Separate across a membrane inside the tubular modules
A pressure difference drives the passing fraction through the membrane. The circulation circuit supplies the modules and manages material remaining on the feed side. Headers, return bends and module connections are therefore part of the product duty, not simply a frame around the filtration surface.
The selected membrane establishes the actual separation characteristics. Juice temperature, viscosity, suspended material and the intended product profile determine how that specification is evaluated.
Prepare the juice for the selected membrane duty
Extraction residues should be removed before the membrane circuit. For a clear-juice route, any additional conditioning of pectin or other haze-forming material belongs in the product-specific process design.
A cloudy pomegranate juice may deliberately retain suspended material and may not need this operation. Evaluate the resulting juice for the intended appearance and composition; optical clarity alone does not establish colour retention or product quality.
Size from a representative operating run
| Run measurement | Reason to record it |
|---|---|
| Prepared feed condition | Make different trials and production batches comparable |
| Permeate flow over time | Observe useful production flow as deposits develop |
| Retained-stream balance | Account for liquid and solids that do not become permeate |
| Product quality | Check the agreed appearance and composition at the outlet |
| Cleaning recovery | Assess restoration using the compatible cleaning procedure |
Keep membrane limits in the cleaning circuit
Membrane material and seals set limits for chemicals, temperature and pressure during both operation and cleaning. A shared CIP supply is suitable only when its sequence can meet those limits.
Provide access for module isolation, connection service and the planned replacement procedure. Clarified juice still needs its selected thermal, packaging and storage process; membrane clarification is not a universal preservation step.
Further detail
Questions about this equipment and process
Can water-flow data be used as the juice production rate?
Water and pomegranate juice create different operating loads. Use product measurements through a representative run to establish the selected membrane duty.