A process and system for cleaning semipermeable membranes is described that is particularly well suited for cleaning membranes contained in a water purification system, such as a reverse osmosis process. In order to clean the filter membranes, the membranes are placed in a cleaning chamber capable of allowing a reduction in pressure. In one embodiment, for instance, the membranes are contained in a filter housing and the filter housing is converted into a cleaning chamber by sealing off at least one end. The membranes are then submerged in a cleaning fluid and the pressure within the cleaning chamber is reduced causing the cleaning fluid to form bubbles. The process and system of the present disclosure is well suited to cleaning filter membranes, particularly ceramic membranes, in-line without having to remove the membranes from the water purification system.

An automated modular filtration system, particularly for low volume tangential flow filtration processes, comprises a plurality of filtration modules formed as separate assemblies and at least one control unit for jointly controlling filtration processes of individual filtration units. Each filtration module contains at least one individual filtration unit for executing a filtration process independent of the other filtration units, first input ports for receiving a first type of fluids, second input ports for receiving a second type of fluids, and exit ports for outputting unused system fluids. First type fluids are process fluids are specific to the filtration processes executed in individual filtration units. Second type fluids are system fluids not specific to filtration processes executed in the individual filtration units. The second input and exit ports establish inter-module connections so system fluids can be forwarded from one filtration module to an adjacent filtration module of the filtration system.

A method for operating an on-board water supply and distribution system of an aircraft for supplying water includes a central tank, consumer assemblies with a supply device and a buffer tank, pump operable in a supply mode and reverse mode, filter device, and high-pressure conduit system. The central tank connects to the pump's upstream side. The conduit system connects the downstream side and consumer assemblies. The pump in supply mode delivers water from the downstream side to the buffer tank. In reverse mode, the pump can convey water from the downstream side to the upstream side. The method includes operating the pump in supply mode so water from the central tank goes to a consumer assembly in a first time interval to fill the buffer tank, and operating the pump in reverse mode in a second time interval so water from the buffer tank passes through the filter device.

A method for selectively cleaning a flushable filter system that includes a first filter unit and a second filter unit each of which is configured to purify unpurified liquid into purified liquid, the method comprises the steps of: operating the flushable filter system such that one of the first filter unit and the second filter unit is cleaned, while the other of the first filter unit and the second filter unit produced the purified liquid that is used to back flush the one of the first filter unit and the second filter unit that is being cleaned.

Embodiments herein relate to a membrane bioreactor for strengthening membrane fouling control and method thereof. The embodiments may solve problems associated with existing techniques in the field of water treatment. The membrane bioreactor may include a reactor wall, a membrane element, a collecting pipe, a water collecting pipe, a vacuum table, a suction pump, a cleaning unit, an air compressor, an aeration pipe, an aeration head, an inlet pipe, and a drain pipe. The existing techniques related to membrane fouling control has problems such as complexity to operate, difficulties to clean online, and uses of chemicals, which may cause secondary pollution. The embodiments relate to a device that includes a set of automatic mechanical transmission units. With cleaning parts installed at terminals of the device, the surface of the pollution layer of the flat membrane may be cleaned periodically to achieve in situ membrane fouling control, an increase of water production capacity and backwash cycle, and improvement of the efficiency of the membrane bioreactor.

Disclosed herein is a water purifying system, including: a raw water tank configured to store raw water; a filter unit configured to include a plurality of filtration modules for purifying the raw water and a plurality of valves for feeding or cutting off the raw water; a raw water pump configured to feed the raw water from the raw water tank to the filter unit; and a backwash module configured to feed backwash water to the filter unit, in which some of permeate water permeated by the filter unit is fed to the backwash module to be used as the backwash water and a feed pressure of the backwash water is fed by the raw water pump.

A decentralized water treatment unit is for purifying untreated water to purified water for human consumption. The unit includes i) a filtration module, having at least one filtration membrane configured to, during a filtration cycle, purify the untreated water; and ii) a cleaning module, having an electrolytic cell configured to, during a generation cycle, generate a cleaning solution of predetermined composition from a chloride starting solution. The cleaning module is further configured to, during a cleaning cycle, pump the cleaning solution through the filtration module to clean the at least one filtration membrane.

A conditioning system for a filter module is disclosed. The conditioning system may generally include an inlet, a heat exchanger, a magnetically levitated pump, a channel provided to bypass the heat exchanger, a controller, an outlet, and a base. The system may have components lined with corrosion-resistant materials. A method of conditioning a filter module is also disclosed. The method may generally include measuring TOC in a source of ultrapure water, heating the ultrapure water, rinsing a filter module with the heated water, flushing the filter module with ambient temperature water, and repeating the rinsing with heated water and flushing with ambient temperature water. A method of facilitating conditioning of the filter module is also disclosed. The method may generally include providing a portable filter module conditioning system and providing instructions for installation or use.

The present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a clogging location determination program for a separation membrane module, in which, in order to determine a clogging location of a separation membrane module in a fresh water generation system for obtaining treated water by filtrating water to be treated by a separation membrane module having a separation membrane, a computer is caused to function as a clogging location determination means for determining a clogging location of the separation membrane module from a resistance in a lower part of the separation membrane module, a filtration resistance of a hollow-fiber membrane, and a resistance in an upper part of the separation membrane module.

Disclosed herein is a water purifying system, including: a raw water tank configured to store raw water; a filter unit configured to include a plurality of filtration modules for purifying the raw water and a plurality of valves for feeding or cutting off the raw water; a raw water pump configured to feed the raw water from the raw water tank to the filter unit; and a backwash module configured to feed backwash water to the filter unit, in which some of permeate water permeated by the filter unit is fed to the backwash module to be used as the backwash water and a feed pressure of the backwash water is fed by the raw water pump.