Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080203019 | MEMBRANE BATCH FILTRATION PROCESS - A membrane batch filtration process has a step of reducing the water level in the tank by permeation prior to emptying the tank to reduce the volume of water drained after each batch. Permeation may continue even after a portion of the membranes is exposed to air to further lower the water level. The membranes may be backwashed after the water level has been lowered. The water level may be lowered again after the backwash. The tank drain may begin with a portion of the membranes exposed to air. | 08-28-2008 |
20080251455 | Cyclic Aeration System for Submerged Membrane Modules - An aeration system for a submerged membrane module has a set of aerators connected to an air blower, valves and a controller adapted to alternately provide a higher rate or air flow and a lower rate of air flow in repeated cycles. In an embodiment, the air blower, valves and controller, simultaneously provide the alternating air flow to two or more sets of aerators such that the total air flow is constant, allowing the blower to be operated at a constant speed. In another embodiment, the repeated cycles are of short duration. Transient flow conditions result in the tank water which helps avoid dead spaces and assists in agitating the membranes. | 10-16-2008 |
20080257820 | Apparatus and Method for Treating Fgd Blowdown or Similar Liquids - A process has steps of one or more of aerobic treatment to remove COD and nitrify a waste stream, anoxic treatment to denitrify a waste stream, anoxic treatment to remove selenium and anaerobic treatment to remove heavy metals and sulphur. The process may be used to treat, for example, FGD blow down water. The process may further include one or more of (a) membrane separation of the waste stream upstream of the anoxic digestion to remove selenium, (b) dilution upstream of the biological treatment step, (c) physical/chemical pretreatment upstream of the biological processes or dilution step to remove TSS and soften the waste stream, or (d) ammonia stripping upstream of the biological treatment steps or dilutions step. These processes may be provided in a variety of suspended growth or fixed film reactors, for example a membrane bioreactor or a fixed film reactor having a GAC bed. Processes for biological treatment of inorganic compounds in a fixed medium reactor is described including steps of one or more of maintaining desired ORP levels, optionally by controlling nutrient addition, and removing solids or gas bubbles from the medium bed. | 10-23-2008 |
20080314826 | Membrane Supported Biofilm Process for Autotrophic Reduction - A hollow gas transfer fibre is arranged in tows and potted into a module. The module may be used to treat wastewater by supplying hydrogen containing gas via the interior of the fibers to a biofilm present on an exterior surface of the fibers. | 12-25-2008 |
20090117631 | ALCOHOL EXTRACTION PROCESS FOR BIOFUEL PRODUCTION - This document describes a fermentation product producing or processing apparatus or process involving membrane pervaporation (PV) and either vapor permeation or distillation or both. The fermentation product may be produced semi-continuously wherein product concentration is maintained below a selected value by removal through pervaporation membranes. After a period of operation, the broth may be distilled. Distillation and/or pervaporation products may be further dewatered using vapor permeation. The PV membranes may be used in the form of immersed modules, for example with a flat sheet configuration. | 05-07-2009 |
20090134092 | MEMBRANE FILTRATION DEVICE AND PROCESS - An element for use in ultrafiltration or microfiltration of potable water has a large number of small diameter hollow fibre membranes attached between two headers. Side plates attached to the sides of the headers define vertical flow channels containing the membranes. The elements may be placed side by side and stacked on top of each other to form cassettes having continuous vertical flow channels through the entire cassette. The membrane modules or cassettes may be arranged to cover a substantial part of the cross sectional area of an open tank. Tank water may flow upwards or downwards through the flow channels. A tank may be deconcentrated by at least partially emptying and refilling the tank with fresh water while permeation continues. Excess tank water created during deconcentration may flow generally upwards through the modules and out through a retentate outlet or overflow at the top of the tank. | 05-28-2009 |
