Continuous industrial production device for seawater desalination membrane

Abstract

The utility model discloses a continuous industrial production device of a seawater desalination film, which is characterized in that four process modules, namely a roll-to-roll conveying module, a spray coating module, an infrared quick drying module and a plasma surface activation module, are integrated in the same rigid box body; polymer solution atomization spraying, wet film instantaneous evaporation and on-line activation treatment can be automatically completed after the supporting film is laid. According to the conveying system, an electric driving roller at one end, a plurality of sets of driven rollers and reinforcing ribs work cooperatively, and a roll-to-roll conveying belt with high straightness and stable tension is formed. In the spraying area, accurate deposition of fog drops is achieved in a closed environment through a high-pressure spraying nozzle; in the drying area, the wet film achieves a high desolventizing effect in an extremely short time through a carbon fiber heating wire; the plasma processing area can dynamically monitor and accurately set key parameters such as processing height, input power and gas flow. The device disclosed by the utility model is compact in structure, high in modularization degree, convenient to maintain and suitable for industrial large-scale continuous production of seawater desalination membranes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of membrane separation technology and automated manufacturing, in particular to a continuous preparation equipment that modularly integrates roll-to-roll conveying, online spray coating, far-infrared rapid drying and plasma surface activation, and is suitable for large-scale industrial batch production of functional membranes such as seawater desalination membranes and nanofiltration membranes. Background Art

[0002] With global water scarcity becoming increasingly severe, desalination technology is gaining widespread adoption in coastal and water-scarce regions. High-throughput, highly fouling-resistant desalination membranes are key components for ensuring system economics and operational stability. Existing membrane fabrication processes typically utilize a multi-step, distributed process consisting of casting, phase inversion, heat treatment, and offline modification. First, the membrane support is manually laid flat on a tray or tabletop. After being sprayed or impregnated with a polymer solution, it is dried in a hot air or infrared oven and then manually transported to a benchtop plasma or chemical modification equipment for surface activation. This batch-based fabrication method presents several drawbacks: Maintaining consistent coating thickness is difficult; the wet membrane drying process is significantly affected by ambient temperature and humidity; and the plasma treatment effect cannot be monitored online. This results in uneven surface activation and hydrophilicity in the finished membrane, leading to a high rate of defects, bubbles, and pinholes. Frequent manual transfers and intermittent downtime increase energy consumption, floor space, and labor costs, making it difficult to meet production cycle and quality stability requirements. Furthermore, traditional batch equipment is bulky, energy-intensive, and requires significant floor space, making it difficult to implement continuous online monitoring and automatic adjustments. This makes it difficult to meet the urgent need for large-scale, low-cost, and highly consistent production of desalination membranes. While roll-to-roll continuous processing technology has been successfully applied in flexible electronics and functional coatings, a mature solution integrating it with spray coating, rapid evaporation drying, and online plasma surface activation remains lacking, hindering the urgent need for large-scale, low-cost, and highly consistent industrial production of desalination membranes. Utility Model Content

[0003] In response to the above technical problems, the utility model proposes a continuous industrial production device for seawater desalination membranes, which has a small footprint and a compact structure and meets the application requirements of large-scale industrial continuous preparation of seawater desalination membranes.

[0004] A continuous industrial production device for seawater desalination membranes, comprising a box body, wherein the box body is provided with:

[0005] The roll-to-roll conveying system includes rollers, roller frames and triangular reinforcement ribs. All rollers are installed inside the box through the roller frames, and the triangular reinforcement ribs are obliquely connected between the roller frames and the side walls of the box.

[0006] A spray coating module, including an adjustable multi-nozzle atomizing array, is located above the multiple sets of driven rollers, with its nozzles pointing downwardly toward the surface of the roll-to-roll conveyor system for atomizing and spraying the polymer solution;

[0007] A drying module, comprising a far-infrared heating lamp slidably arranged in the box body, for rapidly drying the wet film;

[0008] Plasma activation module, including argon plasma treatment equipment, which increases the chemical activity of the substrate surface through plasma bombardment;

[0009] The roll-to-roll conveying system forms a continuous conveyor belt, and the film strip passes through the spray coating area, the drying area and the plasma activation area in sequence via the conveyor belt to complete continuous production.

