Maintenance of gas layers for fouling prevention on submerged surfaces
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsDavid Elan Martin Warsinger, Jaichander Swaminathan, John H. Lienhard, Amelia Tepper Servi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for enhanced anti-fouling of a submerged surface includes a bath of a feed liquid that includes water; a fouling structure in contact with the feed liquid; and a gas feed configured to introduce a gas into contact with the fouling structure and the feed liquid to separate the fouling structure from the feed liquid with a gas layer.
Claims22
An apparatus for enhanced anti-fouling of a submerged surface, the apparatus comprising:
- a bath of a feed liquid including water;
- a fouling structure in contact with the feed liquid, wherein the fouling structure has a surface with a rugosity greater than 3 in contact with the feed liquid;
- a mesh configured and positioned to trap gas bubbles at the surface of the fouling structure, wherein the mesh has a spacing of 2-5 mm between mesh elements;
- and
- a gas feed configured to introduce a gas into contact with the fouling structure and the feed liquid to separate the fouling structure from the feed liquid with a gas layer that is, at least in part, trapped between the mesh and the fouling structure.
A method for reducing fouling of membrane surfaces, comprising:
- contacting a surface of a porous membrane with a bath of feed liquid;
- introducing a gas into contact with the surface of the porous membrane in contact with the feed liquid;
- monitoring for performance decay in removing water vapor from the feed liquid through the porous membrane;
- and
- intermittently injecting the gas when a decline in performance is detected.
A method for reducing fouling of membrane surfaces, comprising:
- contacting a surface of a porous membrane with a bath of feed liquid;
- introducing a gas into contact with the surface of the porous membrane in contact with the feed liquid;
- and
- using a mesh to trap bubbles of the gas at the surface of the membrane, wherein the mesh has a spacing of 2-5 mm between mesh elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.