Abstract: A membrane surface monitoring system (MSM) and membrane surface monitoring cell for direct and unambiguous detection of membrane surface fouling and mineral scaling. The system includes a membrane surface monitoring system cell, a control valve, a retentate flow meter/transmitter and a controller. The MSM cell has a visually-observable membrane, an edge-lit light guide, an edge illumination light source, a retentate module, and a permeate module. A pressurized inlet stream is fed into the MSM cell. The feed contacts a membrane sheet, leading to membrane-based separation operation to produce retentate and permeate streams. The MSM cell integrates surface illumination and imaging components to allow direct real-time visualization and spectral imaging of the membrane surface in real time. The pressure on the feed-side of the MSM cells is approximately that of the membrane plant element being monitored such that the plant control system can adjust plant operating conditions.

Abstract: A heat transfer surface monitoring (HTSM) system and cell for direct detection and monitoring of fouling, scaling, corrosion, and pitting of heat transfer surfaces. The system has a heat transfer plate (HTP) that has a heat transfer monitoring surface (HTMS). The system also includes an edge-lit light guide and light source to illuminate the HTMS, a fluid flow channel module, a heating/cooling module, a surface imaging module to view the HTMS, and a system controller. The environment is controlled to mimic the environment within heat exchange equipment, which are indicative of the changes inside heat exchange equipment. Output of signals relating to the HTMS are used as a guide mitigate problems related to the monitored heat exchange equipment. The system can also use a heat exchanger cylindrical tube with slit light guides along the tube, and the surface imaging module views the inner surface of the heat exchanger cylindrical tube.

Abstract: A membrane surface monitoring system (MSM) and membrane surface monitoring cell for direct and unambiguous detection of membrane surface fouling and mineral scaling. The system includes a membrane surface monitoring system cell, a control valve, a retentate flow meter/transmitter and a controller. The MSM cell has a visually-observable membrane, an edge-lit light guide, an edge illumination light source, a retentate module, and a permeate module. A pressurized inlet stream is fed into the MSM cell. The feed contacts a membrane sheet, leading to membrane-based separation operation to produce retentate and permeate streams. The MSM cell integrates surface illumination and imaging components to allow direct real-time visualization and spectral imaging of the membrane surface in real time. The pressure on the feed-side of the MSM cells is approximately that of the membrane plant element being monitored such that the plant control system can adjust plant operating conditions.

Abstract: An apparatus includes 1) a filtration device including a filtration module to generate a filtrate from an input stream; 2) a desalination device fluidly connected to the filtration device; and 3) a controller configured to direct operation of the filtration device and the desalination device. In a first mode of operation, the filtration module is configured to perform filtration as part of generating the filtrate. In a second mode of operation, the filtration module is configured to receive an output from the desalination device such that the output backwashes the filtration module. The controller is configured to monitor a change in membrane resistance of the filtration module during the first mode of operation, and is configured to trigger the filtration module to enter the second mode of operation based on the change in membrane resistance.

Abstract: A membrane process unit (MPU) is configured to receive a feed stream, subject the feed stream to membrane purification to generate a product stream and a concentrate stream, and subject the concentrate stream to energy recovery to provide at least a portion of energy for membrane purification. A concentrate recycle unit (CRU) is configured to receive the concentrate stream from the MPU, subject the concentrate stream to flow regulation to generate a waste stream and a recycled concentrate stream, and combine the recycled concentrate stream with a raw feed stream to generate the feed stream which is supplied to the MPU. At least one of a flow rate of the raw feed stream, a flow rate of the waste stream, or a flow rate of the recycled concentrate stream is varied, while each of a flow rate of the feed stream, a flow rate of the product stream, and a flow rate of the concentrate stream is maintained substantially fixed.

Abstract: A membrane process unit (MPU) is configured to receive a feed stream, subject the feed stream to membrane purification to generate a product stream and a concentrate stream, and subject the concentrate stream to energy recovery to provide at least a portion of energy for membrane purification. A concentrate recycle unit (CRU) is configured to receive the concentrate stream from the MPU, subject the concentrate stream to flow regulation to generate a waste stream and a recycled concentrate stream, and combine the recycled concentrate stream with a raw feed stream to generate the feed stream which is supplied to the MPU. At least one of a flow rate of the raw feed stream, a flow rate of the waste stream, or a flow rate of the recycled concentrate stream is varied, while each of a flow rate of the feed stream, a flow rate of the product stream, and a flow rate of the concentrate stream is maintained substantially fixed.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a filtration skid configured to generate a filtrate through at least one of microfiltration and ultrafiltration. The apparatus further includes a desalination skid fluidly connected to the filtration skid. The desalination skid is configured to perform reverse osmosis desalination on the filtrate to generate a permeate, where the filtrate travels from the filtration skid to the desalination skid without traversing a storage tank. In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a controller, where the filtration skid and the desalination skid are integrated to provide self-adaptive operation of the filtration skid and the desalination skid in response to control by at least one of a supervisory controller and a local controller. In one embodiment, the control responds to at least one of temporal variability of feed water quality, a permeate production capacity target, and a permeate quality target.

Abstract: An apparatus includes 1) a filtration device including a filtration module to generate a filtrate from an input stream; 2) a desalination device fluidly connected to the filtration device; and 3) a controller configured to direct operation of the filtration device and the desalination device. In a first mode of operation, the filtration module is configured to perform filtration as part of generating the filtrate. In a second mode of operation, the filtration module is configured to receive an output from the desalination device such that the output backwashes the filtration module. The controller is configured to monitor a change in membrane resistance of the filtration module during the first mode of operation, and is configured to trigger the filtration module to enter the second mode of operation based on the change in membrane resistance.

Abstract: A membrane integrity monitoring system includes: (1) a metering unit fluidly connected to a feed side of a separation membrane unit; (2) a detection unit fluidly connected to a permeate side of the separation membrane unit; and (3) a data acquisition and processing unit connected to the detection unit. The metering unit is configured to inject a fluorescent marker into a feed stream via pulsed dosing. The detection unit is configured to detect a marker signal in a permeate stream. The data acquisition and processing unit is configured to process the marker signal and determine a presence of a membrane breach and at least one of (a) a size of the membrane breach and (b) a location of the membrane breach in the separation membrane unit.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a filtration skid configured to generate a filtrate through at least one of microfiltration and ultrafiltration. The apparatus further includes a desalination skid fluidly connected to the filtration skid. The desalination skid is configured to perform reverse osmosis desalination on the filtrate to generate a permeate, where the filtrate travels from the filtration skid to the desalination skid without traversing a storage tank. In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a controller, where the filtration skid and the desalination skid are integrated to provide self-adaptive operation of the filtration skid and the desalination skid in response to control by at least one of a supervisory controller and a local controller. In one embodiment, the control responds to at least one of temporal variability of feed water quality, a permeate production capacity target, and a permeate quality target.

Abstract: A method of desalting an aqueous solution includes performing a demineralization process on a concentrate solution to produce a demineralized solution and performing a desalting process. A method of recovering an aqueous solution includes performing a first membrane based separation process on a feed stream to produce a permeate stream and a concentrate stream, performing a demineralization process on the concentrate stream to produce a solid phase and a liquid phase, separating the solid phase from the liquid phase, and performing a second membrane based separation process on the liquid phase. The demineralization process includes adding chemical additives to induce calcium carbonate precipitation and subsequently adding gypsum seeds to the concentrate stream.