As part of sewage treatment,coagulation could remove phosphorus from the effluent of the Anaerobic-Anoxic-Oxic-Anoxic(A^(2)OA)biological process.The importance in investigating the influence of coagulation on Anaerobi...As part of sewage treatment,coagulation could remove phosphorus from the effluent of the Anaerobic-Anoxic-Oxic-Anoxic(A^(2)OA)biological process.The importance in investigating the influence of coagulation on Anaerobic-Anoxic-Oxic-Anoxic Membrane Bioreactor(A^(2)OA-MBR)should be emphasized.In this study,systematic optimization of coagulation parameters for greater pollutant removal was conducted in terms of coagulant dosage,coagulation residence time and stirring hydraulic conditions.Coagulation process could remarkably remove turbidity,phosphorus,chemical oxygen demand,humic-like,protein-like and polysaccharide-like substances from secondary effluent and A^(2)OA sludge-liquid mixture.Furthermore,the influence of coagulation on membrane fouling development during the ultrafiltration of secondary effluent and A^(2)OA sludge-liquid mixture was investigated based on optimum coagulation parameters.Coagulation simultaneously reduced reversible membrane fouling and the irreversible one by 86%and 16%,respectively.According to excitation-emission matrix and attenuated total reflection-fourier transform infrared spectra,membrane fouling was primarily influenced by the cake layer,although pore fouling might be aggravated by A^(2)OA processes.Besides,the feasibility of coagulation-assisted A^(2)OA-MBRwas also assessed using hollowfibermembranes.It exhibited excellent potential in alleviatingmembrane fouling,while regular cleaning twice a day was not enough to suppress transmembrane pressure increase during direct domestic wastewater ultrafiltration.Additionally,both polysaccharide-like and protein-like foulants were vital components for membrane fouling during wastewater treatment.展开更多
Membrane fouling is a persistent challenge in membrane-based technologies,significantly impacting efficiency,operational costs,and system lifespan in applications like water treatment,desalination,and industrial proce...Membrane fouling is a persistent challenge in membrane-based technologies,significantly impacting efficiency,operational costs,and system lifespan in applications like water treatment,desalination,and industrial processing.Foul-ing,caused by the accumulation of particulates,organic compounds,and microorganisms,leads to reduced permeability,increased energy demands,and frequent maintenance.Traditional fouling control approaches,relying on empirical models and reactive strategies,often fail to address these issues efficiently.In this context,artificial intelligence(AI)and machine learning(ML)have emerged as innovative tools offering predictive and proactive solutions for fouling man-agement.By utilizing historical and real-time data,AI/ML techniques such as artificial neural networks,support vector machines,and ensemble models enable accurate prediction of fouling onset,identification of fouling mechanisms,and optimization of control measures.This review provides a detailed examination of the integration of AI/ML in membrane fouling prediction and mitigation,discussing advanced algorithms,the role of sensor-based monitoring,and the importance of robust datasets in enhancing predictive accuracy.Case studies highlighting successful AI/ML applications across various membrane processes are presented,demonstrating their transformative potential in improving system performance.Emerging trends,such as hybrid modeling and IoT-enabled smart systems,are explored,alongside a criti-cal analysis of research gaps and opportunities.This review emphasizes AI/ML as a cornerstone for sustainable,cost-effective membrane operations.展开更多
Microbial fouling is an important challenge in water recovery system of manned spacecrafts for longer term missions.Microbial fouling of 5A06 aluminium alloy induced by typical extreme environment-resistant bacteria i...Microbial fouling is an important challenge in water recovery system of manned spacecrafts for longer term missions.Microbial fouling of 5A06 aluminium alloy induced by typical extreme environment-resistant bacteria in oligotrophic solutions of simulated condensate of manned spacecraft was investigated.Bacillus cereus showed poor survival ability to oligotrophic environments,and a small amount of remaining live B.cereus cells mainly existed in the form of spores without forming biofilms.And when B.cereus was mixed cultured with Cupriavidus metallidurans,the system was mainly affected by C.metallidurans biofilms rather than B.cereus cells.C.metallidurans could promote the thickness of passive films of aluminum alloy,so C.metallidurans posed a minor threat to the corrosion of 5A06 aluminum alloy.However,C.metallidurans showed strong adaptability to oligotrophic environments and formed a large number of biofilms.And the contamination threat of C.metallidurans still dominated even cultured with B.cereus.Even when cultured with B.cereus,the threat of contamination from C.metallidurans still pre-dominates.Therefore,C.metallidurans would pose a threat of microbial fouling to the oligotrophic water recovery system of manned spacecrafts.展开更多
The use of antifouling agents is suggested to be a promising method for protecting oceanic instruments from biological contamination.We developed a novel antifouling material doped with capsaicin(CAP)as a filler and m...The use of antifouling agents is suggested to be a promising method for protecting oceanic instruments from biological contamination.We developed a novel antifouling material doped with capsaicin(CAP)as a filler and montmorillonite(MMT)as a carrier for the practical application of CTD(conductivity,temperature,depth)protection.The optimal parameters for preparing the material were established,and the obtained material achieved the maximum CAP loading capacity of 32.74%.The proposed material exhibited great release properties in acidic environments,which is beneficial for reducing bacterial attachment.Furthermore,the optimal conditions(temperature,flow rate,and pressure in the aquatic environment)for a better release rate of the material were determined through a series of simulation tests in lab.It provided good guidance and basis for practical application of the material.The CAP@MMT composite showed excellent efficiency and effectiveness in preventing the attachment of microorganisms during the four-month marine field tests.In the subsequent experiments,the great properties of the antifouling material were further confirmed by retesting the conductivity of four instruments participating in marine field tests.The measuring errors of CTD protected by the antifouling material are both within 0.01 mS/cm,which is far lower than that of the other two instruments.展开更多
It is important to understand the evolution of the matter on the polymer membrane surface.The in situ and real-time monitoring of the membrane surface will not only favor the investigation of selective layer formation...It is important to understand the evolution of the matter on the polymer membrane surface.The in situ and real-time monitoring of the membrane surface will not only favor the investigation of selective layer formation but can also track the fouling process during operation.Herein,an aggregation-induced emission(AIE)-active polymer membrane was prepared by the interfacial polymerization of a cyclodextrin-based glycocluster(CD@Glucose)and a tetraphenylethylene derivative modified with boronic acid groups(TPEDB)on the surface of a polyacrylonitrile(PAN)ultrafiltration membrane.This interfacial polymerization method can be stacked layer-by-layer to regulate the hydrophilicity and pore structure of the membrane.With the increase in the number of polymer layers,the separation and antifouling properties of the membrane gradually improved.Owing to the AIE property of the crosslinking agent TPEDB,the occurrence of interfacial polymerization and the degree of fouling during membrane operation can be monitored by the fluorescence distribution and intensity.With the aggravation of membrane fouling,the fluorescence decreased gradually,but recovered after cleaning.Therefore,this AIE effect can be used for real-time monitoring of interfacial polymerization as well as membrane fouling.展开更多