[0010] Preferably, a plurality of side mounting beams are provided on the left and right sides of the box body, and square tubes are connected between the side mounting beams on both sides to form a "door" shaped frame, and the square tubes are located above the roll-to-roll conveying system.

[0011] Preferably, the rollers include an electric active roller and multiple groups of driven rollers, wherein the electric active rollers are located at the top of the roller frame at the starting end of the conveying system, and the multiple groups of driven rollers are arranged in parallel at the top of the subsequent roller frames to form a continuous roll-to-roll conveying plane; each roller frame is welded with densely distributed triangular reinforcement ribs on the side, and the reinforcement ribs connect the vertical columns of the roller frame and the inner wall of the box with an inclined support structure.

[0012] Preferably, the adjustable multi-nozzle atomization array is a high-pressure spray nozzle or nozzle module, and the nozzle spacing, height and atomization particle size can be quickly adjusted according to the film width and formulation requirements.

[0013] Preferably, the high-pressure spray nozzle is installed on the lower side of the square tube, with the nozzle aligned with the conveyor belt surface; the square tube is slidably connected to the side mounting beam through a longitudinal guide rail, and the nozzle as a whole is height-adjustable through the longitudinal guide rail.

[0014] Preferably, the high-pressure spray nozzle is modular in design, the nozzle spacing is adjustable in the range of 5-20 cm, and the atomized particle size is adjustable in the range of 10-100 μm.

[0015] Preferably, the square tube is slidably connected to the side mounting beam through a longitudinal guide rail, and the far-infrared heating lamp is height-adjusted through the longitudinal guide rail. The heating surface of the far-infrared heating lamp remains parallel to the conveyor belt to ensure that the surface of the film belt is heated evenly.

[0016] Preferably, the installation height of the far-infrared heating lamp can be adjusted within the range of ±20 cm along the guide rail, and the power adjustment range is 100 W to 1200 W.

[0017] Preferably, the argon plasma treatment equipment is modularly designed, with a gas flow adjustment range of 0.1 L / min to 0.3 L / min and an input power adjustment range of 50 W to 500 W.

[0018] Preferably, a Forma wheel is installed at the bottom of the box, and the Forma wheel is equipped with a lockable brake mechanism that can be quickly locked after the device is moved and positioned to ensure the stability and safety of the device during production. The upper cover of the box cooperates with the exhaust vents on the side of the box to form a closed process environment. A removable baffle is also installed on the side of the box near the argon plasma processing equipment, providing an access for non-destructive maintenance. When the baffle is closed, it forms a sealed cavity with the inner wall of the box to prevent argon leakage during plasma processing.

[0019] Beneficial effects

[0020] The utility model can continuously complete the processes of automatic film strip loading, solution atomization spraying, rapid infrared drying and online plasma activation in the same equipment, and the production efficiency can reach up to 90 m 2 / h, significantly improving production capacity, and greatly reducing solvent escape through closed spray and drying environment, reducing energy consumption per unit area compared with traditional batch processes and minimizing heat loss; at the same time, through stable tension control and online precise adjustment of core parameters such as atomization particle size, heating power, gas flow and spray distance, a high degree of uniformity in coating thickness and surface activation is achieved, and consistency and qualified rate are significantly improved; modular design facilitates rapid switching and maintenance of different membrane widths and formulas, with a small footprint and compact structure, meeting the application needs of large-scale industrial continuous preparation of seawater desalination membranes.

[0021] In addition, the membrane prepared using this device under 400 W plasma power conditions has a water flux of up to 2.31 × 10 6 L / (h·m²); in the forward osmosis test, the salt rejection rates of the same batch of membranes for KCl, NaCl, MgCl2, and CaCl2 reached 98.89%, 98.86%, 98.35%, and 98.14%, respectively, fully demonstrating the excellent performance of this device in ultra-high flux and high salt rejection rate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the device of the utility model, in which the rigid frame formed by welding square tubes and the layout of each module are clearly visible;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a partial enlarged view of the roll-to-roll conveyor belt and the rib reinforcement structure in the device, showing the combination of the roller, ribs and roller frame;

[0024] Figure 3 This is the appearance diagram of the device, showing the external structures such as the box cover, ventilation holes and Foma wheel.

