Water treatment system

Abstract

Disclosed is a water treatment system capable of suppressing generation of membrane fouling during water treatment at a relatively low cost without reducing water permeability of a filtration membrane. The water treatment system includes a biological treatment unit for biological treatment of wastewater, and a membrane unit for filtration of the wastewater treated by the biological treatment unit, wherein at least one selected from the group consisting of the biological treatment unit and the membrane unit includes a plurality of population quenching media confined within a prescribed space therein.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a water treatment system, and more specifically, to a water treatment system that can suppress membrane fouling at a low cost during water treatment without reducing the water permeability of the filter membrane. Background Technology

[0002] A membrane bioreactor system (hereinafter referred to as an "MBR system") is a water treatment system that combines biological treatment processes with membrane separation processes to remove pollutants from wastewater.

[0003] Typically, an MBR system may include a flow control tank, an anaerobic tank, an anaerobic tank, an aerobic tank, and a membrane tank. In the anaerobic, anaerobic, and aerobic tanks, wastewater is biologically treated (i.e., contaminants such as organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus are removed by microorganisms). In the membrane tank, filtration for solid-liquid separation is performed.

[0004] When filtration is performed in a membrane tank, microorganisms present in the wastewater attach to the surface of the filter membrane and grow, forming a biofilm, which causes membrane fouling. Such membrane fouling reduces the separation performance and filtration efficiency of the filter membrane and increases energy consumption.

[0005] Microorganisms release specific signaling substances in response to changes in various environmental conditions, such as temperature, pH, and nutrients. When the density of microorganisms increases and the concentration of the signaling substances reaches a certain level, microorganisms exhibit collective behaviors such as biofilm formation. When microorganisms recognize that the concentration of the signaling substances has reached a certain level, this is called "quorum sensing."

[0006] Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2013-0034935 (hereinafter referred to as "Prior Art 1") is incorporated herein by reference, which discloses a method for immobilizing quorum quenching microbes capable of producing enzymes that can decompose signaling substances used for quorum sensing onto a carrier, and then introducing the carrier into wastewater in a membrane tank. Prior Art 1 describes that (i) the quorum quenching microbes immobilized on the carrier can inhibit biofilm formation at the molecular biological level, and (ii) the carrier, being fluid due to underwater aeration in the membrane tank, can cause any existing biofilm to separate from the filtration membrane by direct impaction onto the membrane surface.

[0007] However, in most MBR systems, although a portion (e.g., 2 / 3) of the wastewater in the membrane tank is returned to the anaerobic or non-anaerobic tank as Return Activated Sludge (RAS), the remainder (e.g., 1 / 3) is discharged from the membrane tank as Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) or Surplus Activated Sludge (SAS), thus being removed from the MBR system. Therefore, in the prior art 1, where a carrier immobilized with quorum quenching microorganisms is fluidly dispersed into the wastewater in the membrane tank, the carrier is continuously lost along with the Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) or Surplus Activated Sludge (SAS). Consequently, in order to maintain membrane fouling prevention during MBR system operation, the carrier immobilized with microorganisms must be continuously supplied to the membrane tank, which significantly reduces the economic viability of the MBR system.

[0008] Meanwhile, Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2022-0161764 (hereinafter referred to as "Prior Art 2") is also incorporated herein by reference, which proposes to attach quorum quenching microorganisms to the filter membrane itself using a hydrophilic polymer.

[0009] However, the filter membrane of prior art 2 exhibits relatively low water permeability because the quorum quenching microorganisms attached to it may act as a contaminant. Prior art 2 itself acknowledges this problem. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Therefore, this disclosure relates to a water treatment system that can prevent problems caused by the limitations and disadvantages of the aforementioned related technologies.

[0011] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a water treatment system that can suppress membrane fouling at a relatively low cost during water treatment without reducing the water permeability of the filter membrane.

[0012] In addition to the purposes described above, other features and advantages of this disclosure will be described below, or will be readily understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0013] According to one aspect of this disclosure, the above and other objectives can be achieved by providing a water treatment system comprising: a biological treatment unit for the biological treatment of wastewater; and a membrane unit for the filtration of wastewater treated by the biological treatment unit, wherein at least one selected from the group consisting of the biological treatment unit and the membrane unit includes a plurality of quorum quenching media confined therein within a defined space.

[0014] Multiple catastrophic media can be confined to a specified space using a mesh container.

[0015] Each of the quorum quenching media may include: a carrier; and quorum quenching microorganisms on the carrier.

[0016] The carrier can be a hydrogel with a three-dimensional network structure, including at least one selected from the group consisting of alginate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, and polyurethane.

[0017] The membrane unit may include: a tank into which wastewater treated by a biological treatment unit is introduced; and at least one membrane filtration device configured to perform filtration while at least a portion of the membrane filtration device is immersed in the wastewater introduced into the tank.

[0018] The membrane unit may further include: a mesh container mounted on a tank such that at least a portion of the mesh container is submerged in the wastewater, at least a portion of the catalytic quenching medium may be disposed in the mesh container, and the particle size of the catalytic quenching medium may be larger than the pore size of the mesh container.

[0019] The membrane filtration device may include: a sliding frame; multiple membrane modules installed in the sliding frame; and at least one quenching module installed in the sliding frame. The quenching module may include: an upper head and a lower head detachably connected to the sliding frame; and a mesh container disposed between the upper head and the lower head, with its two ends respectively connected to the upper head and the lower head. At least a portion of the quenching medium may be disposed in the mesh container, and the particle size of the quenching medium may be larger than the pore size of the mesh container.

[0020] The membrane unit may further include a drive unit for the reciprocating motion of the membrane filtration device.

[0021] The membrane unit may further include: a first guide rail configured to reciprocate with the membrane filtration device; a second guide rail configured to guide the reciprocating motion of the membrane filtration device; and a free-roller located between the first and second guide rails, the free-roller being movable relative to both the first and second guide rails.

[0022] The membrane unit may include multiple membrane filtration devices, and the membrane unit may further include a reciprocating frame, with the multiple membrane filtration devices individually coupled to the reciprocating frame. The drive unit may be configured to realize the reciprocating motion of the membrane filtration devices through the reciprocating frame. The reciprocating frame may have a bottom surface facing the free roller, and a first guide rail may be mounted on the bottom surface of the reciprocating frame.

[0023] The first guide rail can be flexibly mounted on the bottom surface of the reciprocating frame, so that the distance between the first guide rail and the reciprocating frame is variable.

[0024] The membrane unit may further include a guide frame disposed on the top of the tank, the guide frame having a top surface facing the free roller, and a second guide rail being mounted on the top surface of the guide frame.

[0025] The membrane unit may further include a pivot member having a central aperture, the first end of which is pivotally coupled to a guide frame, and the second end of which may be a two-pronged end having a first finger and a second finger. A rotating shaft connected to the rotation axis of the free roller may extend through the central aperture of the pivot member, and a protrusion provided at the reciprocating frame may be provided in the gap between the first finger and the second finger.

[0026] The membrane unit may include multiple membrane filtration devices, each of which may include: a sliding frame; and multiple membrane modules mounted in the sliding frame. The sliding frame may include: a support frame; a lower horizontal frame; an upper horizontal frame located between the support frame and the lower horizontal frame; and multiple vertical members configured to connect the support frame, the upper horizontal frame, and the lower horizontal frame to each other. The support frame may have a bottom surface facing the free roller, and a first guide rail may be mounted on the bottom surface of the support frame.

[0027] The first guide rail can be flexibly mounted on the bottom surface of the support frame, so that the distance between the first guide rail and the support frame is variable.

[0028] The membrane unit may further include a guide frame disposed on the top of the tank, the guide frame having a top surface facing the free roller, and a second guide rail may be mounted on the top surface of the guide frame.

[0029] The membrane unit may further include a pivot member having a central hole, the first end of which is pivotally coupled to a guide frame, the second end of which may be a bifurcated end having a first finger and a second finger, a rotating shaft connected to the rotating shaft of a free roller extending through the central hole of the pivot member, and a protrusion provided at the support frame may be provided in the gap between the first finger and the second finger.

[0030] The support frames of multiple membrane filtration devices can be detachably combined with each other, and each of the multiple membrane filtration devices can further include a hook receiving portion disposed on the support frame.

[0031] The biological treatment unit may include at least one selected from the group consisting of anaerobic tanks, anaerobic tanks, and aerobic tanks.

[0032] The biological treatment unit may include an aerobic tank, and at least a portion of the quorum quenching medium may be confined within a defined space within the aerobic tank.

[0033] The biological treatment unit may include an anaerobic or anaerobic tank, and at least a portion of the quorum quenching medium may be confined within a defined space within the anaerobic or anaerobic tank.