Membrane filtration technology has been widely utilized for microalgae harvesting due to its stability and high efficiency.However,this technology faces challenges posed by membrane fouling caused by algal cells and e...Membrane filtration technology has been widely utilized for microalgae harvesting due to its stability and high efficiency.However,this technology faces challenges posed by membrane fouling caused by algal cells and extracellular organic matter(EOM),which are significantly influenced by membrane material and pore size.This study compared the fouling behavior of polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF)membranes and ceramic membranes with similar pore sizes(0.20 mm and 0.16 mm,respectively)during the filtration of Microcystis aeruginosa.The ceramic membrane exhibited a lower transmembrane pressure(TMP)growth rate and reduced accumulation of surface foulants compared to the PVDF membrane,indicating its greater suitability for filtering algae-laden water.Further investigations employed membranes fabricated from aluminum oxide powders with grain sizes of 1 mm,3 mm,8 mm,and 10 mm,corresponding to membrane pore sizes of 0.08 mm,0.16 mm,0.66 mm,and 0.76 mm,respectively,to assess the impact of pore size on ceramic membrane fouling.The results revealed that increasing membrane pore size significantly lowered the TMP growth rate and reduced the irreversibility of membrane fouling.The extended DerjaguineLandaueVerweyeOverbeek(XDLVO)analysis indicated that large pore sizes enhanced repulsion between the ceramic membrane and algal foulants,further alleviating membrane fouling.This investigation offers new insights into optimizing membrane material and pore size for efficient filtration of algae-laden water.展开更多
Membrane fouling remains the primary economic barrier to the widespread implementation of membrane bioreactors (MBRs), despite the fact that they lead to the production of high-quality effluent. Operational conditions...Membrane fouling remains the primary economic barrier to the widespread implementation of membrane bioreactors (MBRs), despite the fact that they lead to the production of high-quality effluent. Operational conditions are critical factors influencing membrane fouling. This study aimed to investigate the simultaneous impacts of temperature and hydraulic retention time (HRT) variations on membrane fouling. Experiments were conducted at three different temperatures (18°C, 25°C, and 32°C) and HRTs (6 h, 9 h, and 15 h). The results demonstrated that increases in both temperature and HRT contributed to a reduction in membrane fouling. Additionally, a positive interaction between temperature and HRT was observed in the linear slope variation of membrane permeation, with temperature variations exerting a greater influence on membrane fouling than HRT variations. Fouling factor analysis revealed that increases in temperature and HRT led to decreased concentrations of soluble microbial products (SMP) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), particularly carbohydrates, in the activated sludge. Analyses of the cake layer of the membrane indicated that increasing temperature and HRT reduced EPS levels, particularly polysaccharides and proteins;altered primary protein structure;and increased the mean particle size distribution. Ultimately, these changes led to reductions in both reversible and irreversible hydraulic resistances. This study highlights the importance of optimizing operational parameters such as temperature and HRT to enhance membrane performance and treatment efficiency in MBR systems while mitigating fouling.展开更多
Membrane fouling is the primary resistance to the continuous production of stirred membrane reactors.This work presents a laser-enhanced high-magnification telecentric imaging system(LEHTIS),which uses a high-magnific...Membrane fouling is the primary resistance to the continuous production of stirred membrane reactors.This work presents a laser-enhanced high-magnification telecentric imaging system(LEHTIS),which uses a high-magnification telecentric lens and laser-enhanced illumination to invasively capture the motion of particles on the membrane surface or near the membrane.The problems of working distance and particle interference in the stirred membrane reactor are solved to achieve the purpose of in-situ monitoring of membrane fouling.This method is suitable for high flow rates,high solid holdup,and small particle size systems,and the dynamic motion and accumulation of particles are preliminarily analyzed.It shows that the accumulation and desorption of particles on the membrane surface are related to the physical properties of the membrane surface.There is an intermittent rotational movement in the flow field near the membrane,and it tends to stabilize over time.The filtration process can be assessed by monitoring changes in the overall velocity and acceleration of particles near the membrane.The analysis of forces acting on individual particles is compared and validated with the force balance model to correct and accurately apply it to stirred membrane reactors.The development of LEHTIS provides an effective tool for in-situ monitoring of membrane fouling and optimizing the stirred membrane reactors for industrial applications.展开更多
Biofouling is an important factor that affects bivalve farming industry. Fouling organisms may reduce growth and survival rate of the cultured species. Fouler are often filter feeders, so they are potential competitor...Biofouling is an important factor that affects bivalve farming industry. Fouling organisms may reduce growth and survival rate of the cultured species. Fouler are often filter feeders, so they are potential competitors for food resource with the cultured species. The present study was conducted to measure the impact of fouling on food uptake and nutrient release in April, 2006 in Daya Bay near Guangzhou, China. Results showed that fouling organisms had significant effect on food uptake and nutrient release. The chlorophyll a uptake rate of fouled scallops was 7.53 / Lh ±1.416 / Lh in April, significantly higher than those of cleaned scallops, Le., 4.23 / Lh±2.744 / Lh. The consumption of total particulate matter by fouled scallops in April was 5.52 / Lh± 0.818 / Lh; the corresponding results for cleaned scallops are 2.49 / Lh ±0.614 / Lh Fouling increased ammonia release significantly. The ammonia release rate of fouled scallops was 33.81/Lh ±7.699 / Lh in April, while cleaned scallops released 2.46 / Lh ±0.511 / Lh ammonia. Phosphate uptake of fouled scallops was 2.01± 0.699 / Lh and cleaned scallops released phosphate 6.01 / Lh ＋ 0.876 / Lh in April. There was not significant difference in nitrate consumption between fouled and cleaned scallops. According to the phytoplankton classification of input and output water samples, fouled scallops filtered more phytoplankton species than cleaned scallops. Therefore, this study showed that fouling contributed much to phytoplankton depletion and concentration increase of ammonia in water.展开更多
