave the visit its practical focus. For our team, the discussions with the BACU students were also an opportunity to share the manufacturing side of engineering with people preparing to enter the profession.
We thank BACU, Ms. Alshalabi and the students for joining us and for the discussions during their visit. We look forward to welcoming future engineers to Almasa.
Contact Almasa Environmental Solutions with your wastewater information to discuss the assessment and testing evidence needed before selecting a treatment concept.
