Measurement of pressure differences within a vessel of spiral wound membrane modules

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12246289-B2
Application number	US-202017415407-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2020
Priority date	Jan 29, 2019
Publication date	Mar 11, 2025
Grant date	Mar 11, 2025

Abstract

A spiral wound membrane module including a specialized endcap assembly including a connecting conduit defining a passageway extending radially inward from its outer periphery, and a differential pressure sensor connected to the passageway of the connecting conduit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A spiral wound module ( 2 ) comprising:
a) at least one membrane envelope ( 4 ) wound about a hollow permeate collection tube ( 8 ) to form a cylinder with first scroll face ( 30 ), an opposing scroll face ( 32 ), and an outer peripheral surface ( 3 ),
b) a porous center section ( 15 ) of the permeate collection tube ( 8 ) located axially between a first distal section ( 23 ) of the permeate collection tube ( 8 ) near the first scroll face ( 30 ) and an opposing distal section ( 23 ′) of the permeate collection tube ( 8 ) near the opposing scroll face ( 32 ), wherein the porous center section ( 15 ) contains holes ( 24 ) that pass from the inside surface ( 5 ) to the outside surface ( 7 ) of the permeate collection tube ( 8 ) and that connect a permeate channel ( 12 ) within the membrane envelope ( 4 ) to an interior cavity ( 9 ) of the hollow permeate collection tube ( 8 ),
c) a feed channel ( 6 ) adjacent to the membrane envelope ( 4 ), wherein the feed channel is suitable to enable feed flow through the spiral wound membrane module ( 2 ) between the first scroll face ( 30 ) and the opposing scroll face ( 32 ), and
d) at least one endcap assembly ( 31 ) affixed to the spiral wound module ( 2 ) and abutting said first scroll face ( 30 ), said endcap assembly ( 31 ) including an outer ring ( 33 ) that defines an outer periphery ( 36 ) of the endcap assembly ( 31 ) and surrounds a feed fluid access pathway ( 65 ) connected to the feed channel ( 6 );
wherein the spiral wound module assembly is characterized by:
the endcap assembly ( 31 ) comprising a connecting conduit ( 45 ) that passes radially through a portion of the endcap assembly ( 31 ), defining a fluid passageway between an inner conduit end ( 46 ) and an outer conduit end ( 47 );
and a differential pressure sensor ( 49 ) attached to the endcap assembly ( 31 ) and fluidly connected to the fluid passageway of the connecting conduit ( 45 ).

2. The spiral wound module ( 2 ) of claim 1 , further comprising a feed flow resistor ( 19 ), wherein the outer conduit end ( 47 ) is axially located between the feed flow resistor ( 19 ) and the opposing scroll face ( 32 ).

3. The spiral wound module ( 2 ) of claim 2 , wherein the feed flow resistor ( 19 ) is a brine seal ( 39 ).

4. A spiral wound module assembly ( 21 ) comprising:
a) a pressure vessel ( 40 ) comprising: a chamber ( 41 ) including an inner peripheral surface ( 60 ) extending along an axis (X) between a first vessel end ( 38 ) and a second vessel end ( 38 ′), and at least one feed inlet port ( 42 ), concentrate outlet port ( 42 ′), and permeate outlet port ( 44 );
b) a first spiral wound module ( 2 ′) located within the chamber ( 41 ), said first spiral wound module ( 2 ′) comprising:
i) at least one first membrane envelope ( 4 ′) wound about a first permeate collection tube ( 8 ′), wherein said first permeate collection tube ( 8 ′) is hollow, to form a cylinder with first scroll face ( 30 ′), a first opposing scroll face ( 32 ′), and a first outer peripheral surface ( 3 ′),
ii) a first porous center section ( 15 ′) of the first permeate collection tube ( 8 ′) is located axially between two first distal sections ( 23 ″, 23 ′″), wherein the first porous center section ( 15 ′) contains a first set of holes ( 24 ′) that pass from a first inside surface ( 5 ′) to a first outside surface ( 7 ′) of the first permeate collection tube ( 8 ′) and that connect a first permeate channel ( 12 ′) within the first membrane envelope ( 4 ′) to a first interior cavity ( 9 ′) of the first permeate collection tube ( 8 ′),
iii) a first feed channel ( 6 ′) adjacent to the first membrane envelope ( 4 ′), wherein the first feed channel ( 6 ′) is suitable to enable feed flow through the first spiral wound module ( 2 ′) between the first scroll face ( 30 ′) and the first opposing scroll face ( 32 ′), and
iv) a first endcap assembly ( 31 ′) affixed to the first spiral wound module ( 2 ′) and abutting the first scroll face ( 30 ′), said first endcap assembly ( 31 ′) including a first outer ring ( 33 ′) that defines a first outer periphery ( 36 ′) of the first endcap assembly ( 31 ′); and

