Water treatment membrane cleaning with pulsed airlift pump

• US 8,840,783 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2013
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evoqua Water Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Evoqua Water Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Zha, Fufang, James, Gerin, Zuback, Joseph Edward, Zauner, Peter, Phelps, Roger William
• Primary Examiner(s): BARRY, CHESTER T
• Application Number:
  US13/765,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20130153496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 210150-151, 210/620, 210/696, 210/772, 210/791, 210/797
• US Class Current: 210/150
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/21 Specific headers, end caps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/26 Specific gas distributors or gas intakes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2315/06 Submerged-type; Immersion type
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2321/185 Aeration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2321/2066 Pulsated flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/024 with a single potted end
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/04 comprising multiple hollow fibre assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 65/02 Membrane cleaning or sterilisation ; Membrane regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 65/08 Prevention of membrane fouling or of concentration polarisation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 65/10 Testing of membranes or membrane apparatus; Detecting or repairing leaks
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 65/109 Testing of membrane fouling or clogging, e.g. amount or affinity
• 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 3/1273 Submerged membrane bioreactors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage

Abstract

A method of cleaning a membrane surface immersed in a liquid medium with a fluid flow, including the steps of providing a randomly generated intermittent or pulsed fluid flow along the membrane surface to dislodge fouling materials therefrom. A membrane module is also disclosed comprising a plurality of porous membranes (6) or a set of membrane modules (5) and a device (11) for providing a generally randomly generated, pulsed fluid flow such that, in use, said fluid flow moves past the surfaces of said membranes (6) to dislodge fouling materials therefrom.

Claims

1. A water treatment system comprising:

a membrane module immersed in a liquid feed in a tank;

a flow generating device positioned below the membrane module and having a first inlet fluidly connected to the liquid feed and an outlet fluidly connected to the membrane module; and

a source of gas fluidly connected to a second inlet of the flow generating device, the flow generating device constructed and arranged to provide a two-phase gas/liquid flow that is random in at least one of magnitude, frequency, and duration to the membrane module,

wherein the outlet of the flow generating device comprises a tube, and wherein the flow generating device comprises a trough constructed and arranged to contain at least one of liquid feed and gas and at least partially surrounds the tube.

2. The water treatment system of claim 1, wherein the tube comprises an inlet fluidly connected to the source of gas.

3. The water treatment system of claim 1, further comprising a control device configured to deliver gas from the source of gas to the flow generating device based on a level of the liquid feed in the tank.

4. The water treatment system of claim 1, further comprising a fluid distributor connected between the flow generating device and the membrane module.

5. The water treatment system of claim 1, wherein the two-phase gas/liquid flow is pulsed.

6. A water treatment system comprising:

a membrane module immersed in a liquid feed in a tank;

a flow generating device positioned below the membrane module and having a first inlet fluidly connected to the liquid feed and an outlet fluidly connected to the membrane module;

a source of gas fluidly connected to a second inlet of the flow generating device, the flow generating device constructed and arranged to provide a two-phase gas/liquid flow that is random in at least one of magnitude, frequency, and duration to the membrane module; and

a control device configured to deliver gas from the source of gas to the flow generating device based on a level of the liquid feed in the tank.

7. The water treatment system of claim 6, wherein the outlet of the flow generating device comprises a tube.

8. The water treatment device of claim 7, wherein the tube comprises an inlet fluidly connected to the source of gas.

9. The water treatment device of claim 6, further comprising a fluid distributor connected between the flow generating device and the membrane module.

10. The water treatment device of claim 6, wherein the two-phase gas/liquid flow is pulsed.