Restoring optimal flow characteristics of membrane filter for membrane activation reactor during water treatment, by carrying out a cleaning process in reactor and seizing gradient and/or curve profile of decreasing permeability of filter

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The patent describes a method for maintaining and restoring the flow efficiency of membrane filters used in water treatment reactors. It involves continuously monitoring the decrease in the filter's permeability, using this data to determine the optimal time to initiate cleaning, and customizing the cleaning process depending on the measured fouling profile. This improves filter performance by addressing contamination promptly and with tailored cleaning regimes.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Municipal water treatment plants for maintaining clean water supply
• Industrial wastewater treatment facilities
• Desalination plants using membrane filtration
• Food and beverage industry water purification systems
• Pharmaceutical industry requiring high-purity water
• On-site treatment units in remote or disaster-stricken areas

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Improves and maintains the efficiency and lifespan of membrane filters
• Reduces downtime and operational costs by initiating cleaning only when necessary
• Allows for automated, responsive cleaning cycles based on real-time data
• Adapts cleaning methods for various types of fouling, ensuring more effective contamination removal
• Enhances water quality and process reliability in water treatment systems

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Patent Abstract

The method for restoring optimal flow characteristics of a membrane filter (5) for membrane activation reactor (1) during water treatment, comprises temporarily carrying out a suitable cleaning process in the reactor, seizing the gradient and/or the curve profile of the decreasing permeability of the membrane filter as measured variable during the operation of the membrane filter continuously or in short temporal intervals, triggering a signal for the cleaning process during reaching pre-determined limit values and seizing the decreasing permeability as variable volumetric flow rate. The method for restoring optimal flow characteristics of a membrane filter (5) for membrane activation reactor (1) during water treatment, comprises temporarily carrying out a suitable cleaning process in the reactor, seizing the gradient and/or the curve profile of the decreasing permeability of the membrane filter as measured variable during the operation of the membrane filter continuously or in short temporal intervals, triggering a signal for the cleaning process during reaching pre-determined limit values, seizing the decreasing permeability as variable volumetric flow rate and/or as transmembrane pressure difference, determining the kind, the volume, the duration, the combination and/or the admixture of cleaning substances during the cleaning process based on a database model, carrying out the cleaning process by an air supply (9), reversal of the flow direction, relaxation and/or admixture of chemical substances or suitable combinations, seizing the gradient and/or the curve profile of the volumetric flow rate and/or the pressure difference and the discontinuous variances of the decreasing permeability, and determining the time point for carrying out the cleaning process based on the database model. The cleaning process based on the seized temporal variance of the decreasing permeability seizes during the contamination of a pores interlock, pores contraction and/or a cake formation and the cleaning process is triggered.