Usf Filtration & Separations Group Inc.

Siemens Industry, Inc.

Siemens Water Technologies Pte. Ltd.

Evoqua Water Technologies Pte. Ltd.

U.S. Filter Wastewater Group, Inc.

Warren Thomas Johnson

Thomas William Beck

Fufang Zha

Robert James McMahon

David John Cox

Bruce Gregory Biltoft

Clinton V Kopp

David Wood

Gary William Stollery

Roger William Phelps

Zhiyi Cao

Humphrey John Drummond

Leon Keith Ernst

Ian Andrew Maxwell

Huw Alexander Lazaredes

Peter G Rogers

Jessica Stiller

Etienne Ulysse Brois

Michael R L Selbie

Humphrey J J Drummond

Matthew Brian Lee

Rebecca Yeo

Clint Virgil Kopp

Brett Kensett-Smith

Sargon Barkho

Dean Osman Cameron

Robert James Mcmahon

Clinton Virgil Kopp

In accordance with aspects and embodiments, a filtration system is provided comprising a membrane module comprising an upper header and a lower header, a plurality of hollow fiber membranes having an upper end potted in the upper header and a lower end potted in the lower head, a cage at least partially surrounding the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, and a screen in contact with and surrounding the cage, the filtration system further comprising an aeration cap coupled to the lower header of the membrane module. The screen may protect the hollow fiber membranes from damage from coarse contaminants contained in the feed liquid, may improve module integrity, and may improve the efficiency of the filtration system.

Membrane module protection

A method of filtering a feed liquid in a membrane filtration assembly is provided comprising introducing feed liquid to be treated into a filtration chamber of a membrane filtration system including a membrane module having one or more permeable hollow membranes, the module being located in the filtration chamber, and the filtration chamber having an open upper end located above an upper header of the membrane module and a closed lower end, and feed tank surrounding the filtration chamber. The feed tank may be configured to provide the feed liquid through the open upper end of the filtration chamber, and the feed liquid may be applied to the surface of the membranes within the membrane module and withdrawn from the lumens of the membranes as filtrate.

Method and assembly for water filtration using a tube manifold to minimize backwash

A membrane filtration assembly () including having a filtrate carrier () for minimizing backwash. The membrane filtration assembly includes a membrane module () having one or more permeable hollow membranes () supported therein by an upper header () and a lower header (). The filtrate carrier () extends between the upper () and lower () headers to allow filtrate to be collected from either or both ends of membranes (). A filtrate collection chamber () is associated with the upper () and lower headers () and in fluid communication with lumens of the membranes () for collecting filtrate withdrawn through said membrane lumens. A filtration chamber () is provided for receiving feed liquid to be applied to the surface of membranes () within the module (). The filtration chamber () includes an open end for receiving the feed liquid. The open end is located beyond the height of the module () to enable gravity feed.

Assembly for water filtration using a tube manifold to minimise backwash

An aeration/backwash device () for use with a porous membrane filtration module () including one or more membranes () extending longitudinally between vertically spaced upper () and lower headers () into which the ends of the membranes are potted. The membranes () having a permeable wall which, in use, is subjected to a filtration operation wherein feed containing contaminant matter is applied to one side of the membrane wall and filtrate is withdrawn from the other side of the membrane wall. The aeration/backwash device () adapted to at least partially surround a portion of said membrane module () and including a communication chamber () having spaced through-openings () in fluid communication with the chamber () and the membrane module (). In use, gas is supplied to the chamber () and communicated to the membrane module () through the through-openings () to aerate the membranes within the membrane module and liquid backwash is withdrawn from and/or fed into the membrane module () through the throughopenings into the chamber ().

Module cleaning method

A method of operating a membrane filtration module (), the module () including one or more membranes () extending longitudinally between vertically spaced upper and lower headers () into which the ends of the membranes () are potted. The membranes () have a permeable wall which is subjected to a filtration operation wherein feed containing contaminant matter is applied to one side of the membrane wall and filtrate is withdrawn from the other side of the membrane wall. At least one of the upper and/or lower headers () has one or more openings () therein and the method including flowing the feed, at least in part, through the one or more openings () for application to the membrane wall. Apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.

Methods and apparatus for removing solids from a membrane module

A method of cleaning permeable, hollow membranes is disclosed. In one embodiment, the membranes are immersed in a liquid suspension. A pressure differential is applied across the walls of the membranes. During filtration, liquid suspension passes through the walls of the membranes to be drawn off as permeate, and at least some solids are retained on or in the membranes. The steps of cleaning include: applying a cleaning solution to one side of the membrane walls; applying a pressure differential across the membrane walls to cause flow of the cleaning solution through the walls from the one side of the membrane walls to the other side of the membrane walls; and, applying a reverse pressure differential across the membrane walls to cause flow of the cleaning solution through the wall from the other side of the membrane walls back to the one side of the membrane walls.

