Spiral wound membrane modules with sensor and transmitter field
AssigneeDdp Specialty Electronic Materials US, LLC
InventorsSteven D. Jons, Luke Franklin, Sundeep Ramachandran
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A spiral wound membrane module includes a specialized endcap assembly including a connecting conduit defining a passageway extending radially inward from its outer periphery, and at least one sensor connected to the passageway of the connecting conduit. The specialized endcap assembly also includes a microprocessor, an antenna, and a LoRa transmitter. The at least one sensor, which is connected to the microprocessor, is suitable to provide a measured value corresponding to pressure, differential pressure, flow rate conductivity, pH, sound intensity, or light intensity. Spiral wound membrane module assemblies include a pressure vessel and one or more of the spiral wound membrane modules.
Claims24
A spiral wound module comprising:
- a) at least one membrane envelope wound about a hollow permeate collection tube to form a cylinder with first scroll face, an opposing scroll face, and an outer peripheral surface,
- b) a porous center section of the permeate collection tube located axially between a first distal section of the permeate collection tube near the first scroll face and an opposing distal section of the permeate collection tube near the opposing scroll face, wherein the porous center section contains holes that pass from the inside surface to the outside surface of the permeate collection tube and that connect a permeate channel within the membrane envelope to the interior cavity of the hollow permeate collection tube,
- c) a feed channel adjacent to the membrane envelope, wherein the feed channel is suitable to enable feed flow through the spiral wound membrane module between the first scroll face and the opposing scroll face,
- d) at least one endcap assembly affixed to the spiral wound module adjacent said first scroll face;
- wherein the spiral wound module is characterized by the endcap assembly comprising a microprocessor, an antenna, a LoRa transmitter, and at least one sensor connected to the microprocessor, wherein said sensor is suitable to provide a measured value corresponding to pressure, differential pressure, flow rate, conductivity, pH, sound intensity, or light intensity, and wherein said LoRa transmitter is suitable to transmit said measured value by providing sequential chirps at a radio frequency between 400 MHz and 1000 MHz.
A spiral wound module assembly comprising:
- a) a pressure vessel comprising:
- a chamber including an inner peripheral surface extending along an axis between a first vessel end and a second vessel end, and at least one feed inlet port, concentrate outlet port, and permeate outlet port;
- b) a first spiral wound module located within the chamber, said first spiral wound module comprising:
- i) at least one first membrane envelope wound about a hollow first permeate collection tube to form a cylinder with first scroll face, a first opposing scroll face, and a first outer peripheral surface,
- ii) a first porous center section of the first permeate collection tube is located axially between two first distal sections, wherein the first porous center section contains a first set of holes that pass from a first inside surface to a first outside surface of the first permeate collection tube and that connect a first permeate channel within the first membrane envelope to the first interior cavity of the first permeate collection tube,
- iii) a first feed channel adjacent to the first membrane envelope, wherein the first feed channel is suitable to enable feed flow through the first spiral wound module between the first scroll face and the first opposing scroll face, and
- iv) a first endcap assembly affixed to the first spiral wound module and abutting the first scroll face, said first endcap assembly including a first outer ring that defines a first outer periphery of the first endcap assembly;
- c) a second spiral wound module adjacent the first spiral wound module, said second spiral wound module comprising:
- v) at least one second membrane envelope wound about a hollow second permeate collection tube to form a cylinder with second scroll face, a second opposing scroll face, and a second outer peripheral surface,
- vi) a second porous center section of the second permeate collection tube is located axially between second distal sections of the second permeate collection tube, wherein the second porous center section contains a second set of second holes that pass from the second inside surface to the second outside surface of the second permeate collection tube and that connect a second permeate channel within the second membrane envelope to the second interior cavity of the second permeate collection tube,
- vii) a second feed channel adjacent to the second membrane envelope, wherein the second feed channel is suitable to enable feed flow through the second spiral wound module between the second scroll face and the second opposing scroll face, and
- viii) a second endcap assembly affixed to the second spiral wound module and abutting the second scroll face;
- wherein the first endcap assembly is adjacent the second endcap assembly;
- a feed fluid pathway passes through a central region located between the first scroll face and the second scroll face and connects the first feed channel with the second feed channel;
- the feed fluid pathway comprising a feed fluid access pathway connected to the first feed channel at the first scroll face;
- and the first outer ring surrounds the feed fluid access pathway and includes a radially extending annular feed flow resistor contacting the inner peripheral surface of the chamber;
- and
- wherein the spiral wound module assembly is characterized by:
- an instrumented endcap assembly selected from the first endcap assembly and the second endcap assembly, wherein the instrumented endcap assembly comprises a microprocessor, an antenna, a LoRa transmitter, and at least one sensor connected to the microprocessor, wherein said sensor is suitable to provide a measured value corresponding to pressure, differential pressure, flow rate, conductivity, pH, intensity, or light intensity, and wherein said LoRa transmitter is suitable to transmit said measured value by providing sequential chirps at a radio frequency between 400 MHz and 1000 MHz.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.