[0025] The numbers in the accompanying drawings indicate: 1 high-pressure spray nozzle; 2 square tube; 3 heating lamp; 4 side mounting beam; 5 upper cover; 6 argon plasma treatment equipment; 7 removable blocking plate; 8 box body; 9 Forma wheel; 10 driven roller; 11 roller frame; 12 triangular reinforcement rib; 13 electric active roller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following is combined with Figures 1 to 3 , the structural layout and process flow of the device of the utility model are further described in detail, but are not limited to this embodiment.

[0027] The utility model discloses an online continuous industrial preparation device which organically integrates four major process modules of roll-to-roll conveying, spray coating, infrared rapid drying and plasma surface activation into the same rigid box.

[0028] A continuous industrial production device for seawater desalination membranes includes a box body 8 serving as a basic load-bearing main frame. Two side mounting beams 4 are vertically positioned on the left and right sides of the box body 8, acting as a vertical skeleton to bear the longitudinal load of the box body 8. The bottom is fixed to the bottom plate of the box body 8 by welding or bolts. A plurality of side mounting beams 4 are provided in the box body 8. A square tube 2 is horizontally fixed to the beam, laterally connecting the left and right side mounting beams 4 to form a "door"-shaped frame, thereby suppressing deformation and displacement of the mounting beams 4 on both sides. In this embodiment, the square tube is slidably connected to the side mounting beams 4, serving as a carrier for the multi-nozzle atomization array, the heating lamp 3, and the argon plasma treatment equipment 6.

[0029] The box 8 is provided with:

[0030] The roll-to-roll conveying system includes an electric driving roller 13, multiple sets of driven rollers 10, a roller frame 11, and triangular reinforcing ribs 12. All rollers are mounted inside the equipment housing 8 via a vertically mounted metal roller frame 11. The electric driving roller 13 is located at the top of the roller frame 11 at the starting end of the conveying system, while multiple sets of driven rollers 10 are arranged in parallel at the top of subsequent roller frames, forming a continuous roll-to-roll conveying plane with high flatness and stable tension. Densely distributed triangular reinforcing ribs 12 are welded to the side of each roller frame 11. The reinforcing ribs connect the vertical columns of the roller frame 11 to the inner wall of the equipment housing via an inclined support structure, significantly enhancing the vibration resistance and structural stability of the roller frame during high-speed operation. The electric driving roller 13 drives the conveyor belt through a transmission device, driving the multiple sets of driven rollers 10 to rotate synchronously, allowing the film belt to maintain a horizontal tension state and pass smoothly through each process area.

[0031] The spray coating module includes a high-pressure spray nozzle 1, which is fixed to the upper right area inside the equipment cabinet and connected to the lower side of the horizontally arranged square tube 2 through a mounting bracket, with its nozzle aligned with the conveyor belt surface. Adjacent nozzles are arranged in parallel with equal spacing. The nozzle as a whole is vertically raised and lowered by a longitudinal guide rail (i.e., a slide rail structure connected between the square tube 2 and the side mounting beam 4), and is controlled by a handwheel or a motor-driven screw. The side mounting beam 4 runs through the entire spray area, and the nozzle group realizes synchronous adjustment of the height of multiple nozzles through a rigid connecting rod. It should be noted that the high-pressure spray nozzle 1 is an end atomization component and can be replaced by a nozzle module. The nozzle module integrates complex functions such as atomization, direction adjustment, and pressure control. The nozzle spacing, height, and atomization particle size can be quickly adjusted according to the film width and formula requirements.

[0032] The drying module includes a far-infrared heating lamp 3, which is suspended directly above multiple groups of driven rollers 10 and fixed to the top plate of the equipment through a rigid bracket. The height is adjustable (adjustment range ±20cm) through the guide rail on the adjustable square tube 2. Its heating surface remains parallel to the conveyor belt to ensure that the surface of the film belt is heated evenly.

