Patent ID: 7628921

Claim:
An apparatus for continuous consecutive sequential desalination of a salt water solution by reverse osmosis that comprises: at least one closed circuit comprising at least one desalination module, each said at least one desalination module comprising an inlet and an outlet, wherein each said at least one desalination module can be connected in parallel with another said desalination module by conducting conducing lines, each of said at least one desalination module comprising at least one membrane element; at least one pressurizing means for creating sufficient counter pressure to enable reverse osmosis desalination and replacement of released permeate by fresh feed in said closed circuit; at least one circulation means for recycling of desalinated solution through said at least one desalination module of said closed circuit; at least one conducting line means for permeate collection from said at least one desalination module of said closed circuit; a single container means to enable replacement of brine by fresh feed in said closed circuit while desalination is continued; at least one line for conducting desalinated solution from said closed circuit to said single container; at least one line for conducting fresh feed solution to be desalinated from said single container to said closed circuit; at least one line for recharging said single container with fresh feed solution to be desalinated; at least one line for removing brine effluent from said single container; at least one valve means to enable the engagement and disengagement of said single container from said closed circuit, the replacement of brine by fresh feed from said single container, and the compression and decompression of said single container; and control means to enable continuous closed circuit desalination of desired recovery to proceed in consecutive sequential steps under variable pressure, or constant pressure conditions.