This paper summarizes a nontoxic Anti-fouling coating utilizing capsaicin as an anti-fouling agent. The capsaicin constituent used in the coating has a rating from about 100 000 to about 1 500 000 Scoville Heat Units....This paper summarizes a nontoxic Anti-fouling coating utilizing capsaicin as an anti-fouling agent. The capsaicin constituent used in the coating has a rating from about 100 000 to about 1 500 000 Scoville Heat Units. The capsaicin is mixed with a silicon dioxide and then solubilized into a free-flowing homogeneous liquid oleoresin composition by adding a solvent to increase solubility and facilitate mixing. The oleoresin capsaicin liquid solution is mixed with a suitable corrosion resistant epoxy resin, which is then mixed with a hardening catalyst and applied to the surface to be treated.展开更多
A dielectric analysis model for the fouling layer on the polyethersulfone composite ultrafiltration （UF） membrane and solution system, which consists of the solution, concentration polarization layer （CPL）, and ca...A dielectric analysis model for the fouling layer on the polyethersulfone composite ultrafiltration （UF） membrane and solution system, which consists of the solution, concentration polarization layer （CPL）, and cake layer, was established by virtue of the interfacial polarization and the electrostatic field theory. The effect of some important parameters, such as the depth, conductivity of CPL, and cake layer, on the dielectric spectroscopy （or dielectric relaxation properties） of the UF system was discussed by the parameter sensitivity analysis and the dielectric measurement. The simulations indicate that the CPL can be created rapidly and the cake layer formation is the dynamic balance process of growth and erosion in the process of UF. The key factor affecting on the dielectric spectrum of UF system is the electrical properties of the CPL and the cake layer. In comparison to the results of dielectric measurement, the simulations indicate that the model proposed in this work is valid and reliable to some degree for describing and explaining the dielectric relaxation phenomenon in UF system. It is very important to further understand the fouling behavior of membrane surface and optimize the controlling techniques of membrane fouling in the process of UF.展开更多
DMFP （Dental microbial fouling phenomenon） of OCE （oral cavity environment） was studied in the local dental labs. Multi-smears of mature supra gingival plaques were randomly collected from fifty persons in dental ...DMFP （Dental microbial fouling phenomenon） of OCE （oral cavity environment） was studied in the local dental labs. Multi-smears of mature supra gingival plaques were randomly collected from fifty persons in dental labs that had different cultures, ages, sex and different scientific levels. Rapid microbial identification method was used to identify of these multi-smears by using vitek-2 compact instrument. The most frequent and appearance species of bacteria was Pantoeae spp., then Klebsiella pneumonia. Total species of microbial fouling in supra gingival plaques were included sixteen species： Staphyllococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pantoeae spp., Aercococcus viridians, Leuconostoc mesenteroides cremorise, Granuli.adiacens, Streptococcus sanguinis, Staphyllococcus sciuri, Stenotrophomonus maltiphilia, Kocuria varians, Gememlla morbillorum, Granulicatella adiacens, Nonreac biopattern, Kocuria kritinae, Kocuria rosea and Nonreac.biopattern while six fungal species were Tricoderma viride, Aspergillus flavus, Tricoderma harzianum, Cladosporium macrocarpum, Penicillium citrinum and Verticillium lecanii in addition to two yeast species were recorded Candida dubliniensis and Candida glabrata. The results were detected the most appearance of bacteria Pantoeae sp., then Klebsiella pneumonia, then Staphyllococcus aureus. These results of study suggest that adhesive strength conjugated with the biofilm layers presence in OCE may vary across different from one to other persons and mark a new path of inquiry for dental Microbial-fouling phenomenon research.展开更多
The purpose of this study is to understand the effect and mechanism of preventing membrane fouling, by coagulation pretreatment, in terms of fractional component and molecular weight of natural organic matter （NOM）....The purpose of this study is to understand the effect and mechanism of preventing membrane fouling, by coagulation pretreatment, in terms of fractional component and molecular weight of natural organic matter （NOM）. A relatively higher molecular weight （MW） of hydrophobic compounds was responsible for a rapid decline in the ultrafiltration flux. Coagulation could effectively remove the hydrophobic organics, resulting in the increase of flux. It was found that a lower MW of neutral hydrophilic compounds, which could remove inadequately by coagulation, was responsible for the slow declining flux. The fluxes in the filtration of coagulated water and supernatant water were compared and the results showed that a lower MW of neutral hydrophilic compounds remained in the supernatant water after coagulation could be rejected by a membrane, resulting in fouling. It was also found that the coagulated flocs could absorb neutral hydrophilic compounds effectively. Therefore, with the coagulated flocs formed on the membrane surface, the flux decline could be improved.展开更多
Aerobic granular sludge was cultivated adopting internal-circulate sequencing batch airlift reactor. The contradistinctive experiment about short-term membrane fouling between aerobic granular sludge system and activa...Aerobic granular sludge was cultivated adopting internal-circulate sequencing batch airlift reactor. The contradistinctive experiment about short-term membrane fouling between aerobic granular sludge system and activated sludge system were investigated. The membrane foulants was also characterized by Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectroscopy technique. The results showed that the aerobic granular sludge had excellent denitrification ability; the removal efficiency of TN could reach 90%. The aerobic granular sludge could alleviate membrane fouling effectively. The steady membrane flux of aerobic granular sludge was twice as much as that of activated sludge system. In addition, it was found that the aerobic granular sludge could result in severe membrane pore-blocking, however, the activated sludge could cause severe cake fouling. The major components of the foulants were identified as comprising of proteins and polysaccharide materials.展开更多
Two parallel membrane bioreactors （MBRs） were operated under different calcium dosages （168.5, 27 mg/L） to gain a better understanding of the mechanism of retarding membrane fouling by adding calcium. The results ...Two parallel membrane bioreactors （MBRs） were operated under different calcium dosages （168.5, 27 mg/L） to gain a better understanding of the mechanism of retarding membrane fouling by adding calcium. The results showed that the particle size of sludge flocs increased and the particle size distribution tended to be narrow at the optimum dosage （168.5 mg/L）. Calcium was effective in decreasing loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances （LB-EPS） in microbial flocs and soluble microbial products （SMP） in the supernatant at the dosage of 168.5 mg/L by strengthening the neutralization and bridging of EPS with flocs. Furthermore, the amount of CODs and CODc decreased in both the mixed liquor and the fouling cake layer on the membrane surface. In order to compare the filtration characteristics of cake layers from the MBRs with the two calcium dosages, the specific cake resistance and the compressibility coefficient were measured. The specific cake resistance from the MBR with optimum dosage （168.5 mg/L） was distinctly lower than that with low dosage （27 mg/L）. The compressibility coefficient of the cake layers under two dosages were respectively attained as 0.65, 0.91. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and three-dimensional confocal scanning laser microscope analysis （CLSM） images were utilized to observe the gel layer directly.展开更多
