Energy Efficient Reverse Osmosis Filtration

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein the height of each of the membrane vanes is about 28 to about 100 mm, about 21 to about 31 mm, about 37 to about 57 mm, or about 84 to about 104 mm.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein an active membrane area of the filter element is about 0.4 to about 16 m2, about 0.4, 0.90 to about 0.96 m2, about 3.65 to about 3.8 m2, or about 15.25 to about 15.6 m2.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein a thickness of each of the at least one porous supporting strips is about 1.5 to about 2.5 mm or 1.9 mm.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein the tube is a supporting structure of the membrane vanes.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein the tube comprises an inner canal (400).

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein the tube comprises holes along the length of the tube and said membrane vanes are positioned over said holes.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein a pore size of the reverse osmosis membrane layer is about 0.001μ to about 10μ.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein a tensile strength of the reverse osmosis membrane layer is about 25,000 to about 50,000 psi.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein a yield strength at 0.2% offset of the reverse osmosis membrane layer is about 15,000 to about 30,000 psi.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein an elongation of the reverse osmosis membrane layer is about 5 to about 20%.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein a tensile modulus of elasticity of the reverse osmosis membrane layer is about 10×106 to about 15×106 psi.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein a pore size of the at least one porous supporting strip is larger than a pore size of the reverse osmosis membrane layer.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein the pore size of the at least one porous supporting strip is about 0.1 to about 50μ.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein a total cross sectional area of the membrane vanes is about 0.0015 to about 0.04 m2, about 0.00170 to about 0.0018 m2, about 0.0093 to about 0.0099 m2, or about 0.038 to about 0.40 m2.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one porous supporting strip and the reverse osmosis membrane layer are fused along three sides.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein the reverse osmosis membrane layer has a thickness of about 1 to about 4 mm.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein each reverse osmosis membrane layer is laminated onto each of the at least one porous supporting strips, and wherein each porous laminated membrane vane has a thickness of about 1 to about 4 mm.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein an average hydraulic diameter is about 2 to about 5 mm or 2.28 mm to 4.68 mm.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein a diameter of the filter element is about 50 to about 500 mm.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein a total active membrane area of each of the at least one porous supporting strips is about 0.4 to about 1 m2.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, which has enhanced concentrate flow movement and potential energy recovery.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein no spacer elements are positioned within the feed water flow channel or the permeate flow channel.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein said reverse osmosis membrane layer has a monolithic, controlled permeability media comprising multiple layers of stainless steel wire mesh.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one porous supporting strip comprises stainless steel.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein said membrane vanes do not wind around said tube.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, which can withstand pressures up to about 100 psi.

The filter element of any of the preceding claims, wherein the membrane vanes are equally spaced apart about a circumference of the tube (401), and wherein the spacing of the membrane vanes provides the minimum hydraulic diameter of the filter element of about 2.4 mm.

A reverse osmosis filter element for separating a first component from a fluid mixture comprising the first component and a second component, the filter element comprising:

• at least two membrane (filtering) vanes attached to a permeate conduit and spaced apart to provide a minimum hydraulic diameter between adjacent membrane (filtering) vanes of about 2, each membrane (filtering) vane comprising a reverse osmosis membrane layer disposed on a porous substrate, the reverse osmosis membrane oriented to be adjacent to the fluid mixture when in use;
• and
• at least one permeate flow channel within each membrane (filtering) vane, the permeate flow channel disposed adjacent to the porous substrate, the permeate flow channel in fluidic communication with the permeate conduit.