Apparatus and method for separating impurities from a stream

• US 7,182,866 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dirk Blaine Forman
• Original Assignee: Dirk Blaine Forman
• Inventors: Forman, Dirk Blaine
• Primary Examiner(s): Menon; Krishnan S.
• Application Number:
  US10/814,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20050218062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 210/321.68
• US Class Current: 210/321.68
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/08 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/12 comprising multiple spiral-wound assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/16 Rotary, reciprocated or vibrated modules
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/441 by reverse osmosis

Abstract

A filtration apparatus and method for filtering a stream. The apparatus comprises a rotor that contains an inlet for the stream and an array of cavities operatively arranged to receive the stream from the impeller. The rotor member further includes membranes, operatively positioned within the array of cavities, for separating the impurities from the stream, and a permeate outlet for delivering a permeate from the rotor. A drive member is included for rotating the rotor so that the stream is exposed to a centrifugal force. In one preferred embodiment, the rotor contains a baffle plate to distribute the stream about the inner portion and an impeller vane adapted to receive the stream.

Claims

1. An apparatus for separating impurities from a stream comprising:

a rotor cone cap having an inner conical wall and an outer portion, said rotor cone cap comprising;

an inlet for the stream;

a baffle plate extending about the periphery of said inner conical wall to distribute the stream radially inward;

a rotor bowl having an inner portion and an outer portion, said rotor bowl being connected to said rotor cone cap, and wherein said rotor bowl comprises;

a plurality of impeller vanes arranged on the inner portion of said rotor bowl, wherein said baffle plate directs the stream to said impeller vanes, and wherein said impeller vanes comprise a plurality of vertically extending members;

an array of cavities operatively arranged to receive the stream from said plurality of impeller vanes;

a membrane, operatively positioned within said array of cavities, for separating the impurities from the stream;

a permeate outlet for delivering a permeate from the rotor bowl;

drive means, operatively connected to said rotor bowl, for rotating the rotor bowl so that the stream within said inner conical wall and the stream within said inner portion of said rotor bowl is exposed to a centrifugal force.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said membrane comprises:

a spiral wound membrane cartridge adapted to fit within said cavities.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said rotor bowl contains a retentate outlet for delivering the retentate from the rotor bowl.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the array of cavities is orientated at a angle between 10 degrees and 60 degrees relative to a horizontal axis of the rotor cone.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said retentate outlet contains a back pressure valve for regulating the pressure within the retentate outlet.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said permeate outlet is directed to the outer portion of said rotor bowl so that the permeate is directed radially outward.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the retentate outlet is directed to an inner chamber located radially inward from said array of cavities so that the retentate is directed radially inward.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said spiral wound membrane cartridge comprises:

a thin film composite material.

9. A filtration apparatus for filtering a stream comprising:

a rotor member having an inner conical wall and an outer portion, said rotor member comprising;

an inlet for the stream;

a baffle plate extending about the periphery of said inner conical wall to distribute the stream radially inward;

a plurality of impeller vanes arranged to receive the stream from said baffle plate, and wherein said plurality of impeller vanes comprise vertically extending member;

an array of cavities operatively arranged to receive the stream from said impeller said array of cavities being arranged at a angle of between 60 degrees and 10 degrees relative to a horizontal axis of the rotor member;

means, operatively positioned within said array of cavities, for separating the impurities from the stream;

a permeate outlet for delivering a permeate from the rotor member;

drive means, operatively connected to said rotor member, for rotating the rotor member so that the stream within said inner conical wall and the stream received by said vertically extending members are exposed to a centrifugal force.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said separating means comprises:

a spiral wound membrane cartridge adapted to fit within said cavities.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said rotor member contains a retentate outlet for delivering the retentate from the rotor member.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said retentate outlet contains a back pressure choke for regulating the pressure within said retentate outlet.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said permeate outlet is directed to the outer portion of said rotor bowl so that the permeate is directed radially outward.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the retentate outlet is directed to an inner chamber located radially inward from said array of cavities so that the retentate is directed radially inward.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the array of cavities is orientated at a angle between 50 degrees and 30 degrees relative to the horizontal axis of the rotor member.

15. The apparatus of 10 wherein said spiral wound membrane cartridge comprises:

a cellulose acetate membrane.

17. A method of separating an affluent comprising:

providing a rotor apparatus, said rotor apparatus comprising a rotor member having an inner conical wall and an outer portion, said rotor member including an inlet for the stream;

an array of cavities operatively arranged on the outer periphery of the rotor apparatus and adapted to receive the affluent;

a membrane, positioned within said array of cavities, for separating the impurities from the affluent;

a permeate outlet for delivering a permeate from the rotor apparatus; and

, a retentate outlet for delivering a retentate from the rotor apparatus;

flowing the affluent to the inlet of the rotor apparatus;

rotating the rotor apparatus;

creating a centrifugal force within the inner conical wall of the rotor apparatus so that the affluent is forced to the outer periphery of the inner conical wall;

directing the affluent to a baffle plate extending about the periphery of said inner conical wall to distribute the affluent radially inward;

channeling the affluent from the baffle plate to a plurality of radially mounted impeller vanes;

directing the affluent to the array of membranes arranged on the outer periphery of the rotor apparatus;

separating the affluent in the array of membranes into the permeate and the retenate;

producing the permeate from the rotor apparatus via the permeate outlet;

producing the retentate from the rotor apparatus via the retentate outlet.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said permeate outlet is directed to the outer portion of said rotor apparatus and wherein the step of producing the permeate includes directing the permeate radially outward.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of producing the retentate from the rotor apparatus includes directing the retentate to an inner chamber located radially inward from said array of membranes so that the retentate is directed radially inward.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the producing the retentate from the rotor apparatus includes controlling the back pressure within the retentate outlet.