[0034] The water treatment system may further include a flow control unit configured to control the flow rate of wastewater to be supplied to the biological treatment unit.

[0035] The general description of this disclosure given above is provided for illustration or description only and does not limit the scope of the rights of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0036] The accompanying drawings are included therein to aid in understanding this disclosure, and are incorporated into and form part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and serve to illustrate the principles of the disclosure together with the detailed description thereof.

[0037] Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 (c) is a diagram schematically illustrating a water treatment system according to the first to third embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating a membrane filtration apparatus of a water treatment system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 3 This is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating a membrane unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 4 This is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a membrane filtration device with membrane units.

[0041] Figure 5 (a) and Figure 5 (b) are perspective and sectional views, respectively, schematically showing the guiding mechanism of the membrane unit.

[0042] Figure 6 This is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating a double-deck type filter device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 7 (a) and Figure 7 (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a guide mechanism according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 8 of (a), Figure 8 (b) and Figure 8 (c) are perspective, sectional and front views, respectively, schematically illustrating a guide mechanism according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 9 This is a perspective view schematically illustrating a membrane unit according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 10 This is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a membrane filtration device with membrane units.

[0047] Figure 11 (a) and Figure 11 (b) are perspective and sectional views, respectively, schematically showing the guiding mechanism of the membrane unit.

[0048] Figure 12 (a) and Figure 12 (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a guide mechanism according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] Figure 13 of (a), Figure 13 (b) and Figure 13 (c) are perspective, sectional and front views, respectively, schematically illustrating a guide mechanism according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0050] In the following, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 (c) is a diagram schematically illustrating a water treatment system according to the first to third embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1As shown in (c), the water treatment system according to this disclosure includes: a biological treatment unit 20a, 20b or 20c for biological treatment of wastewater; and a membrane unit 40 for filtering wastewater treated by the biological treatment unit 20a, 20b or 20c.

[0052] Biological treatment units 20a, 20b, or 20c may include at least one selected from the group consisting of anaerobic tanks, anaerobic tanks, and aerobic tanks. That is, depending on the type of wastewater to be treated (i.e., the type of main pollutant), the biological treatment units 20a, 20b, or 20c of this disclosure may have different configurations.

[0053] For example, such as Figure 1 As shown in (a), the biological treatment unit 20a of the water treatment system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first tank 21a, a second tank 22a, and a third tank 23a. The first tank 21a may be an anaerobic tank in which nitrite and / or nitrate are reduced to nitrogen by denitrifying microorganisms and thus removed; the second tank 22a may be an anaerobic tank in which a phosphorus release reaction occurs due to anaerobic microorganisms; and the third tank 23a may be an aerobic tank in which organic matter is decomposed into carbon dioxide and water by aerobic microorganisms and ammonia nitrogen is nitrified into nitrite or nitrate by nitrifying microorganisms. Depending on the circumstances, the order of the anaerobic tank and the anaerobic tank may be reversed.

[0054] Alternatively, such as Figure 1 As shown in (b), the biological treatment unit 20b of the water treatment system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first tank 21b and a second tank 22b, wherein the first tank 21b may be an anoxic tank and the second tank 22b may be an anaerobic tank or an aerobic tank.

[0055] like Figure 1 As shown in (c), the biological treatment unit 20c of the water treatment system according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure includes only one tank 21c, which can be an anaerobic tank, an anaerobic tank, or an aerobic tank.

[0056] like Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 As shown in each of (c), as an optional element, the water treatment system according to this disclosure may further include a flow control unit 10. The flow control unit 10 can control the flow rate of wastewater supplied to the biological treatment units 20a, 20b or 20c and can equalize the water quality.

[0057] Wastewater supplied from the flow control unit 10 is biologically treated as it passes through biological treatment units 20a, 20b, or 20c, and then introduced into membrane unit 40. In membrane unit 40, solid-liquid separation (i.e., filtration) is performed on the wastewater treated by biological treatment units 20a, 20b, or 20c.

[0058] A portion of the wastewater introduced into membrane unit 40 is returned as recirculated activated sludge (RAS) to tanks 21a, 21b, or 21c of biological treatment units 20a, 20b, or 20c, while the remainder is discharged from membrane unit 40 as waste activated sludge (WAS) or excess activated sludge (SAS), thereby being removed from the water treatment system.

[0059] According to this disclosure, at least one selected from the group consisting of biological treatment unit 20a, 20b, or 20c and membrane unit 40 includes a plurality of quorum quenching media 31 defined therein within a predetermined space. That is, although Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 (c) shows a water treatment system in which biological treatment unit 20a, 20b or 20c and membrane unit 40 each include quorum quenching medium 31, but only one of them may include quorum quenching medium 31.

[0060] The phrase "confined to a specified space" used in this article means that during water treatment operations, the mass quenching medium can only move within a specified space and cannot detach from it.

[0061] like Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 As schematically shown in (c), the membrane unit 40 of this disclosure includes a tank 100 into which wastewater treated by biological treatment units 20a, 20b, or 20c is introduced, and at least one membrane filtration device 1000 configured to perform filtration while at least a portion of it is immersed in the wastewater introduced into the tank 100. Additionally, as described above, the membrane unit 40 of this disclosure may include a plurality of quorum quenching media 31 confined within a defined space in the tank 100. Each quorum quenching media 31 may each include a carrier and quorum quenching microorganisms on the carrier.

[0062] The carrier on which the quenching microorganisms are immobilized can be a hydrogel with a three-dimensional network structure, comprising at least one of the following groups: alginate (e.g., sodium alginate), polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, and polyurethane.

[0063] The quorum quenching microorganism is a microorganism capable of producing enzymes (e.g., lactoneases, acylases, etc.) that can decompose signaling substances used for quorum sensing (N-acyl homoserine lactones: AHL). For example, Rhodococcus sp. BH4, Pseudomonas sp. KS2, Pseudomonas sp. 1A1, Pseudomonas sp. KS10, Bacillus sp. SDC-U1, etc., can be used as the quorum quenching microorganisms of this disclosure.

[0064] The quorum sensing activity test results of the quorum quenching microorganisms showed that they all tended to decompose AHL with longer carbon groups (e.g., C8, C10, or 3-oxo-C12) more rapidly. However, it was shown that *Pseudomonas* 1A1 and *Pseudomonas* KS10 could not decompose AHL with short carbon groups (e.g., C4, C6, or 3-oxo-C6). Therefore, *Rhodococcus* BH4, *Pseudomonas* KS2, and *Bacillus* SDC-U1 are preferably used as quorum quenching microorganisms, and more preferably, *Rhodococcus* BH4, which decomposes AHL with short carbon groups more rapidly, is used.

[0065] For example, the quorum quenching medium 31 can be manufactured using the following method, which includes: propagating quorum quenching microorganisms by shaking culture; obtaining microbial aggregates by centrifuging the shaking culture and then removing the supernatant (i.e., the culture medium); obtaining a microbial suspension by cleaning the microbial aggregates with a buffer solution and then suspending them in ultrapure water; mixing the microbial suspension with a carrier polymer solution (e.g., an alginate solution) to obtain a mixed solution; spraying the mixed solution into a calcium chloride solution to initiate a crosslinking reaction; and drying the hydrogel with the network structure obtained by the crosslinking reaction.

[0066] A method for manufacturing a riot quenching medium 31 is disclosed in detail in prior art 1, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0067] Because of the quorum quenching medium 31 of the membrane unit 40, biofilm formation and membrane fouling that may be caused by quorum sensing of microorganisms can be prevented.

[0068] like Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1As schematically shown in (c), the membrane unit 40 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a mesh container 32 mounted on the tank 100 such that at least a portion thereof is submerged in the wastewater. At least a portion of the quorum quenching medium 31 may be disposed in the mesh container 32. The quorum quenching medium 31 may have a particle size larger than the pore size of the mesh container 32, thereby being confined within the mesh container 32. That is, at least a portion of the plurality of quorum quenching media 31 may be confined within a defined space in the membrane unit 40 by means of the mesh container 32.

[0069] The mesh container 32 can be mounted on the tank 100, for example, via a support (not shown). The support can be detachably fixed to the upper part of the tank 100 using bolts or similar means, and the mesh container 32 can be suspended from the support such that at least a portion of it is submerged in the wastewater of the tank 100. By separating the support from the tank 100 and removing the support and mesh container 32 together from the tank 100, the introduction and replacement of the catalytic quenching medium 31 can be easily achieved.

[0070] Since the signaling material used for quorum sensing is also released from microorganisms in biological treatment units 20a, 20b, or 20c, it may be introduced into membrane unit 40 when wastewater biologically treated by biological treatment units 20a, 20b, or 20c is introduced into membrane unit 40. This inflow of signaling material may disrupt the quorum quenching effect in membrane unit 40.