The advancement in material science and engineering technology has led to the development of antifouling(AF) coatings which are cheaper, durable, less toxic, and safe to the environment. The use of AF coatings contain...The advancement in material science and engineering technology has led to the development of antifouling(AF) coatings which are cheaper, durable, less toxic, and safe to the environment. The use of AF coatings containing tributyltin compounds was prohibited at the beginning of 2003, this necessitated the development of environmentally friendly coatings. The fouling release coating(FRC) lacks biocides and has low surface energy, low elastic modulus with smooth surface properties, hence a better release effect to fouling organisms. Several functional coatings have been recently developed based on fouling release(FR) technology to combat the effects of biofouling. Here, we provide a brief overview of innovative technologies and recent developments based on FRCs, including silicone, modified fluorinated polymer,cross-linked coatings, amphiphilic copolymer coating, hydrogel coatings, and biomimetic coatings. We also highlight the key issues and shortcomings of innovative technologies based on FRCs. This may give new insights into the future development of marine AF coatings.展开更多
Five negatively charged organic compounds with different structures, sodium methane sulfonate(MS), sodium benzene sulfonate(BS), sodium 6-hydroxynaphthalene-2-sulfonate(NSS), sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS), and sodium do...Five negatively charged organic compounds with different structures, sodium methane sulfonate(MS), sodium benzene sulfonate(BS), sodium 6-hydroxynaphthalene-2-sulfonate(NSS), sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS), and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate(SDBS), were used to examine the fouling of an anion exchange membrane(AEM) in electrodialysis(ED),to explore the effect of molecular characteristics on the fouling behavior on the AEM and changes in the surface and electrochemical properties of the AEM. Results indicated that the fouling degree of the AEM by the different organics followed the order:SDBS > SDS > NSS > BS > MS. SDBS and SDS formed a dense fouling layer on the surface of the AEM, which was the main factor in the much more severe membrane fouling, and completely restricted the transmembrane ion migration. The other three organics caused fouling of the AEM by adsorption on the surface and/or accumulation in the interlayer of the AEM, and exhibited almost no influence on the transmembrane ion migration. It was also concluded that the organics with benzene rings caused more severe fouling of the AEM due to the stronger affinity interaction and steric effect between the organics and the AEM compared with organics with aliphatic chains.展开更多
Experimental and theoretical analysis were made on the natural humic acid removal and the membrane fouling of ultrafiltration （UF） with in-line coagulation. The results showed dissolved organic carbon （DOC） and UV...Experimental and theoretical analysis were made on the natural humic acid removal and the membrane fouling of ultrafiltration （UF） with in-line coagulation. The results showed dissolved organic carbon （DOC） and UV254 removals by the UF with in-line coagulation at pH 7 were increased from 28% to 53% and 40% to 78% in comparison with direct UF treatment respectively. At the same time, the analysis of high performance liquid chromatography showed that UF with coagulation had significant improvement of removal of humic acid with molecular weights less than 6000 Da in particular. Compared to direct UF, the in-line coagulation UF also kept more constant permeate flux and very slight increase oftransmembrane pressure during a filtration circle. Two typical membrane fouling models were used by inducing two coefficients Kc and Kp corresponding to cake filtration model and pore narrowing model respectively. It was found that membrane fouling by pore-narrowing effect was effectively alleviated and that by cake-filtration was much decreased by in-line coagulation. Under the condition of coagulation prior to ultrafiltration at pH 7, the cake layer formed on the membrane surface became thicker, but the membrane filtration resistance was lower than that at pH 5 with the extension of operation time.展开更多
Coupling coagulation and applied electric field is an efficient method to regulate cake layer porosity and hydrophilicity for alleviating ultrafiltration membrane(UF) fouling. However,the Al/Fe flocs aggregation behav...Coupling coagulation and applied electric field is an efficient method to regulate cake layer porosity and hydrophilicity for alleviating ultrafiltration membrane(UF) fouling. However,the Al/Fe flocs aggregation behavior are induced from electric field and determine the cake layer structure, which has not been studied comparatively yet. Herein, the anti-fouling performance in an efficient electro-coagulation membrane reactor(ECMR, in which UF membrane modules are placed between electrodes) was investigated with Al/Fe anode and various electrochemical parameters from the viewpoint of regulating flocs aggregation.Both the cake layers formed from Al and Fe flocs under an electric field were more porous and hydrophilic in comparison with that formed without electric fields, resulting in an enhanced water flux under higher electric field strength. Comparing with Fe flocs, Al flocs had a faster growth rate and larger size, facilitating membrane pore block resistant, which was more pronounced in a higher current density. Furthermore, the cake layer formed from Al flocs was more porous than that formed from Fe flocs. Therefore, the anti-fouling performance of ECMR with Al anode was superior to that of ECMR with Fe anode. When the electric field strength increased from 0 to 10 V/cm, the normalized specific flux was improved from 71.2% to 89.4% for ECMR(Al) and from 48.1% to 70.1% for ECMR(Fe) at 30 min.展开更多
In order to study the interaction between various fouling particles and ballast,a multi-layer and multi-scale discrete element model(DEM)including the sleeper,ballast bed and the surface layer of subgrade was develope...In order to study the interaction between various fouling particles and ballast,a multi-layer and multi-scale discrete element model(DEM)including the sleeper,ballast bed and the surface layer of subgrade was developed.Two typical fouling particles,the hard particles(sand)and soft ones(coal fines),are considered.A support stiffness test of the ballast bed under various fouling conditions was conducted to calibrate the microscopic parameters of the contact model.With the model,the influence of fouling particles on the mechanical behavior and deformation of the ballast bed was analyzed from macro and micro perspectives.The results show that the increase in the strength of the fouling particles enlarges the stiffness of the ballast bed.Hard particles increase the uniformity coefficient of the contact force bondγof ballast by 50.4%.Fouling particles increase the average stress in the subgrade,soft particles by 2 kPa and hard particles by 1 kPa.Hard particles can reduce the elasticity,plastic deformation and energy dissipation in the track structure.As the fouling particle changes from hard to soft,the proportion of the settlement in ballast bed increases to 40.5%and surface layer of swbgrade settlement decreases to 59.5%.Thus,the influence of fouling particles should be considered carefully in railway design and maintenance.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52170070,52400022 and 52200088)the Youth S&T Talent Support Programme of Guangdong Provincial Association for Science and Technology(GDSTA)(No.SKXRC202406)+1 种基金China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2023M740754)“One hundred Youth”Science and Technology Plan,Guangdong University of Technology,China(No.263113906).
