Membrane Filter Gas Distribution Tray Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing membrane filters for submerged operation face challenges in achieving uniform gas distribution with low pressure losses, especially when dealing with varying gas supply rates, leading to increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
The proposed membrane filter incorporates a gas distribution system with a downwardly open tray and geyser elements, eliminating the need for a pipe distributor. This design allows for uniform gas distribution with low pressure losses across a wide range of gas supply variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a pipe distributor with throttle cross-sections is used to ensure uniform gas supply to all membrane units, then gas distribution uniformity is improved, but pressure losses increase significantly at higher gas flows leading to increased energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the pipe distributor with throttle cross-sections from the gas distribution system. Instead of using a complex piping network with throttling elements, the patent employs a tray-based distribution system where gas is distributed through simple openings in the tray, removing the source of high pressure losses while maintaining uniform gas distribution to membrane units
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes pneumatic principles by designing a tray-based gas distribution system where gas flows through openings in the tray directly to membrane units. The gas distribution is achieved through pressure equalization across the tray surface, leveraging hydraulic-pneumatic principles to distribute gas uniformly without mechanical throttling components that cause energy losses
2Stability of the object's composition
If throttle cross-sections are dimensioned based on the smallest intended gas flow to ensure uniform distribution, then gas distribution uniformity is improved at low flows, but pressure losses become excessive at higher gas flows
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements a dynamic gas distribution approach where the tray design allows gas flow characteristics to adapt automatically to varying throughput rates. The tray openings provide a fixed geometric distribution pattern that maintains uniformity across different flow rates, eliminating the need for throttling components that create excessive resistance at higher flows and enable the system to operate efficiently across a wide productivity range
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 solution enables efficient gas distribution with minimal pressure losses, reducing energy consumption and allowing for flexible operation across varying throughput rates.
Implementation Method 1
a geyser element with an outlet device for the pulsed discharge of the gas upwards from the gas collection chamber
Implementation Method 2
membranes for filtering a liquid permeate from the liquid
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a membrane filter (17) for a submerged operation for filtering a liquid, comprising membrane units (18) and a gas distribution system (19) for distributing a gas to the membrane units (18) for flushing purposes, wherein each membrane unit (18) has at least one membrane element (20), and each membrane element (20) has the following features: membranes for filtering a liquid permeate out of the liquid, a permeate collecting chamber to which the membranes are connected on the permeate side, and a permeate outlet for discharging the permeate out of the permeate collecting chamber. The gas distribution system (19) has precisely one gas outlet (29) for each membrane unit (18) for discharging the gas out of the gas distribution system (19) and into the membrane unit (18). The invention additionally relates to a filtering method using such a membrane filter (17). In order to ensure that the gas distribution system (19) allows a uniform gas distribution with little pressure loss over a wide range of gas supply variations, the gas distribution system (19) has the following features: a trough (27), which is open at the bottom and which has a base (31) at the top as a border for the gas, and a gas inlet (26) for letting the gas into the trough (27), wherein the gas outlets (29) are designed to be open at the bottom and are formed in a lateral wall (30) of the trough (27).