[0071] Therefore, as described above, in addition to or in place of membrane unit 40, biological treatment units 20a, 20b, or 20c may include multiple quorum quenching media 31 confined within a defined space therein.

[0072] Specifically, when the wastewater resides in membrane unit 40 for a relatively short time, and therefore the amount of newly generated signaling substances in membrane unit 40 is much smaller than the amount of signaling substances introduced into membrane unit 40 from biological treatment units 20a, 20b, or 20c, the quorum quenching medium 31 may be included only in biological treatment units 20a, 20b, or 20c. The quorum quenching medium 31 can decompose the signaling substances released from microorganisms in biological treatment units 20a, 20b, or 20c, thereby preventing or minimizing the inflow of signaling substances into membrane unit 40.

[0073] Similar to the quorum quenching medium 31 of membrane unit 40, the quorum quenching medium 31 of biological treatment units 20a, 20b or 20c may also be disposed in mesh container 32 and may have a particle size larger than the pore size of mesh container 32 to be confined therein (i.e., within a specified space within biological treatment units 20a, 20b or 20c).

[0074] although Figure 1 (a) shows that only the third tank 23a (i.e., the aerobic tank) of the first tank 21a, the second tank 22a, and the third tank 23a is included in the biological treatment unit 20a, which includes the quorum quenching medium 31, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. In order to prevent or minimize the inflow of signaling substances into the membrane unit 40, the first tank 21a and / or the second tank 22a (i.e., the anaerobic tank and / or the anaerobic tank) may also include the quorum quenching medium.

[0075] Similarly, Figure 1 (b) shows that only the second tank 22b (i.e., the anaerobic or aerobic tank) of the first tank 21b and the second tank 22b is in the biological treatment unit 20b, which includes the quorum quenching medium 31. However, in order to prevent or minimize the inflow of signaling substances into the membrane unit 40, the first tank 21b (i.e., the anaerobic tank) may also include the quorum quenching medium.

[0076] In summary, biological treatment units 20a, 20b, or 20c may include an aerobic tank, and at least a portion of the quenching medium 31 may be confined within a defined space within the aerobic tank by a mesh container 32. Alternatively or additionally, biological treatment units 20a, 20b, or 20c may include an anaerobic and / or anaerobic tank, and at least a portion of the quenching medium 31 may be confined within a defined space within the anaerobic and / or anaerobic tank by a mesh container 32.

[0077] Figure 2 Alternative embodiments for confining the quorum quenching medium 31 within a defined space within the membrane unit 40 are shown. For example... Figure 2 As shown, at least a portion of the quenching medium 31 in membrane unit 40 can be incorporated into membrane filtration device 1000.

[0078] More specifically, the membrane filtration device 1000 of this embodiment may include a sliding frame 1100, a plurality of membrane modules 1200 installed in the sliding frame 1100, and at least one quenching module 1300 installed in the sliding frame.

[0079] The sliding frame 1100 may include an upper horizontal frame 1110, a lower horizontal frame 1120, and a plurality of vertical members 1130 configured to connect the upper horizontal frame 1110 and the lower horizontal frame 1120 to each other.

[0080] Although not shown, to increase mechanical durability, the sliding frame 1100 may further include a plurality of reinforcing bars configured to connect the vertical member 1130 to the upper horizontal frame 1110 and the lower horizontal frame 1120 in various ways.

[0081] Each membrane module 1200 may include an upper head 1211 having a first discharge port OP1 at one end, a lower head 1212 having a second discharge port OP2 at one end, and a filter membrane 1220 configured to be in fluid communication with the upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212.

[0082] One end of the filter membrane 1220 is fixed to the upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212 via a potting layer 1230, respectively. The filter membrane 1220 is in fluid communication with the upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212, thereby allowing the permeate passing through the filter membrane 1220 to be introduced into the water collection spaces of the upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212. Subsequently, the permeate is discharged from the membrane module 1200 through the first discharge port OP1 of the upper head 1211 and the second discharge port OP2 of the lower head 1212.

[0083] Although the hollow filter membrane with a length direction parallel to the vertical member 1130 is shown as Figure 2 The filter membrane 1220 in this disclosure is not limited to this, and the hollow filter membrane can be a flat sheet membrane.

[0084] The upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212 are respectively attached to the upper horizontal frame 1110 and the lower horizontal frame 1120, thereby the membrane module 1200 is installed in the sliding frame 1100.

[0085] Specifically, the upper horizontal frame 1110 may include: an upper horizontal tube 1111, one end of which, an upper head 1211, is connected to the upper horizontal tube 1111 via a first discharge port OP1; an upper horizontal bar 1112, the other end of which, the upper head 1211, is connected to the upper horizontal bar 1112; a first upper horizontal member 1113 configured to connect one end of the upper horizontal tube 1111 to one end of the upper horizontal bar 1112; and a second upper horizontal member 1114 configured to connect the other end of the upper horizontal tube 1111 to the other end of the upper horizontal bar 1112. The first discharge port OP1 of the upper head 1211 is inserted into a first hole H1 of the upper horizontal tube 1111, thereby connecting one end of the upper head 1211 to the upper horizontal tube 1111. Permeate discharged from the upper head 1211 through the first discharge port OP1 is introduced into the upper horizontal tube 1111 and then flows out through the permeate discharge port POP.

[0086] Similarly, the lower horizontal frame 1120 may include: a lower horizontal tube 1121, one end of a lower head 1212 being connected to the lower horizontal tube 1121 via a second discharge port OP2; a lower horizontal bar 1122, the other end of the lower head 1212 being connected to the lower horizontal bar 1122; a first lower horizontal member 1123 configured to connect one end of the lower horizontal tube 1121 to one end of the lower horizontal bar 1122; and a second lower horizontal member 1124 configured to connect the other end of the lower horizontal tube 1121 to the other end of the lower horizontal bar 1122. The second discharge port OP2 of the lower head 1212 is inserted into the second hole H2 of the lower horizontal tube 1121, thereby connecting one end of the lower head 1212 to the lower horizontal tube 1121. Permeate discharged from the lower head 1212 through the second discharge port OP2 is introduced into the lower horizontal tube 1121.

[0087] At least one of the vertical members 1130 that connect the upper horizontal tube 1111 and the lower horizontal tube 1121 to each other may have a tube shape that is in fluid communication with them, so that the permeate introduced into the lower horizontal tube 1321 can flow into the upper horizontal tube 1111 and then be discharged to the outside through the permeate discharge port POP.

[0088] Alternatively, a separate permeate discharge port can be provided at the lower horizontal tube 1121, so that the permeate introduced into the lower horizontal tube 1121 can be discharged to the outside through this separate permeate discharge port.

[0089] The other end of the upper head 1211 is attached to the upper crossbar 1112. For example, as Figure 2 As shown, the first rib R1 located at the upper crossbar 1112 can be inserted into the first receiving member 1241 located at the other end of the upper head 1211, thereby connecting the other end of the upper head 1211 to the upper crossbar 1112.

[0090] Similarly, the second rib R2 provided at the lower crossbar 1122 can be inserted into the second receiving member 1242 provided at the other end of the lower head 1212, thereby connecting the other end of the lower head 1212 to the lower crossbar 1122.

[0091] like Figure 2 As schematically illustrated, at least one swarm quenching module 1300 may include an upper head 1311, a lower head 1312, and a mesh container 1320 disposed between the upper head 1311 and the lower head 1312. The two ends of the mesh container are respectively attached to the upper head 1311 and the lower head 3312, and at least a portion of the swarm quenching medium 31 of this disclosure may be disposed within the mesh container 1320. The swarm quenching medium 31 may have a particle size larger than the pore size of the mesh container 1320 to be confined therein.

[0092] The quenching module 1300 can be installed in the sliding frame 1100 in a manner substantially the same as that used for the membrane module 1200.

[0093] The upper head 1311 and lower head 1312 of the quorum quenching module 1300 may have a structure substantially the same as that of the upper head 1211 and lower head 1212 of the membrane module 1200. That is, each of the upper head 1311 and lower head 1312 of the quorum quenching module 1300 may also have a hollow space therein and may be attached to the mesh container 1320 via a potting layer (not shown). However, in order to prevent the permeate produced by the membrane module 1200 from being introduced into the hollow spaces of the upper head 1311 and lower head 1312 through the horizontal tubes 1111 and 1121, the discharge port of each of the upper head 1311 and lower head 1312 of the quorum quenching module 1300 may be blocked.

[0094] Alternatively, each of the upper head 1311 and lower head 1312 of the riot quenching module 1300 may have a structure in which there is no hollow space, and the two ends of the mesh container 1320 may be bonded to each of the upper head 1311 and lower head 1312 using conventional mechanical bonding methods and / or chemical bonding methods.

