Design support program and design support method

Abstract

To provide a design support program that enables a high degree of freedom in designing cost-effective membrane filtration equipment.SOLUTION: A design support program of a design support device for membrane filtration equipment having a plurality of membrane modules to treat feedwater, causes a computer to execute: a membrane module type determination step by a membrane module type determination unit 115 for determining a type of membrane module based on feedwater information indicating characteristics of the feedwater; a membrane module number determination step by a membrane module number determination unit 120 for determining the number of membrane modules; and a unit number determination step by a unit number determination unit 130 for determining the number of units, which is the number of units into which the plurality of membrane modules are divided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2C

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a design support program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a water purification system, a demineralization system, a water purification system, a wastewater treatment system, etc. that utilizes a water treatment system that performs membrane filtration using a membrane module such as a microfiltration membrane or an ultrafiltration membrane, or a group of membrane modules. [Prior art document] [Patent documents] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-24938 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] In designing such membrane filtration equipment, it is desirable to be able to design a cost-effective membrane filtration equipment with a high degree of freedom. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a design support program for a membrane filtration facility having a plurality of membrane modules for treating feed water, the design support program causing a computer to execute a membrane module type determination procedure for determining the type of membrane module based on feed water information indicating the characteristics of the feed water, a membrane module number determination procedure for determining the number of membrane modules, and a unit number determination procedure for determining the number of units into which the plurality of membrane modules are divided.

[0005] The above summary of the invention does not list all of the features of the present invention, and subcombinations of these features may also be inventions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a water treatment system 200. [Figure 2A] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a design support device 100. [Figure 2B] Specific examples of the input information 52 and the output information 53 are shown below. [Figure 2C] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a design support method using a design support device 100. FIG. [Figure 3A] 2 shows an example of the configuration of the storage unit 140. [Figure 3B] 2 shows an example of the configuration of the storage unit 140. [Figure 4A] An example of the execution procedure of the membrane module number determination unit 120 will be described. [Figure 4B] An example of the execution procedure of the unit number determination unit 130 will be described below. [Figure 4C] An example of the execution procedure of the peripheral device design unit 160 will be shown. [Figure 4D] An example of the execution procedure of the layout design unit 170 will be shown. [Figure 4E] An example of the execution procedure of the piping and instrumentation diagram creation unit 180 will be shown. [Figure 4F] An example of the execution procedure of the operating cost calculation unit 190 will be shown below. [Figure 5] 22 illustrates an example computer 2200 in which aspects of the present invention may be embodied, in whole or in part. [Figure 6] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a design support system 1000. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0008] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a water treatment system 200. The water treatment system 200 of this example includes a raw water tank 210, a pretreatment unit 220, a supply water tank 230, a supply pump 240, a strainer 245, a membrane filtration facility 250, a membrane filtration water tank 254, a backwash pump 256, an air cleaning unit 255, a chemical cleaning unit 257, and an RO system 260. The water treatment system 200 of this example is a water treatment system for treating raw water such as river water to obtain purified water, but is not limited to this example. In another example, the water treatment system 200 may be a water treatment system for treating secondary sewage treatment water.

[0009] The raw water tank 210 is a water tank that stores raw water such as river water, spring water, lake water, etc. In the raw water tank 210, sand, garbage, etc. contained in the raw water are removed.

[0010] The pretreatment unit 220 is a facility that pretreats the raw water from the raw water tank 210 before supplying it to the membrane filtration facility 250. For example, the pretreatment unit 220 is a coagulation sedimentation basin, a sand filtration basin, a powdered activated carbon injection facility, an ozone treatment facility, or an activated carbon filtration facility. In this specification, the raw water that has been pretreated to be supplied to the membrane filtration facility 250 is referred to as feed water.

[0011] The supply water tank 230 stores the supply water. The supply pump 240 passes the supply water from the supply water tank 230 through a strainer 245 to remove foreign matter remaining in the supply water, and then pumps the water to the membrane filtration equipment 250.

