Filtration Membrane Bundle With Woven Filament Spacing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Filtration systems face challenges in maintaining optimal performance and preventing damage to elongated filtration fibers due to contact and varying operational conditions, which can lead to decreased filtration efficiency and fiber damage, especially when fibers are fragile and require precise radial spacing.

Innovation Solution

A filtration membrane bundle is created by weaving or binding elongated filtration fibers with filaments to maintain a predetermined radial spacing, providing mechanical support and stability, allowing for effective filtration and easy cleanability, and using sealing heads made of hardenable potting compound to secure the fibers and ensure tight sealing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If elongated filtration fibers are used to increase filtration surface area, then filtration efficiency is improved, but fibers are prone to bending and contacting each other which reduces effective filtration area and causes damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefiltration efficiencyVSAvoidfiber integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A spacer is introduced as an intermediary element between adjacent elongated filtration fibers. The spacer maintains a predetermined spacing distance, preventing the fibers from bending into contact with each other. This resolves the contradiction by allowing the fibers to remain elongated for high filtration efficiency while the spacer prevents fiber contact that would cause damage and reduce reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If elongated filtration fibers are used to increase filtration surface area, then filtration efficiency is improved, but under varying operational conditions fibers contact each other causing temporary decrease of effective filtration area

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefiltration efficiencyVSAvoideffective filtration area stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The spacer acts as a stable intermediary that maintains consistent spacing between filtration fibers under varying operational conditions including load, differential pressure, and vibration. This prevents dynamic contact between fibers that would temporarily reduce effective filtration area, ensuring stable filtration performance throughout operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The spacer provides beforehand cushioning by pre-establishing a predetermined spacing distance between fibers before operational stresses are applied. This prevents fibers from bending into contact under subsequent pressure, vibration, or load variations, maintaining stable effective filtration area throughout the operational cycle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Manufacturing precision

If fragile ceramic filtration fibers are used to achieve ultra-filtration, then filtration precision is improved, but fibers are susceptible to damage from contact

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefiltration precisionVSAvoidfiber damage risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The spacer serves as a protective intermediary between fragile ceramic filtration fibers, maintaining a predetermined spacing that prevents direct contact. This allows the use of high-precision fragile ceramic materials for ultra-filtration applications without the risk of fiber-to-fiber contact causing damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Productivity

If filtration fibers are closely packed to maximize filtration surface area, then productivity is improved, but cleanability becomes difficult as fiber surfaces are not accessible

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefiltration surface areaVSAvoidcleanability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The spacer acts as an intermediary that enables both high fiber density and accessibility. By maintaining a predetermined spacing distance, the spacer allows filtration fibers to be closely packed for maximum surface area while ensuring that cleaning agents can access all fiber surfaces, including those in the interior regions of the filter element.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11839857B2Filtration membrane bundle, filtration membrane assembly and method of producing the same

Publication Date: 2023.12.12 I2M LLC

AI summary

The present invention concerns a filtration membrane bundle (30) comprising a plurality of elongated filtration fibers (40) arranged in a spiraled coil (34); and one or more filaments (50) woven around the plurality of elongated filtration fibers (40) binding one or more adjacent elongated filtration fibers (40) at a predetermined and homogeneous spacing (44,48) from one another wherein each elongated filtration fiber (40) is bound to respective adjacent elongated filtration fibers (40) in a co-planar configuration, and wherein the co-planar configuration of filtration fibers (40) are rolled into a coil (34). Furthermore, a filtration membrane assembly comprising the filtration membrane bundle (30) and a housing and method of providing the filtration membrane bundle (30) are disclosed.