INCLINED FILTRATION CHANNEL

FIELD

This invention relates to a cross-flow membrane filtration channel. BACKGROUND

Out of the wide range of industries (e.g., water, environment, chemical, oil and gas, and food) needing membranes for filtration processes, water and wastewater treatment alone commands an enormous US$ 178 billion globally. Unfortunately, the endemic fouling phenomenon is such that the solutes and/or particulates tend to deposit on the membrane, thereby inhibiting the permeate flow across the membrane. Consequently, the operation has to be shut down and the membrane needs to be backwashed or replaced, which costs time and energy.

Cross-flow filtration has been proven to be effective for fouling control, especially in the filtration of feeds containing micron-size particles or floes. However, cross-flow filtration is an energy-intensive method, since large amounts of energy is needed for the pumping of feed and permeate flows through the channels. Specifically, the energy (E) required in cross-flow filtration is proportional to U ^' for laminar flows (which represents the lower bound of energy consumption relative to turbulent flows), where U is the average flow velocity, which implies that increasing U for enhancing fouling control involves a significant increase in energy consumption. Notably, the fouling control in cross-flow filtration cannot be 100% efficient, because the permeate flux (J) in the direction of the membrane inevitably causes a percentage of the particles or floes in the feed to have trajectories 60 that reach the membrane surface and potentially deposit, as depicted in Fig. 1 (prior art).

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect, there is provided a cross-flow membrane filtration channel defined by at least one membrane, wherein at least one surface of the channel is inclined at an angle away from a centreline of the channel in a direction of feed flow in the channel.

The at least one surface may comprise the at least one membrane.

The at least one membrane may be one of: a flat sheet membrane and a tubular membrane. The channel may be defined by two membranes forming two surfaces and both surfaces may be inclined away from the centreline of the channel in the direction of feed flow in the channel. The at least one surface may comprise a non-permeable wall of the channel.

A spacer insert may be provided in the channel at a downstream end of the channel to effect inclination of the at least one surface of the channel. Feed flow in the channel may comprise flow of an oily feed.

According to a second aspect, there is provided a filtration module comprising a plurality of cross-flow membrane filtration channels, wherein each of the channels comprises a channel of the first aspect.

Each of the channels may be oriented with its feed flow direction opposite to feed flow direction of its adjacent channel.

Feed flow in the plurality of cross-flow membrane filtration channel may comprise flow of an oily feed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily put into practical effect there shall now be described by way of non-limitative example only exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the description being with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings.

Fig. 1 (prior art) is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of a conventional cross-flow membrane filtration channel.

Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of a first embodiment of a cross-flow

membrane filtration channel of the present invention comprising a flat sheet membrane.

Fig. 3 is a schematic illustration of convective flow velocity components near a membrane surface of the cross-flow membrane filtration channel of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of a second embodiment of the cross-flow membrane filtration channel comprising two flat sheet membranes.

Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of a third embodiment of the cross-flow membrane filtration channel comprising a flat sheet membrane and a non- permeable wall.

Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of a cross-flow membrane filtration

module comprising a plurality of the cross-flow membrane filtration channel of Fig.

4.

Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of a fourth embodiment of the cross-flow membrane filtration channel comprising a tubular membrane.

Fig. 8 is a graph of deposition factor (φ) corresponding to various J and Θ values for the cross-flow membrane filtration channel of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9a is a DOTM image of deposition of particles at the membrane surface when flux was 20 L/m ² h using a prior art conventional cross-flow filtration channel.

Fig. 9b is a DOTM image of deposition of particles at the membrane surface when flux was twofold at 40 L/m ² h using the cross-flow membrane filtration channel of Fig. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments of the cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100 will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 9b. The same reference numerals are used to denote the same or similar parts among the various embodiments shown.

Membrane fouling is caused by the deposition of foulants on the membrane. The fouling phenomenon can be maximally mitigated if the foulants or particulates are prevented from depositing on the membrane in the first place. The present application discloses a flow field mitigation of membrane fouling (FMMF) in the form of a cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100 that can significantly mitigate fouling on the membrane surface in cross-flow membrane filtration. The cross-flow membrane filtration channel judiciously manipulates the flow field on the feed side of the membrane to direct the particles or floes away from the membrane surface, thus minimizing any deposition (i.e., fouling).