[0012] The membrane filtration equipment 250 filters the supply water from the supply water tank 230. The membrane filtration equipment 250 of this example has a plurality of membrane modules 252 that filter the supply water using hollow fiber membranes. The membrane-filtered water filtered by the membrane modules 252 is stored in a membrane-filtered water tank 254. The remaining supply water that is not filtered by the membrane modules 252 may be returned to the supply water tank 230 as circulating water.

[0013] The air cleaning unit 255, backwash pump 256, and chemical cleaning unit 257 are equipment for cleaning the membrane module 252 and maintaining the functionality of the membrane filtration equipment 250. While filtering the feed water, the membrane module 252 becomes clogged with impurities contained in the feed water, resulting in a decrease in filtration efficiency. Therefore, the membrane module 252 is periodically cleaned to maintain filtration efficiency.

[0014] The air washing unit 255 supplies air in the direction in which the feed water permeates the hollow fiber membranes of the membrane module 252 , thereby air washing the membrane module 252 .

[0015] The backwash pump 256 supplies cleaning water in the direction opposite to the direction in which the feed water permeates the hollow fiber membranes of the membrane module 252 to clean the membrane module. This cleaning method is called backwashing. The backwash pump 256 periodically backwashes the membrane module 252 using membrane-filtered water pumped from the membrane-filtered water tank 254 as cleaning water. Backwash wastewater is sent to wastewater treatment equipment (not shown).

[0016] The backwash pump 256 may use cleaning water to which chemicals have been added. The frequency of backwashing using chemicals may be lower than the frequency of backwashing using only membrane-filtered water. The chemical cleaning unit 257 supplies chemicals used in the cleaning water for the membrane module 252. As an example, the chemical includes sodium hypochlorite. The chemical cleaning unit 257 may recover chemicals discharged from the membrane filtration equipment 250, and the remaining liquid may be treated as chemical waste liquid.

[0017] The RO system 260 further filters the membrane-filtered water from the membrane filtration water tank 254 using an RO (reverse osmosis) membrane. The membrane-filtered water filtered in the RO system 260 is injected with chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite to ensure that the available chlorine concentration meets the standard value, and is then distributed as purified water.

[0018] 2A shows an example of the configuration of a design support device 100. The design support device 100 determines the optimal number of membrane module units based on input information and supports the design of a membrane filtration facility 250. The design support device 100 has multiple functional units. The design support device 100 of this example includes a feedwater information acquisition unit 110, a membrane module type determination unit 115, a membrane module number determination unit 120, a unit number determination unit 130, a memory unit 140, a display unit 150, a peripheral equipment design unit 160, a layout design unit 170, a piping and instrumentation diagram creation unit 180, an operating cost calculation unit 190, and a chemical information acquisition unit 195.

[0019] The supply water information acquisition unit 110 acquires supply water information that indicates the characteristics of the supply water to be treated by the membrane filtration equipment 250. The supply water information in this example includes the water type, water quality, and treated water volume of the supply water. The water type is the type of supply water, such as raw water such as seawater or river water, sewage and its secondary treated water, or industrial wastewater. The water quality is, for example, the turbidity, amount of organic matter, and water temperature of the supply water. The treated water volume is the amount treated per unit time by the membrane filtration equipment 250, such as the amount treated per day.

[0020] The feedwater information acquisition unit 110 may be an input device such as a keyboard for a user to input information. The feedwater information acquired by the feedwater information acquisition unit 110 is passed as input information 52 to other functional units of the design support device 100, such as the membrane module type determination unit 115, the membrane module number determination unit 120, the unit number determination unit 130, and the memory unit 140.

[0021] The membrane module type determination unit 115 determines the type of membrane module to be used based on the feedwater information acquired from the feedwater information acquisition unit 110. The type of membrane module is information indicating the performance of the membrane module, such as the product name, model number, and membrane area of ​​the membrane module. The membrane module type determination unit 115 may refer to a list of membrane modules stored in the memory unit 140 to determine the type of membrane module to be used.

[0022] The membrane module number determination unit 120 determines the number of membrane modules based on the types of membrane modules acquired from the feedwater information acquisition unit 110 and the membrane module type determination unit 115. In this example, the membrane module number determination unit 120 determines the number of membrane modules so that the number of chemical cleanings, which will be described later, is consistent. Furthermore, the membrane module number determination unit 120 generates membrane module information. For example, the membrane module information includes the type and number of membrane modules to be used.