[0095] In summary, the quorum quenching medium 31 of this disclosure can be confined within a specified space by means of a mesh container 32 disposed in the biological treatment unit 20a, 20b or 20c and / or membrane unit 40, such as Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 As shown in (c), or confined within a defined space within the membrane unit 40 by the mesh container 1320 of the quorum quenching module 1300 integrated into the membrane filtration device 1000, such as Figure 2 As shown. Therefore, when waste activated sludge (WAS) or excess activated sludge (SAS) is discharged from membrane unit 40 and thus removed from the water treatment system, the loss of the quorum quenching medium 31 can be prevented or minimized. This improves the economic feasibility of the water treatment system. Furthermore, since the quorum quenching medium 31 is spaced apart from the filter membrane 1220, there is no risk of deterioration in the water permeability (i.e., initial water permeability) of the filter membrane 1220 due to the quorum quenching medium 31.

[0096] During solid-liquid separation in the membrane filtration device 1000, contaminants may adhere to the surface of the filter membrane 1220, potentially reducing its permeability. Therefore, cleaning is required to remove contaminants from the surface of the filter membrane 1220. Cleaning is typically performed during water treatment using an aeration method where air supplied from a blower is injected through aeration holes in an aeration pipe onto the filter membrane to remove contaminants from its surface. However, cleaning using an aeration method increases the amount of energy consumed by the blower.

[0097] To overcome the problems of aeration cleaning, Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2018-0062257A (hereinafter referred to as "Prior Art 3") proposes an apparatus and method that can prevent or reduce membrane fouling in wastewater by means of the reciprocating motion of the filter membrane. Specifically, Prior Art 3 teaches combining multiple membrane filtration devices into a single reciprocating frame equipped with multiple rollers, and using a drive unit to reciprocate the reciprocating frame along a guide rail during water treatment, thereby cleaning the filter membrane of the membrane filtration device.

[0098] The method in prior art 3 has the advantage of lower energy consumption than aeration cleaning methods. However, due to the flatness difference between the reciprocating frame and the guide rail, all rollers of the reciprocating frame cannot simultaneously contact the guide rail. This causes the load to be biased towards the portion of the rollers in contact with the guide rail, accelerating roller wear and bearing breakage. Furthermore, the repeated contact and non-contact between the rollers and the guide rail during the reciprocating motion of the reciprocating frame results in considerable noise due to contact impact and damage to the rollers.

[0099] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a membrane unit 40 is provided that can clean the filter membrane 1220 with relatively low energy consumption and prevent damage to components and noise generation.

[0100] In the following text, reference will be made to Figures 3 to 5 The membrane unit 40 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail.

[0101] Figure 3 This is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating a membrane unit 40 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 This is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the membrane filtration device 1000 with membrane unit 40. Figure 5 (a) and Figure 5 (b) are perspective and sectional views, respectively, schematically showing the guide mechanism of membrane unit 40.

[0102] To simplify the accompanying drawings and facilitate understanding of this disclosure, from Figure 3 Omit membrane filtration equipment 1000.

[0103] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, a membrane unit 40 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a tank 100 in which wastewater to be treated is introduced; at least one membrane filtration device 1000 configured to perform filtration with at least a portion of it immersed in the wastewater; a drive unit 200 for reciprocating motion of the membrane filtration device 1000; a first guide rail 300 configured to reciprocate together with the membrane filtration device 1000; a second guide rail 400 configured to guide the reciprocating motion of the membrane filtration device 1000; and a free roller 500 located between the first guide rail 300 and the second guide rail 400.

[0104] Unlike the prior art 3, where multiple rollers are fixedly coupled to a reciprocating frame, the free roller 500 of this disclosure is not fixedly coupled to any frame. Therefore, the free roller 500 of this disclosure is movable relative to both the first guide rail 300 and the second guide rail 400. During filtration, the load of the membrane filtration device 1000 can be evenly distributed to the free roller 500 of this disclosure. Therefore, the membrane unit 40 according to this disclosure can (i) clean the filter membrane with only a smaller amount of energy than that required in the aeration cleaning method, (ii) prevent damage to components (specifically, damage to the rollers) that may be caused by biased load, thereby significantly reducing operating and maintenance costs, and (iii) prevent noise generation during filtration.

[0105] The membrane unit 40 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a reciprocating frame 600 to which a plurality of membrane filtration devices 1000 are respectively coupled. The drive unit 200 is configured to realize the reciprocating motion of the membrane filtration devices 1000 via the reciprocating frame 600.

[0106] like Figure 3 As shown, the drive unit 200 may include: a motor 210; a power transmission member 220 connected to the reciprocating frame 600; and a motion conversion mechanism 230 configured to convert the rotational motion of the motor 210 into the linear reciprocating motion of the power transmission member 220.

[0107] The motion conversion mechanism 230 can be a crank-connecting rod mechanism. That is, the motion conversion mechanism 230 may include: a crankshaft 321 rotatable by a motor 210; and a connecting rod 232, one end of which is connected to the crankshaft 231, and the other end of which is connected to the power transmission member 220. Alternatively, the motion conversion mechanism 230 can be a cam follower mechanism.

[0108] like Figure 4As shown, each of the plurality of membrane filtration devices 1000 incorporated into the reciprocating frame 600 may include a sliding frame 1100 and a plurality of membrane modules 1200 mounted therein. Although in Figure 4 Not shown, but at least one of the membrane filtration devices 1000 may further include at least one quenching module 1300 mounted in the sliding frame 1100, as described above.

[0109] The sliding frame 1100 may include an upper horizontal frame 1110, a lower horizontal frame 1120, and a plurality of vertical members 1130 connecting the upper horizontal frame 1110 and the lower horizontal frame 1120 to each other. The sliding frame 1100 may be coupled to the reciprocating frame 600 using various known methods.

[0110] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the vertical members 1130 can extend beyond the upper horizontal frame 1110, and these extensions can be integrated into the reciprocating frame 600. Therefore, even when the drive unit 200, reciprocating frame 600, first guide rail 300, second guide rail 400, and free roller 500 are not submerged in the wastewater in tank 100, the membrane module 1200 of the membrane filtration device 1000 can be submerged in the wastewater to perform filtration. Thus, the number of components that should be submerged in wastewater and are therefore susceptible to corrosion can be minimized, and the need for separate corrosion-inhibiting chemical treatments can be minimized.

[0111] Although not shown, to increase mechanical durability, the sliding frame 1100 may further include a plurality of reinforcing bars configured to connect the vertical member 1130 to the upper horizontal frame 1110 and the lower horizontal frame 1120 in various ways.

[0112] The membrane module 1200 may each include an upper head 1211 having a first discharge port OP1 at one end, a lower head 1212 having a second discharge port OP2 at one end, and a filter membrane 1220 configured to be in fluid communication with the upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212.

[0113] One end of the filter membrane 1220 is fixed to the upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212 via a potting layer 1230, respectively. The filter membrane 1220 is in fluid communication with the upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212, thereby introducing the permeate passing through the filter membrane 1220 into the water collection spaces of the upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212. Subsequently, the permeate is discharged from the membrane module 1200 through the first discharge port OP1 of the upper head 1211 and the second discharge port OP2 of the lower head 1212.

[0114] Despite having a hollow filter membrane with a length direction parallel to the vertical member 1130, Figure 4 The filter membrane 1220 is shown in the figure, but the filter membrane 1220 of this disclosure is not limited thereto and may be a flat sheet membrane.

[0115] The upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212 are respectively attached to the upper horizontal frame 1110 and the lower horizontal frame 1120, thereby the membrane module 1200 is installed in the sliding frame 1100.

[0116] Specifically, the upper horizontal frame 1110 may include: an upper horizontal tube 1111, one end of which, an upper head 1211, is connected to the upper horizontal tube 1111 via a first discharge port OP1; an upper horizontal bar 1112, the other end of which, the upper head 1211, is connected to the upper horizontal bar 1112; a first upper horizontal member 1113, configured to connect one end of the upper horizontal tube 1111 to one end of the upper horizontal bar 1112; and a second upper horizontal member 1114, configured to connect the other end of the upper horizontal tube 1111 to the other end of the upper horizontal bar 1112. The first discharge port OP1 of the upper head 1211 is inserted into a first hole H1 of the upper horizontal tube 1111, thereby connecting one end of the upper head 1211 to the upper horizontal tube 1111. The permeate discharged from the upper head 1211 through the first discharge port OP1 is introduced into the upper horizontal tube 1111, and then flows out through the permeate discharge port POP.

