Patents by Inventor Ayman KARAM

Ayman KARAM has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Control of distributed heat transfer mechanisms in membrane distillation plants
    Patent number: 11344847
    Abstract: Various examples are provided that are related to boundary control in membrane distillation (MD) processes. In one example, a system includes a membrane distillation (MD) process comprising a feed side and a permeate side separated by a membrane boundary layer; and processing circuitry configured to control a water production rate of the MD process based at least in part upon a distributed heat transfer across the membrane boundary layer. In another example, a method includes determining a plurality of estimated temperature states of a membrane boundary layer separating a feed side and a permeate side of a membrane distillation (MD) process; and adjusting inlet flow rate or inlet temperature of at least one of the feed side or the permeate side to maintain a difference temperature along the membrane boundary layer about a defined reference temperature based at least in part upon the plurality of estimated temperature states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Taous Meriem Laleg, Fadi Eleiwi, Ayman Karam
  • CONTROL OF DISTRIBUTED HEAT TRANSFER MECHANISMS IN MEMBRANE DISTILLATION PLANTS
    Publication number: 20180361320
    Abstract: Various examples are provided that are related to boundary control in membrane distillation (MD) processes. In one example, a system includes a membrane distillation (MD) process comprising a feed side and a permeate side separated by a membrane boundary layer; and processing circuitry configured to control a water production rate of the MD process based at least in part upon a distributed heat transfer across the membrane boundary layer. In another example, a method includes determining a plurality of estimated temperature states of a membrane boundary layer separating a feed side and a permeate side of a membrane distillation (MD) process; and adjusting inlet flow rate or inlet temperature of at least one of the feed side or the permeate side to maintain a difference temperature along the membrane boundary layer about a defined reference temperature based at least in part upon the plurality of estimated temperature states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Taous Meriem LALEG, Fadi ELEIWI, Ayman KARAM