Ceramic Membrane Sealing Assembly for Thermal and Pressure Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Filtration assemblies face challenges with temperature variations affecting component performance, sealing requirements, and space constraints during manufacturing and operation, particularly in water treatment plants.
Innovation Solution
A ceramic membrane filtration assembly with a sealing device that includes structural members and O-rings to form a seal between the membrane assembly and housing, allowing for temperature expansion and contraction, while maintaining separation of feed and permeate streams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional filtration assemblies are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but seal integrity fails under temperature variations and pressure differentials
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device is divided into multiple functional segments: an outer sealing ring for housing sealing, structural members for support and alignment, and an inner sealing portion for membrane assembly sealing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to provide comprehensive sealing under temperature and pressure variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing device incorporates materials and design features that accommodate parameter changes during operation. The sealing features are designed to maintain seal integrity despite temperature variations and pressure differentials, with structural members positioned to allow for thermal expansion and contraction while maintaining sealing contact.
2Reliability
If membrane assembly is tightly sealed to housing, then sealing is improved, but space for permeate collection is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device acts as an intermediary component between the membrane assembly and housing. It provides sealing functionality while its specific geometric design creates and maintains the permeate collection void space. The sealing features seal against the housing in a manner that preserves the necessary volume for permeate accumulation and extraction.
3Manufacturing precision
If structural members contact membrane assembly ends, then alignment is improved, but flow channels are blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The structural members are designed with localized contact points or features that provide alignment functionality only where needed. The contact is restricted to specific locations that ensure proper positioning of the membrane assembly without extending into or blocking the flow channels, thus maintaining both alignment precision and flow productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A ceramic membrane filtration assembly comprising a membrane assembly extending from a first membrane assembly end to a second membrane assembly end, where the membrane assembly is defined by a membrane assembly length, the membrane assembly including at least one membrane. At least one of the membranes have channels therein, and at least one channel has channel ends. The filtration assembly further includes at least one sealing device coupled with the membrane assembly adjacent to at least one of the first and second membrane assembly ends, where the sealing device has an inner and outer perimeter. The sealing device has a sealing feature disposed along the outer perimeter, and the inner perimeter of the sealing device is sealed with a portion of the membrane assembly.