Deionizing fluid filter devices and methods of use

• US 10,118,842 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imagine TF, LLC
• Original Assignee: Imagine TF, LLC
• Inventors: Richardson, Brian Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Fortuna, Ana M
• Application Number:
  US15/201,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20170008781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/001 Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/004 using large scale industrial sized filters
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/48 with magnetic or electric fields C02F1/46 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/08 Seawater, e.g. for desalination
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 5/00 Softening water; Preventing scale; Adding scale preventatives or scale removers to water, e.g. adding sequestering agents softening using ion-exchange C02F1/42

Abstract

Deionizing fluid filter devices and methods of use are described herein. An example filter device comprises a plurality stacked panels that comprise filter structures. The filter structures comprise filter features that filter a fluid. The fluid is processed by the filter device such that filtered fluid is output as well as a concentrate of particulate matter extracted from the fluid.

Claims

1. A filter panel, comprising:

a housing with at least one inlet and at least one outlet, each in communication with a plurality of filter structures;

a substrate;

at least one charged layer adapted to receive a charge so that an electric potential is applied to a fluid in the filter panel; and

wherein

the plurality of filter structures extending from the substrate, the plurality of filter structures being spaced apart from one another to define a plurality of input boundaries on a top surface of the substrate and a plurality of output boundaries on a lower surface of the substrate, each of the plurality of filter structures comprising a pair of sidewalls spaced apart from one another, the pair of sidewalls comprising filter features that allow passage of fluid from the plurality of input boundaries into an outlet aperture formed by the spacing of the pair of sidewalls, and a filter port disposed within each outlet aperture.

2. The filter panel according to claim 1, wherein the filter features comprise any one of grooves, notches, slits, indentations, and any combinations thereof.

3. The filter panel according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is charged with an electrical charge.

4. A filter device, comprising:

a housing with at least one inlet and at least one outlet, each in communication with a plurality of filter structures;

a plurality of filter panels in stacked arrangement, each comprising;

at least one charged layer adapted to receive a charge so that an electric potential is applied to a fluid in the filter device;

a substrate having a front surface and a back surface; and

the plurality of filter structures extending from the front surface of the substrate, the plurality of filter structures being spaced apart from one another to define a plurality of input boundaries on a top surface of the substrate and a plurality of output boundaries on a lower surface of the substrate, each of the plurality of filter structures comprising a pair of sidewalls spaced apart from one another, the pair of sidewalls comprising filter features that allow passage of fluid from the plurality of input boundaries into an outlet aperture formed by the spacing of the pair of sidewalls, and a filter port disposed within each outlet aperture, wherein the plurality of filter panels are stacked so that the plurality of filter structures of one filter panel abuts the back surface of an adjacent filter panel.

5. The filter device according to claim 4, wherein the back surfaces of the plurality of filter panels comprise either a positively charged layer or negatively charged layer and the front surfaces comprise an oppositely charged layer relative to the back surfaces.

6. The filter device according to claim 4, wherein the outlet cavities of the plurality of filter panels are sized to create a staggered arrangement.

7. The filter device according to claim 4, wherein the filter features comprise slits that provide filtering of particulates in a fluid by passing the fluid received from input channels formed between the plurality of filter structures into the spaces between the pair of sidewalls of the plurality of filter structures.

8. The filter device according to claim 4, wherein the outlet cavities of the plurality of filter panels provide a continuous opening between a front of the filter device and a back of the filter device.

9. The filter device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of filter structures comprise a pattern of grooves or notches on upper surfaces of the plurality of filter structures, the pattern of grooves or notches defining contact surfaces.

10. The filter device according to claim 9, wherein the filter features are created by mating of the plurality of filter structures of the one filter to the back surface of an adjacent filter panel such that the contact surfaces mate with the back surface and the grooves or notches create lateral pathways that extend at an angle relative to the plurality of filter structures.

11. The filter panel according to claim 4, wherein the filter features comprise any one of grooves, notches, slits, indentations, and any combinations thereof.

12. The filter panel according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of filter structures are spaced apart from one another to form primary channels that extend between the plurality of input boundaries and the plurality of output boundaries.

13. The filter panel according to claim 12, wherein the spacing of the pair of sidewalls form a trench that receives filtered fluid when fluid is passed through the filter device, wherein the filtered fluid exits the filter device from the outlet cavities, which are disposed within the trenches.

14. The filter panel according to claim 13, wherein the filter features provide secondary channels of fluid communication between the primary channels and the trenches.

15. The filter panel according to claim 14, further comprising a cover panel that comprise a flat surface that mates with an uppermost one of the plurality of filter panels to cover the plurality of filter features of the uppermost one of the plurality of filter panels.

16. A method for filtering a fluid, the method comprising:

introducing a fluid into a filter device, the filter device comprising;

a plurality of filter panels in stacked arrangement, each comprising;

a housing with at least one inlet and at least one outlet, each in communication with a plurality of filter structures;

a substrate having a front surface and a back surface; and

a plurality of filter structures extending from the front surface of the substrate, the plurality of filter structures including at least one charged layer adapted to receive a charge so that an electric potential is applied to a fluid in the filter device, the plurality of filter structures being spaced apart from one another to define a plurality of input boundaries on a top surface of the substrate and a plurality of output boundaries on a lower surface of the substrate, each of the plurality of filter structures comprising a pair of sidewalls spaced apart from one another, the pair of sidewalls comprising filter features that allow passage of fluid from the plurality of input boundaries into an outlet aperture formed by the spacing of the pair of sidewalls, and a filter port disposed within each outlet aperture, wherein the plurality of filter panels are stacked so that the plurality of filter structures of one filter panel abuts the back surface of an adjacent filter panel;

wherein the fluid passes through the plurality of input boundaries, at least a portion of the fluid is filtered across the filter features of the plurality of filter structures, further wherein filtered fluid passes out of the filter device from the outlet cavities and a concentrate created by filtering the fluid exits from the plurality of output boundaries.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the back surfaces of the plurality of filter panels comprise either a positively charged layer or negatively charged layer and the front surfaces comprise an oppositely charged layer relative to the back surfaces.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising inducing an electrical field in the fluid to attract anions and cations to their respective layers.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising selectively varying strength of the electrical field over time.