[0117] Similarly, the lower horizontal frame 1120 may include: a lower horizontal tube 1121, one end of a lower head 1212 being connected to the lower horizontal tube 1121 via a second discharge port OP2; a lower horizontal bar 1122, the other end of the lower head 1212 being connected to the lower horizontal bar 1122; a first lower horizontal member 1123, configured to connect one end of the lower horizontal tube 1121 to one end of the lower horizontal bar 1122; and a second lower horizontal member 1124, configured to connect the other end of the lower horizontal tube 1121 to the other end of the lower horizontal bar 1122. The second discharge port OP2 of the lower head 1212 is inserted into the second hole H2 of the lower horizontal tube 1121, thereby connecting one end of the lower head 1212 to the lower horizontal tube 1121. Permeate discharged from the lower head 1212 through the second discharge port OP2 is introduced into the lower horizontal tube 1121.

[0118] At least one of the vertical members 1130 that connect the upper horizontal tube 1111 and the lower horizontal tube 1121 to each other may have a tubular shape in fluid communication with it, thereby allowing the permeate introduced into the lower horizontal tube 1321 to flow into the upper horizontal tube 1111 and then be discharged to the outside through the permeate discharge port POP.

[0119] Alternatively, a separate permeate discharge port can be provided at the lower horizontal tube 1121, so that the permeate introduced into the lower horizontal tube 1121 can be discharged to the outside through this separate permeate discharge port.

[0120] The other end of the upper head 1211 is attached to the upper crossbar 1112. For example, as Figure 4 As shown, the first rib R1 located at the upper crossbar 1112 can be inserted into the first receiving member 1241 located at the other end of the upper head 1211, thereby the other end of the upper head 1211 can be connected to the upper crossbar 1112.

[0121] Similarly, the second rib R2 provided at the lower crossbar 1122 can be inserted into the second receiving member 1242 provided at the other end of the lower head 1212, thereby the other end of the lower head 1212 can be connected to the lower crossbar 1122.

[0122] Each of the plurality of membrane filtration devices 1000 has a reciprocating frame 600 connected thereto having a bottom surface facing the free roller 500, and a first guide rail 300 is mounted on the bottom surface of the reciprocating frame 600. Therefore, when the reciprocating frame 600 reciprocates via the drive unit 200, the first guide rail 300 of this disclosure can reciprocate together with the membrane filtration device 1000.

[0123] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the membrane unit 40 may further include a guide frame 700 disposed on the tank 100. The guide frame 700 may have a top surface facing the free roller 500, and a second guide rail 400 may be mounted on the top surface of the guide frame.

[0124] Figure 6 This is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating a dual-layer membrane filtration device 2000 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0125] like Figure 6 As shown, the dual-layer membrane filtration device 2000 includes: a sliding frame 2100 having a first internal space and a second internal space; a first membrane module 2200a installed in the first internal space; and a second membrane module 2200b installed in the second internal space. Although in Figure 6 Not shown, but the membrane filtration device 2000 may further include at least one quenching module 1300 installed in the first internal space and / or the second internal space, as described above.

[0126] The sliding frame 2100 may include an upper horizontal frame 2110, a lower horizontal frame 2120, and a plurality of vertical members 2130 configured to connect the upper horizontal frame 2110 and the lower horizontal frame 2120 to each other. The vertical members 2130 may extend beyond the upper horizontal frame 2110, and these extensions may be incorporated into the reciprocating frame 600.

[0127] Although not shown, to increase mechanical durability, the sliding frame 2100 may further include a plurality of reinforcing bars configured to connect the vertical member 2130 to the upper horizontal frame 2110 and the lower horizontal frame 2120 in various ways.

[0128] Each of the first membrane module 2200a and the second membrane module 2200b may include: an upper head 1211 having a first discharge port OP1 at one end; a lower head 1212 having a second discharge port OP2 at one end; and a filter membrane 1220 configured to be in fluid communication with the upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212.

[0129] One end of the filter membrane 1220 is fixed to the upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212 via a potting layer 1230, respectively. The filter membrane 1220 is in fluid communication with the upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212, thereby introducing the permeate passing through the filter membrane 1220 into the water collection spaces of the upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212. Subsequently, the permeate is discharged from each of the first membrane module 2200a and the second membrane module 2200b through the first discharge port OP1 of the upper head 1211 and the second discharge port OP2 of the lower head 1212.

[0130] Despite having a hollow filter membrane with a length direction parallel to the vertical member 2130, Figure 6 The filter membrane 1220 is shown in the figure, but the filter membrane 1220 of this disclosure is not limited thereto and may be a flat sheet membrane.

[0131] The upper head 1211 and the lower head 1212 are respectively attached to the upper horizontal frame 2110 and the lower horizontal frame 2120, thereby each of the first membrane module 2200a and the second membrane module 2200b is mounted in the sliding frame 2100.

[0132] Specifically, the upper horizontal frame 2110 may include: a common upper horizontal tube 2111; a first upper horizontal bar 2112a and a second upper horizontal bar 2112b; a first upper horizontal member 2113 configured to connect one end of the common upper horizontal tube 2111 to one end of each of the first upper horizontal bar 2112a and the second upper horizontal bar 2112b; and a second upper horizontal member 2114 configured to connect the other end of the common upper horizontal tube 2111 to the other end of each of the first upper horizontal bar 2112a and the second upper horizontal bar 2112b. The common upper horizontal tube 2111 has a length direction parallel to the first upper horizontal bar 2112a and the second upper horizontal bar 2112b, and the common upper horizontal tube 2111 is disposed between the first upper horizontal bar 2112a and the second upper horizontal bar 2112b.

[0133] The common upper horizontal tube 2111 has a first hole H1 formed in each of its surface facing the first upper horizontal bar 2112a and its opposite surface (i.e., its surface facing the second upper horizontal bar 2112b). The first discharge ports OP1 of the first membrane module 2200a and the second membrane module 2200b are respectively inserted into the first hole H1, thereby connecting one end of the upper head 1211 of each of the first membrane module 2200a and the second membrane module 2200b to the common upper horizontal tube 2111. Permeate discharged through the first discharge port OP1 of each of the first membrane module 2200a and the second membrane module 2200b is introduced into the common upper horizontal tube 2111 and then flows out through the permeate discharge port POP.

[0134] Similarly, the lower horizontal frame 2120 may include: a common lower horizontal tube 2121; a first lower horizontal bar 2122a and a second lower horizontal bar 2122b; a first lower horizontal member 2123 configured to connect one end of the common lower horizontal tube 2121 to one end of each of the first lower horizontal bar 2122a and the second lower horizontal bar 2122b; and a second lower horizontal member 2124 configured to connect the other end of the common lower horizontal tube 2121 to the other end of each of the first lower horizontal bar 2122a and the second lower horizontal bar 2122b. The common lower horizontal tube 2121 has a length direction parallel to the first lower horizontal bar 2122a and the second lower horizontal bar 2122b, and the common lower horizontal tube 2121 is disposed between the first lower horizontal bar 2122a and the second lower horizontal bar 2122b.

[0135] The common lower horizontal tube 2121 has a second hole H2 formed in each of its surface facing the first lower horizontal bar 2122a and its opposite surface (i.e., its surface facing the second lower horizontal bar 2122b). The second discharge ports OP2 of the first membrane module 2200a and the second membrane module 2200b are respectively inserted into the second holes H2, thereby connecting one end of the lower head 1212 of each of the first membrane module 2200a and the second membrane module 2200b to the common lower horizontal tube 2121. Permeate discharged through the second discharge port OP2 of each of the first membrane module 2200a and the second membrane module 2200b is introduced into the common lower horizontal tube 2121.

[0136] At least one of the vertical members 2130 that connect the common upper horizontal pipe 2111 and the common lower horizontal pipe 2121 to each other may have a tubular shape in fluid communication with it, thereby allowing the permeate introduced into the common lower horizontal pipe 2121 to flow into the common upper horizontal pipe 2111 and then be discharged to the outside through the permeate discharge port POP.

[0137] Alternatively, a separate permeate discharge port can be provided at the common lower horizontal pipe 2121, so that the permeate introduced into the common lower horizontal pipe 2121 can be discharged to the outside through the separate permeate discharge port.

[0138] The other ends of the upper head 1211 of the first membrane module 2200a and the second membrane module 2200b are respectively connected to the first upper crossbar 2112a and the second upper crossbar 2112b. For example, as Figure 6 As shown, the first rib R1 located at the first upper crossbar 2112a and the second upper crossbar 2112b is inserted into the first receiving member 1241 located at the other end of the upper head 1211 of the first membrane module 2200a and the second membrane module 2200b. Thus, the other ends of the upper head 1211 of the first membrane module 2200a and the second membrane module 2200b can be respectively connected to the first upper crossbar 2112a and the second upper crossbar 2112b.

[0139] Similarly, the second ribs R2 located at the first lower crossbar 2122a and the second lower crossbar 2122b are inserted into the second receiving member 1242 located at the other end of the lower head 1212 of the first membrane module 2200a and the second membrane module 2200b, thereby allowing the other ends of the lower head 1212 of the first membrane module 2200a and the second membrane module 2200b to be respectively connected to the first lower crossbar 2122a and the second lower crossbar 2122b.

