Flow Control in Large-numbered, Series-coupled Vessels of Reverse Osmosis Systems

Abstract

A reverse osmosis filtration system includes a set of two or more reverse osmosis pressure vessels coupled in series, each pressure vessel having one or more reverse osmosis membrane elements, a feed inlet, a retentate outlet, a permeate outlet. The pressure vessels are coupled so that each successive pressure vessel has (a) its feed inlet coupled to the retentate outlet of its preceding pressure vessel and (b) its permeate outlet coupled to the permeate outlet of its preceding pressure vessel. The permeate outlet of at least one pressure vessel includes a front permeate outlet and the permeate outlet of at least one other pressure vessel includes a back permeate outlet. The back permeate outlet of one pressure vessel is coupled to the front permeate outlet of a successive pressure vessel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.