文摘As part of sewage treatment,coagulation could remove phosphorus from the effluent of the Anaerobic-Anoxic-Oxic-Anoxic(A^(2)OA)biological process.The importance in investigating the influence of coagulation on Anaerobic-Anoxic-Oxic-Anoxic Membrane Bioreactor(A^(2)OA-MBR)should be emphasized.In this study,systematic optimization of coagulation parameters for greater pollutant removal was conducted in terms of coagulant dosage,coagulation residence time and stirring hydraulic conditions.Coagulation process could remarkably remove turbidity,phosphorus,chemical oxygen demand,humic-like,protein-like and polysaccharide-like substances from secondary effluent and A^(2)OA sludge-liquid mixture.Furthermore,the influence of coagulation on membrane fouling development during the ultrafiltration of secondary effluent and A^(2)OA sludge-liquid mixture was investigated based on optimum coagulation parameters.Coagulation simultaneously reduced reversible membrane fouling and the irreversible one by 86%and 16%,respectively.According to excitation-emission matrix and attenuated total reflection-fourier transform infrared spectra,membrane fouling was primarily influenced by the cake layer,although pore fouling might be aggravated by A^(2)OA processes.Besides,the feasibility of coagulation-assisted A^(2)OA-MBRwas also assessed using hollowfibermembranes.It exhibited excellent potential in alleviatingmembrane fouling,while regular cleaning twice a day was not enough to suppress transmembrane pressure increase during direct domestic wastewater ultrafiltration.Additionally,both polysaccharide-like and protein-like foulants were vital components for membrane fouling during wastewater treatment.
文摘Membrane fouling is a persistent challenge in membrane-based technologies,significantly impacting efficiency,operational costs,and system lifespan in applications like water treatment,desalination,and industrial processing.Foul-ing,caused by the accumulation of particulates,organic compounds,and microorganisms,leads to reduced permeability,increased energy demands,and frequent maintenance.Traditional fouling control approaches,relying on empirical models and reactive strategies,often fail to address these issues efficiently.In this context,artificial intelligence(AI)and machine learning(ML)have emerged as innovative tools offering predictive and proactive solutions for fouling man-agement.By utilizing historical and real-time data,AI/ML techniques such as artificial neural networks,support vector machines,and ensemble models enable accurate prediction of fouling onset,identification of fouling mechanisms,and optimization of control measures.This review provides a detailed examination of the integration of AI/ML in membrane fouling prediction and mitigation,discussing advanced algorithms,the role of sensor-based monitoring,and the importance of robust datasets in enhancing predictive accuracy.Case studies highlighting successful AI/ML applications across various membrane processes are presented,demonstrating their transformative potential in improving system performance.Emerging trends,such as hybrid modeling and IoT-enabled smart systems,are explored,alongside a criti-cal analysis of research gaps and opportunities.This review emphasizes AI/ML as a cornerstone for sustainable,cost-effective membrane operations.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51971032,52371048,and 52071019).
文摘Microbial fouling is an important challenge in water recovery system of manned spacecrafts for longer term missions.Microbial fouling of 5A06 aluminium alloy induced by typical extreme environment-resistant bacteria in oligotrophic solutions of simulated condensate of manned spacecraft was investigated.Bacillus cereus showed poor survival ability to oligotrophic environments,and a small amount of remaining live B.cereus cells mainly existed in the form of spores without forming biofilms.And when B.cereus was mixed cultured with Cupriavidus metallidurans,the system was mainly affected by C.metallidurans biofilms rather than B.cereus cells.C.metallidurans could promote the thickness of passive films of aluminum alloy,so C.metallidurans posed a minor threat to the corrosion of 5A06 aluminum alloy.However,C.metallidurans showed strong adaptability to oligotrophic environments and formed a large number of biofilms.And the contamination threat of C.metallidurans still dominated even cultured with B.cereus.Even when cultured with B.cereus,the threat of contamination from C.metallidurans still pre-dominates.Therefore,C.metallidurans would pose a threat of microbial fouling to the oligotrophic water recovery system of manned spacecrafts.
基金supported by the directional Foundation of the Key Laboratory of Ocean Observation Technology,MNR(No.2021KlootB06)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52271341)。
文摘The use of antifouling agents is suggested to be a promising method for protecting oceanic instruments from biological contamination.We developed a novel antifouling material doped with capsaicin(CAP)as a filler and montmorillonite(MMT)as a carrier for the practical application of CTD(conductivity,temperature,depth)protection.The optimal parameters for preparing the material were established,and the obtained material achieved the maximum CAP loading capacity of 32.74%.The proposed material exhibited great release properties in acidic environments,which is beneficial for reducing bacterial attachment.Furthermore,the optimal conditions(temperature,flow rate,and pressure in the aquatic environment)for a better release rate of the material were determined through a series of simulation tests in lab.It provided good guidance and basis for practical application of the material.The CAP@MMT composite showed excellent efficiency and effectiveness in preventing the attachment of microorganisms during the four-month marine field tests.In the subsequent experiments,the great properties of the antifouling material were further confirmed by retesting the conductivity of four instruments participating in marine field tests.The measuring errors of CTD protected by the antifouling material are both within 0.01 mS/cm,which is far lower than that of the other two instruments.