[0023] The unit number determination unit 130 determines the number of membrane module units based on the feedwater information. In this example, the units are membrane module groups obtained by dividing the number of membrane modules determined by the membrane module number determination unit 120 according to the periods and timing of filtration and cleaning. In other words, a unit refers to a control unit that controls the filtration and cleaning of multiple membrane modules. In this example, the unit number determination unit 130 divides the membrane modules into units, i.e., determines the number of units, so as to minimize costs.

[0024] The storage unit 140 stores the input information 52 and information generated by other functional units in association with each other. For example, the storage unit 140 stores the number of units determined by the unit number determination unit 130 and the treated water volume used by the unit number determination unit 130 to determine the number of units as a reference number of units and a reference treated water volume, respectively, in association with each other. The storage unit 140 may further store usable membrane modules in list or table format.

[0025] The display unit 150 displays information generated by other functional units. The display unit 150 may have a touch panel for the user to input information.

[0026] The peripheral equipment design unit 160 determines the size of the peripheral equipment of the membrane filtration equipment 250 based on the number of units determined by the unit number determination unit 130. For example, the peripheral equipment is piping, valves, and pumps connected to the membrane filtration equipment 250, and the size of the peripheral equipment may include the diameter and length of the piping, the diameter and dimensions of the valves, and the specifications of the pump.

[0027] The layout design unit 170 determines the layout of the units based on the number of membrane modules per unit. The layout in this example indicates the size of the rack that accommodates the membrane modules and the connected valves for each unit.

[0028] The layout design unit 170 determines the spacing between the membrane modules in each unit, which indicates the minimum spacing that must be ensured for the proper operation of the membrane modules.

[0029] The piping and instrumentation diagram creation unit 180 creates a piping and instrumentation diagram that displays the membrane filtration equipment 250 together with its peripheral devices and measuring devices. For example, the measuring devices are pressure gauges and flow meters.

[0030] The operating cost calculation unit 190 calculates the operating cost of the membrane filtration equipment 250 based on the number of units, water quality, and number of membrane modules. The operating cost calculation unit 190 calculates the power consumption and chemical usage of the membrane filtration equipment 250. The operating cost calculation unit 190 calculates the power cost and chemical cost based on the power consumption and chemical usage of the membrane filtration equipment 250, and outputs the sum of these as the operating cost.

[0031] The chemical information acquisition unit 195 acquires chemical information for cleaning the membrane modules. For example, the chemical information includes the type and concentration of chemicals used for cleaning, and the frequency of chemical cleaning. Chemical cleaning is a type of cleaning performed to prevent clogging of membrane modules, and is cleaning using chemicals. Both backwashing and chemical cleaning are performed periodically, but backwashing is performed more frequently, while chemical cleaning is performed less frequently. The chemical information acquisition unit 195 passes the chemical information to the operating cost calculation unit 190. The operating cost calculation unit 190 calculates the amount of chemical used in the membrane filtration equipment 250 based on the chemical information acquired from the chemical information acquisition unit 195.

[0032] FIG. 2B shows specific examples of input information 52 and output information 53. In this example, input information 52 includes supply water information. In this example, supply water information includes the water type, water quality, and treated water volume of the supply water. The water type is the type of supply water, such as raw water such as seawater or river water, sewage and its secondary treated water, or industrial wastewater. The water quality is, for example, the turbidity, amount of organic matter, and water temperature of the supply water. The treated water volume is the amount of water processed per unit time by the membrane filtration equipment 250, such as the amount of water processed per day.

[0033] The output information 53 includes information generated by each functional unit. In this example, the output information 53 includes membrane module information, peripheral device size, layout, piping and instrumentation diagram, and operating cost. The output information 53 is displayed on the display unit 150 and presented to the user. The output information 53 may be output to an external server or the like.

[0034] The input information 52 and the output information 53 are stored as reference information in the storage unit 140. For example, the storage unit 140 associates the number of units determined by the unit number determination unit 130 with the amount of treated water used by the unit number determination unit 130 to determine the number of units as a reference number of units and a reference amount of treated water, respectively. This reference information is stored in the storage unit 140, for example, as a list or a table.

