Membrane filtration apparatus and process for reuse of industrial wastewater
AssigneeKemco Systems Co. LLC.
InventorsGERARD J. VAN GILS, CARROLL GORRELL
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Abstract
Laundry, industrial or food processing wastewater is purified to the degree that it can be reused. Water quality is ensured through the final process of reverse osmosis (“RO”) which removes dissolved contaminants such as mineral hardness, soils and residual detergents. The process combines a ceramic tubular cross-flow membrane filter to remove the suspended solids, oils and greases ahead of the RO. The RO process employs high temperature, low fouling membranes. This enables the RO process to operate sustainably, i.e. without fouling, plugging or membrane degradation.
Claims10
1-21. (canceled)
A water filter comprising a ceramic membrane filter system and a reverse osmosis membrane filter system, comprising:
- said ceramic membrane filter system includes:
- a source of water to be filtered;
- a first recirculation loop;
- said source of water connected to said first recirculation loop;
- a ceramic filter element in said first recirculation loop;
- said ceramic filter element includes abrasion resistant ceramic filter membranes;
- said abrasion resistant ceramic filter membranes of said ceramic filter elements are tubular and oriented in-line with the direction of the flow of said water;
- said tubular abrasion resistant ceramic filter membranes have pores, said pores have a diameter;
- particles in said water having a diameter greater than said diameter of said pores are retained within said recirculation loop;
- filtrate, which said filtrate is the cleaned water, is removed perpendicularly from said ceramic membrane filter system into to a filtrate discharge header;
- said reverse osmosis membrane filter system includes:
- a second recirculation loop:
- said filtrate of said ceramic membrane filter system connected to said second recirculation loop;
- a high temperature low fouling membrane assembly in said second recirculation loop;
- said high temperature low fouling membrane assembly includes:
- a perforated central tube which carries permeate axially therein;
- a spiral wound thin film polymeric concentric membrane in a cross-flow configuration;
- and, said concentric membrane separated by a spacer which carries concentrate therein, said concentric membrane being a spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane;
- and,
- said permeate of said reverse osmosis filter system, which said permeate is the cleaned water emanating perpendicularly from said concentric membrane, exits said reverse osmosis membrane filter system for reuse or discharge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.