HOME AND COMMERCIAL WATER FILTRATION WITH ONLINE SELF-CLEANING SYSTEM
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for Home & Commercial Water filtration with Self-Cleaning System that does not use power and the water which is to be purified and which contains organic and/or inorganic particles, will involve the water flow through a Filtration Apparatus with Polymers hollow fibre membrane media, producing permeate or filtrate water fit for a specific purpose. The filtration apparatus consists of Polymers hollow Fibre membrane media enclosed in a capsule and the hollow fibres media are bundled together, forming a membrane module to allow direct water to pass through the hollow fibre for cross-flow filtration. The membrane module had opened ends to allow self-cleaning and backwash for the membranes.
a. The source water; the feed is pass through the bundle of hollow fibre membrane (tangentially) at positive pressure relative to the permeate side. A proportion of the material which is smaller than the membrane pore size passes through the membrane as permeate or filtrate; everything else is retained on the feed side of the membrane as residue.
b. The feed water passes through the bundle of hollow fibre membrane, which enable instant self-cleaning and backwash for the hollow fibre membrane; it will delay the fouling of the membrane.
c. When the Filtration Apparatus permeate or filtrate water function is not in use (i.e. valve at SHUT OFF for discharge) - the bundle of hollow fibre membrane will serve as an interconnection pipe between the direct water source and the apparatus 2nd Tap - allowing the water from the original source to feed directly through the bundle of hollow fibre membrane to another tap making it a 2nd outlet of the Filtration Apparatus.
d. When the 2nd tap is being used frequently and consistently, the hollow fibre membrane will always be at the self-cleaning and backwash mode, making the fouling of membrane almost impossible, thus further prolonging the lifespan of the membrane.
e. The frequent and consistent usage of the 2nd Tap will deem the amount of residue from the cleaning of the membrane to be negligible and insignificant. Also, together with the city water chlorination or other form of drinking water treatment from the origin sources, the feed water after the membrane will be in almost the same condition as the original water source.
f. When the Filtration Apparatus is at normal conditions, the bundle of hollow fibre membrane will have pressure equalization relative to permeate or filtrate side. The residue will settle down to the Collection Reservoir Tank. HOME AND COMMERCIAL WATER FILTRATION WITH ONLINE SELF-CLEANING SYSTEM
Detailed Description of the Invention (see Drawing Figure 1 Filter Apparatus)
Figure 1 show a filtration Apparatus consist of Polymer hollow fibre membrane module enclosed either in Stainless or Polymer Housing for the purpose of Home and Commercial Water Filtration System with self-cleaning and backwash features. The hollow fibre membranes are bundled together with a solidified plotting material cast around the ends of numerous membranes with both ends of the hollow fibres opened for (a) cross-flow filtration, (b) self-cleaning and backwash features and (c) hollow fibre membrane interconnection pipe for the Apparatus 2nd Tap of the System.
When City Tap valve TURN ON (1), the incoming water feed to the Incoming Water Reservoir Tank (2) and with the feed pressure built-up in the tank, water push to the numerous hollow fibre membranes (3). The hollow Fibre membrane are made of polymer either in
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) or Polypropylene (PP) etc with pores sizes ranges from Micro to Ultra and Nano filtration.
,
HOME AND COMMERCIAL WATER FILTRATION WITH ONLINE SELF-CLEANING SYSTEM
FILTERATION OF CITY WATER PROCESS
At the conditions of SHUT OFF valve at the 2 Tap (5a) and self-cleaning and backwash valve (5b), the feed water (1 thru 2) is pass across (3) the bundle of hollow fibre membrane
(tangentially) at positive pressure relative to the permeate side. A proportion of the material which is smaller than the membrane pore size passes through the membrane as permeate Or filtrate (6); everything else is retained on the feed side (3) of the membrane as residue. The Filtration Apparatus membrane media are polymer hollow fibre membrane with either pores sizes ranges from Micro, Ultra to Nano Filtration. The Product Water (permeate or filtrate) are fit for a specific purpose (6) and available for discharge at Tap (7) of the filtration Apparatus. Option Discharge of Product Water are also available at two other locations (7a & 7b) within the Filtration Apparatus.
When all water discharge valve at SHUT OFF (7)(7a)(7b)(5a)(5b) - the hollow fibre membrane will experience pressure equalization with relative to the permeate or filtrate side, this will result the residue in the hollow fibre to settle down to the Collection Reservoir Tank (4)
HOME AND COMMERCIAL WATER FILTRATION WITH ONLINE SELF-CLEANING SYSTEM
AUTOMATIC SELF-CLEANING OR BACKWASH OF HOLLOW FIBRE MEMBRANE TO PREVENT MEMBRANE FOULING PROCESS
At the condition(s) of Product Water Tap SHUT OFF (7) (7a) & 7b) and the Self- Cleaning/Backwash valve TURN ON (5b) with City Water Tap TURN ON (1), the sources feed water (1 thru 2) across the membrane causes trapped particles on the filter surface to be rubbed off and pushed down through the membrane length to the discharge valve (5b) for automatic self-cleaning or backwash, with no power required, on the hollow fibre membrane, preventing it from fouling and thus prolonging the lifespan of the filtration Apparatus in use.
HOME AND COMMERCIAL WATER FILTRATION WITH ONLINE SELF-CLEANING SYSTEM
USE OF 2nd TAP AND AUTOMATIC SELF-CLEANING OR BACKWASH OF HOLLOW FIBRE
MEMBRANE TO A SIGNIFICANTLY PROLONGED LIFESPAN OF FILTRATION APPARATUS IN USE.
The condition(s) for the use of 2nd tap (5a), when it is connected to a functional location where the use of water comes from the 2nd tap (5a) is more for the purpose of general usage and cleaning, watering of plant etc.
The demand of Product Water is Turn ON (7) only when required - same as the 2nd Tap (5b). When the Product Water Tap at SHUT OFF and 2nd Tap are TURN ON - the city water (1 thru 2) will feed through the hollow fibre membrane, without any filtration at negative pressure relative to the permeate or filtrate side resulting in the hollow fibre membrane serving as a direct pipe to the Collection Reservoir Tank, making the 2nd tap water pressure and quality almost identical as from the origin source of City water (1).
The frequent usage of 2nd tap (5a) will serves as a frequent self-cleaning and backwash of the hollow fibre membrane and will further significantly delay the fouling of membrane; prolonging the lifespan of the Filtration Apparatus used. The water quality at the 2nd tap (5a) may consist of some impurity from filtration residue, however, with constant and frequent usage (water discharge at the 2nd tap) of the 2nd tap, the concentration of such impurities will be diluted and negligible; i.e. quality of water at 2nd tap will be almost identical to the original water at source.