20090218299 | INVERTED AERATED IMMERSED SCREEN, SCREEN ASSEMBLY AND OPERATING PROCESS - A static screen used upstream of a membrane assembly within a water treatment system has a screening surface with a number of openings distributed over its area. Liquid flows through the screening surface to reach the membrane assembly. Various shapes of screening surfaces are described including three-dimensional bodies with openings at or near their lower ends. Methods for cleaning the screen are described including aeration, backwashing and lowering down the water level in an upstream section by partially or completely draining a tank. Various treatment systems or process designs incorporating the screen are described. Screen elements may be made in two or more parts comprising a supporting structure and a separation layer and may be mounted on a conduit or pan. | 09-03-2009 |
20090277826 | HOLLOW FIBRE MEMBRANE MODULE - A module has a housing and a tube-sheet. Hollow fiber membranes are potted in the tube-sheet with their ends open. Mechanical interference prevents excessive movement of the tube-sheet along the length of the housing. A gasket is placed in a groove between the tube-sheet and the housing, opening towards the outer face of the tube-sheet. A cap is secured and sealed to the end of the housing. To construct the module, membranes are placed inside of the housing with their ends protruding. A potting fixture is attached to the end of the housing over the ends of the membranes and protruding into the end of the housing so as to form the groove. Liquid potting material is injected into the potting fixture and solidified into a tube-sheet. The potting fixture is removed and the ends of the fibers are cut open. The module may be used, for example, to dehydrate a fermentation product vapour mixture fed through the lumens of the fibres by extracting water vapour permeated into the housing under partial vacuum. | 11-12-2009 |
20100237014 | MEMBRANE MODULE WITH MULTIPLE BOTTOM HEADERS AND FILTRATION PROCESS - A membrane module ( | 09-23-2010 |
20100300963 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TREATING FGD BLOWDOWN OR SIMILAR LIQUIDS - A process has steps of one or more of aerobic treatment to remove COD and nitrify a waste stream, anoxic treatment to denitrify a waste stream, anoxic treatment to remove selenium and anaerobic treatment to remove heavy metals and sulphur. The process may be used to treat, for example, FGD blow down water. The process may further include one or more of (a) membrane separation of the waste stream upstream of the anoxic digestion to remove selenium, (b) dilution upstream of the biological treatment step, (c) physical/chemical pretreatment upstream of the biological processes or dilution step to remove TSS and soften the waste stream, or (d) ammonia stripping upstream of the biological treatment steps or dilutions step. These processes may be provided in a variety of suspended growth or fixed film reactors, for example a membrane bioreactor or a fixed film reactor having a GAC bed. Processes for biological treatment of inorganic compounds in a fixed medium reactor is described including steps of one or more of maintaining desired ORP levels, optionally by controlling nutrient addition, and removing solids or gas bubbles from the medium bed. | 12-02-2010 |
20110006003 | CYCLIC AERATION SYSTEM FOR SUBMERGED MEMBRANE MODULES - An aeration system for a submerged membrane module has a set of aerators connected to an air blower, valves and a controller adapted to alternately provide a higher rate or air flow and a lower rate of air flow in repeated cycles. In an embodiment, the air blower, valves and controller, simultaneously provide the alternating air flow to two or more sets of aerators such that the total air flow is constant, allowing the blower to be operated at a constant speed. In another embodiment, the repeated cycles are of short duration. Transient flow conditions result in the tank water which helps avoid dead spaces and assists in agitating the membranes. | 01-13-2011 |
20110042312 | PROCESS CONTROL FOR AN IMMERSED MEMBRANE SYSTEM - An immersed membrane system or process may use measured or calculated process information to optimize one or more process operating parameters to improve performance or reduce operating costs. An on-line process control system or method may use the resistance in series method in operating an immersed membrane water treatment system. A process control system or process may consider resistance values and adjust operational parameters such as membrane aeration frequency factor, membrane aeration flow, permeate flux, permeation duration, backwash flow and duration, relaxation duration or maintenance or recovery chemical cleaning frequencies in order to reduce the operational costs related to membrane fouling removal. | 02-24-2011 |