[0140] Due to the increased integration of membrane modules 2200a and 2200b in the sliding frame 2100, the dual-layer membrane filtration device 2000 has an improved recovery rate.

[0141] Figure 7 (a) and Figure 7 (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a guide mechanism according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0142] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, the first guide rail 300 can be elastically mounted on the bottom surface of the reciprocating frame 600, such that the distance between the first guide rail 300 and the reciprocating frame 600 is variable (i.e., d1<->d2).

[0143] Specifically, such as Figure 7 (a) and Figure 7 As shown in (b), the reciprocating frame 600 may have a through hole TH extending from its top surface opposite its bottom surface to the bottom surface, and the first guide rail 300 may be mounted on the bottom surface of the reciprocating frame 600 by means of a coupling member 810. The coupling member 810 may include a head 811 located above the top surface of the reciprocating frame 600, a bolt end 812 inserted into the first guide rail 300, and a central body 813 located between the head 811 and the bolt end 8121.

[0144] The central body 813 is movable along the through hole TH and has a length longer than the through hole TH. An elastic member 820 is inserted between the reciprocating frame 600 and the first guide rail 300. For example, the central body 813 may include an exposed portion located between the bottom surface of the reciprocating frame 600 and the first guide rail 300, and the elastic member 820 may be a spring surrounding the exposed portion.

[0145] The free roller 500 of this disclosure, which is not fixedly attached to any frame, can maintain contact with the second guide rail 400 on the guide frame 700 by gravity. On the other hand, due to the flatness difference between the reciprocating frame 600 and the guide frame 700, the contact between the first guide rail 300 mounted on the bottom surface of the reciprocating frame 600 and the free roller 500 cannot be maintained at all times. However, according to the guide mechanism of the foregoing embodiment of this disclosure, even if the gap between a certain portion of the reciprocating frame 600 and the guide frame 700 temporarily increases during reciprocating motion due to the flatness difference between the reciprocating frame 600 and the guide frame 700, the first guide rail 300 corresponding to that portion can move toward the corresponding free roller 500 due to the elastic force of the elastic member 820, thus ensuring contact between the first guide rail 300 and the free roller 500 at all times. Therefore, any damage to the free roller 500 that may be caused by load bias toward a portion of the free roller 500 can be prevented. In addition, it can also avoid damage to the free roller 500 and noise caused by repeated contact and non-contact between the first guide rail 300 and the free roller 500.

[0146] Figure 8 of (a), Figure 8 (b) and Figure 8 (c) are perspective, sectional and front views, respectively, schematically illustrating a guide mechanism according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0147] like Figure 8 As shown, the membrane unit 40 of this disclosure may further include a pivot member 910 having a central aperture CH. The first end of the pivot member 910 may be pivotally coupled to the guide frame 700, and the second end of the pivot member 910 may be a bifurcated end having a first finger 911 and a second finger 912.

[0148] The rotating shaft 510, connected to the rotating shaft of the free roller 500, can extend through the central hole CH of the pivot member 910, and the protrusion 610 provided at the reciprocating frame 600 can be provided in the gap between the first finger 911 and the second finger 912. The protrusion 610 can be an annular member bolted to the reciprocating frame 600.

[0149] The reciprocating motion of the reciprocating frame 600, performed by the drive unit 200, results in: (i) the rotation and reciprocating motion of the free roller 500, (ii) the pivoting motion of the pivot member 910, and (iii) the reciprocating motion of the protrusion 610 relative to the pivot member 910 in the gap between the first finger 911 and the second finger 912 (i.e., the reciprocating motion along the length of the gap).

[0150] The aforementioned pivot member 910 can prevent the free roller 500 of this disclosure from separating from the membrane unit 40. Optionally, the membrane unit 40 may further include a separation-preventing member 920 coupled to the end of the rotation shaft 510, such that the central hole CH of the pivot member 910 is located between the free roller 500 and the separation-preventing member 920.

[0151] The membrane unit 40 of this disclosure can be used only Figure 7 and Figure 8 One of the guiding mechanisms, or a combination thereof.

[0152] In the following text, reference will be made to Figures 9 to 11 A membrane unit 40 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail.

[0153] Figure 9 This is a schematic perspective view of a membrane unit 40 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 10 This is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the membrane filtration device 3000 with membrane unit 40, and Figure 11 (a) and Figure 11(b) are perspective and sectional views, respectively, schematically showing the guide mechanism of membrane unit 40.

[0154] It should be noted that, in order to simplify the accompanying drawings and facilitate understanding of this disclosure, from Figure 9 The tank and membrane modules have been omitted.

[0155] like Figures 9 to 11 As shown, a membrane unit 40 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of membrane filtration devices 3000 configured to perform filtration while at least a portion of them are immersed in wastewater introduced into a tank (not shown); a drive unit 200 for reciprocating motion of the membrane filtration devices 3000; a first guide rail 300 configured to reciprocate together with the membrane filtration devices 3000; a second guide rail 400 configured to guide the reciprocating motion of the membrane filtration devices 3000; and a free roller 500 located between the first guide rail 300 and the second guide rail 400.

[0156] Similar to the aforementioned membrane unit 40 according to an embodiment of this disclosure, the free roller 500 is not fixedly coupled to any frame, and therefore can move relative to both the first guide rail 300 and the second guide rail 400. Furthermore, during filtration, the load of the membrane filtration device 3000 can be evenly distributed on the free roller 500 of this disclosure. Therefore, the membrane unit 40 according to another embodiment of this disclosure is also capable of (i) cleaning the filter membrane with only a smaller amount of energy than required in the aeration cleaning method, (ii) preventing damage to components (especially to the rollers) that may result from biased loads, thereby significantly reducing operating and maintenance costs, and (iii) suppressing noise generation during filtration.

[0157] like Figure 10 As shown, the membrane filtration device 3000 may each include a sliding frame 3100 and a plurality of membrane modules 3200 mounted therein. Although in Figure 10 Not shown, but at least one of the membrane filtration devices 3000 may further include at least one quenching module 1300 mounted in the sliding frame 3100, as described above.

[0158] The sliding frame 3100 may include: a support frame 3140; a lower horizontal frame 3120; an upper horizontal frame 3110 located between the support frame 3140 and the lower horizontal frame 3120; and a plurality of vertical members 3130 configured to connect the support frame 3140, the upper horizontal frame 3110 and the lower horizontal frame 3120 to each other.

[0159] Although not shown, to increase mechanical durability, the sliding frame 3100 may further include a plurality of reinforcing rods configured to connect the support frame 3140, the upper horizontal frame 3110 and the lower horizontal frame 3120 and the vertical member 3130 to each other in various ways.

[0160] The support frame 3140 may have a bottom surface facing the free roller 500, and the first guide rail 300 may be mounted on the bottom surface of the support frame 3140. Therefore, when the membrane filtration device 3000 reciprocates via the drive unit 200, the first guide rail 300 of this disclosure can reciprocate together with the membrane filtration device 3000.

[0161] The membrane module 3200 may each include: an upper head 3211 having a first discharge port OP1 at one end; a lower head 3212 having a second discharge port OP2 at one end; and a filter membrane 3220 configured to be in fluid communication with the upper head 3211 and the lower head 3212.

[0162] One end of the filter membrane 3220 is fixed to the upper head 3211 and the lower head 3212, respectively, via a potting layer 3230. The filter membrane 3220 is in fluid communication with the upper head 3211 and the lower head 3212, thereby allowing the permeate passing through the filter membrane 3220 to be introduced into the water collection spaces of the upper head 3211 and the lower head 3212. Subsequently, the permeate is discharged from the membrane module 3200 through the discharge ports OP1 and OP2 of the upper head 3211 and the lower head 3212.

[0163] The upper head 3211 and the lower head 3212 are respectively attached to the upper horizontal frame 3110 and the lower horizontal frame 3120, thereby the membrane module 3200 is installed in the sliding frame 3100.

[0164] Specifically, the upper horizontal frame 3110 may include: an upper horizontal tube 3111, one end of which, an upper head 3211, is connected to the upper horizontal tube 3111 via a first discharge port OP1; an upper horizontal bar 3112, the other end of which, the upper head 3211, is connected to the upper horizontal bar 3112; a first upper horizontal member 3113, configured to connect one end of the upper horizontal tube 3111 to one end of the upper horizontal bar 3112; and a second upper horizontal member 3114, configured to connect the other end of the upper horizontal tube 3111 to the other end of the upper horizontal bar 3112. The first discharge port OP1 of the upper head 3211 is inserted into the first hole H1 of the upper horizontal tube 3111, thereby connecting one end of the upper head 3211 to the upper horizontal tube 3111. The permeate discharged from the upper head 3211 through the first discharge port OP1 is introduced into the upper horizontal tube 3111 and then flows out through the permeate discharge port POP.

