Ceramic membrane filtration assembly with multi port endcap and related methods

A ceramic membrane filtration assembly comprising:

• a housing having a first housing end and second housing end, the housing having an outer circumference and an inner diameter;
• a membrane assembly disposed within the housing and extending from a first membrane assembly end to a second membrane assembly end, the membrane assembly comprising a ceramic membrane extending from a first membrane end to a second membrane end and having channels therein, each channel of the ceramic membrane comprising an interior and an exterior;
• a first inner end cap device disposed within the housing at the first housing end, the first inner end cap device coupled with the membrane assembly, the first inner end cap device comprising an inner port fluidly coupled with interiors of the channels of the ceramic membrane;
• a first outer end cap device sealed within the housing at the first housing end, the first outer end cap device coupled with the first inner end cap device, the first outer end cap device comprising a feed water inlet connected to the inner port and a permeate outlet fluidly coupled to exteriors of the channels of the ceramic membrane through a bypass;
• a second inner end cap device disposed within the housing at the second housing end, the second inner end cap device coupled with the membrane assembly;
• and
• a second outer end cap device sealed within the housing at the second housing end, the second outer end cap device comprising a feed water port fluidly coupled with the second inner end cap device,
• wherein:
• the bypass is defined by a gap between the inner diameter of the housing and the first inner end cap device;
• and
• the ceramic membrane filtration assembly has a fluid path from the feed water inlet through the inner port to the interiors of the channels of the ceramic membrane, through the ceramic membrane to the exteriors of the channels of the ceramic membrane, and from the exteriors of the channels of the ceramic membrane past the bypass to the permeate outlet.