Patent ID: 6402954
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: B01D

Abstract:
A fluid filtration system, comprising:a first supply of process fluid to be filtered; a second supply of filter cleaning fluid; a filter having a membrane interposed between said first and second supplies; a pump interposed among said filter and said first and second supplies; an array of valves interconnected to said pump, filter, and first and second supplies, said valves allowing selective interconnection and circulatory intercommunication of said filter with said first and second supplies; a flow meter connected to said filter, said flow meter providing output signals determinative of said selective interconnection; and a control system interconnected with said flow meter, said control system receiving said output signal and determining therefrom which of said first and second supplies is interconnected in circulatory communication with said filter, said control system further cleaning said filter by interconnecting said filter with said second supply and monitoring said flow meter until a rate of flow of permeate cleaning fluid from said filter stabilizes, and wherein said control system interconnects said filter with said first supply to effect filtering of the process fluid, and said control system determines an initial flow rate of permeate of process fluid and continues said filtering of process fluid until said flow rate of said process fluid permeate falls below a threshold, said control system determining said threshold as a function of said initial permeate flow rate.