[0035] 2C is a block diagram showing an example of a design support method by the design support device 100. In this example, a procedure for generating output information 53 based on input information 52 is shown. The procedure in this example is an example, and does not mean that the output information 53 is determined based only on the input information 52 and information determined from the input information 52. Furthermore, the input information 52 and the output information 53 may further include other information.

[0036] Block B101 indicates that feedwater information is input as input information 52. In block B102, the membrane module type determination unit 115 determines the type of membrane module based on the feedwater information in block B101. In block B103, the membrane module number determination unit 120 determines the number of membrane modules based on the membrane module type in block B102. In block B104, the peripheral equipment design unit 160 determines the number of units based on the feedwater information in block B101.

[0037] In block B105, the unit number determination unit 130 determines the size of the peripheral equipment of the membrane filtration equipment 250 based on the feedwater information of block B101 and the number of units in block B104. In block B106, the layout design unit 170 determines the layout of the membrane filtration equipment 250 based on the feedwater information of block B101, the number of units in block B104, and the size of the peripheral equipment in block B105. In block B107, the piping and instrumentation diagram creation unit 180 determines the piping and instrumentation diagram of the membrane filtration equipment 250 based on the size of the peripheral equipment in B105. In block B108, the operating cost calculation unit 190 determines the operating cost of the membrane filtration equipment 250 based on the feedwater information of block B101, the number of membrane modules in block B103, the number of units in block B104, and the size of the peripheral equipment in B105. In block B109, the membrane module number determination unit 120 generates membrane module information based on the type of membrane module in block B102 and the number of membrane modules in block B103.

[0038] Blocks B106, B107, B108, and B109 may be executed in any order or simultaneously. The size of the peripheral equipment in block B105, the layout in block B106, the piping and instrumentation diagram in block B107, the operating cost in block B108, and the membrane module information in block B109 are displayed on display unit 150 as output information 53.

[0039] In this way, the number of membrane modules and the number of units are determined independently in block B103 and block B104. In other words, the number of units does not depend on the number of membrane modules. Furthermore, the size of the peripheral equipment is determined based on the number of units in block B105. Therefore, according to the design support device 100 of this example, the size of the peripheral equipment is determined based on the number of units, which are the control units of the membrane filtration equipment 250, allowing the user to design a cost-effective membrane filtration equipment 250 with a high degree of freedom.

[0040] 3A shows an example of the configuration of the storage unit 140. Fig. 3A shows an example of a reference cleaning condition table that stores cleaning conditions for a membrane module in association with the corresponding water type and water quality as reference cleaning conditions, reference water type, and reference water quality, respectively. For example, a cleaning condition is a cleaning period.

[0041] After a certain period of continuous filtration, the membrane module must be stopped and cleaned to prevent clogging. The cleaning period is determined based on the quality of the feed water. In addition, by taking into account the type of feed water, a more appropriate cleaning period can be determined and the filtration efficiency of the membrane module can be maintained.

[0042] Fig. 3B shows an example of the configuration of the storage unit 140. Fig. 3B is an example of a reference unit number table in which, for each membrane module identified by the membrane module information, the number of units determined by the unit number determination unit 130 and the treated water volume used by the unit number determination unit 130 to determine the number of units are stored in association with each other as a reference unit number and a reference treated water volume, respectively.

[0043] The storage unit 140 may store the water type corresponding to the number of units determined by the unit number determination unit 130 in a reference unit number table as a reference water type. In this case, the reference unit number table may indicate the reference unit number corresponding to the combination of the reference treated water volume and the reference water type.

[0044] In this way, when the design support device 100 outputs the output information 53, the memory unit 140 in this example cumulatively stores the input information 52 and the output information 53 as reference information, and the reference information is used in subsequent calculations by the design support device 100.

[0045] 4A shows an example of the execution procedure of the membrane module number determination unit 120. The membrane module number determination unit 120 acquires feedwater information from the feedwater information acquisition unit 110. The membrane module number determination unit 120 refers to the reference cleaning condition table in the storage unit 140 and determines cleaning conditions corresponding to the water type and water quality included in the feedwater information.

