Patent ID: 9463419
Filing Date: 2016-10-11
CPC Classification: B01D,B01F,C02F

Claim Text:
1. A process for providing bubbles to an assembly of filtering membrane modules immersed in water in a tank, comprising the steps of: a) passing a pressurized gas through a closed aeration system to a manifold associated with the assembly of immersed filtering membrane modules; b) accumulating the pressurized gas in one or more aerators attached to and in fluid communication with the manifold; c) releasing a burst of the pressurized gas as bubbles from the one or more aerators into the water in the tank; wherein each aerator comprises a chamber defined by a flexible membrane, the chamber having a first opening in communication with the pipe for receiving the pressurized gas within the chamber, and a second opening in communication with the water; a stopper adjacent the second opening and inside the chamber, the stopper forming a seal with the flexible membrane when a pressure of the pressurized gas in the chamber is below a threshold pressure, the seal inhibiting fluid communication between the water and the chamber through the second opening, the stopper and the flexible membrane releasing the seal to expel the pressurized gas in the chamber from the aerator as the gas bubbles to the immersed filtering membrane module through the second opening in response to the pressure of the pressurized gas in the chamber reaching the threshold pressure; and steps a), b) and c) are repeated one after the other throughout an aeration period.