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US 5,693,229 AGranted
Process and apparatus for thickening of solid liquid mixtures by means of membrane
AssigneeBucher-Guyer AG Maschinenfabrik
InventorEduard Hartmann
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AssigneeBucher-Guyer AG Maschinenfabrik
InventorEduard Hartmann
Estimating the term…
To thicken retentate residues using ultra- or microfiltration to clarify fruit juices, apparatuses which have membrane modules (1, 2) are used in the cross-flow process with a retentate circuit. It is proposed that first, the process be carried out with virtually constant retentate overflow velocity at the membranes until there is an increased concentration. Then the transmembrane pressure of membrane modules (1, 2) is kept constant or further increased, and the overflow velocity is reduced, until the desired thickening of the retentate residue is achieved. So that the last reduction step can be carried out, speed-governed retentate displacement pumps (8) are employed. To prevent stoppages of the membranes of membrane modules (1, 2), the apparatus is operated with special flow dividers (10) for the retentate, or an individual circulating pump is associated with each group of membrane modules.
A process for thickening solid/fluid mixtures by way of membrane technology using an apparatus that includes membrane modules and a retentate circuit for circulating retentate, the retentate circuit including a retentate feed stream which is fed to the membrane modules, the process comprising, a first step of maintaining the retentate feed stream in the membrane modules virtually constant until an inflow pressure of the retentate feed stream flowing into the membrane modules exceeds a predetermined desired value due to thickening of the retentate, a second step of reducing the retentate feed stream to keep the inflow pressure substantially constant until a desired value of thickening of the retentate is reached, and a third step of removing the thickened retentate from the retentate circuit.
A process for thickening solid/fluid mixtures by way of membrane technology using an apparatus that includes membrane modules and a retentate circuit for circulating retentate, the retentate circuit including a retentate feed stream which is fed to the membrane modules, the process comprising, a first step of increasing the retentate feed stream in the retentate circuit until an inflow pressure of the retentate feed stream into the membrane modules reaches a predetermined desired value, and a second step of maintaining the inflow pressure into the membrane modules substantially constant by regulating the retentate feed stream until the retentate feed stream is reduced to a level which corresponds to a desired value of thickening of the retentate.
Apparatus for thickening solid/fluid mixtures by way of membrane technology, comprising membrane modules for filtering a retentate, a retentate circuit for circulating retentate into and out of the membrane modules, at least one volumetrical feeding pump located in the retentate circuit for pumping retentate into the membrane modules, said pump being equipped with a device for changing the feed capacity of the feeding pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.