Reverse osmosis filtration devices with RFID tag-powered flow and conductivity meters

• US 8,617,397 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hydranautics (Nitto Denko Corporation), Nitto Denko Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hydranautics (Nitto Denko Corporation), Nitto Denko Corporation
• Inventors: Ikeyama, Norio, Wilf, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): DRODGE, JOSEPH W
• Application Number:
  US12/065,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20080296208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,672 Days
• Field of Search: 210/85, 210/87, 210/96.1, 210/96.2, 210/103, 210/321.83, 210/321.85, 210/650, 210/651, 210/739, 210/321.74, 210/321.76, 210/321.79, 210/321.8, 210/321.88, 210/321.89, 210/746, 210/321.6, 210/321.72, 210/652, 96417-423, 96/8, 378/147, 156/306.6, 7386171-86179, 324/439, 324/446, 702/30, 702/34, 702/35, 702/38, 702/45, 340/539.1, 340/10.34
• US Class Current: 210/652
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/16 Flow or flux control
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/243 Electrical conductivity control
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/2607 Application of a magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/36 Energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/025 Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/12 Controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/10 Spiral-wound membrane modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/101 Spiral winding
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/12 comprising multiple spiral-wound assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/441 by reverse osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/05 Conductivity or salinity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate

Abstract

The present invention relates to reverse osmosis filtration devices, and more particularly, to membrane filtration devices (10, 11, 12) that have flow meters and fluid conductivity meters powered by RFID tags. Embodiments of the present invention comprise reverse osmosis filters and filtration systems comprising measuring devices, including flow and conductivity meters. The meters of the present invention are preferably located on or within permeate core tubes (16) of filtration devices and systems.

Claims

1. A reverse osmosis system for filtering a liquid to obtain a permeate, comprising:

a pressure tube;

a plurality of membrane filter devices enclosed within the pressure tube, each of the membrane filter devices comprising a permeate tube associated with the membrane filter device and each of the membrane filter devices having its own associated radio frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with the membrane filter device configured to store data and wirelessly transmit the data;

a conductivity measuring device disposed within each permeate tube and configured to measure permeate conductivity data for the associated membrane filter device and transfer the conductivity data to said RFID tag associated with the membrane filter device;

a permeate flow measuring device disposed within each permeate tube and configured to measure permeate flow data for the associated membrane filter device and transfer the permeate flow data to the RFID tag associated with the membrane filter device; and

a data retrieval device configured to receive permeate conductivity data and permeate flow data transmitted by the RFID tags and to calculate values indicative of the performance of the membrane filter devices;

wherein the RFID tags are further configured to power on and off each of the conductivity measuring devices and permeate flow measuring devices in the pressure tube.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the permeate flow measuring device is a fluid flow meter.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the fluid flow meter is an electromagnetic flow meter.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the fluid flow meter comprises a rotatable member.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the fluid flow meter comprises a strain gauge.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the fluid flow meter comprises an ultrasonic flow meter.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the conductivity measuring device comprises an electrode.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the conductivity measuring device comprises an electrodeless device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the conductivity measuring device and the permeate flow measuring device is powered by a battery.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the battery is rechargeable.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the battery is recharged by the RFID tag.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the membrane filter devices are spiral wound membrane filter devices.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID tags store the measured permeate conductivity data and permeate flow data.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the calculated value is a normalized salt passage percentage.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID tags are configured to store preloaded values relating to the membrane filter devices.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the preloaded values are selected from lot number, production data, shipping data, and initial performance data of the membrane filter devices.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the preloaded values and the measured values are transferred to the data retrieval device via communication with the RFID tags, and the data retrieval device is configured to use the preloaded values and the measured values to calculate the values indicative of the performance of the membrane filter devices.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the preloaded values and the conductivity and permeate flow data are transferred to the data retrieval device via communication with the RFID tags, and the data retrieval device is configured to employ the preloaded values and the permeate conductivity and permeate data to calculate a normalized dissolved solids passage percentage.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculated performance values are normalized salt passage percentages.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein a date of production of each membrane filter device is employed in the calculating step.

21. A method of maintaining an array of membrane filter devices for a reverse osmosis system that filters a fluid to obtain a permeate, comprising:

measuring values of conductivity and permeate flow through each of of said membrane filter devices, the measured permeate conductivity and measured permeate flow values obtained with permeate conductivity measuring devices and permeate flow measuring devices, respectively, each of said membrane filter devices having its own associated permeate conductivity measuring device and permeate flow measuring device;

transferring information concerning the values measured at each membrane filter device to associated RFID tags in the system, each membrane filter device having its own associated RFID tag;

remotely receiving the information from the RFID tags;

calculating values indicative of the performance of the membrane filter devices from the measured values;

replacing each membrane filter device according to the value calculated; and

powering on and off each of the conductivity measuring devices and permeate flow measuring devices with the RFID tags.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the measuring step is conducted periodically.