Patents by Inventor Jean-Michel Espenan
Jean-Michel Espenan 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).
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Publication number: 20200384418Abstract: A water filtration module includes filtration elements, each formed from a bundle of hollow fibers. In each element, the end portions of the fibers are included in the coating blocks that do not close them, and a longitudinal hollow tube is arranged at the center of the bundle, so as to open on either side of the coating blocks. Each element includes a cap attached around the lower coating block providing a chamber in hydraulic communication with the hollow fibers and with the central tube. The set of elements are assembled removably in a housing of the module, such that an upper permeate collection chamber of the module is in hydraulic communication with the hollow fibers and the central tubes of each of the elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2019Publication date: December 10, 2020Inventors: JEAN-MICHEL ESPENAN, FRANC SAUX, PATRICK SANTALO
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Patent number: 9873095Abstract: A copolymer having amphiphilic blocks includes at least one first hydrophilic block, obtainable from n-butyl acrylate and hydroxyethyl methacrylate monomers, and a second hydrophobic block likely to be obtained from a methyl methacrylate monomer. The copolymer is found to be particularly advantageous for use as an additive for manufacturing a polymer filtration membrane, particularly a PVDF membrane, particularly via a phase inversion method.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2014Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignees: POLYMEM, ARKEMA FRANCE, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, UNIVERSITE PAUL SABATIER TOULOUSE IIIInventors: Olivier Lorain, Jean-Michel Espenan, Jean-Christophe Remigy, Jean-Francois Lahitte, Jean-Christophe Rouch, Thibaut Savart, Pierre Gerard, Stephanie Magnet
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Patent number: 9604855Abstract: A water filtration module (10) is made of hollow fibers for filtration from the outside to the inside of the fibers, wherein the fibers are arranged inside a casing (11) made of multiple elements (20). The module (10) and at least one element (20) include elements working together, which are designed to enable the element (20) to be mounted in the module (10) in a removable manner.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2011Date of Patent: March 28, 2017Assignee: POLYEMInventors: Jean-Michel Espenan, Franc Saux
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Publication number: 20160030896Abstract: A copolymer having amphiphilic blocks includes at least one first hydrophilic block, obtainable from n-butyl acrylate and hydroxyethyl methacrylate monomers, and a second hydrophobic block likely to be obtained from a methyl methacrylate monomer. The copolymer is found to be particularly advantageous for use as an additive for manufacturing a polymer filtration membrane, particularly a PVDF membrane, particularly via a phase inversion method.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2014Publication date: February 4, 2016Inventors: Olivier LORAIN, Jean-Michel ESPENAN, Jean-Christophe REMIGY, Jean-Francois LAHITTE, Jean-Christophe ROUCH, Thibaut SAVART, Pierre GERARD, Stephanie MAGNET
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Publication number: 20130098821Abstract: A water filtration module (10) is made of hollow fibers for filtration from the outside to the inside of the fibers, wherein the fibers are arranged inside a casing (11) made of multiple elements (20). The module (10) and at least one element (20) include elements working together, which are designed to enable the element (20) to be mounted in the module (10) in a removable manner.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2011Publication date: April 25, 2013Applicant: POLYMEMInventors: Jean-Michel Espenan, Franc Saux
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Patent number: 6911147Abstract: A module for ultrafiltration or microfiltration of water includes hollow fibers, of the type of filtration from outside inwards of the fibers, the water to be treated being introduced at the top of the module and the treated water being collected at the bottom of the module. The fibers are arranged inside a housing in multiple U-shaped bundles, the module being vertically arranged in use with the U-shape in the top part of the module. At the bottom of the module, each bundle is arranged in a sheath and individually potted. The sheaths are then urged to be housed in a distribution plate, and all the sheaths are interconnected by pouring (in reverse vertical position relative to that of the filtering mode) a potting resin.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2000Date of Patent: June 28, 2005Assignee: PolymemInventors: Jean-Michel Espenan, Franc Saux
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Patent number: 6838003Abstract: The invention concerns a method for membrane filtering of water, characterized in that the filtering through membranes is performed by using as differential pressure source the water level in the tank wherein the membranes are immersed, and the membranes are of the fiber type with outer skin, substantially arranged in a U-shape and potted in their low section.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 1999Date of Patent: January 4, 2005Assignee: S.A. PolymemInventors: Jean-Michel Espenan, Franc Saux
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Publication number: 20020189999Abstract: The invention concerns a module for ultrafiltration or microfiltration of water comprising hollow fibers, of the type of filtration from outside inwards of the fibers, the water to be treated being introduced at the top of the module and the treated water being collected at the bottom of the module. The fibers are arranged inside a housing (3) in multiple U-shaped bundles (1), the module being vertically arranged in use with the U-shape in the top part of the module. At the bottom of the module, each bundle is arranged in a sheath (4) and individually potted. The sheaths are then urged to be housed in a distribution plate (2), and all the sheaths are interconnected by pouring (in reverse vertically position relative to that of the filtering mode) a so-called potting resin (5).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2002Publication date: December 19, 2002Inventors: Jean-Michel Espenan, Franc Saux
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Patent number: 6349835Abstract: The invention concerns a water treatment method and installation, which consist in subjecting the water to be treated to membrane filtration (1) to satisfy the requirement for a relatively high flowrate of water for ordinary use (UF), subjecting the water that has been subjected to membrane filtering to reverse osmosis filtering (2) to satisfy the requirement for a smaller flowrate of water of improved quality (OS) and, outside periods of production of water filtered by reverse osmosis, sweeping the upstream face of the osmosis membrane (9) with the flow of membrane-filtered water drawn off to be consumed.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2001Date of Patent: February 26, 2002Assignee: PolymemInventors: Franc Saux, Jean-Michel Espenan, Jean-Claude Bontemps
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Patent number: 6001254Abstract: A method of operating and monitoring a group of filter membrane modules connected in parallel and with the modules being periodically backwashed, in which:raw water to be treated is injected at a regulated pressure and the permeate outlet pressure is regulated to less than the inlet pressure;the group is provided with a water meter (60) on the raw water inlet duct and with three pressure sensors, one on the raw water inlet, one on the permeate outlet, and one on the backwash circuit, the meter and the sensors (100) delivering signals to a controller;each module is backwashed in succession with permeate from the other modules, with each module being individualized at that moment, thereby making it possible with aid of the water meter and of the pressure sensors to determine the permeability (150) in backwashing specific to the module as individualized in this way, and also to determine the production permeability of the remainder of the modules; andthe values determined in this way are compared with referenceType: GrantFiled: December 8, 1997Date of Patent: December 14, 1999Assignee: AquasourceInventors: Jean-Michel Espenan, Franc Saux
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Patent number: 5393433Abstract: A method of treating a fluid containing matter in suspension and/or in solution by using separation membranes, in which method a "feed" additive for adsorption and/or filtration purposes is added to the fluid to be treated, and a "backwash" additive for the purpose of improving backwashing is added to the membrane backwash fluid, wherein a backwash additive is chosen that is capable of being neutralized by the feed additive, the backwash fluid which contains the backwash additive and which has washed away unused feed additive is collected as a backwash discharge, the backwash discharge is allowed sufficient contact time to enable neutralization to take place in said discharge, and the resulting product is separated into a residual product that is concentrated in solid matter and a fluid that is recycled to the inlet of the installation.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 1993Date of Patent: February 28, 1995Assignee: AQUASOURCE, societe en nom collectifInventors: Jean-Michel Espenan, Franck Saux
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Patent number: 5171493Abstract: A process for the production of a porous organic material, in particular an organic semi-permeable membrane, provided with a plurality of separate passageways, comprising dissolving a polymer in a solvent, using a drawplate comprising needles having a shape conjugate with that of the passageways and external dimensions comprising between 0.7 and 1.2 times those of said passageways and an extrusion orifice of a conjugate fome to that of the extrudate and of internal dimensions comprising between 0.8 and 1.2 times those of said extrudate, injecting around the needles a solution having a viscosity greater than 500 millipascal-second, introducing into the interior of the conduits of the drawplate a centering fluid which is a non-solvent with respect to the polymer and able to precipitate the polymeric solution, causing the extrudate to travel from the output of the drawplate a distance da in a gaseous atmosphere which is non-precipitating with respect to the polymeric solution such that 500.times.e<da<0.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 1989Date of Patent: December 15, 1992Assignee: Societe Lyonnaise des Eaux (Societe Anonyme)Inventors: Philippe Aptel, Jean-Michel Espenan
