[01] Technical Field

[02] The subject invention relates to a membrane or filtration system utilized for the separation of fluid components, specifically spiral-wound membrane elements and flat membrane elements.

[03] Background

[04] Spiral-wound membrane filtration elements generally consist of a laminated structure comprised of a membrane sheet sealed to or around a porous permeate carrier which creates a path for removal, longitudinally to the axis of the center tube, of the fluid passing through the membrane to a central tube, while this laminated structure is wrapped spirally around the central tube and spaced from itself with a porous feed spacer to allow axial flow of the fluid through the element. Traditionally, a feed spacer is used to allow flow of the feed water, some portion of which will pass through the membrane, into the spiral wound element and allow reject water to exit the element in a direction parallel to the center tube and axial to the element construction.

[05] An alternate design of a spiral wound element allows for the feed to reject stream to flow in the same longitudinal direction of the spiral would membrane as the permeate flow, either from the outside of the spiral to the center, or from the inside of the spiral to the outside. Such a design requires a specially modified divided center tube to allow two separate flow paths, and also requires that both axial ends of the element are fully sealed to create the longitudinal flow path. This design of a spiral would element can be advantageous in providing an increased flow velocity and fluid shear within the feed to reject stream when compared to the traditional cross-flow design.

Increased flow velocity can be beneficial for the prevention of organic and inorganic fouling of the membrane and feed spacer, as well as reducing concentration polarization within the element as liquid passes through the membrane. Examples of such elements are those manufactured by Pentair Corporation under the trade name G O.

[06] It is also a source of flow restriction and pressure drop within the axial flow channel and also presents areas of restriction of flow and contact to the membrane that contribute significantly to membrane fouling via biological growth, scale formation, and particle capture.

[07] Summary

[08] Embodiments of the present invention provide elements that are beneficial for use in fluid filtration. Embodiments provide elements that have variable feed spacer height, variable permeate spacer height, or both. The variable height allows flow properties to be matched to fluid volume as the filtration occurs.

[09] Brief Description of the Drawings

[10] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a longitudinal flow spiral wound element. [11] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross section illustration of an unrolled longitudinal flow element with height graded deposited feed spacer.

[12] FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross section illustration of an unrolled longitudinal flow element with height graded deposited feed spacer and height graded deposited permeate carrier.

[13] FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross section illustration of an unrolled longitudinal flow element with deposited fixed height feed spacer and a height graded mesh permeate carrier.

[14] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross section illustration of an unrolled longitudinal flow element with deposited fixed height feed spacer and a height graded deposited permeate carrier.

[15] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross section illustration of an unrolled axial flow element with deposited fixed height feed spacer and a height graded mesh permeate carrier.

[16] FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross section illustration of an unrolled axial flow element with deposited fixed height feed spacer and a height graded deposited permeate carrier.

[17] FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross section illustration of an unrolled axial flow element with deposited height graded feed spacer and a height graded deposited permeate carrier.

[18] Description of Embodiments and Industrial Applicability

[19] Improvements to the design of spiral wound elements have been disclosed in US Patent 6,632,357 to Barger et al., US Patent 7,311,831 to Bradford et al., and patent application

PCT/US14/18813 to Herrington et al. which replaces the feed spacer with islands or protrusions either deposited or embossed directly onto the inside or outside surface of the membrane. None of these patents or applications, however, teaches a graded feed spacer or permeate carrier pattern height perpendicular to the axis of the center tube. The inventors have discovered that this configuration can be advantageous in that it maintains spacing for axial flow through the element while minimizing obstruction within the flow channel. In a brine feed spacer, concentration polarization increases at the reject end of the feed space as water molecules go through the membrane and reject salt ions. By having a thinner feed channel height at the reject end of the feed space, fluid shear is increased, thereby reducing the negative effects of concentration polarization. A printed or deposited spacer also eliminates the porous brine feed spacer as a separate component, thus simplifying element manufacture. On the permeate side of the membrane, as more and more water passes through the membrane, the volume of water flow increases as the water approaches the center tube. By gradually increasing the height of the space in the permeate flow region as fluid approaches the center tube, more volume (or cross section) is available in the space to minimize fluid velocity and subsequently reduce back pressure in the permeate space.