[0033] The plasma activation module includes an argon plasma treatment unit 6, mounted horizontally above the conveyor belt. The plasma nozzle is aligned at an angle of approximately 15°-30° toward the conveyor belt surface, with a vertical spacing of 10-15 cm from the film strip. The plasma treatment area is equipped with an online touchscreen interface, enabling dynamic monitoring and precise setting of key parameters such as treatment height, input power, and gas flow rate. A removable baffle is installed on the side of the chamber near the argon plasma treatment unit, providing access for non-destructive maintenance. When closed, the baffle forms a sealed cavity with the inner wall of the chamber, preventing argon gas leakage during plasma treatment.

[0034] The entire chassis of the continuous industrial production device for seawater desalination membranes disclosed in this utility model is welded from square tubes and covered with corrosion-resistant metal panels. The bottom is equipped with a universal Foma wheel 9 with a locking mechanism, which not only facilitates the movement of the entire device but also allows for quick fixation during operation. The device has a compact structure, a high degree of modularity, and is easy to maintain. The production efficiency can reach up to 90 m 2 / h, and the energy consumption per unit area is significantly lower than that of traditional batch processes, which is very suitable for industrial large-scale continuous production of seawater desalination membranes.

[0035] Working method:

[0036] First, if Figure 1 As shown, place the whole machine on a flat and solid ground, and firmly fix the equipment through the locking mechanism on the universal Forma wheel 9 at the bottom to prevent position deviation caused by operation vibration. Figure 2As shown, the pre-wound support film roll is mounted on the shaft of the electric drive roller 13 at the inlet. A tensioning mechanism on the side mounting beam 4 applies appropriate initial tension to the film roll, ensuring that the film strip remains straight and free of slack on the roll-to-roll conveyor belt, which is composed of multiple sets of driven rollers 10, a roller frame 11, and triangular reinforcement ribs 12. After the drive motor is started, the film strip advances steadily at a linear speed of 0.5 m / min to 5 m / min. This reinforced structure allows the conveyor belt to operate continuously for long periods without deflection or vibration.

[0037] When the film strip enters the spray coating area, the high-pressure spray nozzle 1 atomizes the prepared polymer solution into fine droplets with adjustable particle size under the action of a pump pressure of 0.4 MPa to 1.2 MPa; at this time, the interior of the box 8 and the removable blocking plate 7 together form a closed high-humidity environment, effectively preventing the droplets from escaping and ensuring that the coating is evenly deposited and tightly adhered on the film surface.

[0038] The wet film after atomized spraying enters the drying area immediately, such as Figure 3 The figure shows the drying chamber exterior and the far-infrared heating lamps 3 slidingly mounted on the height-adjustable square tube 2 guide rails. When the far-infrared heating lamps are activated, their carbon fiber heating filaments rapidly energize and heat up. The panel knob allows for continuous adjustment of the output power between 100 W and 1200 W. Simultaneously, the distance between the lamps and the film surface can be fine-tuned within a ±20 cm range via the guide rails, ensuring uniform and controllable temperature across the heating zone. This allows for instantaneous evaporation of over 95% of the solvent from the wet film within seconds to tens of seconds. Steam generated during the drying process can be discharged through the side exhaust vents or top cover 5 of the chamber, or it can be connected to a recovery line for treatment to reduce environmental emissions.

[0039] After drying, the membrane strip automatically enters the plasma activation zone, where the dry film surface exhibits a smooth, uniform appearance. The argon plasma treatment device 6, in conjunction with a removable blocking plate 7, forms a stable, uniform plasma field. The operator uses a touchscreen interface to set the gas flow rate (0.1 L / min to 0.3 L / min), input power (50 W to 500 W), and distance between the nozzle and the membrane surface (1 cm to 3 cm) in real time, thereby introducing the desired active groups online and achieving surface functionalization. After surface activation, the functionalized membrane strip is ejected from the terminal driven roller 10 and directly transported to the winding or slitting device to form a continuous roll or cut-to-length sheet.

