Membrane Filtration Connection Structure for Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The connecting structure between membrane elements and water collection pipes in membrane filtration devices faces reliability issues due to stresses from operating conditions like air-washing and backwashing, which can compromise liquid tightness and durability, and existing solutions may increase the size of the structure.
Innovation Solution
A connecting structure featuring a water collection pipe with a tubular peripheral wall that has thicker radial sections and inward-outward penetrating connecting holes, where the treated water lead-out portion is connected to these holes, enhancing liquid tightness and durability while minimizing size increase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a reinforcing member is provided in the connecting structure to improve connection reliability, then liquid tightness and durability are improved, but the size of the connecting structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a thick portion at a specific location on the water collection pipe (peripheral wall) rather than uniformly reinforcing the entire structure. This localized thickening provides the necessary strength and liquid tightness at the connection point while minimizing the overall volume increase of the connecting structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional wall to a three-dimensional thick portion by extending the wall thickness in the radial direction. This dimensional change creates a reinforcing structure that provides enhanced mechanical strength and liquid tightness without requiring additional reinforcing members that would increase the overall structure size.
2Volume of moving object
If the tubular peripheral wall is made thinner to reduce size, then the size of the connecting structure is reduced, but connection reliability and liquid tightness deteriorate under operational stresses
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly thickening the entire peripheral wall, the patent applies local quality by creating a thick portion only at the specific location where the connecting hole is formed. This allows the connecting structure to maintain high reliability at the connection point while keeping the overall structure compact and minimizing volume increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the peripheral wall into different thickness zones: a thick portion at the connection location and a thinner portion elsewhere. This segmentation allows the structure to have high strength where needed while maintaining overall compactness, effectively resolving the contradiction between reliability and size.
Data Source
AI summary
A membrane element having a filtration main body, a header (a water collection portion) that collects treated water from an end portion of the filtration main body and a treated water lead-out portion that leads out the treated water is used. The treated water lead-out portion is connected to a tubular peripheral wall of a water collection pipe that collects treated water solid-liquid-separated by the membrane element, and communicates with an inside of the tubular peripheral wall. The tubular peripheral wall has a thick portion that is thicker in a horizontal direction at an upper-side peripheral wall portion located at an upper side (or at a lower-side peripheral wall portion located at a lower side) in the radial direction of the tubular peripheral wall, and a connecting hole that penetrates the thick portion.