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US 2016/0244343 A1Published application
Liquid treatment apparatus
AssigneeDanfoss A/S
InventorsJan Linnig, Michael Laursen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides a liquid treatment apparatus such as a reverse osmosis apparatus wherein a portion of an inlet liquid permeates through a filter or a membrane e.g. to provide freshwater from saltwater. The apparatus comprises a pump which provides the necessary pressure of the liquid to drive the permeation process, and a recovery unit which transfers pressure of a residue quid to the inlet liquid. The pump and the recovery unit are driven at synchronous and variable speed to control the output and thereby e.g. to adjust for fouling of the filter or membrane. The invention further provides methods of controlling the synchronous speed, e.g. based on a pressure or based on the consumption of the produced liquid.
Claims14
A liquid treatment apparatus comprising:
- a separation structure comprising a membrane, an inlet for receiving an inlet liquid, a first outlet for delivering a first liquid which has not passed through the membrane, and a second outlet for delivering a second liquid which has passed through the membrane;
- a displacement pump comprising a rotational pump element, the displacement pump being adapted to supply an amount of inlet liquid to the separation structure proportional to the rotation of the pump element;
- a pressure recovery unit comprising a rotational recovery element, the pressure recovery unit being adapted to drain an amount of first liquid from the separation structure proportional to the rotation of the recovery element;
- and
- a drive structure driving and rotating the rotational pump element of the displacement pump and the rotational recovery element of the pressure recovery unit;
- wherein the drive structure is adapted to individually vary and synchronize a rotational speed (RPM) of the pump element and a rotational speed (RPM) of the recovery element based on a flow rate through the first outlet of the separation structure;
- wherein the displacement pump and the pressure recovery unit have different changes in efficiency for a change in the synchronized RPM of the pump element and RPM of the recovery element to enable control of a ratio between the first and second liquids by varying the synchronized RPM of the pump element and RPM of the recovery element.
4 more elements
A liquid treatment apparatus comprising:
- a separation structure comprising a membrane, an inlet for receiving an inlet liquid, a first outlet for delivering a first liquid which has not passed through the membrane, and a second outlet for delivering a second liquid which has passed through the membrane;
- a displacement pump comprising a rotational pump element, the displacement pump being adapted to supply an amount of inlet liquid to the separation structure proportional to the rotation of the pump element;
- a pressure recovery unit comprising a rotational recovery element, the pressure recovery unit being adapted to drain an amount of first liquid from the separation structure proportional to the rotation of the recovery element;
- and
- a drive structure driving and rotating the rotational pump element of the displacement pump and the rotational recovery element of the pressure recovery unit;
- wherein the drive structure is adapted to individually vary and synchronize a rotational speed (RPM) of the pump element and a rotational speed (RPM) of the recovery element adjusted based on a pressure measured in the separation structure;
- and
- wherein the displacement pump and the pressure recovery unit have different changes in efficiency for a change in the synchronized RPM of the pump element and RPM of the recovery element to enable control of a ratio between the first and second liquids by varying the synchronized RPM of the pump element and RPM of the recovery element.
5 more elements
A liquid treatment apparatus comprising:
- a filtration structure comprising a membrane, an inlet for receiving an inlet liquid, a first outlet for delivering a first liquid which has not passed through the membrane, and a second outlet for delivering a second liquid which has passed through the membrane;
- a displacement pump comprising a rotational pump element, the displacement pump being adapted to supply an amount of inlet liquid to the separation structure proportional to the rotation of the pump element;
- a pressure recovery unit comprising a rotational recovery element, the pressure recovery unit being adapted to drain an amount of first liquid from the separation structure proportional to the rotation of the recovery element;
- and
- a drive structure driving and rotating the rotational pump element of the displacement pump and the rotational recovery element of the pressure recovery unit;
- wherein the drive structure is adapted to individually vary and synchronize a rotational speed (RPM) of the pump element and a rotational speed (RPM) of the recovery element based on a flow rate through the second outlet of the separation structure;
- and
- wherein the displacement pump and the pressure recovery unit have different changes in efficiency for a change in the synchronized RPM of the pump element and RPM of the recovery element to enable control of a ratio between the first and second liquids by varying the synchronized RPM of the pump element and RPM of the recovery element.