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities(No.30922010811).
文摘It is important to understand the evolution of the matter on the polymer membrane surface.The in situ and real-time monitoring of the membrane surface will not only favor the investigation of selective layer formation but can also track the fouling process during operation.Herein,an aggregation-induced emission(AIE)-active polymer membrane was prepared by the interfacial polymerization of a cyclodextrin-based glycocluster(CD@Glucose)and a tetraphenylethylene derivative modified with boronic acid groups(TPEDB)on the surface of a polyacrylonitrile(PAN)ultrafiltration membrane.This interfacial polymerization method can be stacked layer-by-layer to regulate the hydrophilicity and pore structure of the membrane.With the increase in the number of polymer layers,the separation and antifouling properties of the membrane gradually improved.Owing to the AIE property of the crosslinking agent TPEDB,the occurrence of interfacial polymerization and the degree of fouling during membrane operation can be monitored by the fluorescence distribution and intensity.With the aggravation of membrane fouling,the fluorescence decreased gradually,but recovered after cleaning.Therefore,this AIE effect can be used for real-time monitoring of interfacial polymerization as well as membrane fouling.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.52370035)the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province,China(Grant No.E2023202064)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant No.2024M750717).
文摘Membrane filtration technology has been widely utilized for microalgae harvesting due to its stability and high efficiency.However,this technology faces challenges posed by membrane fouling caused by algal cells and extracellular organic matter(EOM),which are significantly influenced by membrane material and pore size.This study compared the fouling behavior of polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF)membranes and ceramic membranes with similar pore sizes(0.20 mm and 0.16 mm,respectively)during the filtration of Microcystis aeruginosa.The ceramic membrane exhibited a lower transmembrane pressure(TMP)growth rate and reduced accumulation of surface foulants compared to the PVDF membrane,indicating its greater suitability for filtering algae-laden water.Further investigations employed membranes fabricated from aluminum oxide powders with grain sizes of 1 mm,3 mm,8 mm,and 10 mm,corresponding to membrane pore sizes of 0.08 mm,0.16 mm,0.66 mm,and 0.76 mm,respectively,to assess the impact of pore size on ceramic membrane fouling.The results revealed that increasing membrane pore size significantly lowered the TMP growth rate and reduced the irreversibility of membrane fouling.The extended DerjaguineLandaueVerweyeOverbeek(XDLVO)analysis indicated that large pore sizes enhanced repulsion between the ceramic membrane and algal foulants,further alleviating membrane fouling.This investigation offers new insights into optimizing membrane material and pore size for efficient filtration of algae-laden water.
文摘Membrane fouling remains the primary economic barrier to the widespread implementation of membrane bioreactors (MBRs), despite the fact that they lead to the production of high-quality effluent. Operational conditions are critical factors influencing membrane fouling. This study aimed to investigate the simultaneous impacts of temperature and hydraulic retention time (HRT) variations on membrane fouling. Experiments were conducted at three different temperatures (18°C, 25°C, and 32°C) and HRTs (6 h, 9 h, and 15 h). The results demonstrated that increases in both temperature and HRT contributed to a reduction in membrane fouling. Additionally, a positive interaction between temperature and HRT was observed in the linear slope variation of membrane permeation, with temperature variations exerting a greater influence on membrane fouling than HRT variations. Fouling factor analysis revealed that increases in temperature and HRT led to decreased concentrations of soluble microbial products (SMP) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), particularly carbohydrates, in the activated sludge. Analyses of the cake layer of the membrane indicated that increasing temperature and HRT reduced EPS levels, particularly polysaccharides and proteins;altered primary protein structure;and increased the mean particle size distribution. Ultimately, these changes led to reductions in both reversible and irreversible hydraulic resistances. This study highlights the importance of optimizing operational parameters such as temperature and HRT to enhance membrane performance and treatment efficiency in MBR systems while mitigating fouling.
基金Financial support from the National Key Research and Development Program(2022YFB3504000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22421003,22478391,22178345)the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS(Y2023012,2022045,2023052)。
文摘Membrane fouling is the primary resistance to the continuous production of stirred membrane reactors.This work presents a laser-enhanced high-magnification telecentric imaging system(LEHTIS),which uses a high-magnification telecentric lens and laser-enhanced illumination to invasively capture the motion of particles on the membrane surface or near the membrane.The problems of working distance and particle interference in the stirred membrane reactor are solved to achieve the purpose of in-situ monitoring of membrane fouling.This method is suitable for high flow rates,high solid holdup,and small particle size systems,and the dynamic motion and accumulation of particles are preliminarily analyzed.It shows that the accumulation and desorption of particles on the membrane surface are related to the physical properties of the membrane surface.There is an intermittent rotational movement in the flow field near the membrane,and it tends to stabilize over time.The filtration process can be assessed by monitoring changes in the overall velocity and acceleration of particles near the membrane.The analysis of forces acting on individual particles is compared and validated with the force balance model to correct and accurately apply it to stirred membrane reactors.The development of LEHTIS provides an effective tool for in-situ monitoring of membrane fouling and optimizing the stirred membrane reactors for industrial applications.
基金supported by National Science Foundation of Huaihai Institute of Technology (No. KQ07102)Open Project Program of the Key Laboratory of Marine Bio-resources Sustainable Utilization, SCSIO, CAS (No. KK09001)
文摘Biofouling is an important factor that affects bivalve farming industry. Fouling organisms may reduce growth and survival rate of the cultured species. Fouler are often filter feeders, so they are potential competitors for food resource with the cultured species. The present study was conducted to measure the impact of fouling on food uptake and nutrient release in April, 2006 in Daya Bay near Guangzhou, China. Results showed that fouling organisms had significant effect on food uptake and nutrient release. The chlorophyll a uptake rate of fouled scallops was 7.53 / Lh ±1.416 / Lh in April, significantly higher than those of cleaned scallops, Le., 4.23 / Lh±2.744 / Lh. The consumption of total particulate matter by fouled scallops in April was 5.52 / Lh± 0.818 / Lh; the corresponding results for cleaned scallops are 2.49 / Lh ±0.614 / Lh Fouling increased ammonia release significantly. The ammonia release rate of fouled scallops was 33.81/Lh ±7.699 / Lh in April, while cleaned scallops released 2.46 / Lh ±0.511 / Lh ammonia. Phosphate uptake of fouled scallops was 2.01± 0.699 / Lh and cleaned scallops released phosphate 6.01 / Lh ＋ 0.876 / Lh in April. There was not significant difference in nitrate consumption between fouled and cleaned scallops. According to the phytoplankton classification of input and output water samples, fouled scallops filtered more phytoplankton species than cleaned scallops. Therefore, this study showed that fouling contributed much to phytoplankton depletion and concentration increase of ammonia in water.
