Helical Strand Spacer for Water Treatment Filter Module
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water-treatment filter modules using spiral-wound separation membranes experience high energy costs due to flow disturbances and pressure loss caused by spacer design, leading to increased osmotic pressure and reduced water permeability.
Innovation Solution
A water-treatment filter module with a spacer composed of helical strands that intersect without contact points, manufactured by extruding strands through a nozzle and winding them onto a rotating roll in a spiral shape, minimizing pressure loss and reducing concentration polarization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional straight strands are used to form spacer cells, then the spacer structure is simple to manufacture, but flow disturbance occurs at contact points causing high differential pressure and energy loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing straight strands with helical (spiral-shaped) strands in the spacer structure. This curved configuration eliminates sharp contact points where whirlpools form, thereby reducing flow disturbance and differential pressure while maintaining structural functionality for guiding water flow across the membrane surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a third dimension by transforming the traditional two-dimensional planar spacer structure into a three-dimensional helical configuration. The strands are arranged in spiral shapes with specific pitch and radius, adding vertical dimensionality that prevents contact between opposing strands and eliminates whirlpool formation zones.
2Stress or pressure
If conventional spacers are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but whirlpool formation at strand intersections increases pressure loss
Solution Approach 1:
The helical strand configuration replaces straight intersecting strands with curved spiral shapes that never make contact with opposing strands. This eliminates the sharp corners and intersection points where whirlpools form in conventional spacers, thereby reducing pressure loss without requiring complex assembly processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer structure is pre-designed with helical strands that inherently prevent whirlpool formation through their spiral geometry. The configuration is established during manufacturing, so the flow guidance and whirlpool prevention are built-in from the start rather than requiring additional components or post-manufacturing adjustments.
3Manufacturing precision
If injection molding is used for precise shape control of spacers, then manufacturing precision is improved, but production costs increase due to mold manufacturing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is segmented into multiple identical helical strand components that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. This modular approach allows for precise shaping of individual strands through extrusion without requiring expensive large-scale injection molds, reducing overall production costs while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the injection molding process with an extrusion-based manufacturing method. Instead of using complex injection molds to form the entire spacer at once, the helical strands are extruded through a die and then wound or assembled into the final spacer configuration, eliminating the need for expensive mold manufacturing while achieving precise geometric 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
The helical strand design reduces differential pressure and prevents whirlpool formation, enhancing water permeability and reducing production costs by eliminating the need for complex mold designs.
Implementation Method 1
rotating a rotating roll and simultaneously moving at least one of the rotating roll and the extrusion nozzle along the axial direction of the rotating roll, thereby winding the strand on the rotating roll in a spiral shape to form a helical strand
Implementation Method 2
a differential pressure is generated due to flow disturbance by the spacer, which increases energy costs. In particular, referring to Figure 2, the volume increases at contact points where a number of strands (11) intersect, and whirlpools occur in the corresponding region. This whirlpool phenomenon increases pressure loss.
Implementation Method 3
a membrane water-treatment module using reverse osmosis can be used to purify raw water by removing polymers, colloids and grains (particles). A process of moving a solution with a high concentration toward a low concentration by using pressure is called `reverse osmosis' and a device for purifying water by passing only water molecules through a semipermeable membrane using this principle is called a reverse osmosis membrane water-treatment module.
Implementation Method 4
a concentration polarization occurs near the membrane necessarily due to water permeation flux, where as this phenomenon becomes more severe, the osmotic pressure increases near the membrane and the water permeability decreases.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a water-treatment filter module, an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a helical strand for a water-treatment filter module, and a method for manufacturing a spacer, and according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a water-treatment filter module comprising a membrane for filtering raw water and a spacer laminated to the membrane and providing a plurality of passages for passing raw water through the membrane, wherein the spacer comprises a first member extending in a first direction and a second member extending in a second direction different from the first direction and disposed so as to form spacer cells by intersecting with the first member, and at least one of the first member and the second member is wound in a spiral shape having a predetermined pitch of a predetermined radius around the extended direction.