Multiple Location Water Conductivity Measuring Device Applied within a Membrane Vessel

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A device comprising multiple pairs of conductivity electrodes wherein each electrode set is secured within a spiral wound membrane vessel.

2. The invention in claim 1 further comprising electrical wires with electrical connectors and a semi rigid support material, wherein said pairs of electrodes are secured in locations within the permeate carrier tubes and interconnecting components of the spiral wound membrane elements by attachment to said support material and to said electrical connection wires.

3. The invention in claim 2 further comprising a water sealing plug, wherein said electrical wires proceed through said plug that creates a watertight seal between the sensor cord and the permeate connection port of one of the end caps of a membrane vessel, but allows the wires to proceed through the plug to end connectors located outside of the pressure vessel.

4. The invention in claim 3 wherein the conductance measurements from multiple locations are evaluated and used by a microprocessor to calculate a value for the percentage of dissolved salts passing through the membrane at the electrode pair locations along the permeate stream path as it flows through the permeate carrier tubes and interconnecting components of the membrane elements within their vessel.

5. The invention in claim 1 further comprising wireless transmitting components, batteries, and physical attachment components, wherein each electrode pair is secured to a membrane element in either permeate stream or high pressure locations via said physical attachment component and is electrically connected to said battery and to said transmitting component to communicate the electrical conductance at each electrode pair through said electronic transmitting components.

6. The invention in claim 5 wherein the conductance measurements from multiple locations are used by a microprocessor to calculate a value for the percentage of dissolved salts passing through the membrane at electrode pair locations along the permeate stream path as it flows through the permeate carrier tubes and interconnecting components of the membrane elements within their vessel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements and in which:

[0014] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention, which has multiple conductivity sensors attached to electrical wires and a support material with a watertight plug for installation in a spiral wound membrane pressure vessel.

[0015] FIG. 2 is an illustration of a spiral wound membrane vessel with the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 inserted into the permeate carrier tubes and interconnecting components and secured to a plug threaded into the vessel end cap.

[0016] FIG. 3 is an illustration of a spiral wound membrane vessel with a preferred embodiment of the invention that uses independent electrode assemblies that are secured to locations within the membrane elements and interconnecting components.

[0017] FIG. 4 shows the bottom part of an enclosure for the printed circuit boards with microprocessor and other associated electronic components, according to various embodiments described herein.

[0018] FIG. 5 shows the top part of an enclosure for the printed circuit boards with microprocessor and other associated electronic components, according to various embodiments described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0021] The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated by the fixtures of description below.

[0022] The present invention will now be described by referencing the appended figures representing preferred embodiments. FIG. 1 depicts a preferred embodiment of the invention that uses multiple electrode pairs, such as the identified electrode pair 1, that act as separate conductivity sensors and are attached to electrical wires 2 and to a semi rigid material at specific distance intervals from the other permeate sensor locations. The cord assembly includes a watertight plug 3 and electrical end connections 4, such as RJ45 electrical connectors.

[0023] FIG. 2 depicts how the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 inserts into a pressure vessel 7 of a reverse osmosis or nanofiltration membrane system, through the vessel end cap 8, through the permeate interconnecting component 10 with the end cap into a permeate carrier tube 11 of a membrane element 9 and proceeds through the interconnecting component 12 with the adjacent membrane element and on through other interconnecting components and membrane elements, and might end within the interconnecting component 13 at the opposite end of the vessel where the permeate collection manifold 14 for that vessel is located. The cord 1 has conductivity sensors specifically positioned such that a sensor might be located within the middle of each membrane element, such as the identified sensor 2, and might be within the interconnecting components between the permeate carriers of adjacent membrane elements, such as the identified interconnecting component 3. A conductivity sensor might also be located within the interconnecting component 4 on the outlet end of the vessel permeate stream before it combines in the permeate collection manifold with the permeate water produced from other membrane vessels. A plug 5 provides a watertight seal with the end cap at its point of insertion to force the entire vessel permeate stream to continue its normal direction of flow to the permeate collection manifold. The electrical wires from the conductivity sensors proceed through the plug to end connectors 6.

[0024] FIG. 3 depicts a preferred embodiment of the invention that uses independent sensor assemblies, each consisting of a pair of electrodes 1 that electrically connect with a wireless transmitter and battery 2 and a securing device 3 that allows the sensor assembly to be attached to the permeate carrier tube 9 of a spiral wound membrane element 8 within its pressure vessel 7 of a reverse osmosis or nanofiltration membrane system. A sensor assembly 5 might also be attached within an interconnecting component 10 located between adjacent membrane elements. A sensor assembly 4 might also be attached within an interconnecting component 11 on the outlet end of the vessel permeate stream before the water combines in the permeate collection manifold 12 with the permeate water produced from other membrane vessels. A sensor assembly 6 might also be attached to the membrane elements at one or more locations within the high pressure saline water of the membrane system in order to measure the salinity in the vicinity of the permeate sensor assemblies for increased accuracy in calculating the percent salt passage values.

[0025] FIG. 4 depicts a preferred embodiment of how the base section of an enclosure might be located externally of the membrane vessel for holding the wire connections from the conductivity sensor cord and where printed circuit boards, the microprocessor, and affiliated electronics would be located. The microprocessor evaluates the conductivity readings of the sensors and evaluates each permeate sensor reading relative to the values measured at other permeate sensor locations within the vessel, as well as relative to conductivity readings obtained from conductivity sensors located on the high pressure saline side of the membrane either within the pressure vessel or located externally of the vessel as appropriate for calculating a local percent salt passage value associated with each permeate sensor location.

[0026] FIG. 5 depicts a preferred embodiment of how the enclosure top would be designed for a display of the sensor conductivity readings and of the percent salt passage values calculated by the microprocessor, although said microprocessor and display might alternatively be located within the control panel of the membrane system and also used for other monitoring and control functions required for the membrane system.

[0027] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle and mode of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiments. However, it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope.