Crossflow filtration system with quick dry change elements

Abstract

A crossflow filtration system including at least one quick dry change crossflow filtration cartridge designed to rotatably interface with a manifold assembly. The quick dry change crossflow filtration cartridge can comprise a membrane element, for example an ultrafiltration membrane, microfiltration membrane, nanofiltration membrane or reverse osmosis membrane element enclosed within a housing. The quick dry change cartridge includes an inlet stream, a permeate stream and a concentrate stream. The manifold assembly includes three similar flow paths; an inlet stream, a permeate stream and a concentrate stream. When engaged, the cartridge and manifold assembly define continuous inlet flow paths, permeate flow paths and concentrate flow paths that connect across the interface. Thus, all of the connections to the water filtration system can be made onto the manifold, and the resulting connected system is compact and easy to connect.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A crossflow filtration system comprising: 
 a crossflow cartridge filter comprising a housing, an enclosed crossflow filtration media and a first fastener element defining three filter connections that are respectively in fluid communication with a filter feed channel, a filter permeate channel and a filter concentrate channel passing within the cartridge filter; and    a manifold comprising a second fastener element mated with the first fastener element, the manifold having three manifold flow channels that connect respectively to three manifold connections on the second fastener element,    wherein the three manifold connections connect on a one-to-one basis with the three filter connections when the first fastener element is engaged with the second fastener element.    
     
     
         2 . The crossflow filtration system of  claim 1 , wherein the enclosed crossflow filtration media comprises an ultrafiltration membrane, a microfiltration membrane, a nanofiltration membrane or a reverse osmosis membrane.  
     
     
         3 . The crossflow filtration system of  claim 1 , wherein the first fastener element is rotatably engageable with the second fastener element to operably couple the cartridge filter and the manifold.  
     
     
         4 . The crossflow filtration system of  claim 1 , wherein the manifold further comprises a prefilter fastener element for mounting a prefilter cartridge such that a feedwater source is prefiltered prior to entering the crossflow cartridge filter.  
     
     
         5 . The crossflow filtration system of  claim 1 , wherein the manifold further comprises a postfilter fastener element for mount a postfilter cartridge such that a filtered water stream is postfiltered prior to being distributed to a point of use.  
     
     
         6 . A crossflow filtration filter comprising: 
 a filter housing having a first end and a second end;    a crossflow filtration element within the filter housing; and    a filter cap having a feed bore, a permeate bore and a concentrate bore,    wherein the filter cap is attached at the first end such that the crossflow filtration element is retained within the filter housing, and    wherein the filter cap, the filter housing and the crossflow filtration element cooperatively define and isolate a feed channel, a permeate channel and a concentrate channel, respectively in fluid communication with the feed bore, the permeate bore, and the concentrate bore.    
     
     
         7 . The crossflow filtration filter of  claim 6 , wherein the filter cap has a filter connection such that the crossflow filtration filter is rotatably engageable to a manifold assembly.  
     
     
         8 . The crossflow filtration filter of  claim 6 , wherein the crossflow filtration filter has an ultrafiltration membrane, a microfiltration membrane, a nanofiltration membrane or a reverse osmosis membrane.  
     
     
         9 . The crossflow filtration filter of  claim 6 , wherein the concentrate bore includes a flow restriction to control backpressure of a concentrate stream to maintain a desired permeate recovery.  
     
     
         10 . A crossflow filtration manifold comprising: 
 a manifold body having a feed flow channel, a permeate flow channel and a concentrate flow channel, and    a manifold connection comprising a fastener element with a feed connection, a permeate connection and a concentrate connection isolated from each other and in fluid communication respectively with the feed flow channel, the permeate flow channel and the concentrate flow channel.    
     
     
         11 . The crossflow filtration manifold of  claim 10 , wherein the feed flow channel includes a biased closed valve such that a feed supply flows through the manifold only when a crossflow filter is engaged with the manifold connection.  
     
     
         12 . The crossflow filtration manifold of  claim 10 , wherein the manifold connection is rotatably engaged with the crossflow filter.  
     
     
         13 . The crossflow filtration manifold of  claim 10 , wherein the permeate flow channel includes a checkvalve such that a permeate stream is prevented from flowing in a reverse direction through the manifold.  
     
     
         14 . The crossflow filtration manifold of  claim 10 , wherein the concentrate flow channel includes a flow restriction to control backpressure of a concentrate stream to maintain a desired permeate recovery.  
     
     
         15 . The crossflow filtration manifold of  claim 14 , wherein the flow restriction comprises a valve or an orifice.  
     
     
         16 . The crossflow filtration manifold of  claim 14 , wherein the flow restriction is adjustable such that the permeate recovery can be adjusted based on a desired recovery level or a feed supply quality.  
     
     
         17 . The crossflow filtration manifold of  claim 9 , wherein the concentrate connection is sealingly isolated from the feed flow channel by at least one sealing member.  
     
     
         18 . The crossflow filtration manifold of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one sealing member is an O-ring seal.  
     
     
         19 . A method for forming a water filtration system with a crossflow filter, the method comprising: 
 connecting a cartridge filter to a manifold, the cartridge filter having a first fastener element and the manifold assembly having a second fastener element wherein attaching the first fastener element and the second fastener element completes a feed flow circuit, a permeate flow circuit and a concentrate flow circuit between the cartridge filter and the manifold wherein the respective flow circuits are isolated from each other by a crossflow filter media.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first fastener element and the second fastener element are rotatably connected to complete the feed flow circuit, the permeate flow circuit and the concentrate flow circuit.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the crossflow media is an ultrafiltration membrane, a microfiltration membrane, a nanofiltration membrane or a reverse osmosis membrane.