Cleaning in membrane filtration systems

A method of controlling fouling in a membrane filtration system () of the type where gas is used to clean or scour the membranes () wherein the method includes supplying the gas to the system with a continuously variable flow rate. A continuously variable valve arrangement () is also disclosed.

Continuously variable aeration

A method of backwashing a membrane filtration module (), said module () including one or more membranes () located in a feed-containing vessel (), the membranes () having a permeable wall which is subjected to a filtration operation wherein feed containing contaminant matter is applied to one side of the membrane wall and filtrate is withdrawn from the other side of the membrane wall, the method including: removing liquid from the feed-containing vessel () until the level of liquid in the feed-containing vessel () falls to a first level (L) below an upper level of the membranes; suspending the filtration operation; performing a liquid backwash of the membrane wall until liquid level within the feed-containing vessel () rises to a second predetermined level (L) above said first level; aerating the membrane surface with gas bubbles to dislodge fouling materials therefrom; performing a sweep or drain down of the feed-containing vessel () to remove the liquid containing the dislodged contaminant matter; and recommencing the filtration operation.

Backwash

A method and apparatus for reducing the effect of integrity loss in a hollow fiber membrane module, said module including a plurality of hollow fiber membranes (), at least one end of the fiber membranes () being supported in a pot (), the method including the step of increasing flow resistance of the liquid through the lumen () of the fiber membrane () in the region of the pot ().

Methods of minimising the effect of integrity loss in hollow fibre membrane modules

A method and apparatus for removing fouling materials from the surface of a plurality of porous membranes () arranged in a membrane module () by providing, from within the module, by means () other than gas passing through the pores of said membranes, gas bubbles in a uniform distribution relative to the porous membrane array such that the bubbles move past the surfaces of the membranes () to dislodge fouling materials therefrom. The membranes () are arranged in close proximity to one another and mounted to prevent excessive movement therebetween. The bubbles also produce vibration and rubbing together of the membranes to further assist removal of fouling materials.

Scouring method

A filtration arrangement including one or more membrane modules () positioned vertically within a feed tank (), each membrane module () having one or more membranes positioned therein. An aeration hood () having an upper wall () and one or more downwardly extending side walls () is configured to at least partially shroud the membrane modules () within the tank (). The aeration hood () includes a number of open-ended tubes (), each extending downwardly from the upper wall () and forming a respective opening () therein. Each tube () is adapted to have at least one of the modules () mounted therein and extending through the respective openings () in the upper wall () so as to at least partially surround an outer periphery of an associated module or modules (). One or more aeration openings () are provided in each tube () at a location spaced from a proximal end of the tube (). The aeration hood side wall or walls () extend to below the location of the aeration openings () in the tubes (). Gas providing means () feed gas into the hood ().

Backwash method

A membrane module () comprising a plurality of porous hollow membranes (). The membranes () extend between and are fixed at each end in a header (). One header () has one or more of openings () formed therein. The openings () are in fluid communication with a source of gas and/or liquid (). The other of the headers () is sealingly connected to and in fluid communication with a head-piece (). The head-piece () is adapted to couple to an associated head-piece of a further module to form a rack of modules (). A potting head () for use in mounting porous hollow membranes () is also disclosed comprising a preformed potting element (). The potting element () includes one or more cavities () for receiving curate potting material which, in use, supports said membranes ().

Square membrane manifold system

Described herein are methods and systems for combination membrane/biolytic filtration. In one embodiment a filtration system is operated under suction. The arrangement includes a feed tan () having a smaller filtrate vessel () positioned therein. The region within, the feed tank () not occupied by the filtrate vessel () is partially filled with layers of decomposing and decomposed solid organic waste material to form an aerobic filter bed () of the type used in biolytic filtration as described above. A further module vessel () is mounted within the filtrate vessel () to form a membrane chamber () containing a membrane filtration module ().

Combination membrane/biolytic filtration

A membrane filtration manifold for connecting a filter submodule including one or more elongate bundles of semipermeable polymeric fibers is provided. The manifold includes a housing and connecting collar connected with said housing. The collar is adapted to receive and locate the submodule, where the submodule has a connecting sleeve with a locking formation. The submodule can be secured at one end to the collar by a clip adapted to engage both the collar and the locking formation to prevent axial withdrawal of the submodule from the collar. Also disclosed is a membrane filtration apparatus including a filter submodule including one or more elongate bundles of semipermeable polymeric fibers. The apparatus further includes a membrane filtration manifold removably connected at one end of said filter submodule and a basepiece removably connected to the other end of said filter submodule.

Growing community of inventors

Grose Vale, Australia

Warren Thomas Johnson