Spiral-Wound Membrane Filter Layout for Fouling-Resistant Water Purification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Spiral wound membrane elements in water purifiers face issues such as scaling, fouling, and reduced performance over time, leading to shortened lifetime due to impurity accumulation and contamination.
Innovation Solution
A membrane filter unit design with a filter case housing a membrane, comprising an inner tube for wastewater, a middle tube for pure water, and an outer tube for feed water, with a spirally wound membrane around a core tube, featuring top and bottom covers to facilitate water flow and prevent backflow, enhancing efficiency and longevity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional spiral wound membrane elements are used, then high quality purified water is achieved, but scaling and fouling accumulate over time shortening membrane lifetime
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane element is divided into multiple membrane segments (first membrane segment, second membrane segment, etc.) separated by spacers. This segmentation prevents continuous accumulation of scaling and fouling along the entire membrane length, allowing easier maintenance and extending effective membrane lifetime by enabling partial replacement or cleaning of individual segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane elements are pre-assembled in a stacked configuration with spacers positioned between segments before installation. This preliminary arrangement ensures proper flow distribution and prevents immediate fouling accumulation, optimizing performance from the start of operation and extending operational lifetime.
2Productivity
If membrane filtration is performed continuously, then purified water production increases, but performance reduction occurs over time due to impurity accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous filtration process is divided into multiple segments with spacers creating distinct filtration zones. This allows impurities to be distributed across multiple segments rather than accumulating in a single continuous path, maintaining more stable performance over time while sustaining high purified water production.
Solution Approach 2:
The segmented design enables selective replacement or regeneration of individual membrane segments that become fouled, while other segments continue to produce purified water. This maintains overall productivity while restoring membrane performance in affected segments.
3Ease of operation
If single-tube membrane elements are used, then device complexity is reduced, but flow distribution and contamination resistance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple membrane segments are nested in a stacked configuration within a single membrane element housing. This nested arrangement improves flow distribution and contamination resistance by creating multiple filtration pathways, while still fitting within a compact single-element structure that does not significantly increase operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The design transitions from a single-planar membrane surface to a multi-layered stacked configuration, adding the vertical dimension to flow distribution. This improves flow efficiency and contamination resistance by distributing feed water across multiple levels, while maintaining a compact cylindrical form factor similar to traditional elements.
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 design achieves higher efficiency and prolonged lifetime of the membrane by minimizing scaling and fouling, maintaining effective salt rejection and flow rates over a larger volume of purified water compared to traditional units.
Implementation Method 1
a membrane having an inner peripheral surface, a top outer peripheral surface, a bottom outer peripheral surface and a side outer peripheral surface; and arranged around the core tube such that the inner peripheral surface of the membrane is spirally wound around the core tube and the side outer peripheral surface is capable of permeation of raw water through its surface
Implementation Method 2
Pressure driven spiral wound membrane filters are widely used in household water purifiers
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a membrane filter unit which includes:a filter case for housing a membrane; an inner tube housing a wastewater chamber and a hollow core tube, a middle tube housing a pure water chamber; the hollow core tube having a top opening at a top end and a bottom opening at a bottom end, and having a water collecting channel on its outer wall and positioned coaxially inside the case, wherein the top opening is adapted to open into the wastewater chamber; and a membrane having an inner peripheral surface, a top outer peripheral surface, a bottom outer peripheral surface and a side outer peripheral surface; and arranged around the core tube such that the inner peripheral surface of the membrane is spirally wound around the core tube and the side outer peripheral surface is capable of permeation of raw water through its surface.