U.S. patent application number 11/559105 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-15 for manifold system for filtration modules.
Invention is credited to Sargon Barkho, Craig Chamulko, David John Cox, Max Johnson, Warren Johnson, Peter Rogers, Peter Clark Stuart.
Application Number | 20080110504 11/559105 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39368036 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080110504 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Johnson; Warren ; et
al. |
May 15, 2008 |
MANIFOLD SYSTEM FOR FILTRATION MODULES
Abstract
A modular membrane filtration system (5) includes a number of
banks (6) of membrane modules (7). Each module (7) includes upper
and lower modular manifolds (8) and (9), respectively which are
connected to one another to form upper and lower common manifolds
(10) and (11) for each bank (6). The upper and lower manifolds (8)
and (9) are used for delivery of feed and removal of filtrate and
waste liquid from the modules (7). A gas feed manifold (12) runs
along the top of the module banks (6) and feeds gas to lower gas
manifold (13) through drop lines (14). A further manifold (15) runs
in parallel with the common upper and lower manifolds (10) and (11)
and is connected thereto at connections points (16) between the
manifold banks (6).
Inventors: |
Johnson; Warren; (Grose
Wold, AU) ; Barkho; Sargon; (East Lakes, AU) ;
Johnson; Max; (Pitt Town, AU) ; Stuart; Peter
Clark; (Carlingford, AU) ; Chamulko; Craig;
(Kurrajong, AU) ; Cox; David John; (Penrith,
AU) ; Rogers; Peter; (Belper Derbyshire, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SIEMENS CORPORATION;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPARTMENT
170 WOOD AVENUE SOUTH
ISELIN
NJ
08830
US
|
Family ID: |
39368036 |
Appl. No.: |
11/559105 |
Filed: |
November 13, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
137/266 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D 2317/04 20130101;
B01D 2313/125 20130101; B01D 2313/10 20130101; B01D 2313/12
20130101; B01D 2313/105 20130101; Y10T 137/4857 20150401; B01D
63/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
137/266 |
International
Class: |
E03B 11/00 20060101
E03B011/00 |
Claims
1. A manifold arrangement for a membrane filtration system
comprising: a plurality of membrane modules coupled together,
wherein each module is provided with a modular manifold fluidly
connected with like modular manifolds on adjacent modules to form a
common manifold; and a further manifold fluidly connected to said
common manifold at one or more connection points to provide a
further flow path for fluid flow within the filtration system.
2. A manifold arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said modules
are formed in a plurality of banks and connections points are
located at connections between common manifolds of each bank.
3. A manifold arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the fluid
flowed through said manifold includes one or more of the following:
feed liquid, filtrate, gas, waste liquid, cleaning liquid.
4. A membrane filtration system including a manifold arrangement
according to claim 1.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to membrane filtration systems
and modules used therein and, more particularly, to manifolding
arrangements for such modules.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Membrane filtration systems typically employ a number of
like membrane modules assembled together to form a processing
system. The use of a modular system enables the filtration system
to be tailored to particular requirements of the user without major
modifications of the basic modular components. In order to provide
feed liquid, and cleaning fluids to the system and to remove
treated filtrate and waste from the system, manifolds are provided
for connecting the modular components.
[0003] One disadvantage of such systems is that, as the number and
size of the modules increases for larger plants, the number of
pumps and ancillaries increase due to the size limitations of the
manifolds servicing the modules. It would be desirable to provide
as large a manifold as possible to minimise the number of pumps and
ancillaries. Large pumps are generally less expensive than a number
of small pumps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] It is an object of the present invention to overcome or
ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or
to provide a useful alternative.
[0005] According to one aspect, the present invention provides a
manifold arrangement for a membrane filtration system comprising a
number of membrane modules coupled together, each module is
provided with a modular manifold which couples with like modular
manifolds on adjacent modules to form a common manifold, and
wherein a further manifold is coupled to said common manifold at
one or more connection points to provide a further flow path for
fluid flow within the filtration system.
[0006] Preferably, said modules are formed in a plurality of banks
and the connections points are located at connections between the
common manifolds of each bank.
[0007] The manifolds may be used to flow fluids to and from the
membranes including feed liquid, filtrate, gas or air, waste
liquids and/or cleaning liquids.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be
described, by way of example only, with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the
invention in a modular membrane filtration system;
[0010] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a manifold arrangement of
another embodiment of the invention;
[0011] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a manifold arrangement of
another embodiment of the invention;
[0012] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a manifold arrangement of
another embodiment of the invention; and
[0013] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a manifold arrangement of
another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] This invention is not limited in its application to the
details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth
in the following description or illustrated in the drawing. The
invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or
of being carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and
terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and
should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including,"
"comprising," or "having," "containing," "involving," and
variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed
thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
Throughout the drawings like components will be referred to by
common designations.
[0015] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a modular membrane
filtration system 5 including a number of banks 6 of membrane
modules 7. Each module 7 includes upper and lower modular manifolds
8 and 9, respectively which are connected to one another to form
upper and lower common manifolds 10 and 11 for each bank 6. The
upper and lower manifolds 8 and 9 are used for delivery of feed and
removal of filtrate and waste liquid from the modules 7. A gas feed
manifold 12 runs along the top of the module banks 6 and feeds gas
to lower gas manifold 13 through drop lines 14. A further manifold
15 runs in parallel with the common upper and lower manifolds 10
and 11 and is connected thereto at connections points 16 between
the manifold banks 6.
[0016] In use the further manifold 15 provides an additional flow
path for feed and filtrate flow thus enabling the capacity of the
filtration system to be increased without the need for a large
number of small pumps and ancillaries.
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, embodiments of manifold
arrangements are shown. In these embodiments the common manifolds
10 are connected at each end to a further common manifold 17.
Again, a further manifold 15 runs parallel to the manifold 17 and
provides a further flow path. In the embodiment of FIG. 2 the
further manifold 15 is positioned to the side of the common
manifold 17 while in the embodiment of FIG. 3 the further manifold
15 is positioned below or above the common manifold 17. Similar
embodiments are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
[0018] Having thus described several aspects of at least one
embodiment of this invention, it should be apparent to those
skilled in the art that the foregoing is merely illustrative and
not limiting, having been presented by way of example only.
Numerous modifications and other embodiments are within the scope
of the invention. In particular, although the embodiments presented
herein involve specific combinations of method acts or system
elements, it should be understood that those acts and those
elements may be combined in other ways to accomplish the same
objectives.
[0019] Further, acts, elements, and features discusses only in
connection with one embodiment are not intended to be excluded from
a similar role in other embodiments.
[0020] It is to be appreciated that various alterations,
modifications, and improvements can readily occur to those skilled
in the art ant that such alterations, modifications, and
improvements are intended to be part of the disclosure and within
the spirit and scope of the invention.
[0021] Moreover, it should also be appreciated that the invention
is directed to each feature, system, subsystem, or technique
described herein and any combination of two or more features,
systems, subsystems, and/or method, if such features, systems,
subsystems, and techniques are not mutually inconsistent, is
considered to be within the scope of the invention as
described.
[0022] Those skilled in the art should appreciate that the
parameters and configuration described herein are exemplary and
that actual parameters and/or configurations will depend on the
specific application in which the systems and techniques of the
invention are used. Those skilled in the art should also recognize
or be able to ascertain, using no more than routing
experimentation, equivalents to the specific embodiments of the
invention. It is therefore to be understood that the embodiments
described herein are presented by way of example only and that,
within the scope of the invention described and equivalents
thereto; the invention may be practiced otherwise than as
specifically described.
* * * * *