MEMS Based Membrane Sensor System and Method of Use

A method of operating a MEMS sensor system for a membrane based water filtration plant comprising:

• providing a MEMS sensor system and a membrane train, said membrane train is comprised of a membrane vessel containing a plurality of membrane elements, said membrane elements are arranged in series to create membrane interfaces between each membrane element;
• said MEMS sensor system is comprised of a plurality of MEMS sensors and a SCADA;
• providing said membrane vessel with a feed stream, wherein said membrane vessel produces a concentrate stream and a permeate stream;
• said membrane vessel is further comprised of a conventional flow sensor, a conventional pressure sensor and a conventional conductivity sensor in each of said feed stream entering said membrane vessel, and concentrate stream and permeate stream exiting said membrane vessel;
• wherein said membrane vessel is further comprised of a conventional temperature sensor in said feed stream entering said membrane vessel;
• providing each of said membrane elements with a feed stream, wherein each of said membrane elements produce a concentrate stream and a permeate stream;
• said MEMS sensors are placed in said feed stream, concentrate stream, and permeate stream at said membrane interfaces;
• obtaining normalized permeate flow rate, normalized differential pressure, and normalized salt passage for each of said membrane elements and membrane vessel at reference conditions;
• prompting said MEMS sensors and said conventional sensors to acquire flow rate, pressure, and conductivity measurements;
• prompting said conventional temperature sensor to acquire the temperature of said feed stream at time “t”;
• providing said flow rate, pressure, and conductivity measurements of said feed, permeate, and concentrate streams at said membrane interfaces and said membrane vessel at time “t” to said SCADA;
• providing said temperature of said feed stream of said membrane vessel at time “t” to said SCADA;
• calculating said normalized permeate flow rate, normalized differential pressure, and normalized salt passage for each membrane element and membrane vessel at time “t” using said temperature, flow rate, pressure and conductivity measurements obtained at time “t”;
• and
• comparing said calculated normalized permeate flow rate, normalized differential pressure, and normalized salt passage of each membrane element and membrane vessel at time “t” and normalized permeate flow rate, normalized differential pressure, and normalized salt passage of each membrane element and membrane vessel at reference conditions to identify compromised membrane elements and membrane vessels.