文摘This paper summarizes a nontoxic Anti-fouling coating utilizing capsaicin as an anti-fouling agent. The capsaicin constituent used in the coating has a rating from about 100 000 to about 1 500 000 Scoville Heat Units. The capsaicin is mixed with a silicon dioxide and then solubilized into a free-flowing homogeneous liquid oleoresin composition by adding a solvent to increase solubility and facilitate mixing. The oleoresin capsaicin liquid solution is mixed with a suitable corrosion resistant epoxy resin, which is then mixed with a hardening catalyst and applied to the surface to be treated.
基金This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province of China （No.Q2007B01）.
文摘A dielectric analysis model for the fouling layer on the polyethersulfone composite ultrafiltration （UF） membrane and solution system, which consists of the solution, concentration polarization layer （CPL）, and cake layer, was established by virtue of the interfacial polarization and the electrostatic field theory. The effect of some important parameters, such as the depth, conductivity of CPL, and cake layer, on the dielectric spectroscopy （or dielectric relaxation properties） of the UF system was discussed by the parameter sensitivity analysis and the dielectric measurement. The simulations indicate that the CPL can be created rapidly and the cake layer formation is the dynamic balance process of growth and erosion in the process of UF. The key factor affecting on the dielectric spectrum of UF system is the electrical properties of the CPL and the cake layer. In comparison to the results of dielectric measurement, the simulations indicate that the model proposed in this work is valid and reliable to some degree for describing and explaining the dielectric relaxation phenomenon in UF system. It is very important to further understand the fouling behavior of membrane surface and optimize the controlling techniques of membrane fouling in the process of UF.
文摘DMFP （Dental microbial fouling phenomenon） of OCE （oral cavity environment） was studied in the local dental labs. Multi-smears of mature supra gingival plaques were randomly collected from fifty persons in dental labs that had different cultures, ages, sex and different scientific levels. Rapid microbial identification method was used to identify of these multi-smears by using vitek-2 compact instrument. The most frequent and appearance species of bacteria was Pantoeae spp., then Klebsiella pneumonia. Total species of microbial fouling in supra gingival plaques were included sixteen species： Staphyllococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pantoeae spp., Aercococcus viridians, Leuconostoc mesenteroides cremorise, Granuli.adiacens, Streptococcus sanguinis, Staphyllococcus sciuri, Stenotrophomonus maltiphilia, Kocuria varians, Gememlla morbillorum, Granulicatella adiacens, Nonreac biopattern, Kocuria kritinae, Kocuria rosea and Nonreac.biopattern while six fungal species were Tricoderma viride, Aspergillus flavus, Tricoderma harzianum, Cladosporium macrocarpum, Penicillium citrinum and Verticillium lecanii in addition to two yeast species were recorded Candida dubliniensis and Candida glabrata. The results were detected the most appearance of bacteria Pantoeae sp., then Klebsiella pneumonia, then Staphyllococcus aureus. These results of study suggest that adhesive strength conjugated with the biofilm layers presence in OCE may vary across different from one to other persons and mark a new path of inquiry for dental Microbial-fouling phenomenon research.
基金Project supported by the Hi-Tech Research and Development Project(863) of China (No. 2002AA601130)the National Science and Technology Research Project (No, 2003BA808A17)
文摘The purpose of this study is to understand the effect and mechanism of preventing membrane fouling, by coagulation pretreatment, in terms of fractional component and molecular weight of natural organic matter （NOM）. A relatively higher molecular weight （MW） of hydrophobic compounds was responsible for a rapid decline in the ultrafiltration flux. Coagulation could effectively remove the hydrophobic organics, resulting in the increase of flux. It was found that a lower MW of neutral hydrophilic compounds, which could remove inadequately by coagulation, was responsible for the slow declining flux. The fluxes in the filtration of coagulated water and supernatant water were compared and the results showed that a lower MW of neutral hydrophilic compounds remained in the supernatant water after coagulation could be rejected by a membrane, resulting in fouling. It was also found that the coagulated flocs could absorb neutral hydrophilic compounds effectively. Therefore, with the coagulated flocs formed on the membrane surface, the flux decline could be improved.
基金Project supported by the University Doctorial Research Foundation.Ministry of Education of China(No.20030141022).
文摘Aerobic granular sludge was cultivated adopting internal-circulate sequencing batch airlift reactor. The contradistinctive experiment about short-term membrane fouling between aerobic granular sludge system and activated sludge system were investigated. The membrane foulants was also characterized by Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectroscopy technique. The results showed that the aerobic granular sludge had excellent denitrification ability; the removal efficiency of TN could reach 90%. The aerobic granular sludge could alleviate membrane fouling effectively. The steady membrane flux of aerobic granular sludge was twice as much as that of activated sludge system. In addition, it was found that the aerobic granular sludge could result in severe membrane pore-blocking, however, the activated sludge could cause severe cake fouling. The major components of the foulants were identified as comprising of proteins and polysaccharide materials.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 50578024)
文摘Two parallel membrane bioreactors （MBRs） were operated under different calcium dosages （168.5, 27 mg/L） to gain a better understanding of the mechanism of retarding membrane fouling by adding calcium. The results showed that the particle size of sludge flocs increased and the particle size distribution tended to be narrow at the optimum dosage （168.5 mg/L）. Calcium was effective in decreasing loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances （LB-EPS） in microbial flocs and soluble microbial products （SMP） in the supernatant at the dosage of 168.5 mg/L by strengthening the neutralization and bridging of EPS with flocs. Furthermore, the amount of CODs and CODc decreased in both the mixed liquor and the fouling cake layer on the membrane surface. In order to compare the filtration characteristics of cake layers from the MBRs with the two calcium dosages, the specific cake resistance and the compressibility coefficient were measured. The specific cake resistance from the MBR with optimum dosage （168.5 mg/L） was distinctly lower than that with low dosage （27 mg/L）. The compressibility coefficient of the cake layers under two dosages were respectively attained as 0.65, 0.91. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and three-dimensional confocal scanning laser microscope analysis （CLSM） images were utilized to observe the gel layer directly.