[0046] The membrane module number determination unit 120 acquires the type of membrane module from the membrane module type determination unit 115. The type of membrane module is information indicating the performance of the membrane module to be used, such as the product name, model number, and membrane area of ​​the membrane module. The memory unit 140 may store a table or list indicating the performance of the membrane modules, and the membrane module number determination unit 120 may refer to the memory unit 140 based on the type of membrane module to determine the performance of the membrane modules.

[0047] The membrane module number determination unit 120 calculates the amount of treated water per unit time for each membrane module based on the water type and water quality indicated in the supply water information, the corresponding cleaning conditions, and the type of membrane module, and determines the number of membrane modules based on the amount of treated water indicated in the supply water information and the calculated amount of treated water per unit time.

[0048] 4B shows an example of the execution procedure of the unit number determination unit 130. The unit number determination unit 130 acquires supply water information from the supply water information acquisition unit 110. The unit number determination unit 130 refers to the reference unit number table in the storage unit 140 and determines the number of units corresponding to the amount of treated water included in the supply water information.

[0049] When the reference unit number table includes a reference water type, the unit number determination unit 130 determines the number of units corresponding to the treated water volume and water type included in the feed water information. In this way, by taking the water type of the feed water in addition to the treated water volume into consideration, the unit number determination unit 130 can determine a more appropriate number of units and more appropriately determine the number of units, which are the control units of the membrane filtration equipment 250.

[0050] 4C shows an example of the execution procedure of the peripheral equipment design unit 160. The peripheral equipment design unit 160 acquires feedwater information from the feedwater information acquisition unit 110. The peripheral equipment design unit 160 acquires the type of membrane module and the number of units from the membrane module type determination unit 115 and the unit number determination unit 130, respectively. The peripheral equipment design unit 160 calculates the allowable upper limit of linear velocity from the allowable pressure loss based on the treated water volume indicated by the feedwater information and the type and number of membrane modules, and determines the size of the peripheral equipment of the membrane filtration equipment 250. For example, the peripheral equipment is piping, valves, and pumps connected to the membrane filtration equipment 250, and the size of the peripheral equipment refers to the diameter and length of the piping, the diameter and dimensions of the valves, and the specifications of the pump.

[0051] Conventionally, the size of peripheral equipment (for example, the diameter of the pipes) was fixed, and after the number of membrane modules was determined, multiple membrane modules were divided into units according to the size of the peripheral equipment. In this conventional method, the units were simply a group of modules whose number was determined according to the predetermined size of the peripheral equipment, rather than being determined with cost in mind.

[0052] In contrast, according to the design support device 100 of this embodiment, the unit number determination unit 130 determines the number of units taking cost into consideration, and the peripheral equipment design unit 160 determines the size of the peripheral equipment based on the type of membrane module and the number of units. Therefore, since the size of the peripheral equipment is determined based on the number of units, which are the control units of the membrane filtration equipment 250, the user can design a cost-effective membrane filtration equipment 250 with a high degree of freedom.

[0053] 4D shows an example of the execution procedure of the layout design unit 170. The layout design unit 170 acquires the number of membrane modules and the number of units from the membrane module number determination unit 120 and the unit number determination unit 130, respectively, and acquires the number of membrane modules per unit based on the acquired number of membrane modules and number of units.

[0054] The layout design unit 170 acquires the size of the peripheral device from the peripheral device design unit 160. The size of the peripheral device includes the diameter and dimensions of the valves connected to the unit.

[0055] The layout design unit 170 determines the spacing between membrane modules in each unit. The spacing between membrane modules indicates the minimum spacing that must be ensured for proper operation of the membrane modules. The memory unit 140 may store a table or list indicating the spacing between membrane modules, and the layout design unit 170 may refer to the memory unit 140 based on the type of membrane module acquired from the membrane module type determination unit 115 to acquire corresponding spacing information for the membrane modules.

[0056] Conventionally, a unit is determined by first determining the number of membrane modules, and then dividing the membrane modules into sections according to the size of the peripheral equipment, without taking into consideration the spacing between the membrane modules in each unit. In this example, by taking into consideration the spacing between the membrane modules, it is possible to ensure the spacing necessary for the membrane modules to operate properly.

