Embodiments of the present invention provide replacement of conventional separate feed spacer mesh with features placed, deposited or integrated on or into either the porous permeate carrier, the inactive side of the membrane sheet, or select portions of the membrane surface.

This invention uses multiple pairs of electrodes acting as electrical conductivity sensors that are secured at specific locations within spiral wound membrane elements and their interconnecting components of a reverse osmosis or nanofiltration pressure vessel. Each electrode pair might be attached to a wire cord to be inserted through and sealed against a vessel end cap into the permeate carrier tubes and interconnecting components of the membrane elements, or each electrode pair might be attached to a battery and a wireless transmitting device. Conductivity measurements from the sensors would be communicated to a microprocessor, which would evaluate each permeate conductivity measurement relative to other permeate conductivity measurements, as well as relative to derived or measured conductivities in the saline water in calculating a percent salt passage value specific to the location of each permeate sensor.

An outlet (3) for fluid feed of a first membrane module (1a) is connected to a fluid inlet (2) of a second membrane module (1b), and if further membrane module(s) is/are present, the outlet (3) for fluid feed of a previous membrane module (n−1) is connected to the fluid inlet (2) of a following membrane module (n), and for the last membrane module (n), the outlet (3) for fluid feed is connected to the fluid inlet (2) for fluid feed of the first membrane module (1a). An amount of fluid feed is continuously pumped with pressure PB through a loop of n membrane modules that are serially connected, the fluid feed and permeate flow concurrently through each of the n membrane module(s), generated permeate is continuously drained from each membrane module through a permeate outlet, permeate pressure at the permeate outlet of each membrane module is controlled within a range.

A membrane separation unit can include a cartridge, at least one membrane disposed within the cartridge, at least one seal plate, and a sealing ring seated in an outer groove of the seal plate. The at least one seal plate can seal one end of the cartridge. The seal plate can have at least one venting hole that forms a passage between the interior of the cartridge and the outer groove. The sealing ring can have a cross-sectional shape that forms a circular venting path between the sealing ring and the seal plate. The sealing ring can include one or more grooves to allow fluid to vent into an annular space between a device housing and the membrane separation unit. The sealing ring can include an outer surface having, in cross-section, two flattened surfaces that form an angle of between 90° and 175° there between.

A fluid separation element including: a wound body in which a separation membrane is wound around a central pipe; and an anti-telescoping plate, in which the anti-telescoping plate has an opening part that penetrates through the anti-telescoping plate, the central pipe is inserted into the opening part, a depression is formed in at least one of a surface, in the opening part, of the anti-telescoping plate and an outer surface of a portion, inserted into the opening part, of the central pipe, and a gap between the opening part and the central pipe and the depression are filled with a resin.

An acidic gas separation module 10, which improves gas separation efficiency and reduces pressure loss, includes: a permeating gas collecting tube 12 having tube walls in which through holes 12A are formed; a layered body 14 that has at least an acidic gas separation layer 32 and that is wound on the permeating gas collecting tube 12; and telescope prevention plates 18 (a gas supply side 18A and a gas discharge side 18B) provided at both end faces in an axial direction of the wound layered body 14, wherein the ratio (D2/D1) of the open area ratio D2 of the telescope prevention plate on the gas discharge side 18B relative to the open area ratio D1 of the telescope prevention plate on the gas supply side 18A is from 0.5 to 0.9. An acidic gas separation device includes the acidic gas separation module 10.

A spiral wound module assembly including: a plurality of spiral wound modules aligned within a pressure vessel with a first module located adjacent the first end and a second module located adjacent the second end, a flow plate including opposing first and second sides positioned within the pressure vessel between the first spiral wound module and the first end of the pressure vessel with the first side facing the first spiral wound module and the second side facing the first end, and wherein the flow plate includes a plurality of holes passing from the first side to the second side which create a pressure drop in fluid passing from the first spiral wound module and the closer of the feed inlet port and concentrate outlet port; and a differential pressure sensor adapted to measure differences in pressure between fluid located on the opposing sides of the flow plate.

Provided are a composite semipermeable membrane capable of enhancing adhesion between a separation functional layer provided with a coating layer and a protective tape while maintaining an effect of the coating layer to some extent, and a spiral membrane element using the composite semipermeable membrane.

A composite semipermeable membrane includes: a porous support; a separation functional layer formed on the porous support; and a coating layer provided on a surface of the separation functional layer, the coating layer having different surface roughnesses due to different adhesion amounts of a coating material depending on locations. The composite semipermeable membrane has a coating layer-side surface on which a glossy portion having a surface roughness Ra of 30 nm or less and a non-glossy portion having a surface roughness Ra of 50 nm or more are provided.

Disclosed are a spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane element, a spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane module and a process for making the reverse osmosis membrane element.

A spiral wound membrane module including a specialized endcap assembly including a connecting conduit defining a passageway extending radially inward from its outer periphery, and a differential pressure sensor connected to the passageway of the connecting conduit.