Patent ID: 6838002
Filing Date: 2005-01-04
Classification: B01D,C02F

Abstract:
1. A method for monitoring a reverse osmosis membrane separation process including a reverse osmosis membrane capable of separating a feed stream into a first stream and a second stream to remove solutes from the feed stream comprising the steps of: providing an inert fluorescent tracer and a tagged fluorescent agent; introducing the inert fluorescent tracer, selected to display membrane seperation properties similar to a solute being removed from the feed stream, and tagged fluorescent agent into the feed stream; providing a fluorometer to detect the fluorescent signal of the inert fluorescent tracer and the tagged fluorescent agent in at least one of the feed stream, the first stream and the second stream; and using the fluorometer to determine an amount of the inert fluorescent tracer and the tagged fluorescent agent in at least one of the feed stream, the first stream and the second stream.