[0165] Similarly, the lower horizontal frame 3120 may include: a lower horizontal tube 3121, one end of which, a lower head 3212, is connected to the lower horizontal tube 3121 via a second discharge port OP2; a lower horizontal bar 3122, the other end of which, a lower head 3212, is connected to the lower horizontal bar 3122; a first lower horizontal member 3123, configured to connect one end of the lower horizontal tube 3121 to one end of the lower horizontal bar 3122; and a second lower horizontal member 3124, configured to connect the other end of the lower horizontal tube 3121 to the other end of the lower horizontal bar 3122. The second discharge port OP2 of the lower head 3212 is inserted into the second hole H2 of the lower horizontal tube 3121, thereby connecting one end of the lower head 3212 to the lower horizontal tube 3121. Permeate discharged from the lower head 3212 through the second discharge port OP2 is introduced into the lower horizontal tube 3121.

[0166] At least one of the vertical members 3130 that connect the upper horizontal tube 3111 and the lower horizontal tube 3121 to each other may be tubular, such that the permeate introduced into the lower horizontal tube 1321 can flow into the upper horizontal tube 3111 and then be discharged to the outside through the permeate discharge port POP.

[0167] Alternatively, a separate permeate discharge port can be provided at the lower horizontal tube 3121, so that the permeate introduced into the lower horizontal tube 3121 can be discharged to the outside through this separate permeate discharge port.

[0168] The other end of the upper head 3211 is attached to the upper crossbar 3112. For example, as Figure 10 As shown, the first rib R1 located at the upper crossbar 3112 can be inserted into the first receiving member 3241 located at the other end of the upper head 3211, thereby the other end of the upper head 3211 can be connected to the upper crossbar 3112.

[0169] Similarly, the second rib R2 provided at the lower crossbar 3122 can be inserted into the second receiving member 3242 provided at the other end of the lower head 3212, thereby the other end of the lower head 3212 can be connected to the lower crossbar 3122.

[0170] According to the membrane unit 40, the support frame 3140 is disposed above the upper horizontal frame 3110 and the lower horizontal frame 3120 that are combined with the membrane module 3200, and the first guide rail 300 is mounted on the support frame 3140. Therefore, even when the drive unit 200, the support frame 3140, the first guide rail 300 and the second guide rail 400, and the free roller 500 are not immersed in the wastewater, the membrane module 3200 of the membrane filtration device 3000 can be immersed in the wastewater to perform filtration. Therefore, the number of parts that should be immersed in the wastewater and are therefore susceptible to corrosion can be minimized, and the need to perform corrosion inhibition chemical treatments separately can be minimized.

[0171] replace Figure 10 The membrane filtration device 3000 shown can be used by combining the support frame 3140 with... Figure 6 The membrane filtration device provided is a dual-layer membrane filtration device 2000 shown in the figure. Even in this case, the first guide rail 300 is mounted on the bottom surface of the support frame 3140.

[0172] like Figure 10 As shown, the support frame 3140 of the sliding frame 3100 may include: a pair of parallel rods 3141 and 3142, with a first guide rail 300 mounted on each of the pair of parallel rods 3141 and 3142; and at least one connecting rod 3143 and / or 3144 configured to connect the pair of parallel rods 3141 and 3142 to each other, and a vertical member 3130 may be attached to the connecting rod 3143 and / or 3144.

[0173] like Figures 9 to 11 As shown, the membrane unit 40 may further include a guide frame 700 disposed on a tank (not shown), the guide frame 700 may have a top surface facing the free roller 500, and a second guide rail 400 may be mounted on the top surface of the guide frame.

[0174] like Figure 9 As shown, the drive unit 200 may include: a motor 210; a power transmission member 220 connected to the membrane filtration device 3000; and a motion conversion mechanism 230 configured to convert the rotational motion of the motor 210 into the linear reciprocating motion of the power transmission member 220.

[0175] The motion conversion mechanism 230 can be a crank-connecting rod mechanism. That is, the motion conversion mechanism 230 can include a crankshaft rotatable by a motor 210 and a connecting rod connected at one end to the crankshaft and at the other end to the power transmission member 220. Alternatively, the motion conversion mechanism 230 can be a cam follower mechanism.

[0176] Figure 9The membrane unit 40 of the embodiment shown includes a plurality of membrane filtration devices 3000 arranged side-by-side in the direction of linear reciprocating motion. For example, the power transmission member 220 of the drive unit 200 is directly coupled to the support frame of the first membrane filtration device, and the support frame of the first membrane filtration device is directly coupled to the support frame of the second membrane filtration device. Therefore, the drive unit 200 becomes a direct drive source for the reciprocating motion of the first membrane filtration device, and the first membrane filtration device becomes a direct drive source for the reciprocating motion of the second membrane filtration device. That is, the drive unit 200 serves as an indirect drive source for membrane filtration devices other than the membrane filtration device to which it is directly coupled.

[0177] The support frame 3140 of each membrane filtration unit 3000 can be detachably bolted to the power transmission member 220 and / or the support frames 3140 of other membrane filtration units (multiple units). Therefore, if any one of the multiple membrane filtration units 3000 is damaged, only the damaged filtration unit can be removed from the tank for repair or replacement. Thus, maintenance of the membrane unit 40 can be easily performed at a relatively low cost. To facilitate easy removal of the damaged membrane filtration unit from the tank, each membrane filtration unit 3000 may further include a lifting hook receiver 3150 disposed on the support frame 3140.

[0178] according to Figures 9 to 11 The membrane unit 40 of the embodiment shown in the figure is similar to that of the prior art 3 and according to Figures 3 to 5 The membrane unit 40 of the embodiment shown differs in that it does not use a "reciprocating frame". Since a reciprocating frame needs to be large enough to connect multiple membrane filtration devices simultaneously, (i) there is the inconvenience of transporting individual parts of the reciprocating frame separately to the water treatment location due to transportation restrictions such as traffic regulations, and then assembling them into a complete reciprocating frame by welding; and (ii) there is the difficulty and inconvenience of needing to lift the heavier reciprocating frame and all the membrane filtration devices connected to it to repair the damaged part even if only a part of a membrane filtration device (e.g., a membrane module) is damaged. On the other hand, according to Figures 9 to 11 In the embodiment shown, the membrane unit 40 does not employ a reciprocating frame, so (i) the transportation of the reciprocating frame by part and its welding at the water treatment location can be omitted, thereby allowing the membrane unit 40 to be easily installed at a relatively low cost, and (ii) when a particular membrane filtration device is damaged during filtration, only the damaged membrane filtration device can be separated from the tank and removed, thereby making the maintenance of the membrane unit 40 relatively easy and significantly reducing costs.

[0179] Figure 12 (a) and Figure 12(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a guide mechanism according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0180] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, the first guide rail 300 can be elastically mounted on the bottom surface of the support frame 3140, such that the distance between the first guide rail 300 of the membrane filtration device 3000 and the support frame 3140 is variable (i.e., d1<->d2).

[0181] Specifically, such as Figure 12 As shown, the support frame 3140 may have a through hole TH extending from its top surface opposite to the bottom surface to the bottom surface, and the first guide rail 300 may be mounted on the bottom surface of the support frame 3140 by means of a connecting member 810. The connecting member 810 may include a head 811 located above the top surface of the support frame 3140, a bolt end 812 inserted into the first guide rail 300, and a central body 813 located between the head 811 and the bolt end 8121.

[0182] The central body 813 is movable along the through hole TH and has a length longer than the through hole TH. An elastic member 820 is inserted between the support frame 3140 and the first guide rail 300. For example, the central body 813 may include an exposed portion located between the bottom surface of the support frame 3140 and the first guide rail 300, and the elastic member 820 may be a spring surrounding the exposed portion.

[0183] The free roller 500 of this disclosure, which is not fixedly attached to any frame, can maintain contact with the second guide rail 400 on the guide frame 700 by gravity. On the other hand, due to the flatness difference between the support frame 3140 and the guide frame 700, the contact between the first guide rail 300 mounted on the bottom surface of the support frame 3140 and the free roller 500 cannot be maintained at all times. However, according to the aforementioned guide mechanism of another embodiment of this disclosure, even if the gap between a certain portion of the support frame 3140 and the guide frame 700 temporarily increases during reciprocating motion due to the flatness difference between the support frame 3140 and the guide frame 700, the first guide rail 300 corresponding to that specific portion can also move toward the corresponding free roller 500 due to the elastic force of the elastic member 820, thus ensuring contact between the first guide rail 300 and the free roller 500 at all times. Therefore, any damage to the free roller 500 that may be caused by load bias toward a portion of the free rollers 500 can be prevented. In addition, it can also prevent damage to the free roller 500 and noise caused by repeated contact and non-contact between the first guide rail 300 and the free roller 500.