5 more elements
A liquid treatment apparatus comprising:
- a separation structure comprising a membrane, an inlet for receiving an inlet liquid, a first outlet for delivering a first liquid which has not passed through the membrane, and a second outlet for delivering a second liquid which has passed through the membrane;
- a displacement pump comprising a rotational pump element, the displacement pump being adapted to supply an amount of inlet liquid to the separation structure proportional to the rotation of the pump element;
- a pressure recovery unit comprising a rotational recovery element, the pressure recovery unit being adapted to drain an amount of first liquid from the separation structure proportional to the rotation of the recovery element;
- a drive structure driving and rotating the rotational pump element of the displacement pump and the rotational recovery element of the pressure recovery unit;
- and
- a start-up structure for defining the acceleration of the drive structure;
- wherein the drive structure is adapted to individually vary and synchronize a rotational speed (RPM) of the pump element and a rotational speed (RPM) of the recovery element based on a flow rate through the second outlet of the separation structure;
- and
- wherein the displacement pump and the pressure recovery unit have different changes in efficiency for a change in the synchronized RPM of the pump element and RPM of the recovery element to enable control of a ratio between the first and second liquids by varying the synchronized RPM of the pump element and RPM of the recovery element.
6 more elements
A method of treating a liquid, comprising the steps of:
- operating a displacement pump comprising a rotational pump element to supply an amount of inlet liquid to an inlet of a separation structure comprising a membrane, wherein the amount of inlet liquid is proportional to the rotation of the pump element;
- delivering a first liquid which has not passed through the membrane to a first outlet of the separation structure and delivering a second liquid which has passed through the membrane to a second outlet of the separation structure;
- operating a pressure recovery unit comprising a rotational recovery element to drain an amount of first liquid from the separation structure, wherein the amount of the first liquid is proportional to the rotation of the recovery element;
- and
- operating the drive structure to individually vary and synchronize a rotational speed (RPM) of the pump element and a rotational speed (RPM) of the recovery element based on a flow rate through the first outlet or the second outlet of the separation structure.
2 more elements
A method of treating a liquid, comprising the steps of:
- operating a displacement pump comprising a rotational pump element to supply an amount of inlet liquid to an inlet of a separation structure comprising a membrane, wherein the amount of inlet liquid is proportional to the rotation of the pump element;
- delivering a first liquid which has not passed through the membrane to a first outlet of the separation structure and delivering a second liquid which has passed through the membrane to a second outlet of the separation structure;
- operating a pressure recovery unit comprising a rotational recovery element to drain an amount of first liquid from the separation structure, wherein the amount of the first liquid is proportional to the rotation of the recovery element;
- and
- operating the drive structure to individually vary and synchronize a rotational speed (RPM) of the pump element and a rotational speed (RPM) of the recovery element based on a pressure measured in the separation structure.
2 more elements
A method of treating a liquid, comprising the steps of:
- operating a displacement pump comprising a rotational pump element to supply an amount of inlet liquid to an inlet of a separation structure comprising a membrane, wherein the amount of inlet liquid is proportional to the rotation of the pump element;
- delivering a first liquid which has not passed through the membrane to a first outlet of the separation structure and delivering a second liquid which has passed through the membrane to a second outlet of the separation structure;
- operating a pressure recovery unit comprising a rotational recovery element to drain an amount of first liquid from the separation structure, wherein the amount of the first liquid is proportional to the rotation of the recovery element;
- operating the drive structure to synchronize a rotational speed (RPM) of the pump element and a rotational speed (RPM) of the recovery element;
- and
- adjusting a pressure gradient in the separation structure by operating the drive structure to adjust an acceleration of the synchronized rotational speed (RPM) of the pump element and rotational speed (RPM) of the recovery element.
3 more elements
A method of treating a liquid, comprising the steps of:
- operating a displacement pump comprising a rotational pump element to supply an amount of inlet liquid to an inlet of a separation structure comprising a membrane, wherein the amount of inlet liquid is proportional to the rotation of the pump element;
- delivering a first liquid which has not passed through the membrane to a first outlet of the separation structure and delivering a second liquid which has passed through the membrane to a second outlet of the separation structure;
- operating a pressure recovery unit comprising a rotational recovery element to drain an amount of first liquid from the separation structure, wherein the amount of the first liquid is proportional to the rotation of the recovery element;
- and
- operating the drive structure to synchronize a rotational speed (RPM) of the pump element and a rotational speed (RPM) of the recovery element;
- wherein the synchronized rotational speed (RPM) of the pump element and rotational speed (RPM) of the recovery element are lower than necessary to activate permeation of the inlet liquid through the membrane of the separation structure.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.