Spiral wound membrane modules with sensor and transmitter

A spiral wound module assembly (21) comprising:

• a) a pressure vessel (40) comprising:
• a chamber (41) including an inner peripheral surface (60) extending along an axis (X) between a first vessel end (38) and a second vessel end (38′), and at least one feed inlet port (42), concentrate outlet port (42′), and permeate outlet port (44);
• b) a first spiral wound module (2′) located within the chamber (41), said first spiral wound module (2′) comprising:
• v) at least one first membrane envelope (4′) wound about a hollow first permeate collection tube (8′) to form a cylinder with first scroll face (30′), a first opposing scroll face (32′), and a first outer peripheral surface (3′),
• vi) a first porous center section (15′) of the first permeate collection tube (8′) is located axially between two first distal sections (23′, 25′), wherein the first porous center section (15′) contains a first set of holes (24′) that pass from a first inside surface (5′) to a first outside surface (7′) of the first permeate collection tube (8′) and that connect a first permeate channel (12′) within the first membrane envelope (4′) to the first interior cavity (9′) of the first permeate collection tube (8′),
• vii) a first feed channel (6′) adjacent to the first membrane envelope (4′), wherein the first feed channel (6′) is suitable to enable feed flow through the first spiral wound module (2′) between the first scroll face (30′) and the first opposing scroll face (32′), and
• viii) a first endcap assembly (31′) affixed to the first spiral wound module (2′) and abutting the first scroll face (30′), said first endcap assembly (31′) including a first outer ring (33′) that defines a first outer periphery (36′) of the first endcap assembly (31′);
• c) a second spiral wound module (2″) adjacent the first spiral wound module (2′), said second spiral wound module (2″) comprising:
• v) at least one second membrane envelope (4″) wound about a hollow second permeate collection tube (8″) to form a cylinder with second scroll face (30″), a second opposing scroll face (32″), and a second outer peripheral surface (3″),
• vi) a second porous center section (15″) of the second permeate collection tube (8′) is located axially between second distal sections (23″, 25″) of the second permeate collection tube (8′), wherein the second porous center section (15″) contains a second set of second holes (24″) that pass from the second inside surface (5″) to the second outside surface (7″) of the second permeate collection tube (8″) and that connect a second permeate channel (12″) within the second membrane envelope (4″) to the second interior cavity (9″) of the second permeate collection tube (8′),
• vii) a second feed channel (6″) adjacent to the second membrane envelope (4″), wherein the second feed channel (6″) is suitable to enable feed flow through the second spiral wound module (2″) between the second scroll face (30″) and the second opposing scroll face (32″), and
• viii) a second endcap assembly (31″) affixed to the second spiral wound module (2″) and abutting the second scroll face (30″);
• wherein the first endcap assembly (31′) is adjacent the second endcap assembly (32″);
• a feed fluid pathway (61) passes through a central region (63) located between the first scroll face (30′) and the second scroll face (30″) and connects the first feed channel (6′) with the second feed channel (6″);
• the feed fluid pathway (61) comprising a feed fluid access pathway (65) connected to the first feed channel (6′) at the first scroll face (30′);
• and the first outer ring (33′) surrounds the feed fluid access pathway (65) and includes a radially extending annular feed flow resistor (19) contacting the inner peripheral surface (60) of the chamber (41);
• and
• wherein the spiral wound module assembly (21) is characterized by:
• an instrumented endcap assembly (59) selected from the first endcap assembly (31′) and the second endcap assembly (31″), wherein the instrumented endcap assembly (59) comprises a microprocessor, an antenna, a LoRa transmitter, and at least one sensor connected to the microprocessor, wherein said sensor is suitable to provide a measured value corresponding to pressure, differential pressure, flow rate, conductivity, pH, intensity, or light intensity, and wherein said LoRa transmitter is suitable to transmit said measured value by providing sequential chirps at a radio frequency between 400 MHz and 1000 MHz.