adding membranes to a sap bros.

[Parker]

I have an old sap brothers r.o with a ten horse h.p. pump. Originally it had 14 4 inch membranes. When I got it I got 6 new xle4040 membranes and had good luck doubling the sugar content in one pass. The machine does not have recirculation,but,of course I want to go faster-we will have 4k taps this year...I plan on adding 6 more membranes this year. My question is would it be better to plumb them inline-parrelel or to have the sap pass thru the first battery of 6 membranes then go thru the next 6-in series...I'm am wondering how well they would wash in series..thanks. parker

[childsr2]

I'm working on the same issue on a similar old Small Bros. machine I got at auction for a few hundred bucks. Mine originally ran five double membrane 4" vessels off a 5hp tonkaflo pump. The feed and pressure pumps were rusted and shot, so I'm reconfiguring with a 3/4hp Burcam feed, 2hp Procon 660gph pressure, and 1.5hp Pompco 8gpm recirculation design for a two vessel system with H2O Innovation 270-4040 membranes. I decided to go in-parallel with my design. I was concerned about fouling and pressure drop if I ran in-series. I've given myself a couple different ways to concentrate, with the objective of concentrating to around 8% at somewhere around 200psi. I'm almost ready to test it. It should be interesting.

[Parker]

Let me know how your machine works. I'm interested in how these mods work for you.