Reverse Osmosis Feed Spacer with Variable Crossing Angles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing reverse osmosis filter modules face issues with increased energy costs due to differential pressure and concentration polarization, which reduce water permeation efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A feed spacer with differently formed crossing angles and diameter ratios between crossing and non-crossing areas, allowing for separate regions to decrease differential pressure and increase recovery, is introduced.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional mesh-shaped feed spacer is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the differential pressure increases due to flow hindrance and energy cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The feed spacer is divided into multiple sections along the flow direction, with each section having different strand crossing angles (e.g., 45°, 60°, 75°). This segmentation allows different regions to perform different functions: early sections focus on reducing differential pressure while later sections enhance recovery, thereby reducing overall energy consumption without complicating manufacturing
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the feed spacer are designed with locally optimized strand crossing angles tailored to specific flow conditions at different positions. The crossing angle varies from 45° to 75° across sections, creating local flow characteristics that reduce pressure loss in high-resistance areas while maintaining effective filtration, thus lowering energy costs
2Device complexity
If a conventional mesh-shaped feed spacer is used, then the structure is simple, but the concentration polarization phenomenon intensifies and water permeation ratio decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The feed spacer employs dynamic strand crossing angles that vary along the flow direction rather than a uniform static angle. This dynamic design creates varying flow patterns that prevent stagnant zones and reduce concentration polarization, thereby improving water permeation ratio while maintaining reasonable structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces angular variation as an additional design dimension beyond the conventional uniform mesh structure. By varying the crossing angle of strands in different sections (from 45° to 75°), the design creates three-dimensional flow path variations that enhance mass transfer and reduce concentration polarization, improving productivity
3Stress or pressure
If the feed spacer creates high differential pressure, then the driving force for filtration is maintained, but the energy cost increases and flow efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The strand crossing angle parameter is systematically varied across different sections of the feed spacer (45°, 60°, 75°). This parameter change optimizes the balance between maintaining adequate differential pressure for filtration and minimizing energy loss by reducing flow resistance in critical sections
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
This design enhances the cross-sectional area of the flow path, reducing differential pressure and improving water permeation efficiency by creating distinct areas for pressure reduction and recovery enhancement.
Implementation Method 1
a differential pressure is generated due to hindrance of a flow by the feed spacer to cause a problem in that energy cost is increased
Implementation Method 2
reverse osmosis separates two solutions having a concentration difference with a semipermeable membrane
Implementation Method 3
generates a predetermined water level difference while a solution having a lower concentration moves to a solution having a higher concentration after a certain period of time, which is called an osmotic phenomenon. Further, the difference of the water level generated during the process refers to a reverse osmosis pressure
Implementation Method 4
a concentration polarization phenomenon is essentially generated in the vicinity of the reverse osmosis membrane by water permeation flux, and as the concentration polarization phenomenon is intensified, an osmosis pressure is increased in the vicinity of the reverse osmosis membrane
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a feed spacer and a reverse osmosis filter module including the same, and more particularly, to a feed spacer, in which angles of strands are differently formed in one feed spacer according to a flow direction of raw water, so that a differential pressure decrease region and a recovery increase region are separated to perform multiple functions, and a reverse osmosis filter module including the same.