Filtration System Concentration Control via Osmotic Pressure Matching

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Filtration systems face challenges in effectively concentrating minor components, such as ethanol in beer, due to inefficient energy use and high capital costs, particularly in separating ethanol from water, where current methods struggle with low rejection percentages and require multiple filtration stages.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a method involving multiple filtration stages with strategic mixing and recycling of streams to maintain similar osmotic pressures, allowing for the concentration of minor components by establishing hydraulic pressure differentials across filtration media, and recycling retentate streams to maintain target component concentrations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If multiple filtration stages are used to concentrate minor components, then concentration effectiveness is improved, but energy consumption and capital costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconcentration effectivenessVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the operating parameters of the filtration system by maintaining similar osmotic pressures across different filtration stages through strategic mixing and recycling. This parameter optimization allows each filtration stage to operate more efficiently, reducing the total energy required while achieving the same concentration effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback control by recycling retentate streams back to previous filtration stages. This feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain optimal concentration gradients and osmotic pressure balances, improving overall energy efficiency while achieving target concentrations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Manufacturing precision

If multiple filtration stages are used to concentrate minor components, then concentration effectiveness is improved, but filtration medium surface area requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconcentration effectivenessVSAvoidfiltration medium surface area

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

By optimizing the osmotic pressure parameters across filtration stages through strategic stream mixing, the patent reduces the surface area requirement for each filtration stage while maintaining effective concentration. The parameter optimization allows more compact filter configurations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If streams with different osmotic pressures are mixed, then concentration gradients are enhanced, but energy efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconcentration rateVSAvoidenergy efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the equipotentiality principle by maintaining similar osmotic pressures in streams being mixed at each filtration stage. This approach prevents energy-wasting osmotic back-pressure while still achieving effective concentration gradients across the filtration medium, optimizing both productivity and energy efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #12Equipotentiality

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 reduces energy consumption and filtration medium surface area requirements, achieving higher concentrations of minor components with fewer filtration steps, thereby improving efficiency and reducing costs.

Implementation Method 1

an inlet stream containing a mixture of two or more components is transported over a filtration medium to produce a first stream transported through the filter

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFiltration: Filter (physical)

Implementation Method 2

mixing streams with similar concentrations of a target minor component and/or similar osmotic pressures before filtration

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOsmotic pressure: Osmotic Pressure

Implementation Method 3

establishing a hydraulic pressure differential across a filtration medium within a first filter receiving a liquid feed

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydraulic pressure differential: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentUS10561987B2Concentration control in filtration systems, and associated methods

Publication Date: 2020.02.18 MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH

AI summary

Concentration control in filtration systems and associated methods are generally described. Streams originating from upstream filters and having similar concentrations of a target minor component and/or similar osmotic pressures can be mixed and subsequently filtered within additional filters. Certain embodiments comprise recycling an output stream produced by a filter to a filter feed stream, wherein the output stream and the filter feed stream have similar concentrations of a target minor component and/or similar osmotic pressures. Such strategic mixing and/or recycling can reduce the amount of energy and/or the amount of filtration medium surface area required to achieve a desired concentration of the target minor component in a final product stream.