文摘The advancement in material science and engineering technology has led to the development of antifouling(AF) coatings which are cheaper, durable, less toxic, and safe to the environment. The use of AF coatings containing tributyltin compounds was prohibited at the beginning of 2003, this necessitated the development of environmentally friendly coatings. The fouling release coating(FRC) lacks biocides and has low surface energy, low elastic modulus with smooth surface properties, hence a better release effect to fouling organisms. Several functional coatings have been recently developed based on fouling release(FR) technology to combat the effects of biofouling. Here, we provide a brief overview of innovative technologies and recent developments based on FRCs, including silicone, modified fluorinated polymer,cross-linked coatings, amphiphilic copolymer coating, hydrogel coatings, and biomimetic coatings. We also highlight the key issues and shortcomings of innovative technologies based on FRCs. This may give new insights into the future development of marine AF coatings.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51878645 and 51425405)the Science and Technology Open Cooperation Project of Henan Province(No.172106000076)+2 种基金the Beijing Natural Science Foundation(No.8132047)the Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment(Nos.2014ZX07201-011 and 2014ZX07510-001)financial support from the China Scholarship Council
文摘Five negatively charged organic compounds with different structures, sodium methane sulfonate(MS), sodium benzene sulfonate(BS), sodium 6-hydroxynaphthalene-2-sulfonate(NSS), sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS), and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate(SDBS), were used to examine the fouling of an anion exchange membrane(AEM) in electrodialysis(ED),to explore the effect of molecular characteristics on the fouling behavior on the AEM and changes in the surface and electrochemical properties of the AEM. Results indicated that the fouling degree of the AEM by the different organics followed the order:SDBS > SDS > NSS > BS > MS. SDBS and SDS formed a dense fouling layer on the surface of the AEM, which was the main factor in the much more severe membrane fouling, and completely restricted the transmembrane ion migration. The other three organics caused fouling of the AEM by adsorption on the surface and/or accumulation in the interlayer of the AEM, and exhibited almost no influence on the transmembrane ion migration. It was also concluded that the organics with benzene rings caused more severe fouling of the AEM due to the stronger affinity interaction and steric effect between the organics and the AEM compared with organics with aliphatic chains.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 50138020)
文摘Experimental and theoretical analysis were made on the natural humic acid removal and the membrane fouling of ultrafiltration （UF） with in-line coagulation. The results showed dissolved organic carbon （DOC） and UV254 removals by the UF with in-line coagulation at pH 7 were increased from 28% to 53% and 40% to 78% in comparison with direct UF treatment respectively. At the same time, the analysis of high performance liquid chromatography showed that UF with coagulation had significant improvement of removal of humic acid with molecular weights less than 6000 Da in particular. Compared to direct UF, the in-line coagulation UF also kept more constant permeate flux and very slight increase oftransmembrane pressure during a filtration circle. Two typical membrane fouling models were used by inducing two coefficients Kc and Kp corresponding to cake filtration model and pore narrowing model respectively. It was found that membrane fouling by pore-narrowing effect was effectively alleviated and that by cake-filtration was much decreased by in-line coagulation. Under the condition of coagulation prior to ultrafiltration at pH 7, the cake layer formed on the membrane surface became thicker, but the membrane filtration resistance was lower than that at pH 5 with the extension of operation time.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51678556 and 51438011)the Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment(No.2015ZX07402003-3)
文摘Coupling coagulation and applied electric field is an efficient method to regulate cake layer porosity and hydrophilicity for alleviating ultrafiltration membrane(UF) fouling. However,the Al/Fe flocs aggregation behavior are induced from electric field and determine the cake layer structure, which has not been studied comparatively yet. Herein, the anti-fouling performance in an efficient electro-coagulation membrane reactor(ECMR, in which UF membrane modules are placed between electrodes) was investigated with Al/Fe anode and various electrochemical parameters from the viewpoint of regulating flocs aggregation.Both the cake layers formed from Al and Fe flocs under an electric field were more porous and hydrophilic in comparison with that formed without electric fields, resulting in an enhanced water flux under higher electric field strength. Comparing with Fe flocs, Al flocs had a faster growth rate and larger size, facilitating membrane pore block resistant, which was more pronounced in a higher current density. Furthermore, the cake layer formed from Al flocs was more porous than that formed from Fe flocs. Therefore, the anti-fouling performance of ECMR with Al anode was superior to that of ECMR with Fe anode. When the electric field strength increased from 0 to 10 V/cm, the normalized specific flux was improved from 71.2% to 89.4% for ECMR(Al) and from 48.1% to 70.1% for ECMR(Fe) at 30 min.
基金Project(51978045) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject([2017]7) supported by Shenshuo Science and Technology Development Project,China。
文摘In order to study the interaction between various fouling particles and ballast,a multi-layer and multi-scale discrete element model(DEM)including the sleeper,ballast bed and the surface layer of subgrade was developed.Two typical fouling particles,the hard particles(sand)and soft ones(coal fines),are considered.A support stiffness test of the ballast bed under various fouling conditions was conducted to calibrate the microscopic parameters of the contact model.With the model,the influence of fouling particles on the mechanical behavior and deformation of the ballast bed was analyzed from macro and micro perspectives.The results show that the increase in the strength of the fouling particles enlarges the stiffness of the ballast bed.Hard particles increase the uniformity coefficient of the contact force bondγof ballast by 50.4%.Fouling particles increase the average stress in the subgrade,soft particles by 2 kPa and hard particles by 1 kPa.Hard particles can reduce the elasticity,plastic deformation and energy dissipation in the track structure.As the fouling particle changes from hard to soft,the proportion of the settlement in ballast bed increases to 40.5%and surface layer of swbgrade settlement decreases to 59.5%.Thus,the influence of fouling particles should be considered carefully in railway design and maintenance.