In a first embodiment of the cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100 as shown in Fig. 2, the membrane 10 is a flat-sheet membrane 10 and feed flows at an average velocity U in the channel 100. The flat-sheet membrane 10 forms a surface of the channel 100, and is inclined at an angle Θ away from a centreline C of the channel 100 in the direction of feed flow, so that foulants in the feed embark on trajectories 60 away from instead of towards the membrane 10 surface to delay fouling and prolong the lifespan of the membrane 10. Using the cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100, the filtration process can be operated in the laminar regime, which requires lower energy compared to that in the conventional cross-flow setup, whereby filtration is operated in the energy-intensive turbulent regime in order to reduce fouling. In the presently disclosed cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100, it should be understood that the mentioned centreline C of the channel 100 is an imaginary line that would have been the central longitudinal axis of the channel if no surface of the channel was inclined, as shown in Fig. 1 (prior art). The trajectories 60 of the foulants away from the membrane 10 shown in Fig. 2 are due to the convective flow away from the membrane 10 surface. Specifically, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the flow towards the membrane 10 is J (permeate flux) while the flow away from the membrane is £/-sin(0), where U is the cross-flow velocity in the direction along the channel and Θ is the inclination angle. Since U is much larger than J in membrane applications, even for a Θ value as minimal as 0.29°, the foulant is more likely to be directed away from rather than towards the membrane 10.

In a second embodiment of the cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100 as shown in Fig. 4, the channel 100 is defined between two surfaces that each comprise a membrane 10 that is inclined at an angle Θ away from the centreline C of the channel 100. Only the trajectories 60 of the particles below the channel centreline C are shown in Fig. 4, although in reality the trajectories 60 and permeate flux J are symmetrical about the centreline C.

In a third embodiment of the cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100 as shown in Fig. 5, the channel 100 is defined by a first surface comprising a flat sheet membrane 10 and a second surface comprising a non-permeable wall 20. The membrane 10 is kept parallel to the direction of the feed velocity U, while the non-permeable channel wall 20 is inclined at an angle Θ away from the centreline C of the channel 100. From the above, it can be seen that in all embodiments, inclination of at least one surface of the channel 100 away from a centreline C of the channel 100 in the direction of feed flow gives rise to trajectories 60 of the foulant particles away from the membrane 10, thereby reducing fouling of the membrane 10. The surface may be one or more membranes 10 and/or a non-permeable wall 20 of the channel 100.

To reduce the footprint requirement of a filtration module comprising a plurality of the cross-flow membrane filtration channels 100 having symmetrically inclined membrane 10 surfaces (as shown in Fig. 4), the channels 100 maybe vertically stacked and arranged so as to have inclination of the surfaces of adjacent channels 100 oriented in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 6. In this configuration, feed flow is directed in a zigzag manner, so that direction of feed flow in one channel 100-1 is opposite to the direction of feed flow in an adjacent channel 100-2. In alternative embodiments (not shown), the filtration module may comprise the other embodiments of the cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100 as described above, whether as a plurality of the same embodiment of the channel 100 or combining different embodiments of the channel 100 in a single filtration module in order to meet different filtration requirements.

It should be noted that the principle of operation of the presently disclosed channel 100 is applicable to all types of membranes and not only flat sheet membranes 10 as depicted in Figs. 2 to 6. For example, a tubular or hollow- fibre membrane 10 that defines a channel 100 having a tubular surface may be configured to have increasing cross-sectional diameter, i.e. from a smaller diameter Dj to a larger diameter D ₂ along its length, as shown in Fig. 7, so that its lumen cross-sectional area increases with length. Feed is flowed with a velocity U in such a tubular membrane channel 100 in the direction from smaller to larger diameter of the channel 100, so that the membrane 10 surface of the channel 100 is inclined away from the centreline C of the channel 100 in the direction of feed flow.

For hollow fibres configured with the cross-flow membrane filtration channels, a structured arrangement for flow in a shell or tank in which the hollow fibres are placed is required. This brings an added benefit of reducing flow mal-distribution in shell side flow compared to random packing of hollow fibres in the shell.

Increase in the cross-sectional diameter of a tubular or hollow- fibre membrane 10 may be achieved by fabricating the membrane 10 such that its diameter increases along its length. Alternatively, this may be achieved by providing spacer inserts (not shown) within the tubular or hollow fibre membrane 10 at a downstream end of the membrane, thereby increasing the distance between the membrane 10 surface and the centreline C of the membrane channel 100 at its downstream end. In this way, the surface of the membrane 10 would incline away from the centreline C of the channel 100 in the direction of feed flow. Using spacer inserts allows the present cross-flow membrane filtration channels to be achieved in existing filtration modules without requiring re-design of entire module dimensions. The spacer inserts may be fabricated via 3D printing as wedge-shaped baffles, spacers or mandrels and would using them would simplify assembly of the tapered channels 100.

Similarly, spacer inserts (not shown) may be used in channels 100 comprising flat sheet membranes 10, or even in the channels 100 of reverse osmosis spiral wound membrane modules, to increase the height of the channels 100 in the direction of feed flow, thereby achieving inclination of a surface of the channel 100 away from the centreline C of the channel 100 in the direction of feed flow.