[20] Due to the nature of membrane filtration, the inlet flow volume is continuously reduced while it flows across the membrane, and the permeate flow volume increases down the length of the permeate carrier. The reject flow volume represents the difference between the inlet flow and the permeate flow, and comprises the full content of the dissolved or suspended materials which are not able to flow through the membrane, and are thus at a higher concentration in the reject stream than the inlet feed stream.

[21] The present invention provides a gradation in the brine feed spacing height in longitudinal flow spiral wound elements such that the height of the brine feed spacing decreases from the flow stream to the reject stream, allowing for more consistent or increased flow velocity as the volumetric flow through the feed to reject stream is reduced due to flow across the membrane. FIG. 1 depicts a longitudinal flow spiral wound element comprising one layer of membrane sheet 1, graded height feed spacer features 2 deposited on a second layer of membrane sheet 9 with a fixed height permeate carrier 3. The direction of feed flow and permeate flow are concurrent inward from the outer edge. The height of the feed spacer decreases from the point most distant from the center tube 6 to the point closest to it. The reject flow and permeate flow are collected through separate openings in a divided center tube 6. Glue lines 7 seal the edges of the element and produce longitudinal feed to reject flow within the element. FIG. 2 shows the same element in an unwound configuration so that the height gradation in the feed spacer features 2 can be seen more clearly. In the remainder of the drawings, membrane sheet 1 is depicted above and below in the diagram to visually represent the flow paths of the feed and permeate streams, but in use is only a single membrane sheet which creates the 2 ^nd flow channel when the spiral-wound element is rolled. As the brine flows from the feed end toward the reject stream at the center tube, volumetric flow in the feed channel is reduced as water passes through the membrane to the permeate carrier.

Decreasing the height of the feed spacer allows for constant or increased flow velocity in the feed stream as the volumetric flow decreases, which can be advantageous in preventing scale formation in the element. Likewise, by decreasing the height of the feed spacer along its length, overall leaf length can be increased while keeping the element diameter constant, allowing for additional surface area within the element.

[22] Similarly the height of the permeate carrier can be decreased at the longitudinal end of the element most distant from the center tube, where the volumetric flow is at its minimum, and increased as the volumetric flow increases towards the center tube. The height of the brine feed spacer can be increased at the longitudinal end of the element most distant from the center tube while the permeate carrier height is decreased commensurately so that the overall thickness of the feed spacer, membrane sheet, and permeate carrier are a constant thickness throughout the assembly. The heights can also be varied to achieve an increasing or decreasing overall thickness if desired. The variable height of both of these spacers can be achieved, as examples, by layering conventionally utilized mesh spacers of various heights or by depositing features on the membrane sheet whose height varies longitudinally directly onto one or both sides of the membrane sheet before element assembly. FIG. 3, depicts an unrolled longitudinal flow element with a deposited variable height feed spacer 2 which decreases in height from feed to reject flow between membrane sheets 1, 9. A height graded deposited permeate carrier 4 increases in height from the end most distant from the divided center tube 6 to the attachment to the divided center tube 6; in the example shown the increase in height matches the decrease in height of the feed spacer. The permeate carrier is bounded on 3 sides by glue lines 7, while the feed spacer is bounded only on the outer edges. The direction of feed flow and permeate flow are concurrent inward from the outer edge to the divided center tube 6. The combination of decreasing feed height and increasing permeate height optimizes the overall volume of the element, maintaining more constant longitudinal volumetric flow throughout both the feed spacer and the permeate carrier.

