Filtration apparatus and process with reduced flux imbalance
OwnerYatin TAYALIA, Prasanna Rao DONTULA +1inventors
InventorsYatin TAYALIA, Prasanna Rao DONTULA, Upen J. BHARWADA
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Abstract
A filtration apparatus includes plurality of membrane modules arranged in series in a chamber. The membrane modules include at least one lead membrane module closer to an inlet port than the remaining membrane modules. A device coupled to the permeate collection conduit of the at least one lead membrane module is configured to apply a back pressure to permeate solution flowing in the permeate collection conduit of the at least one lead membrane module. By applying a back pressure, flux imbalance may be reduced within the apparatus.
Claims20
A filtration apparatus, comprising:
- a housing including an inlet port for receiving a feed solution and an outlet port for expelling a retentate solution, the housing defining a chamber between the inlet and outlet ports;
- a plurality of membrane modules arranged in series in the chamber, the plurality of membrane modules including at least one lead membrane module closer to the inlet port than the remaining membrane modules, each of the plurality of membrane modules including a permeate collection conduit;
- and
- a device coupled to the permeate collection conduit of the at least one lead membrane module and configured to apply a back pressure to permeate solution flowing in the permeate collection conduit of the at least one lead membrane module.
A filtration process, comprising:
- flowing a pressurized feed solution in series through a plurality of membrane modules, the plurality of membrane modules including at least one lead membrane module;
- collecting permeate solution from each of the plurality of membrane modules;
- and
- collecting a retentate solution,
- wherein a back pressure is applied to the permeate solution collected from the at least one lead membrane module.
A system, comprising:
- a plurality of filtration apparatuses, each of the filtration apparatuses including
- a housing including an inlet port for receiving a feed solution and an outlet port for expelling a retentate solution, the housing defining a chamber between the inlet and outlet ports, and
- a plurality of membrane modules arranged in series in the chamber, the plurality of membrane modules including at least one lead membrane module closer to the inlet port than the remaining membrane modules, each of the plurality of membrane modules including a permeate collection conduit;
- and
- a device coupled to the permeate collection conduit of the at least one lead membrane module of each of the plurality of filtration apparatuses, the device configured to apply a back pressure to permeate solution flowing in the permeate collection conduit of the at least one lead membrane module of each of the plurality of filtration apparatuses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.