[0057] The layout design unit 170 determines the layout based on the number of membrane modules per unit, the size of peripheral equipment, and the spacing between the membrane modules. The layout in this example indicates the size of the rack that houses the membrane modules and the connected valves for each unit. The layout design unit 170 determines the rack size taking into account the distribution and uniformity of the feedwater.

[0058] 4E shows an example of an execution procedure of the piping and instrumentation diagram creation unit 180. The piping and instrumentation diagram creation unit 180 acquires the size of the peripheral equipment from the peripheral equipment design unit 160. The size of the peripheral equipment may include the diameter and length of the pipes connected to the unit, the diameter and dimensions of the valves, and the specifications of the pump.

[0059] The piping and instrumentation diagram creation unit 180 acquires the number of units from the unit number determination unit 130. Based on the acquired size of the peripheral equipment and the number of units, the piping and instrumentation diagram creation unit 180 creates a piping and instrumentation diagram that displays the membrane filtration equipment 250 together with its peripheral equipment and measuring instruments. For example, the measuring instruments are a pressure gauge and a flow meter. The piping and instrumentation diagram creation unit 180 may switch the display of the piping and instrumentation diagram in response to re-input of input information 52 by the user while displaying the created piping and instrumentation diagram on the display unit 150.

[0060] 4F shows an example of the execution procedure of the operating cost calculation unit 190. The operating cost calculation unit 190 acquires feedwater information from the feedwater information acquisition unit 110. The operating cost calculation unit 190 acquires the number of membrane modules from the membrane module number determination unit 120.

[0061] The operating cost calculation unit 190 acquires chemical information from the chemical information acquisition unit 195. The chemical information includes the type and concentration of chemicals used for chemical cleaning of the membrane modules, and the frequency of chemical cleaning. The memory unit 140 may store a table or list that associates reference water type and reference water quality with reference chemical information, and the chemical information acquisition unit 195 may refer to the memory unit 140 based on the supply water information and acquire the corresponding chemical information. The operating cost calculation unit 190 calculates the amount of chemicals used for chemical cleaning of the membrane filtration equipment 250, i.e., the amount of chemicals used for chemical cleaning, based on the acquired number of membrane modules and chemical information.

[0062] The operating cost calculation unit 190 acquires the number of units from the unit number determination unit 130. The operating cost calculation unit 190 acquires the size of the peripheral equipment from the peripheral equipment design unit 160. The size of the peripheral equipment includes the specifications of the pump connected to the unit. The memory unit 140 may store a table or list that associates the pump specifications with the corresponding power consumption, and the operating cost calculation unit 190 may refer to the memory unit 140 based on the pump specifications and acquire the corresponding power consumption. The operating cost calculation unit 190 calculates the power consumption of the membrane filtration equipment 250 based on the acquired number of units and the power consumption of the pump.

[0063] The operating cost calculation unit 190 calculates the power cost and chemical cost based on the power consumption and chemical usage of the membrane filtration equipment 250, and outputs the sum of these as the operating cost.

[0064] In this way, the design support device 100 of this example allows the user to have a high degree of freedom in designing a cost-effective membrane filtration equipment 250. Furthermore, the design support device 100 of this example allows the user to easily and simply design the membrane filtration equipment 250 without having to request or inquire about the design from the manufacturer or vendor of the membrane filtration equipment 250, thereby preventing information leaks and enabling comparison of design results using multiple different pieces of input information.

[0065] 5 illustrates an example of a computer 2200 in which aspects of the present invention may be embodied, in whole or in part. Programs installed on the computer 2200 may cause the computer 2200 to function as or perform operations associated with an apparatus or one or more sections of the apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention, and / or to perform a process or steps of the process according to embodiments of the present invention. Such programs may be executed by the CPU 2212 to cause the computer 2200 to perform specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks of the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0066] A computer 2200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 2212, a RAM 2214, a graphics controller 2216, and a display device 2218, which are interconnected by a host controller 2210. The computer 2200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 2222, a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM drive 2226, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 2210 via an input / output controller 2220. The computer also includes legacy input / output units such as a ROM 2230 and a keyboard 2242, which are connected to the input / output controller 2220 via an input / output chip 2240.