20110126707 | EMISSION TREATMENT PROCESS FROM NATURAL GAS DEHYDRATORS - The off-gas from the still and flash tank of an existing glycol-based dehydration unit (containing water vapor, methane, BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene), VOCs (volatile organic compounds)) is sent directly to a gas separation membrane system for dehydration. The gas separation membrane has a high selectivity for water over organic compounds (for example, the membrane described in WO2005/007277A1). The driving force for water permeation is established by applying a vacuum on the permeate side of the membrane unit or by flowing a sweep gas, for example warm, dry air through the permeate side of the unit. | 06-02-2011 |
20110272335 | IMMERSED MEMBRANE CASSETTE AND METHOD OF OPERATION - A module of vertical membranes has a lower header with integral air holes. Modules are mounted in line on upper and lower beams. A skirt is formed under the cassette. Adjustable side members between the beams allow for membrane slack adjustment and bottom beam levelling. A flat aerator assembly can be inserted into spaces between the cassettes and provide bubbles into the skirts, the spaces between cassettes, or both. An aeration method involves producing bubbles primarily or only to one side of the module, alternating from one side of the module to the other, while also producing bubbles within the module or between the membranes, optionally continuously. A cleaning method involves flowing a chemical cleaning solution by force of gravity through a membrane module, optionally by injected a concentrated solution into a vented portion of a permeate withdrawal system located above the water level in a tank holding the module. | 11-10-2011 |
20120018371 | NON-BRAIDED REINFORCED HOLOW FIBRE MEMBRANE - A hollow fiber membrane comprising a reinforcing structure embedded within a membrane wall is provided. A generally tube-shaped reinforcing structure for a hollow fibre membrane is also provided. The reinforcing structure comprises i) a plurality of warp filaments, the plurality of warp filaments being generally parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other circumferentially; and, ii) one or more wrap filaments, each of the one or more wrap filaments extending obliquely between at least two of the plurality of warp filaments. | 01-26-2012 |
20130134089 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TREATING WASTEWATER - A wastewater treatment process uses enhanced primary treatment to remove suspended solids from raw wastewater. Primary sludge is treated in a fermenter. Primary effluent is treated by biological nutrient removal (BNR) to produce a treated effluent and waste activated sludge (WAS). The WAS is treated in an anaerobic digester, which also treats sludge from the fermenter. Anaerobic digestate is separated to provide a liquid effluent. The liquid effluent is stripped of phosphorous and returned to the BNR as a source of readily biodegradable carbon. Liquid in the fermenter may also be separated to provide a liquid rich in volatile fatty acids (VFAs). This liquid is returned to the BNR when additional VFAs are required. | 05-30-2013 |
20130146548 | IMMERSED SCREEN AND METHOD OF OPERATION - A static screen has a plurality of screening bodies and a plurality of aeration devices downstream of the screening bodies. Each aeration device is associated with a set of one or more of the screening bodies. Each aeration device may be a pulsing aerator. The pulsing aerators do not all release air at the same time. Each screening body works through periods of dead end filtration separated by backwashing events. The backwashing events comprise introducing a slug or pulse of air into the bottom of the screening body. Flow through the static screen continues at all times because the screening bodies are not all backwashed at the same time. The static screen may be used to remove trash from water flowing to an immersed membrane unit. Alternatively, the static screen may be used to provide primary wastewater treatment. | 06-13-2013 |
20130153490 | HOLLOW FIBRE MEMBRANE WITH COMPATIBLE REINFORCEMENTS - A process of making a reinforced hollow fiber membrane comprises flowing a membrane dope through a casting head while drawing one or more yarns or tows of filaments through the casting head. The filaments are spread apart in the casting head, for example by forcing the yarns or tows around a bend or through a narrow gap in the casting head. The filaments are adapted to bond to the membrane dope or the membrane wall. A reinforced hollow fiber membrane comprises a plurality of filaments individually surrounded by, and bonded to, the membrane wall. | 06-20-2013 |