[0040] The top cover 5 of the box body and the side exhaust vents cooperate to maintain a closed process environment. The universal Foma wheel 9 with a locking mechanism at the bottom can flexibly move and fix the entire machine. The entire process does not need to be interrupted, forming a fully automatic continuous production line from the raw film loading to the finished product unloading.

[0041] The above embodiments are only preferred examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or improvements made to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention shall be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A continuous industrial production device for seawater desalination membrane, characterized in that: It comprises a box body (8), in which the following components are arranged: A roll-to-roll conveying system comprises rollers, a roller frame (11) and triangular reinforcement ribs (12), wherein all rollers are mounted inside a box through the roller frame (11), and the triangular reinforcement ribs (12) are obliquely connected between the roller frame (11) and the side wall of the box (8); A spray coating module includes an adjustable multi-nozzle atomizing array, which is arranged in the upper area of ​​the plurality of driven rollers (10), with its nozzles directed downwardly toward the surface of the roll-to-roll conveying system, and is used for atomizing and spraying the polymer solution; A drying module, comprising a far-infrared heating lamp (3) slidably arranged in a box (8) for rapidly drying the wet film; A plasma activation module, including an argon plasma treatment device (6), which increases the chemical activity of the substrate surface through plasma bombardment; The roll-to-roll conveying system forms a continuous conveyor belt, and the film strip passes through the spray coating area, the drying area and the plasma activation area in sequence via the conveyor belt to complete continuous production.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that A plurality of side mounting beams (4) are provided on the left and right sides of the box body (8), and a square tube (2) is connected between the side mounting beams (4) on both sides to form a "door"-shaped frame, and the square tube (2) is located above the roll-to-roll conveying system.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The rollers include an electric driving roller (13) and multiple groups of driven rollers (10), wherein the electric driving roller (13) is located at the top of the roller frame at the starting end of the conveying system, and the multiple groups of driven rollers (10) are arranged in parallel at the top of the subsequent roller frames to form a continuous roll-to-roll conveying plane; the side of each roller frame (11) is welded with densely distributed triangular reinforcement ribs (12), and the reinforcement ribs connect the vertical columns of the roller frame (11) and the inner wall of the box (8) with an inclined support structure.

4. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that The adjustable multi-nozzle atomization array is a high-pressure spray nozzle (1) or a nozzle module, and the nozzle spacing, height and atomization particle size can be quickly adjusted according to the film width and formulation requirements.

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that The high-pressure spray nozzle (1) is installed on the lower side of the square tube (2), with the nozzle aligned with the surface of the conveying system; the square tube (2) is slidably connected to the side mounting beam (4) via a longitudinal guide rail, and the nozzle as a whole is height-adjustable via the longitudinal guide rail.

6. The device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that The high-pressure spray nozzle (1) is modular in design, the nozzle spacing can be adjusted in the range of 5-20 cm, and the atomized particle size can be adjusted in the range of 10-100 μm.

7. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that The square tube (2) is slidably connected to the side mounting beam (4) through a longitudinal guide rail, and the far-infrared heating lamp (3) is height-adjustable through the longitudinal guide rail, and the heating surface of the far-infrared heating lamp (3) remains parallel to the conveyor belt to ensure that the surface of the film belt is heated evenly.

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that The installation height of the far-infrared heating lamp (3) can be adjusted within a range of ±20 cm along the guide rail, and the power adjustment range is 100 W to 1200 W.

9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The argon plasma treatment equipment (6) is modularly designed, with a gas flow rate adjustment range of 0.1 L / min to 0.3 L / min and an input power adjustment range of 50 W to 500 W.

10. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that A Forma wheel (9) is provided at the bottom of the box (8), and the Forma wheel (9) has a lockable brake mechanism to facilitate the movement and fixation of the device; a removable blocking plate (7) is also provided on one side of the box (8) near the argon plasma processing equipment (6); the upper cover (5) of the box (8) cooperates with the exhaust port on the side of the box (8) to form a closed process environment.

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