Three-dimensional feed spacers with TPMS architectures for membrane-based systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11779888-B2
Application number	US-202117202062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2021
Priority date	Oct 27, 2016
Publication date	Oct 10, 2023
Grant date	Oct 10, 2023

Abstract

A filter element comprises a membrane layer; and a feed spacer on the membrane layer, wherein the feed spacer comprises a plurality of unit cells arranged in three dimensions, wherein each of the plurality of unit cells comprises a cavity defined by a triply periodic minimal surface, and wherein the cavities of the plurality of unit cells are interconnected to allow a fluid to pass through the cavities of the plurality of unit cells.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A filter element comprising at least:
two membrane layers; and
a 3D-printed spacer that is 0.5 mm or less thick and is sandwiched between at least the two membrane layers, wherein the 3D-printed spacer comprises a plurality of unit cells arranged in three dimensions,
wherein each of the plurality of unit cells comprises a cavity that is 0.5 mm or less in diameter and is defined by a triply periodic minimal surface, and
wherein the cavities of the plurality of unit cells are interconnected to allow a fluid to pass through the cavities of the plurality of unit cells and to allow the 3D-printed spacer to act as an efficient feed or permeate spacer.

2. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein one of the two membrane layers is an intervening membrane layer and the 3D-printed spacer is arranged as a 3D-printed feed spacer along one side of the intervening membrane layer, wherein the filter element further comprises a 3D-printed permeate-side spacer defining a permeate channel on an opposite side of the intervening membrane layer from the 3D-printed feed spacer.

3. The filter element of claim 2 , wherein the 3D-printed feed spacer defines at least a portion of a feed stream channel configured to receive a feed fluid with a solute, and wherein the intervening membrane layer is configured to filter the feed fluid to form a permeate having a reduced concentration of the solute in the permeate channel.

4. The filter element of claim 3 , wherein the feed stream channel outputs a reject stream having a higher concentration of solute than the feed stream.

5. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the 3D-printed spacer comprises a generally planar body having opposing surfaces.

6. The filter element of claim 5 , wherein the opposing surfaces of the generally planar body define triply periodic minimal surfaces that define cavities of the plurality of unit cells.

7. The filter element of claim 5 , wherein the generally planar body is formed as a single, unitary member.

8. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the triply periodic minimal surface is a Schwarz Primitive surface, a Schwarz crossed layers of parallels (CLP), a Schoen's Gyroid surface, a Schoen's I-WP surface, a Schwarz diamond surface, a Fischer-Koch PMY surface, a FRD surface, a Fischer-Koch CY surface, a Fischer-Koch S surface, or a Neovius surface.

9. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the 3D-printed spacer comprises a polymeric material, a ceramics material, a metal material or composites thereof.

10. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the 3D-printed spacer is 0.1 mm or less thick; and wherein each cavity of the plurality of unit cells is 0.1 mm or less in diameter.

11. A filtration device comprising:
a housing;
a filter element in the housing, the filter element comprising at least:
three membrane layers including an intervening membrane layer positioned between a first outward membrane layer and a second outward membrane layer;
a feed stream channel defined by a 3D-printed feed spacer that is 0.5 mm or less thick and is sandwiched between at least the first outward membrane layer and the intervening membrane layer, the feed stream channel being configured to receive a feed fluid therein, the feed fluid comprising a solute; and
a 3D-printed permeate-side spacer that is 0.5 mm or less thick and is sandwiched between at least the second outward membrane layer and the intervening membrane layer, the 3D-printed permeate-side spacer defining a permeate channel on a side of the intervening membrane layer opposite the 3D-printed feed spacer and configured to receive a permeate fluid via the intervening membrane layer, the permeate fluid having a concentration of the solute that is less than a concentration of the solute in the feed fluid;
wherein each of the 3D-printed feed spacer and the 3D-printed permeate-side spacer is a 3D-printed spacer that comprises a plurality of unit cells arranged in three dimensions, and each of the plurality of unit cells of the 3D-printed spacer comprises a cavity that is 0.5 mm or less in diameter and is defined by a triply periodic minimal surface, and
wherein the cavities of the plurality of unit cells are interconnected to allow fluid to pass through the cavities of the plurality of unit cells;

a feed channel inlet configured to provide a feed fluid input to the feed stream channel; and
a permeate outlet configured to provide a permeate output from the permeate-side spacer.

12. The filtration device of claim 11 , wherein the filter element comprises a plurality of filter elements spirally wound around a hollow tubular member, the hollow tubular member having at least one open end and apertures along a length thereof configured to receive the permeate fluid from the 3D-printed permeate-side spacer, and wherein the permeate outlet comprises the at least one open end of the tubular member.

13. The filtration device of claim 11 , wherein the feed stream channel is configured to output a reject stream having a higher concentration of the solute than the feed fluid.

14. The filtration device of claim 11 , wherein the housing is configured to contain fluid in the filter element under a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure.

15. The filtration device of claim 11 , wherein the 3D-printed spacer comprises a generally planar body having opposing surfaces.

16. The filtration device of claim 15 , wherein the opposing surfaces of the generally planar body define triply periodic minimal surfaces that define cavities of the plurality of unit cells.

17. The filtration device of claim 15 , wherein the generally planar body is formed of a single, unitary member.

18. The filtration device of claim 11 , wherein the triply periodic minimal surface is a Schwarz Primitive surface, a Schwarz crossed layers of parallels (CLP), a Schoen's Gyroid surface, a Schoen's I-WP surface, a Schwarz diamond surface, a Fischer-Koch PMY surface, a FRD surface, a Fischer-Koch CY surface, a Fischer-Koch S surface, or a Neovius surface.

19. The filtration device of claim 11 , wherein the feed spacer comprises a polymeric material, a ceramics material, a metal material or composites thereof.

20. The filtration device of claim 11 , wherein the 3D-printed spacer is 0.1 mm or less thick; and wherein each cavity of the plurality of unit cells of the 3D-printed spacer is 0.1 mm or less in diameter.

Assignees

• Univ Khalifa Science & Technology

Inventors

• Arafat Hassan
• Abu Al-Rub Rashid
• Sreedhar Nurshaun
• Al-Ketan Oraib
• Thomas Navya

Classifications

• B01D63/103 Primary

  Details relating to membrane envelopes · CPC title

• B01D63/12 Primary

  comprising multiple spiral-wound assemblies · CPC title

• B01D63/06

  Tubular membrane modules · CPC title

• B01D63/062

  with membranes on a surface of a support tube · CPC title

• B01D63/065

  on the outer surface thereof · CPC title