# US 2021/0275969 A1 · Vibrating filter-plate assembly device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0275969 A1 - Document ID: US20210275969A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/482,975 - Filed: 2018-02-07 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-10 - Assignees: Sani Membranes ApS - Applicants: Sani Membranes ApS - Inventors: Henrik Hjelmsmark - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210275969A1 ## CPC - B01D 61/18: Apparatus therefor - B01D 61/14: Ultrafiltration; Microfiltration - B01D 63/0822: {Plate-and-frame devices} - B01D 63/16: Rotary, reciprocated or vibrated modules - B01D 65/08: Prevention of membrane fouling or of concentration polarisation - B01D 2315/04: Reciprocation, oscillation or vibration - B01D 2321/2066: Pulsated flow - 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) ## Abstract A vibrating device for a filter-plate assembly for liquid filtration having a vessel housing for the filter-plate assembly and one or more flexible volume chambers being filled with gas. The volume chambers are adapted to expand and/or compress the volumes of the chambers inside the vessel housing allowing the liquid in the vessel chamber to move relative to the surface of the filter-plates when the vessel housing including the filter-plate assembly is subjected to a vibrating motion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vibrating filter-plate assembly device for liquid filtration comprising a vessel housing for a filter-plate assembly and one or more flexible volume chamber(s) being filled with gas, where the flexible volume chamber(s) is/are adapted to expand and/or compress the volume(s) of the flexible volume chamber(s) inside the vessel housing allowing the liquid in the vessel chamber to move across the surface of said filter-plates when said vessel housing comprising said filter-plate assembly is subjected to a vibrating motion, wherein the vibrating device includes at least one flexible support or suspension, where the vessel housing is supported by said at least one flexible support allowing vibrating motion of the vessel housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vibrating device according to claim 1 being adapted for vibration of a filter-plate assembly, and the filter-plate assembly being adapted for vibration driven filtration, where said vibrating device comprises a vessel housing which comprises a vessel pressure chamber comprising a filter-plate assembly, and said filter-plate assembly comprising a plurality of rigid, planar filter-plates comprising one or more permeate channels and one or more permeate exits, where said one or more permeate exits extend perpendicular to the filter-plate assembly and through said vessel housing being adapted for the permeate to exit the vessel housing, and said filter-plate assembly is rigidly mounted inside said vessel pressure chamber; said vibrating device comprises at least one feed inlet adapted for a retentate stream to enter the vessel housing and at least one retentate outlet adapted for a retentate stream to exit the vessel housing, and said vibrating device comprises a vibration motor being adapted to provide a vibrating motion to the vessel housing, wherein said vibrating device comprises one or more flexible volume chambers being filled with gas and being adapted to expand and/or compress the volumes of the chambers inside the vessel housing allowing the retentate in the vessel chamber to move in parallel relative to the surface of said filter-plates, when said vessel housing comprising said filter-plate assembly is subjected to a vibrating motion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vibrating filter-plate assembly device according to claim 2, wherein the vessel housing comprises one or more flexible gaskets, said one or more flexible gaskets being adapted to separate the volume of the vessel pressure chamber and the volume of the one or more flexible volume chambers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The vibrating filter-plate assembly device according to claim 2, wherein the one or more flexible volume chambers are formed as gas filled balloons. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The vibrating filter-plate assembly device according to claim 2, wherein the vessel housing comprises one or more gas inlets adapted to control the pressure in the one or more flexible volume chambers, preferably the pressure in the one or more flexible volume chambers is pressure balanced with the retentate or media to be filtered in the vessel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vibrating filter-plate assembly device according to claim 5, wherein the flexible volume chambers in the vibrating device are connected via the gas inlets to a gas pressurized feed tank adapted for media or retentate to be filtered, said gas pressure pushing the feed to the vessel chamber, said gas pressure balancing retentate pressure in the flexible volume chambers and in the vessel chamber. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The vibrating filter-plate assembly device according to claim 2, wherein the direction of the vibrating motion is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the flexible volume chambers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The vibrating filter-plate assembly device according to claim 2, wherein the vessel housing comprises a through hole adapted for a passage of said one or more permeate exits from the vessel pressure chamber through the vessel housing, where said through hole structurally fixes the filter plate assembly rigidly in the vessel pressure chamber while allowing for drainage of permeate from the filter plate assembly outside the vessel housing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vibrating filter-plate assembly device according to claim 1, comprising two or more vessel housings, said two or more vessel housings are connected and structurally adapted to balance out vibrations and to avoid external vibration. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The vibrating filter-plate assembly device according to claim 2, further comprising at least one back-mix connection for homogenization of the retentate to be filtered by leading the retentate from the back-mix connection to another area of the vessel chamber, such as through connections. ### Claim 11 (canceled) ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The vibrating filter-plate assembly device according to claim 2, wherein said vibration motor is adapted to provide vibrating motion of a linear or circular nature or a combination of both. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The vibrating filter-plate assembly device according to claim 1, wherein the filter areas of the rigid filter plates are covered by an additional filter sheet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The vibrating filter-plate assembly according to claim 1, wherein the vibrating motion of the assembly of filter-plates and the pressure vessel relative to the media being filtered is achieved through oscillating the gas feeds asynchronically in relation to the flexible volume chambers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) Use of the vibrating filter-plate assembly device according to claim 1 for vibration driven dead-end filtration operation, where the media is concentrated in the retentate chamber and discharged at the end of operations or intermediately. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) Use of the vibrating filter-plate assembly device according to claim 1 for intermediately vibration driven filtration operation, where the media is concentrated in the retentate chamber and intermediate vibration action keeps the flux of the filter area from leveling off. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) Use of the vibrating filter-plate assembly device according to claim 1 for filtrating liquids with high solids content, or with high viscosity, or with high sanitary demand, and/or a combination thereof. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) Use of the vibrating filter-plate assembly device according to claim 1 for up-concentrating species, such as polypeptides, enzymes, proteins, yeast, or E. coli cells, in a liquid.