Simulations and experiments were performed that demonstrated the efficacy of the cross- flow membrane filtration channel 100 described in the various embodiments above. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations showed that, with the proper design of the flow channel 100, most particulate foulants can be directed away from the membrane 10 due to the induced transverse velocity component Usin(6) in the direction opposite to the permeate flux J. Notably, the induced vertical flowfield component curbs the fouling problem in conventional cross-flow channels (Fig. 1), wherein foulants are directed in the same direction as the permeate flux (i.e., towards the membrane).

To quantify the effectiveness of the present cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100 compared to conventional cross-flow channels, a deposition factor φ, defined as the percentage of foulants deposited on the membrane relative to the total amount of foulants entering the feed channel, can be calculated for various scenarios. In particular, the larger the φ value is, the higher the fouling tendency is. CFD simulations were carried out for the configuration shown in Fig. 5 for four permeate fluxes (namely, 50, 100, 200 and 400 L/m ² h) and three inclination angles, Θ (namely, 0.29°, 0.58°, 1.15°). The parameters kept constant were channel inlet height of 2 mm, channel length of 20 cm and pump energy.

To maintain the same pump energy, a reference energy was used equivalent to that of the conventional cross-flow channel with a cross-flow velocity (U) of 0.1 m/s, while the U value in each case using the present cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100 was chosen such that the same pump energy was consumed. As seen in Fig. 8, inclinations as slight as Θ = 0.29° confer significant benefits in terms of reducing fouling (i.e., reduce the φ value). In particular, for the channel inlet height of 2 mm and channel length of 20 cm considered, an FMMF configuration per Figure 3b with Θ = 0.57° corresponds to a channel outlet height of 4 mm and a twofold reduction in fouling tendency (i.e., the φ value is halved) vis-a-vis the conventional cross-flow configuration.

Efficacy of the cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100 was also established through bench-scale experimental studies employing the established technique of direct observation through the membrane (DOTM) ⁴ . Assessment of fouling is generally tied to the concept of 'Critical Flux' ^{1 "3} , which is the specific permeate flux value below which negligible fouling occurs, hence allows quantification of the degree of sustainability of a membrane filtration process. In particular, the larger the critical flux value is, the more sustainable the filtration process will be. Results obtained using the configuration in Fig. 5 with Θ = 1.15° showed that, with the same pump energy, an almost 100% increase in the critical flux value was achieved when the present cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100 was employed compared to the conventional cross-flow filtration channel (Fig. 1). Pictures taken via DOTM at the onset of deposition (i.e., critical flux) are presented in Fig. 9, which shows that the critical flux is 20 L/m ² h in conventional cross-flow filtration (Fig. 9a), but doubled at 40 L/m h when the FMMF technique was employed (Fig. 9b).

A more detailed comparison between the present cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100 and the conventional cross-flow setup is displayed in Table 1. When the same energy consumption is used as the basis, the the present cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100 improves the permeate production rate twofold vis-a-vis the conventional cross-flow design. When the same permeate production rate is used as the basis, capital cost and energy consumption are halved while footprint (Fig. 6) is increased by a mere 1.3 times using the present cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100.

a Same energy consumption as basis for comparison

b Same permeate production as basis for comparison

Table 1

The present cross-flow membrane filtration channel 100 is particularly suited for membrane distillation of oily feeds as current methods face difficulties with membrane pore wetting problems. The induced trajectory of the oil droplets away from the membrane as a result of inclining at least surface of the channel reduces the likelihood of oil contacting the membrane, and thereby that of membrane pore wetting and the subsequent permeation of oil through the membrane.

Whilst there has been described in the foregoing description exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the technology concerned that many variations and combination in details of design, construction and/or operation may be made without departing from the present invention. For example, in embodiments where the channel is defined by a membrane and a non-permeable wall, both the wall and the membrane may be inclined away from the centreline of the channel in the direction of feed flow. References

1. Bacchin P, Aimar P, Sanchez V. Model for Colloidal Fouling of Membranes. Aiche J. Feb 1995;41(2):368-376.

2. Field RW, Wu D, Howell JA, Gupta BB. Critical Flux Concept for Microfiltration Fouling. J Membrane Sci. Apr 28 1995;100(3):259-272.

3. Howell J A. Subcritical Flux Operation of Microfiltration. J Membrane Sci. Nov 15 1995;107(1-2): 165-171. . Li H, Fane AG, Coster HGL, Vigneswaran S. Direct observation of particle deposition on the membrane surface during crossflow microfiltration. J Membrane Sci. Oct 14 1998;149(l):83-97.