# US 2014/0190889 A1 · Combined acoustic micro filtration and phononic crystal membrane particle separation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190889 A1 - Document ID: US20140190889A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/180,663 - Filed: 2014-02-14 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2010-08-23 - Assignees: FloDesign Sonics, Inc. - Inventors: Edward A. Rietman; Bart Lipkens; Jason Dionne - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190889A1 ## CPC - C02F 1/36: ultrasonic vibrations - B01D 21/283: {Settling tanks provided with vibrators} - B01D 61/00: Processes of separation using semi-permeable membranes, e.g. dialysis, osmosis or ultrafiltration; Apparatus, accessories or auxiliary operations specially adapted therefor (separation of gases or vapours by diffusion B01D53/22) - B01D 61/20: Accessories; Auxiliary operations - B01D 65/00: Accessories or auxiliary operations, in general, for separation processes or apparatus using semi-permeable membranes - B01D 65/08: Prevention of membrane fouling or of concentration polarisation - C02F 1/444: {by ultrafiltration or microfiltration} - B01D 2321/2075: Ultrasonic treatment - C02F 2103/08: Seawater, e.g. for desalination - C02F 2303/04: Disinfection - C12M 47/02: {Separating microorganisms from the culture medium; Concentration of biomass (separating microorganisms from their culture media C12N1/02)} - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS} ## Abstract A system is provided that includes one or more acoustic microfilters through which is flowed a mixture of a fluid and a particulate to selectively filter particles from the fluid. Also included are one or more phononic crystal units coupled to the acoustic microfilter(s) to further selectively filter particles from the fluid. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of desalinating water, comprising: creating an engineered acoustic field, wherein the engineered acoustic field creates high pressure regions and low pressure regions; and positioning at least one of the high pressure regions so as to force salinated water through at least one acoustic microfilter and subsequently through at least one phononic crystal unit fluidly coupled to the at least one acoustic microfilter, wherein the at least one phononic crystal unit comprises an array of parallel spaced hollow tubes, each tube being surrounded by a desalination membrane, the array of tubes being positioned in the direction of flow, the spaces between the tubes forming an interstitial region, the desalination membranes thereby separating solutes from the water to desalinate the water. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the engineered acoustic field is oriented to force the salinated water from the interstitial region through the desalination membranes into the tubes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the engineered acoustic field is oriented to force the salinated water from the tubes through the desalination membranes into the interstitial region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one acoustic microfilter comprises: a first flow chamber with an inlet and an outlet through which is flowed the salinated water; two or more ultrasonic transducers embedded in a wall of the first flow chamber or located outside the flow chamber wall; and two or more reflectors corresponding to each transducer located on the opposite wall of the first flow chamber from each corresponding transducer, the combination of each ultrasonic transducer and corresponding reflector forming a standing acoustic wave at a different ultrasonic frequency optimized for a specific range of particle sizes to selectively filter particles in the fluid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one acoustic microfilter comprises a two dimensional array of transducers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one acoustic microfilter comprises a linear array of transducers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one phononic crystal unit further comprises: a second flow chamber with an inlet and an outlet through which is flowed the salinated water after being filtered by the at least one acoustic microfilter; one or more ultrasonic transducers embedded in a wall of the second flow chamber or located outside a second flow chamber wall; and one or more reflectors corresponding to each transducer located on the opposite wall of the second flow chamber from each corresponding transducer, wherein the ultrasonic transducer/reflector pairs in combination with the array of tubes further selectively filter particles from the fluid; wherein the array of parallel spaced hollow tubes is located within the second flow chamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein there are at least two transducers in each phononic crystal unit that cover an entire boundary or side of the second flow chamber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the tubes are made up of a porous material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the array of parallel spaced tubes is positioned in a hexagonal array. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the array of parallel spaced tubes in positioned in a linear array. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein there are two or more phononic crystal units positioned in parallel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein there are two or more phononic crystal unit serially positioned. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein there are two or more acoustic microfilters positioned in parallel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein there are two or more acoustic microfilters serially positioned.