[0067] The CPU 2212 operates according to programs stored in the ROM 2230 and RAM 2214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 2216 acquires image data generated by the CPU 2212 into a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 2214 or into the graphics controller 2216 itself, and causes the image data to be displayed on the display device 2218.

[0068] The communication interface 2222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The hard disk drive 2224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2212 in the computer 2200. The DVD-ROM drive 2226 reads programs or data from the DVD-ROM 2201 and provides the programs or data to the hard disk drive 2224 via the RAM 2214. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and / or writes programs and data to an IC card.

[0069] The ROM 2230 stores therein a boot program or the like that is executed by the computer 2200 upon activation, and / or programs that depend on the hardware of the computer 2200. The input / output chip 2240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 2220 via a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, etc.

[0070] The programs are provided by a computer-readable medium such as a DVD-ROM 2201 or an IC card. The programs are read from the computer-readable medium, installed in the hard disk drive 2224, RAM 2214, or ROM 2230, which are also examples of computer-readable media, and executed by the CPU 2212. Information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 2200, and brings about cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or method may be configured by realizing information manipulation or processing in accordance with the use of the computer 2200.

[0071] For example, when communication is performed between the computer 2200 and an external device, the CPU 2212 may execute a communication program loaded into the RAM 2214 and instruct the communication interface 2222 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Under the control of the CPU 2212, the communication interface 2222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in the RAM 2214, the hard disk drive 2224, the DVD-ROM 2201, or a recording medium such as an IC card, and transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes reception data received from the network to a reception buffer processing area or the like provided on the recording medium.

[0072] Furthermore, the CPU 2212 may cause all or a necessary portion of a file or database stored on an external recording medium such as the hard disk drive 2224, the DVD-ROM drive 2226 (DVD-ROM 2201), an IC card, etc. to be read into the RAM 2214, and perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 then writes back the processed data to the external recording medium.

[0073] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and subjected to information processing. The CPU 2212 may perform various types of processing on data read from the RAM 2214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information search / replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the instruction sequences of the programs, and write the results back to the RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 may also search for information in a file, database, etc. on the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored on the recording medium, the CPU 2212 may search for an entry that matches a condition specified by the attribute value of the first attribute from among the multiple entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0074] The above-described programs or software modules may be stored in a computer-readable medium on or near the computer 2200. A recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can also be used as a computer-readable medium, thereby providing the programs to the computer 2200 via the network.

[0075] 6 shows an example of the configuration of the design support system 1000. The design support system 1000 includes an AP server 1110 and a DB server 1120. The AP server 1110 is a server computer that runs a program and executes the functions of each functional unit of the design support device 100 (e.g., the feedwater information acquisition unit 110, the membrane module type determination unit 115, the membrane module number determination unit 120, the unit number determination unit 130, the peripheral equipment design unit 160, the layout design unit 170, the piping and instrumentation diagram creation unit 180, the operating cost calculation unit 190, and the chemical information acquisition unit 195). The DB server 1120 is connected to the AP server 1110. The DB server 1120 may be the memory unit 140 of the design support device 100.

[0076] The design support system 1000 is connected to an in-house system 1200 via a network 1250 so as to be able to send and receive data. The network 1250 may be a local or private network, or may be a public communication network such as the Internet. The in-house system 1200 accesses the AP server 1110 and performs program maintenance and management.

[0077] The design support system 1000 may be connected to a customer system 1300 via a network 1350 so as to be able to send and receive data therebetween. The network 1350 may be, for example, the Internet. The customer system 1300 may provide design data to the design support system 1000 and use the provided design support functions using a program installed on a computer device.

[0078] Furthermore, the design support system 1000 may be connected to a user 1400 via a network 1450 so as to be able to send and receive data therebetween. The network 1450 is, for example, the Internet. The user 1400 may access the design support system 1000 to use some of the functions of the design support device 100, or may execute some of the functions of the design support device 100 using another program. The DB server 1120 may store identification information, billing information, etc. of the user 1400.