c) a second spiral wound module ( 2 ″) adjacent the first spiral wound module ( 2 ′), said second spiral wound module ( 2 ″) comprising:
i) at least one second membrane envelope ( 4 ″) wound about a second permeate collection tube ( 8 ″), wherein said second permeate collection tube ( 8 ″) is hollow, to form a cylinder with second scroll face ( 30 ″), a second opposing scroll face ( 32 ″), and a second outer peripheral surface ( 3 ″),
ii) a second porous center section ( 15 ″) of the second permeate collection tube ( 8 ′) is located axially between second distal sections ( 23 ″″, 23 ″″′) of the second permeate collection tube ( 8 ′), wherein the second porous center section ( 15 ″) contains a second set of second holes ( 24 ″) that pass from the second inside surface ( 5 ″) to the second outside surface ( 7 ″) of the second permeate collection tube ( 8 ″) and that connect a second permeate channel ( 12 ″) within the second membrane envelope ( 4 ″) to a second interior cavity ( 9 ″) of the second permeate collection tube ( 8 ′),
iii) a second feed channel ( 6 ″) adjacent to the second membrane envelope ( 4 ″), wherein the second feed channel ( 6 ″) is suitable to enable feed flow through the second spiral wound module ( 2 ″) between the second scroll face ( 30 ″) and the second opposing scroll face ( 32 ″), and
iv) a second endcap assembly ( 31 ″) affixed to the second spiral wound module ( 2 ″) and abutting the second scroll face ( 30 ″); said second endcap assembly ( 31 ″) comprising a second outer ring ( 33 ″) that defines a second outer periphery ( 36 ″) of the second endcap assembly ( 31 ″);

wherein the first endcap assembly ( 31 ′) is adjacent the second endcap assembly ( 32 ″); a feed fluid pathway ( 61 ) passes through a central region ( 63 ) located between the first scroll face ( 30 ′) and the second scroll face ( 30 ″) and connects the first feed channel ( 6 ′) with the second feed channel ( 6 ″); the feed fluid pathway ( 61 ) comprising a feed fluid access pathway ( 65 ) connected to the first feed channel ( 6 ′) at the first scroll face ( 30 ′); and the first outer ring ( 33 ′) surrounds the feed fluid access pathway ( 65 ) and includes a radially extending annular feed flow resistor ( 19 ) contacting the inner peripheral surface ( 60 ) of the chamber ( 41 ); and
wherein the spiral wound module assembly ( 21 ) is characterized by:
a) the first and second endcap assemblies ( 31 ′, 31 ″) enable a peripheral path ( 64 ) around the second scroll face ( 30 ″) that fluidly connects the central region ( 63 ) and a second peripheral space ( 62 ″), wherein the second peripheral space ( 62 ″) is located between the second outer peripheral surface ( 3 ″) of the second spiral wound module ( 2 ″) and the inner peripheral surface ( 60 ) of the chamber ( 41 );
b) an instrumented endcap assembly ( 59 ) selected from the first endcap assembly ( 31 ′) and the second endcap assembly ( 31 ″), wherein the instrumented endcap assembly ( 59 ) comprises a connecting conduit ( 45 ) that passes radially through a portion of the instrumented endcap assembly ( 59 ), said connecting conduit ( 45 ) defining a fluid passageway between an inner conduit end ( 46 ) and an outer conduit end ( 47 ); and
c) a differential pressure sensor ( 49 ) attached to the instrumented endcap assembly ( 59 ) and fluidly connected to both the connecting conduit ( 45 ) and the feed fluid access pathway ( 65 ).

5. The spiral wound module assembly ( 21 ) of claim 4 wherein the differential pressure sensor ( 49 ) includes a deformable barrier ( 72 ) suitable to prevent fluid flow between the fluid passageway of the connecting conduit ( 45 ) and said

Assignees

• Ddp Specialty Electronic Materials Us Llc

Inventors

• Jons Steven D
• Franklin Luke
• Tomlinson Ian A

Classifications

• B01D2313/60

  Specific sensors or sensor arrangements · CPC title

• B01D2313/21

  Specific headers, end caps · CPC title

• B01D2311/14

  Pressure control · CPC title

• B01D63/12

  comprising multiple spiral-wound assemblies · CPC title

• B01D63/106 Primary

  Anti-Telescopic-Devices [ATD] · CPC title