Filtration system with enhanced cleaning and dynamic fluid separation
First Claim
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1. A filtration system operable to separate a process fluid into selected components comprising:
- a housing having at least one inlet operable to receive the process fluid;
the housing having at least a first outlet for a concentrated fluid and a second outlet for a clarified fluid;
at least one filter element disposed within the housing;
each filter element having a first membrane layer and a second membrane layer spaced from each other;
a central portion of each membrane open for contact with the process fluid and operable to separate the process fluid into the concentrated fluid and the clarified fluid;
a first flow path coupling the concentrated fluid with the first outlet;
a second flow path coupling the clarified fluid with the second outlet; and
an energy source operable to vibrate the central portion of each membrane without interruption of an association filtration process.
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Abstract
A filtration system is provided with filter media operable to remove solids, particulate and colloidal matter from a process fluid. Acoustic, vibration and sonic energy may be used to clean associated filter media to allow substantially continuous filtration of process fluids. The filtration system may be satisfactorily used with process fluids having a relatively high concentrations of solids, particulate and colloidal matter.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A filtration system operable to separate a process fluid into selected components comprising:
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a housing having at least one inlet operable to receive the process fluid;
the housing having at least a first outlet for a concentrated fluid and a second outlet for a clarified fluid;
at least one filter element disposed within the housing;
each filter element having a first membrane layer and a second membrane layer spaced from each other;
a central portion of each membrane open for contact with the process fluid and operable to separate the process fluid into the concentrated fluid and the clarified fluid;
a first flow path coupling the concentrated fluid with the first outlet;
a second flow path coupling the clarified fluid with the second outlet; and
an energy source operable to vibrate the central portion of each membrane without interruption of an association filtration process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for separating a process fluid stream into a clarified fluid stream and a concentrated fluid stream comprising:
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communicating the process fluid to at least one inlet of a filtration system;
directing the process fluid to contact at least one filter element disposed within the housing;
separating the clarified fluid from the process fluid by the clarified fluid flowing through at least one surface of each filter element;
directing the clarified fluid to at least one respective outlet from the housing;
directing the remaining concentrated fluid to at least one respective outlet from the housing; and
applying energy to each filter element to remove or inhibit any accumulation of scale, solids cake or film on each filter element. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for forming a filtration system operable to separate a process fluid into selected components comprising:
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forming a housing having at least one inlet operable to receive a process fluid;
forming at least a first outlet from the housing for a retentenate fluid to exit from the housing;
forming at least one second outlet from the housing for a permeate fluid to exit the housing;
forming at least one spiral wound membrane envelope;
installing the at least one spiral wound membrane envelope in the housing;
connecting at least one conduit with a chamber formed within each membrane envelope to allow communication of permeate fluid from the chamber to the second outlet from the housing; and
applying vibration energy to the membrane envelope to clean any scale, solids cake and film from upstream surfaces of each membrane envelope. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification