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US 2025/0114747 A1Published application
Apparatus and methods for cleaning reverse osmosis systems
AssigneeSynauta Inc.
InventorsMichael Bruce DIXON, Cole David MACLEAN, Nicholas HEROLD, Justin QUAINTANCE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and processes for controlling a reverse osmosis system for water desalination to reduce energy consumption. The system has a controller configured to receive information from the sensor array and determine a fouling parameter for each reverse-osmosis stage based on one or more of: an A-Value, a B-value and a normalized differential pressure. The controller is then configured to control the flow through each of the reverse-osmosis assemblies based on the determined fouling parameters to meet a predetermined criterion for total permeate production for the reverse-osmosis system.
Claims18
A reverse-osmosis system comprising:
- multiple reverse-osmosis assemblies, each reverse-osmosis assembly comprising:
- a reverse-osmosis stage having a semi-permeable membrane, a feed inlet, a permeate outlet and a concentrate outlet, wherein the feed inlet is configured to receive feed water having a feed-water flow rate;
- a concentrate valve configured to control the pressure of the concentrate outlet;
- a sensor array having:
- a feed pressure sensor;
- a feed flow sensor;
- at least one of:
- a feed salinity and a conductivity sensor;
- a feed temperature sensor;
- at least two flow sensors configured to measure at least two of:
- feed flow, permeate flow, and concentrate flow;
- at least one of:
- a permeate salinity and a conductivity sensor;
- a differential pressure sensor configured to measure the difference between the feed pressure and the concentrate pressure;
- and
- a permeate pressure sensor;
- and
- a controller configured:
- to receive information from the sensor arrays;
- to calculate, from the received information, one or more of:
- an A-Value, a B-value and a normalized differential pressure value, for each reverse-osmosis stage;
- to determine a fouling parameter for each reverse-osmosis stage based on one or more of:
- the A-Value, the B-value and the normalized differential pressure value;
- and
- to control flow through each of the reverse-osmosis assemblies based on the determined fouling parameters to meet a predetermined criterion for total permeate production for the reverse-osmosis system.
22 more elements
A method of controlling a reverse-osmosis system comprising:
- a reverse-osmosis stage comprising a semi-permeable membrane, a feed inlet, a permeate outlet and a concentrate outlet, wherein the feed inlet is configured to receive feed water powered by a feed pump;
- a concentrate valve configured to control the pressure of the concentrate outlet flow;
- the method comprising:
- measuring a feed pressure;
- measuring a feed flow;
- measuring a feed salinity and/or conductivity;
- measuring a feed temperature;
- measuring at least two of:
- feed flow, permeate flow, and concentrate flow;
- measuring a permeate salinity and/or conductivity;
- measuring a differential pressure configured to measure the difference between the feed pressure and the concentrate pressure;
- measuring a permeate pressure;
- determining a fouling parameter for each reverse-osmosis stage based on one or more of:
- an A-Value, a B-value and a normalized differential pressure value;
- and
- controlling the flow through adjust flow through each of the reverse-osmosis assemblies based on the determined fouling parameters to meet a predetermined criterion for total permeate production for the reverse-osmosis system.
13 more elements
A computer program comprising computer program code configured to run in conjunction with a reverse-osmosis system, the reverse-osmosis system comprising:
- a reverse-osmosis stage comprising a semi-permeable membrane, a feed inlet, a permeate outlet and a concentrate outlet, wherein the feed inlet is configured to receive feed water powered a feed pump;
- a concentrate valve configured to control the pressure of the concentrate outlet flow;
- a sensor array having:
- a feed pressure sensor;
- a feed flow sensor;
- a feed salinity and/or conductivity sensor;
- a feed temperature sensor;
- at least two flow sensors configured to measure at least two of:
- feed flow, permeate flow, and concentrate flow;
- a permeate salinity and/or conductivity sensor;
- a differential pressure sensor configured to measure the difference between the feed pressure and the concentrate pressure;
- a permeate pressure sensor;
- wherein the computer program code is configured to receive information from the sensor arrays;
- and
- to determine a fouling parameter for each reverse-osmosis stage based on one or more of:
- an A-Value, a B-value and a normalized differential pressure;
- and
- to control the flow through adjust flow through each of the reverse-osmosis assemblies based on the determined fouling parameters to meet a predetermined criterion for total permeate production for the reverse-osmosis system.
15 more elements
A reverse-osmosis system comprising:
- a reverse-osmosis stage having a semi-permeable membrane, a feed inlet, a permeate outlet and a concentrate outlet, wherein the feed inlet is configured to receive feed water having a feed-water flow rate;
- a concentrate valve configured to control the pressure of the concentrate outlet;
- a sensor array having:
- a feed pressure sensor;
- a feed flow sensor;
- at least one of:
- a feed salinity and a conductivity sensor;
- a feed temperature sensor;
- at least two flow sensors configured to measure at least two of:
- feed flow, permeate flow, and concentrate flow;
- at least one of:
- a permeate salinity and a conductivity sensor;
- a differential pressure sensor configured to measure the difference between the feed pressure and the concentrate pressure;
- and
- a permeate pressure sensor;
- and
- a controller configured:
- to receive information from the sensor array;
- and
- to determine a fouling parameter based on one or more of:
- an A-Value, a B-value and a normalized differential pressure;
- and
- to calculate how the fouling parameter would change as a function of permeate production for various flow rates through the feed inlet and recovery ratios, based on previous behaviour of the system.
20 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.