Spiral wound membrane modules with sensor and transmitter field

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12576364-B2
Application number	US-202118006950-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Jul 30, 2020
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

A spiral wound membrane module includes a specialized endcap assembly including a connecting conduit defining a passageway extending radially inward from its outer periphery, and at least one sensor connected to the passageway of the connecting conduit. The specialized endcap assembly also includes a microprocessor, an antenna, and a LoRa transmitter. The at least one sensor, which is connected to the microprocessor, is suitable to provide a measured value corresponding to pressure, differential pressure, flow rate conductivity, pH, sound intensity, or light intensity. Spiral wound membrane module assemblies include a pressure vessel and one or more of the spiral wound membrane modules.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A spiral wound module comprising:
a) at least one membrane envelope wound about a hollow permeate collection tube to form a cylinder with first scroll face, an opposing scroll face, and an outer peripheral surface, b) a porous center section of the permeate collection tube located axially between a first distal section of the permeate collection tube near the first scroll face and an opposing distal section of the permeate collection tube near the opposing scroll face, wherein the porous center section contains holes that pass from the inside surface to the outside surface of the permeate collection tube and that connect a permeate channel within the membrane envelope to the interior cavity of the hollow permeate collection tube, c) a feed channel adjacent to the membrane envelope, wherein the feed channel is suitable to enable feed flow through the spiral wound membrane module between the first scroll face and the opposing scroll face, d) at least one endcap assembly affixed to the spiral wound module adjacent said first scroll face;
wherein the spiral wound module is characterized by the endcap assembly comprising a microprocessor, an antenna, a LoRa transmitter, and at least one sensor connected to the microprocessor, wherein said sensor is suitable to provide a measured value corresponding to pressure, differential pressure, flow rate, conductivity, pH, sound intensity, or light intensity, and wherein said LoRa transmitter is suitable to transmit said measured value by providing sequential chirps at a radio frequency between 400 MHz and 1000 MHz.

2 . The spiral wound module of claim 1 wherein the endcap assembly further comprises a protective housing that encases both the microprocessor and LoRa transmitter and said protective housing is suitable to isolate the microprocessor and LoRa transmitter from fluid within the endcap assembly.

3 . The spiral wound module of claim 2 wherein the protective housing comprises two separable parts that are reversibly sealed together.

4 . The spiral wound module of claim 2 wherein the protective housing further encases a battery and an antenna.

5 . The spiral wound module of claim 2 wherein the protective housing is a unitary structure of polymeric thermoset or thermoplastic material.

6 . The spiral wound module of claim 2 wherein said endcap assembly includes an outer ring that defines an outer periphery of the endcap assembly and surrounds a feed fluid access pathway connected to the feed channel; and wherein the protective housing is located within the endcap assembly and is adjacent an inner surface of the concentric outer ring.

7 . The spiral wound module of claim 2 wherein the protective housing is located within the endcap assembly and secured to either i) an inner surface of the concentric outer ring or ii) a support that extends radially from an inner ring of the endcap to an outer ring of the endcap.

8 . The spiral wound module of claim 2 wherein said protective housing has a nearest surface adjacent to the scroll face, and the majority of said nearest surface is at least 2 mm from the scroll face.

9 . The spiral wound module of claim 2 wherein at least two insulated wires protrude from the protective housing and connect the microprocessor to the sensor.

10 . The spiral wound module of claim 2 wherein the sensor comprises at least two electrodes that are attached to the outer surface of the protective housing.

11 . The spiral wound module of claim 2 wherein the protective housing surrounds both the sensor and a fluid conduit, said fluid conduit providing a path for fluid between the sensor and a region of the endcap assembly that is external to the protective housing.

12 . The spiral wound module of claim 1 , wherein the endcap assembly comprises a connecting conduit that passes radially through a portion of the endcap assembly, defining a fluid passageway between an inner conduit end and an outer conduit end; and wherein said sensor is a differential pressure sensor fluidly connected to the fluid passageway of the connecting conduit.

13 . A spiral wound module assembly comprising:
a) a pressure vessel comprising: a chamber including an inner peripheral surface extending along an axis between a first vessel end and a second vessel end, and at least one feed inlet port, concentrate outlet port, and permeate outlet port; b) a first spiral wound module located within the chamber, said first spiral wound module comprising:
i) at least one first membrane envelope wound about a hollow first permeate collection tube to form a cylinder with first scroll face, a first opposing scroll face, and a first outer peripheral surface,
ii) a first porous center section of the first permeate collection tube is located axially between two first distal sections, wherein the first porous center section contains a first set of holes that pass from a first inside surface to a first outside surface of the first permeate collection tube and that connect a first permeate channel within the first membrane envelope to the first interior cavity of the first permeate collection tube,
iii) a first feed channel adjacent to the first membrane envelope, wherein the first feed channel is suitable to enable feed flow through the first spiral wound module between the first scroll face and the first opposing scroll face, and
iv) a first endcap assembly affixed to the first spiral wound module and abutting the first scroll face, said first endcap assembly including a first outer ring that defines a first outer periphery of the first endcap assembly;
c) a second spiral wound module adjacent the first spiral wound module, said second spiral wound module comprising:
v) at least one second membrane envelope wound about a hollow second permeate collection tube to form a cylinder with second scroll face, a second opposing scroll face, and a second outer peripheral surface,
vi) a second porous center section of the second permeate collection tube is located axially between second distal sections of the second permeate collection tube, wherein the second porous center section contains a second set of second holes that pass from the second inside surface to the second outside surface of the second permeate collection tube and that connect a second permeate channel within the second membrane envelope to the second interior cavity of the second permeate collection tube,
vii) a second feed channel adjacent to the second membrane envelope, wherein the second feed channel is suitable to enable feed flow through the second spiral wound module between the second scroll face and the second opposing scroll face, and
viii) a second endcap assembly affixed to the second spiral wound module and abutting the second scroll face;
wherein the first endcap assembly is adjacent the second endcap assembly; a feed fluid pathway passes through a central region located between the first scroll face and the second scroll face and connects the first feed channel with the second feed channel; the feed fluid pathway comprising a feed fluid access pathway connected to the first feed channel at the first scroll face; and the first outer ring surrounds the feed fluid access pathway and includes a radially extending annular feed flow resistor contacting the inner peripheral surface of the chamber; and wherein the spiral wound module assembly is characterized by: an instrumented endcap assembly selected from the first endcap assembly and the second endcap assembly, wherein the instrumented endcap assembly comprises a microprocessor, an antenna, a LoRa transmitter, and at least one sensor connected to the microproc

Assignees

• Ddp Specialty Electronic Materials Us Llc

Inventors

• Jons Steven D
• Franklin Luke
• Ramachandran Sundeep

Classifications

• G01L19/0007

  Fluidic connecting means · CPC title

• G01L13/025

  using diaphragms · CPC title

• B01D2319/02

  Elements in series · CPC title

• B01D63/12

  comprising multiple spiral-wound assemblies · CPC title

• B01D61/22

  Controlling or regulating · CPC title