Cylindrical Flat Sheet Membrane Module Radial Potting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing membrane filtration modules face challenges in maximizing surface area utilization and maintaining membrane integrity during the potting process, leading to inefficiencies in fluid separation and potential mechanical weakness.
Innovation Solution
A method of potting flat sheet membranes within a cylindrical housing involves rotating the housing horizontally while adding potting material, ensuring membranes are embedded with their edges secured in a layer of potting material, and creating defined flow channels between membranes, optionally using spacers and fillers to maintain spacing and support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If flat sheet membranes are stacked in a cylindrical housing with traditional potting methods, then membrane surface area can be increased, but membrane integrity and mechanical stability deteriorate due to stress concentration and improper embedding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional linear/embedded potting to a radial/cylindrical potting configuration. Membranes are arranged radially within a cylindrical housing, with potting material applied in a radial manner to embed membrane edges along the cylindrical surface. This dimensional change distributes mechanical stress uniformly across the membrane edges, preventing stress concentration while maximizing surface area utilization within the cylindrical volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies potting material specifically at the membrane edges where mechanical support is needed, rather than covering the entire membrane surface. The potting material forms a localized embedding layer along the radial direction, providing mechanical stability and stress distribution precisely where required (at the edges), while leaving the active filtration surfaces exposed and functional.
2Productivity
If membranes are densely packed to maximize surface area, then filtration capacity increases, but fluid flow distribution and permeate collection worsen due to restricted flow channels
Solution Approach 1:
The cylindrical arrangement with radially distributed membranes creates equipotential flow distribution. The radial geometry ensures that feed fluid can access all membrane surfaces uniformly, and permeate can be collected equally from all membranes. This eliminates preferential flow paths and ensures balanced operation across all membrane surfaces, maintaining good fluid distribution even at high packing densities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the radial dimension of the cylindrical housing to organize membranes, creating three-dimensional flow distribution rather than simple linear stacking. This spatial arrangement optimizes flow paths and ensures uniform access to all membrane surfaces while maintaining adequate spacing for permeate collection, resolving the contradiction between dense packing and flow distribution.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional potting methods are used without rotation, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but potting material uniformity and membrane embedding quality worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces rotational motion to the potting process, transforming it from a static to a dynamic operation. The cylindrical housing rotates during potting material application, which dynamically distributes the material uniformly around the membrane edges. This rotational mechanism ensures consistent embedding quality and uniform potting layer thickness without requiring complex manual positioning or multiple static applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotational motion during potting allows the system to self-distribute the potting material uniformly through centrifugal and gravitational forces acting during rotation. The rotating configuration enables the potting material to naturally spread and embed evenly around all membrane edges simultaneously, achieving high manufacturing precision through the self-organizing effect of rotation rather than requiring precise external control.
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
Enhances membrane surface area utilization and mechanical stability, improving fluid separation efficiency and reducing material stress on membranes, while allowing for effective permeate collection.
Implementation Method 1
The housing is rotated around its central longitudinal axis while the housing is oriented horizontally. Liquid potting material is added into the housing while the housing is rotating. The potting material forms a layer on the inside of the housing.
Implementation Method 2
This specification relates to membrane filtration modules, for example ultrafiltration, microfiltration, nanofiltration or reverse osmosis modules
Implementation Method 3
The membranes have an inner cavity. Optionally, the membranes may be supported on a 3D spacer fabric. The membranes are rectangular with a pair of longer edges and a pair of shorter edges. The membranes are held by their longer edges in the layer of potting material.
Data Source
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AI summary
A membrane module comprising a cylindrical housing containing a plurality of flat sheet membranes oriented parallel with a longitudinal central axis of the housing, the edges of the one or more flat sheet membranes being embedded in a potting material.