Crossflow Filtration
The recent emergence of spiral wound membrane elements has made crossflow filtration better-suited for the wine industry. Compared to other multi-step filtration systems often used in winemaking like diatomaceous earth, pad filtration and cartridge filtration, wine is handled much less in crossflow systems. Ultimately, this distinction helps yield lower wine loss percentages*, eliminates consumable costs and reduces environmental impact, making the crossflow method an excellent choice for the most demanding filtration applications.
*At Napa Valley Filtrations, we average a <1% wine loss.
Process
Crossflow filtration works by moving the flow of wine anaerobically across a semipermeable membrane at high velocity. Generally, crossflow filtration is applied pre-bottling to achieve clarity and/or microbial stability.
Equipment
Napa Valley Filtrations currently houses four mobile crossflow filters.
All filters have spiral wound membrane elements. Smaller units can filter 60 to 1,000 gallons of wine, whereas larger units can filter up to 10,000 gallons in a single day, depending on the wine’s turbidity.
All units require 30 A 480V-3 Phase receptacles, though a transformer can be provided upon request if wineries only have 240V-3 Phase.