Water contamination concentration apparatus and process

Abstract

An apparatus and methods of utilizing a semi-permeable membrane to concentrate contaminants in a portion of an Ultra Pure Water stream to levels which are detectable by an on-line analyzer. This allows the use of analyzers that would not be able to accurately detect contaminant concentrations in the Ultra Pure Water stream. Thus, by knowing the concentration factor and the level of contaminants in the concentrated stream indicated by the analyzer the real level of contamination can be back calculated.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A contamination concentration device, comprising: 
 a filtering device adapted to receive a feed stream, which contains a contaminant of interest, and separate said feed stream into a product stream and a concentrate stream, wherein said concentrate stream contains a higher concentration of said contaminant of interest than said feed stream; and    a contaminant analyzer adapted to receive said concentrate stream and adapted to analyze the concentration of said contaminant of interest in said concentrate stream.    
     
     
         2 . The contamination concentration device of  claim 1 , wherein said filtering device is selected from the group consisting of a reverse osmosis device, a nanofiltration device, and an ultrafiltration device.  
     
     
         3 . A contaminant analysis method, comprising: 
 delivering a feed stream having a contaminant of interest to a filtering device;    separating said feed stream into a product stream and a concentrate stream with said filtering device;    delivering said concentrate stream to a contaminant analyzing device;    determining a concentration of said contaminant of interest within said concentrate stream with said contaminant analyzing device; and    calculating a concentration of said contaminant of interest within said feed stream.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said delivering said feed stream having said contaminant of interest to said filtering device comprises delivering said feed stream having said contaminant of interest to a filtering device selected from the group consisting of a reverse osmosis device, a nanofiltration device, and an ultrafiltration device.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said separating said feed stream into said product stream and said concentrate stream with said filtering device comprises separating said feed stream into said product stream and said concentrate stream, wherein a concentration ratio between said feed stream and said concentrate stream is equal to or less than about 20.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , further including determining a zero reading for said contaminant analyzing device.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein determining said zero reading for said contaminant analyzing device, comprises: 
 delivering said feed stream having a contaminant of interest to said filtering device;    separating said feed stream into a product stream and a concentrate stream with said filtering device;    delivering said product stream to a contaminant analyzing device;    determining an indicated concentration of said contaminant of interest within said product stream with said contaminant analyzing device; and    calculating said zero reading of said contaminant analyzing device from said indicated concentration.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein calculating said concentration of said contaminant of interest within said feed stream comprises calculating said concentration based on said concentration of said contaminant of interest within said concentrate stream, said zero reading of said contaminant device, a known specific efficiency of said contaminant analyzing device, and a concentration ratio between said concentrate stream and said feed stream.