Complex Filter for Water Purification Using Composite Hollow Fiber Membrane
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current water purifiers are large in size and have limited capacity for removing harmful materials and byproducts, pathogenic microorganisms, and require multiple filters, which complicates their structure and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A complex filter comprising an antibacterial hollow fiber membrane, activated carbon fibers, and ion exchange fibers, where the hollow fiber membrane is manufactured by impregnating silver ions into the polymer solution and reducing them using hydrazine or anhydrous hydrazine hydrate, combined with activated carbon layers and adsorbents to enhance purification efficiency and reduce size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple filters are used to remove harmful materials and pathogenic microorganisms, then purification capacity is improved, but device size and structural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple filter functions into a single integrated hollow fiber membrane filter. The membrane incorporates both pathogenic microorganism removal capability and activated carbon layers for harmful material adsorption, eliminating the need for separate filtration units and reducing overall device size while maintaining comprehensive purification capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow fiber membrane is constructed as a composite structure with activated carbon layers integrated within the membrane matrix. This composite design enables simultaneous performance of mechanical filtration, adsorption of harmful materials, and pathogenic microorganism removal in a single filter element, resolving the contradiction between purification capacity and device size
2Reliability
If multiple filters are used to remove harmful materials and pathogenic microorganisms, then purification capacity is improved, but device structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple filtration functions into a single integrated hollow fiber membrane filter structure. The membrane incorporates both pathogenic microorganism removal capability and activated carbon layers for harmful material adsorption, eliminating the need for separate filtration units and reducing overall device size while maintaining comprehensive purification capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow fiber membrane is designed as a multi-functional filter that simultaneously performs mechanical filtration, adsorption of harmful materials through integrated activated carbon layers, and removal of pathogenic microorganisms. This universal design eliminates the need for multiple specialized filters, significantly reducing structural complexity while maintaining comprehensive purification capacity
3Reliability
If silver ions are impregnated into hollow fiber membrane and reduced to silver particles, then antibacterial performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process applies preliminary impregnation of silver ions into the hollow fiber membrane before final assembly. By pre-impregnating the membrane with silver ions and then reducing them to silver particles, the antibacterial function is built into the membrane structure itself, simplifying the overall manufacturing process compared to post-assembly treatment methods
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process utilizes parameter changes by controlling the reduction conditions of silver ions to silver particles. By adjusting parameters such as reducing agent concentration, temperature, and reaction time, the process optimizes silver particle formation within the membrane, achieving effective antibacterial performance through controlled chemical transformation rather than complex mechanical processes
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The complex filter significantly reduces the size of water purifiers while improving purification capacity, effectively removing harmful substances, pathogenic microorganisms, and extending the filter's lifespan by using a simplified structure with enhanced water-purifying performance.
Implementation Method 1
a hollow fiber membrane filter that includes multiple fine pores distributed on a membrane surface to remove contaminants
Implementation Method 2
a granular activated carbon filter that includes activated carbon with fine pores to perform adsorption for filtering
Implementation Method 3
soaking the formed hollow fiber membrane into a silver ion solution so that silver ions are impregnated into the hollow fiber membrane, and reducing the silver ions by soaking the silver ion-impregnated hollow fiber membrane into a reaction solution containing at least one of hydrazine and anhydrous hydrazine hydrate
Implementation Method 4
a complex filter including at least an activated carbon, activated carbon fiber, and ion exchange layers
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a complex filter and to a water purifier including a complex filter. By providing a complex filter for a water purifier including an antibacterial hollow fiber membrane, activated carbon fibers, ion-exchange fibers, and one or more activated carbon layers arranged in an optimized combination, the size of a water purifier can be reduced, and excellent water-purifying performance and an improved service life can be provided.