Patent ID: 9586162
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: B01D

Claim:
1. A crossflow membrane separation system comprising: a membrane vessel housing a membrane element, wherein the membrane vessel has a vertical orientation; a vessel retentate inlet that provides a retentate from a vessel feed line directly into a retentate side of the vertically oriented membrane, wherein the vessel feed line receives the retentate from a pump; a back pressure control valve adjusted to remove permeate from the retentate to a permeate side of the vertically oriented vessel through the membrane element; a vessel retentate outlet and a vessel permeate outlet, each removing the retentate and the permeate from the vessel, respectively; and a permeate side air inlet configured on a top end of the vertically oriented vessel that receives air from a permeate air control valve, a retentate side air inlet that receives air from a retentate air control valve, wherein air from the permeate and retentate air inlets scavenges remaining retentate, permeate or chemical residues from the membrane element, and further wherein the permeate side air inlet and the retentate air inlet each provide air pressure to the vessel such that a pressure in the retentate side is continuously greater than or equal to a pressure on the permeate side, wherein the retentate side air inlet receives air from the vessel feed line, and the permeate side air inlet is downstream of the retentate side air inlet, and is fluidly connected to it by the permeate air control valve.