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Patent number: 5089187Abstract: A process for the production of a porous organic material, in particular a semi-permeable membrane, comprising a plurality of separate passageways, including dissolving a polymer in a solvent, using a drawplate having needles of a shape conjugate with those of the passageways and of external dimensions between 0.7 and 1.2 times those of the passageways and an extrusion orifice of a shape conjugate those of the extrudate and of internal dimensions comprising between 0.8 and 1.2 times those of the extrudate, injecting around the needles a solution having a viscosity greater than 500 mPa.s and introducing a centering fluid into the interior of these needles, recovering the extrudate at the output of the drawplate in a precipitating medium in such a manner that the extrudate travels in the medium a distance such that 800.times.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 1989Date of Patent: February 18, 1992Assignee: Societe Lyonnaise des Eaux, S.A.Inventors: Philippe Aptel, Jean-Michel Espenan
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Patent number: 5069353Abstract: A housing made of plastic material for hollow fiber filter modules, includes both an abutment ring close to that end thereof which will be the bottom end after the module has been mounted vertically, and a centering ring at a short distance from the opposite end.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1989Date of Patent: December 3, 1991Assignee: Lyonnaise des EauxInventor: Jean-Michel Espenan
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Patent number: 5006229Abstract: A method of manufacturing a unit assembly of filter membranes obtained by precipitating a polymer solution, comprises the following steps: a plurality of elongate porous elements are placed in an outer shell having a closed end and an open end, the elongate elements passing through said closed end and having longitudinal axes which are parallel to one another and to the direction extending between the two ends; injecting the polymer solution around the porous elements; injecting a fluid into one end of the elements, the fluid diffusing through the elements towards the polymer; and removing the polymer solvent which diffuses in the opposite direction from the other ends of the elements, thereby causing the polymer to precipitate and form a porous polymer structure around the porous elements and between them, with the porous structure having in contact with the porous elements a skin of adjustable porosity then removing the porous elements in order to unmold a porous polymer block pierced by channels whose longType: GrantFiled: December 11, 1989Date of Patent: April 9, 1991Assignee: Lyonnaise des EauxInventor: Jean-Michel Espenan
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Patent number: 4975187Abstract: A filter module comprises a bundle of filter fibers mounted in a housing. The bundle is provided with a heat-shrink sheath placed over a sleeve containing the bundle, with the sheath being placed level with lateral inlet/outlet orifices through the housing so as to act as a baffle against incoming liquid.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1989Date of Patent: December 4, 1990Assignee: Lyonnaise des EauxInventor: Jean-Michel Espenan
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Patent number: 4882223Abstract: Non symmetrical hollow fibres presenting a relatively dense layer (`skin`) (H) of a very small thickness (<1 .mu.m) at their outer periphery, which is bound to a so called `open` structure of which the porosity increases in the direction to the inner face; said porous structure comprises microvoids (1) shaped like elongate fingers open to the inside. The invention also relates to the method for obtaining such a symmetrical hollow fibres by known spinning techniques by dry-wet process, by adding to the solution for spinning the polymer in the solvent at least one particular additive and by adding a particular fluid through the hole of the extruded product. Finally, the invention aims at applying the hollow fibres in question to various fields and particularly in ultra-filtration or micro-filtration, in dialysis, reverse osmosis, in gas permeation or pervaporation or they may also be used as supports for liquid membranes.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 1987Date of Patent: November 21, 1989Assignees: Institut National de Recherche Chimique Appliquee (IRCHA), Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueInventors: Philippe Aptel, Jean-Michel Espenan