A water treatment membrane washing apparatus includes two ozone dissolving tanks for storing filtrate generated by filtering raw water through a water treatment membrane and gas aspirators provided for the respective ozone dissolving tanks, for mixing the filtrate with ozone gas supplied from an ozone supply unit to generate ozone gas containing filtrate, and is configured such that waste ozone gas generated in one of the ozone dissolving tanks is aspirated by the gas aspirator provided for the other ozone dissolving tank. After the filtrate from the raw water is pretreated by being mixed with the waste ozone gas in the aspirator, the pretreated filtrate is mixed with the ozone gas in the other ozone dissolving tank until it reaches a predetermined concentration. The ozone gas containing filtrate is supplied from the secondary side of the water treatment membrane to the primary side thereof to wash the eater treatment membrane.

The present invention relates to a comprehensive evaluation method for the performance of contaminated flat membranes, which relates to the field of sewage and waste resource technology. The present invention firstly analyzed the composition of the surface elements of the contaminated membrane by EDX to determine the type of membrane contamination, and then designed different cleaning schemes for organic or inorganic pollution to obtain a sample membrane. When the tensile strength of the contaminated membrane decreased more than 50% than that of the control membrane, it is a waste membrane; when the tensile strength decreased less than 50% and the membrane flux reduced more than 30%, it is a waste membrane; when tensile strength decreased less than 50%, membrane flux reduced less than 30% and the carbon footprint was more than 188 g, it is a waste membrane; otherwise was a old membrane. The comprehensive evaluation method of the present invention can quantitatively, quickly and comprehensively define the difference between the old membrane and the waste membrane, and provides the basis for the selection of the contaminated membrane and the process of the regeneration and reuse.

The present disclosure is directed to filtering technologies that combine elements of continuous and batch NF/RO based on the constraints of the end-user facility to achieve a target balance between, for instance, recovery and power consumption, and to reduce long term operating cost of a plant. A method for extending batch operation into a second induction period with antiscalant injection is also disclosed herein, with the second induction period allowing for yet higher water recovery.

Processes and systems for filtering a liquid sample are provided. Batches of a liquid sample can be routed to two or more cycling tanks (e.g., first and second cycling tanks). Upon filling a first cycling tank, a first batch of the liquid sample can be routed to a filtration assembly by a continuous diafiltration process that includes routing produced retentate back to the first cycling tank or to a collection vessel. Upon filling a second cycling tank, a second batch of the liquid sample is routed to the filtration assembly by a continuous diafiltration process that includes routing produced retentate back to the second cycling tank or to the collection vessel. The filling and continuous diafiltration of batches of the liquid sample continues to alternate between the two or more cycling tanks until a total product volume is processed.

Water or wastewater filtration processes and systems have a plurality of membrane modules, each having filter media therein, the plurality of membrane modules arranged in parallel fluid flow, a main bottom feed conduit, a main top feed conduit, and separate feed conduits fluidly connecting the main bottom feed conduits and the main top feed conduits to respective membrane modules. A main filtrate conduit, and separate filtrate conduits fluidly connect respective membrane modules to the main filtrate conduit. A backwash conduit fluidly connects the main filtrate conduit to respective membrane modules through the main top and bottom feed conduits. A pump having a pump feed conduit and a pump discharge conduit, the pump discharge conduit fluidly connected to the main top and bottom feed conduits, and a plurality of automatically controllable valves positioned in the main top and bottom feed conduits, the main filtrate conduit, the pump discharge conduit, and the backwash conduit, with a controller configured to actuate the plurality of automatically controllable valves to control feed and backwash flows through the membrane modules using pressure developed only by the pump. The pump is preferably operated by a variable-speed prime mover.

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 leak may be detected in a heat exchanger of a hemodialysis device. A drain valve is opened by the controller, and then closed by the controller after a pre-selected time period. An initial pressure is determined in the spent dialysate circuit and stored in the memory. A system pressure is determined at periodic time intervals and compared to a pre-determined maximum pressure. The controller then determines whether the heat exchanger has a leak, in that in response to the system pressure exceeding a predetermined maximum pressure, a command is generated to execute an event including suspending a disinfectant operation with a disinfecting agent, and in response to the initial pressure subtracted from the system pressure being greater than a predetermined minimum pressure differential, a command is generated to execute an event including suspending the cleanse operation with the disinfecting agent.

A predictive system for monitoring fouling of membranes of a desalination or water softening plant includes ultrafiltration (UF) membranes, reverse osmosis (RO) membranes, and/or nanofiltration (NF) membranes. In addition, the system includes one or more UF skids including a plurality of UF units. Each UF unit contains therein a plurality of UF membranes. Further, the system includes one or more RO/NF skids including one or more RO/NF arrays. Each of the one or more RO/NF arrays includes a plurality of RO units, with each RO unit containing therein a plurality of RO membranes, a plurality of NF units, with each NF unit containing therein a plurality of NF membranes, or a combination thereof. Still further, the system includes UF sensors and/or RO/NF sensors. The system also includes a controller comprising a processor in signal communication with the UF sensors and/or the RO/NF sensors.

A method of predicting membrane fouling in a reverse osmosis process includes collecting information relative to the reverse osmosis process being performed over a predetermined period of time, the collected information including a process factor and a water quality factor, the process factor including a produced water flow rate; calculating a salt removal rate and a pressure drop based on the collected information; normalizing the produced water flow rate, the salt removal rate, and the pressure drop; generating a prediction equation using normalized values of the produced water flow rate, the salt removal rate, and the pressure drop values; and predicting membrane fouling through the generated prediction equation to determine a chemical cleaning time. Process and water quality factors are normalized to temperature and/or flow rate, and the prediction equation uses the normalized factors. Both short-term and long-term predictions are made for chemical cleaning time and membrane module replacement time.

There is provided a retrofit control module that is connectable to various types of reverse osmosis systems, and a method of using the same. The retrofit control module includes a controller, the controller being located within a housing. The controller includes a first communication interface, the first communication interface being connectable to the reverse osmosis system, a processing unit and a memory connected to the processing unit. The processing unit is configured for receiving at least one parameter of the reverse osmosis system, comparing the at least one parameter of the reverse osmosis system with a predetermined threshold and in response to the at least one parameter of the reverse osmosis system being above the predetermined threshold: transmitting a control parameter to the reverse osmosis system, the control parameter causing the reverse osmosis system to control at least one component of the reverse osmosis system.