[23] In traditional axial brine feed flow and in longitudinal flow elements, another example embodiment of the present invention employs a gradation in the height of only the permeate carrier, increasing in thickness longitudinally from the point most distant from the center tube to the point adjacent the center tube. An example industry standard permeate carrier can be 0.010" in height throughout its length. By providing a permeate carrier which is thinner, for example 0.002" at the edge most distant from the center tube, increasing in height to 0.010" at the edge closest to the center tube, the length of the envelope comprising the membrane sheet and permeate carrier can be increased, providing additional surface area for filtration, while maintaining a constant volume of the element overall. The variable height of this spacer can be achieved, as examples, by layering conventionally utilized mesh spacers of various heights or by depositing features on the membrane sheet whose height varies radially directly onto one side of the membrane sheet before element assembly. In axial flow elements multiple leaves can be used, with each permeate carrier comprising a graded height spacer.

[24] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of an unrolled longitudinal flow element with deposited fixed height feed spacer 5 between membrane sheets 1, 9. A height graded mesh permeate carrier 3, created from three separate sheets of thin mesh, increases in height from the end most distant from the divided center tube 6 to the attachment to the divided center tube 6 bounded, by glue lines 7. The direction of feed flow and permeate flow are concurrent inward from the outer edge to the divided center tube 6. In this embodiment, as well as those shown in FIG. 5-FIG. 7, the reduced thickness of permeate carrier at distal end enables longer leaf length in a given diameter element due to reduced overall permeate carrier volume, while maintaining sufficient cross sectional area for adequate permeate flow throughout. [25] FIG. 5 depicts a further embodiment of an unrolled longitudinal flow element with deposited fixed height feed spacer 5 between membrane sheets 1, 9. Here, a height graded deposited permeate carrier 4 increases in height from the end most distant from the divided center tube 6 to the attachment to the divided center tube 6, bounded by glue lines 7. The direction of feed flow and permeate flow are concurrent inward from the outer edge to the divided center tube 6.

[26] In an example embodiment shown in FIG. 6, an axial flow element employs a deposited fixed height feed spacer 5 between membrane sheets 1, 9 with a height graded mesh permeate carrier 3, created from three separate sheets of thin mesh, which increases in height from the end most distant from the center tube to the attachment to the center tube 8, bounded by glue lines 7.

Permeate flows longitudinally inward towards the center tube while feed-to-reject flows axially, parallel to the axis of center tube 8.

[27] In another example axial flow embodiment, FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal cross section illustration of an unrolled axial flow element with deposited fixed height feed spacer 5 between membrane sheets 1, 9 with a height graded deposited permeate carrier 4 which increases in height from the end most distant from the center tube to the attachment to the center tube 8, bounded by glue lines 7. Permeate flows longitudinally inward towards the center tube while feed-to-reject flows axially, parallel to the axis of center tube 8.

[28] In another embodiment, the height of the brine feed spacer is decreased from the brine feed inlet to its outlet in an axial flow element. This configuration allows for more consistent or increased brine flow velocity as the volumetric flow through the feed to reject stream is reduced due to flow across the membrane. Maintaining more constant axial volumetric flow throughout the feed space can be advantageous in preventing scale formation in an axial flow element. In this case, the height of the permeate carrier must be decreased commensurately so that the overall thickness of the feed spacer, membrane sheet, and permeate carrier are a constant thickness throughout the assembly to allow for uniform rolling. The variable height of both of these spacers can be achieved, as examples, by layering conventionally utilized mesh spacers of various heights or by depositing features on the membrane sheet whose height varies spirally directly onto one or both sides of the membrane sheet before element assembly. FIG. 8 depicts such an embodiment with a section of an axial flow element with deposited variable height feed spacer 2 which decreases in height from feed to reject flow between membrane sheets 1, 9 with a height graded deposited permeate carrier 4 which increases in height in the direction from feed to reject flow, bounded by glue lines 7.

[29] Some permeable membrane systems use flat sheets instead of spiral-wound configurations and it can be seen that using graded height feed spacers, decreasing in height from inlet to outlet, in conjunction with inversely graded permeate spacers, can optimize volumetric flow in such systems as well. The example embodiments described, left in their unrolled states as illustrated in FIG. 2-FIG. 8, illustrate use in flat sheet systems.

[30] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention can be manifested in a variety of forms other than the specific example embodiments described and contemplated herein. Accordingly, departures in form and detail can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as described in the appended claims.