[0184] Figure 13 of (a), Figure 13 (b) and Figure 13(c) are perspective, sectional and front views, respectively, schematically illustrating a guide mechanism according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0185] like Figure 13 As shown, the membrane unit 40 may further include a pivot member 910 having a central aperture CH. A first end of the pivot member 910 may be pivotally coupled to the guide frame 700, and a second end of the pivot member 910 may be a bifurcated end having a first finger 911 and a second finger 912.

[0186] The rotating shaft 510, connected to the rotating shaft of the free roller 500, can extend through the central hole CH of the pivot member 910, and the protrusion 3141 provided at the support frame 3140 can be provided in the gap between the first finger 911 and the second finger 912. The protrusion 3141 can be an annular member bolted to the support frame 3140.

[0187] Because a double-forked end is used instead of the end with the elongated hole as the second end of the pivot member 910, the protrusion 3141 can be prevented from acting as an obstacle when only the damaged membrane filter device 3000 is separated and removed.

[0188] The reciprocating motion of the membrane filtration device 3000 executed by the drive unit 200 results in: (i) the rotation and reciprocating motion of the free roller 500, (ii) the pivoting motion of the pivot member 910, and (iii) the reciprocating motion of the protrusion 3141 relative to the pivot member 910 in the gap between the first finger 911 and the second finger 912 (i.e., the reciprocating motion along the length of the gap).

[0189] The aforementioned pivot member 910 can prevent the free roller 500 of this disclosure from separating from the membrane unit 40. Optionally, the membrane unit 40 may further include a separation prevention member 920 coupled to the end of the rotation shaft 510, such that the central hole CH of the pivot member 910 is located between the free roller 500 and the separation prevention member 920.

[0190] Figure 12 Guiding institutions and Figure 13 The guiding mechanisms can be used independently or in combination.

[0191] According to this disclosure, the biological treatment unit and / or membrane unit includes a quorum quenching medium, thereby preventing biofilm formation and membrane fouling that may result from quorum sensing of microorganisms. Furthermore, since the quorum quenching medium is confined within a defined space within the biological treatment unit and / or membrane unit, it is prevented from being removed from the water treatment system along with spent activated sludge (WAS) or excess activated sludge (SAS) when discharged from the membrane unit. Therefore, unlike prior art 1, this disclosure prevents or minimizes the loss of the quorum quenching medium, thereby improving the economic feasibility of the water treatment system. Moreover, unlike prior art 2, according to this disclosure, the quorum quenching medium is spaced apart from the filter membrane and confined within a defined space, ensuring that the water permeability of the filter membrane itself (i.e., initial water permeability) is not adversely affected by the quorum quenching medium.

[0192] Furthermore, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the cleaning of the filter membrane in the membrane unit is performed using a membrane reciprocating method instead of an aeration method, thereby significantly reducing energy consumption. Additionally, another embodiment of this disclosure employs a novel concept of "free rollers" that are not fixedly attached to any frame, thereby allowing the load of the membrane filtration unit (multiple units) to be evenly distributed across all free rollers during filtration operation. Therefore, damage to components (particularly the rollers) that could be caused by biased loads can be (i) prevented, significantly reducing operating and maintenance costs, and (ii) noise generated during filtration operation can be suppressed.

Claims

1. A water treatment system, comprising: A biological treatment unit for the biological treatment of wastewater; as well as Membrane unit, the membrane unit being used for filtering wastewater treated by the biological treatment unit, At least one of the groups selected from the biological treatment unit and the membrane unit includes multiple quenching media confined within a defined space therein. The membrane unit includes: The tank into which wastewater treated by the biological treatment unit is introduced; and At least one membrane filtration device, the at least one membrane filtration device being configured to perform filtration while at least a portion of the membrane filtration device is immersed in wastewater introduced into the tank; A drive unit is used for the reciprocating motion of the membrane filtration device; A first guide rail is configured to reciprocate together with the membrane filtration device; A second guide rail, configured to guide the reciprocating motion of the membrane filtration device; and A free roller is located between the first guide rail and the second guide rail, and the free roller is movable relative to both the first guide rail and the second guide rail.

2. The water treatment system according to claim 1, wherein, The multiple catastrophic media are confined within the specified space by a mesh container.

3. The water treatment system according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the mass quenching media includes: carrier; and The carrier contains quenched microorganisms.

4. The water treatment system according to claim 3, wherein, The carrier is a hydrogel with a three-dimensional network structure comprising at least one of the group consisting of alginate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol and polyurethane.

5. The water treatment system according to claim 1, wherein, The membrane unit further includes a mesh container mounted on the tank such that at least a portion of the mesh container is submerged in the wastewater. At least a portion of the riot quenching medium is disposed within the mesh container, and The particle size of the quenching medium is larger than the pore size of the mesh container.

6. The water treatment system according to claim 1, wherein, The membrane filtration device includes: Sliding frame; and Multiple membrane modules, the multiple membrane modules being mounted in the sliding frame; and At least one swarm quenching module is installed in the sliding frame. The swarm quenching module includes: An upper head and a lower head, the upper head and the lower head being detachably coupled to the sliding frame; and A mesh container is disposed between the upper head and the lower head, with its two ends respectively attached to the upper head and the lower head. At least a portion of the riot quenching medium is disposed within the mesh container, and The particle size of the quenching medium is larger than the pore size of the mesh container.

7. The water treatment system according to claim 1, wherein, The membrane unit includes multiple membrane filtration devices. The membrane unit also includes a reciprocating frame, to which multiple membrane filtration devices are individually coupled. The drive unit is configured to realize the reciprocating motion of the membrane filtration device via the reciprocating frame. The reciprocating frame has a bottom surface facing the free roller, and The first guide rail is mounted on the bottom surface of the reciprocating frame.

8. The water treatment system according to claim 7, wherein, The first guide rail is elastically mounted on the bottom surface of the reciprocating frame, such that the distance between the first guide rail and the reciprocating frame is variable.

9. The water treatment system according to claim 7, wherein, The membrane unit also includes a guide frame disposed on the top of the tank. The guide frame has a top surface facing the free roller, and The second guide rail is mounted on the top surface of the guide frame.

10. The water treatment system according to claim 9, wherein, The membrane unit also includes a pivoting member with a central aperture. The first end of the pivoting member is pivotally coupled to the guide frame. The second end of the pivoting member is a biforked end with a first finger and a second finger. The rotating shaft connected to the rotating shaft of the free roller extends through the central hole of the pivot member, and A protrusion provided at the reciprocating frame is provided in the gap between the first finger and the second finger.

11. The water treatment system according to claim 1, wherein, The membrane unit includes multiple membrane filtration devices. Each of the membrane filtration devices includes: Sliding frame; and Multiple membrane modules are mounted in the sliding frame. The sliding frame includes: Supporting framework; Lower horizontal frame; An upper horizontal frame, located between the supporting frame and the lower horizontal frame; and Multiple vertical members are configured to connect the support frame, the upper horizontal frame, and the lower horizontal frame to each other. The support frame has a bottom surface facing the free roller, and The first guide rail is mounted on the bottom surface of the support frame.

12. The water treatment system according to claim 11, wherein, The first guide rail is elastically mounted on the bottom surface of the support frame, such that the distance between the first guide rail and the support frame is variable.

13. The water treatment system according to claim 11, wherein, The membrane unit also includes a guide frame disposed on the top of the tank. The guide frame has a top surface facing the free roller, and The second guide rail is mounted on the top surface of the guide frame.

14. The water treatment system according to claim 13, wherein, The membrane unit also includes a pivoting member with a central aperture. The first end of the pivoting member is pivotally coupled to the guide frame. The second end of the pivoting member is a biforked end with a first finger and a second finger. The rotating shaft connected to the rotating shaft of the free roller extends through the central hole of the pivot member, and A protrusion provided at the support frame is provided in the gap between the first finger and the second finger.

15. The water treatment system according to claim 11, wherein, The support frames of the plurality of membrane filtration devices are detachably connected to each other, and Each of the membrane filtration devices also includes a hook receiving portion disposed on the support frame.

16. The water treatment system according to claim 1, wherein, The biological treatment unit includes at least one selected from the group consisting of anaerobic tanks, anaerobic tanks, and aerobic tanks.

17. The water treatment system according to claim 16, wherein, The biological treatment unit includes the aerobic tank, and At least a portion of the catalytic quenching medium is confined within a defined space selected from at least one of the group consisting of the anaerobic tank, the anaerobic tank, and the aerobic tank.

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