Electroosmotic Membrane for Gentle Water Purification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current filtration methods for cleaning contaminated water, such as reverse osmosis and hollow fiber filters, face challenges like bacterial adhesion to filters, damage to microorganisms, and difficulty in gentle detachment, making effective detection of living germs impossible.
Innovation Solution
The use of an electroosmotic membrane with a voltage-driven electroosmotic effect to transport contaminated water through a membrane with controlled pore size, acting as both a pump and a separating medium, allowing for effective separation of microorganisms without additional pumping and minimizing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional filtration methods (reverse osmosis, hollow fiber filters) are used to remove microorganisms from water, then separation efficiency is improved, but microorganisms are damaged or killed making detection impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical pressure-based filtration (reverse osmosis, hollow fiber filters) with an electroosmotic pump that uses electric fields to drive liquid flow through the membrane. This substitution eliminates the high mechanical pressures that cause microorganism damage while maintaining effective separation through the electroosmotic effect and membrane filtration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameters from high mechanical pressure to controlled electric field strength. By applying voltage across the electroosmotic membrane, liquid flow is generated through electroosmosis without the need for high pressure, thereby preserving microorganism integrity while achieving separation.
2Productivity
If strong pressure is applied to force liquid through the membrane, then pumping efficiency is improved, but microorganism damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical pressure-driven pumping with an electroosmotic pump that uses electric fields to generate liquid flow. The electroosmotic effect creates pumping action through electroosmotic flow in the porous membrane, eliminating the need for high mechanical pressure and associated microorganism damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The electroosmotic membrane performs both pumping and separation functions simultaneously. The electric field applied across the membrane generates electroosmotic flow that pumps liquid through the membrane while the membrane structure provides separation, combining two functions into one self-sufficient system.
3Productivity
If additional pumping devices are added to transport liquid through the membrane, then pumping capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pumping function and separation function into a single integrated electroosmotic membrane system. The electroosmotic membrane simultaneously acts as the pumping element (generating flow through electroosmosis) and the separation medium (filtering microorganisms), eliminating the need for separate pumping devices and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The electroosmotic membrane performs multiple functions: it serves as the separation medium for removing microorganisms, as the pumping element for transporting liquid, and as the electrode support structure. This multi-functionality reduces the number of components needed and simplifies the overall device architecture.
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
This approach enables efficient and energy-efficient separation of impurities from liquids, preserving microbial vitality for detection, reducing energy consumption, and avoiding excessive pressure on the membrane, thus facilitating effective enrichment and purification of water.
Implementation Method 1
the electroosmotic membrane has a first electrode on a first surface and the electroosmotic membrane on a second surface opposite the first surface has a second electrode and which is provided when a voltage is applied by means of an electroosmotic Eff ect to transport liquid from the first receiving area into the second receiving area
Implementation Method 2
the pores of the membrane act both as a pump and as a separating medium. In particular, the pores of the membrane act as a pump when a voltage is applied. The pores of the membrane preferably act as a separating medium between the liquid of the first receiving area and the second receiving area
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning liquids, in particular contaminated water, with at least a first receiving area (12a; 12b) for receiving a contaminated liquid (14a; 14b), with at least a second receiving area (16a; 16b) for receiving a cleaned liquid (18a; 18b) and with at least one membrane unit (20a; 20b) arranged between the first receiving area (12a; 12b) and the second receiving area (16a; 16b), which serves at least partially as a separating medium between the first receiving area (12a; 12b) and the second receiving area (16a; 16b).It is proposed that the at least one membrane unit (20a; 20b) comprises at least one electroosmotic membrane (22a; 22b) which has a first electrode (24a) on a first surface and which, when a voltage is applied, is designed to transport liquid from the first receiving area (12a; 12b) to the second receiving area (16a; 16b) by means of an electroosmotic effect.