[0079] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0080] It should be noted that the execution order of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and that the processes can be performed in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a subsequent process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, this does not mean that the processes must be performed in this order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 52 Input information, 53 Output information, 100 Design support device, 110 Feedwater information acquisition unit, 115 Membrane module type determination unit, 120 Membrane module number determination unit, 130 Unit number determination unit, 140 Memory unit, 150 Display unit, 160 Peripheral equipment design unit, 170 Layout design unit, 180 Piping and instrumentation diagram creation unit, 190 Operation Cost calculation unit, 195... Chemical information acquisition unit, 200... Water treatment system, 210... Raw water tank, 220... Pretreatment unit, 230... Supply water tank, 240... Supply pump, 245... Strainer, 250... Membrane filtration equipment, 252... Membrane module, 254... Membrane filtration water tank, 255... Air cleaning unit, 256... Backwash pump, 257... Chemical cleaning unit 260···RO system, 1000···Design support system, 1110···AP server, 1120···DB server, 1200···In-house system, 1250···Network, 1300···Customer system, 1350···Network, 1400···User, 1450···Network, 2200···Computer, 2201···ROM, 2210···Host controller, 2212···CPU, 2214···RAM, 2216···Graphics controller, 2218···Display device, 2220···Output controller, 2222···Communication interface, 2224··Hard disk drive, 2226···ROM drive, 2230···ROM, 2240···Output chip, 2242···Keyboard

Claims

1. A design support program for a membrane filtration facility having a plurality of membrane modules for treating feedwater, a membrane module type determination step of determining a type of membrane module based on feed water information indicating characteristics of the feed water; A membrane module number determination procedure for determining the number of membrane modules; a unit number determination step for determining the number of units into which the plurality of membrane modules are divided; A design support program that runs on a computer.

2. The supply water information includes the water type, water quality, and treated water volume of the supply water. The design support program according to claim 1 .

3. and causing the computer to execute a storage procedure for storing the number of units and the corresponding treated water volume in association with each other as a reference number of units and a reference treated water volume, respectively. The design support program according to claim 2 .

4. The storing step includes a step of storing the water type corresponding to the number of units as a reference water type. The design support program according to claim 3.

5. The unit number determination step includes a step of determining the number of units based on the treated water volume included in the supply water information and the reference unit number and the reference treated water volume stored in the storage step. The design support program according to claim 3.

6. The storage step includes a step of storing cleaning conditions including a cleaning period of the membrane module in association with the corresponding water type and water quality as reference cleaning conditions, a reference water type, and a reference water quality, respectively. The design support program according to claim 3.

7. The procedure for determining the number of membrane modules includes: a step of calculating a treated water amount per unit time of each membrane module based on the water type and the water quality included in the supply water information and the reference cleaning conditions stored in the storing step; determining the number of the membrane modules based on the amount of treated water included in the feed water information and the amount of treated water per unit time; The design support program according to claim 6 , comprising:

8. and causing the computer to execute a peripheral equipment design procedure for determining specifications of peripheral equipment of the membrane filtration equipment based on the number of units. The design support program according to claim 1 .

9. The computer is caused to execute a layout design procedure for determining the layout of the unit based on the number of membrane modules per unit. The design support program according to claim 8.

10. causing the computer to execute a procedure for creating a piping and instrumentation diagram showing the peripheral devices and measuring devices; The design support program according to claim 8.

11. The piping and instrumentation diagram creation step includes a step of creating the piping and instrumentation diagram according to the number of units. The design support program according to claim 10.

12. and causing the computer to execute an operation cost calculation procedure for calculating the operation cost of the membrane filtration equipment based on the number of units, the water quality, and the number of membrane modules. The design support program according to claim 2 .

13. The operation cost calculation step includes a step of calculating the power consumption of the membrane filtration equipment. The design support program according to claim 12.

14. causing the computer to execute a chemical information acquisition procedure for acquiring chemical information for cleaning the membrane module; The operating cost calculation step includes a step of calculating a chemical usage amount of the membrane filtration equipment based on the chemical information. The design support program according to claim 12.

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