Water filtration system

Abstract

A water or liquid substance filtration device is disclosed which removes microorganisms and organic contamination and sterilizes the containers and water lines after the unit. The unit is portable, or can be mounted stationary. The unit has a five-stage filtration and sterilization system controlled by an independent onboard computer system that can link to a central computer system to keep track of all independent units. The unit will physically filter out of the water contaminants that can be reused, destroyed, or flushed down a safe drain. It can also be modified to filter for a certain size of particulate, making recovery of certain substances possible. The unit has a self-diagnostic system that can determine if the unit is operating properly and can shut down a part thereof if one of the capillary units fails. The system is hydrophilic, can run at low pressures and can be designed from low to extremely high volumes. The unit uses ozone to disinfect containers and water lines.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . In a process for back flushing a tubular capillary ultrafiltration membrane water filtration system having at least two filters, whereby a first filter is utilized to power wash at least a second filter by providing a water filtration system having at least a first filter and a second filter connected in parallel to each other, each said first and second filter having a first end and a second end, wherein the first ends of each said filter are provided with valving elements for selectively communicating with a water supply line, and the second ends of each said filter are provided with valving elements for selectively communicating with a drain line, each of said filters having a clean water outlet port provided with valving elements for selectively communicating with a clean water outlet line;
 providing a normal operating mode wherein water from the supply line flows through each said first and second filters and out to the clean water outlet;   providing a filter selectable back flush mode for either said first or said second filter when one of said filters is in need of cleaning, wherein for said filter in need of cleaning, said water supply line valving element and said clean water outlet port valving element are closed and said filter in need of cleaning drain line valving element is opened, whereby water will continue to flow from said water supply line into said other filter and out said other filter clean water outlet port; wherein water from said other filter clean water outlet port would then flow backward into said filter in need of cleaning clean water outlet port and through said filter in need of cleaning; whereby filtered material would be pushed away from inside of the capillary membranes of said filter in need of cleaning and out said drain valving element thereof to said drain line;   operating in said back flush mode for a requisite time period sufficient to have a cleaning effect on said first filter; and   returning said valving elements to their normal operating positions;   the back flush mode being conducted such that clean water flows from said other filter through said clean water outlet port, while water flows from said other filter through said first filter for back flushing during a period of time when said outlet port valving element is open;   the improvement comprising:   selecting said first tubular capillary ultrafiltration membrane so as to remove all particles down to a set particle size, thereby allowing the removal of larger particles; and   further selecting said second tubular capillary ultrafiltration membrane to remove a particular particle size while allowing smaller particles to pass through said second tubular capillary ultrafiltration membrane;   whereby said particles of a particular particle size are retained in a concentrated form when said second tubular capillary ultrafiltration membrane is operated in said back flush mode.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , further including a step of exposing said water from said other filter clean water outlet port to a sterilization step and ozone production therein prior to flowing said water into said filter in need of cleaning. 
     
     
         3 . The process for back flushing in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said membranes are hydrophilic. 
     
     
         4 . The process for back flushing in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said membranes have an asymmetric pore structure. 
     
     
         5 . The process for back flushing in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said membranes are hydrophilic and have an asymmetric pore structure. 
     
     
         6 . The process for back flushing in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein when it is desirable to separate and concentrate more than one particle size, then one or more additional banks of tubular capillary ultrafiltration membranes, each said bank selected to reject particles of a particular size, are provided, whereby each of said particles of a particular particle size are retained in a concentrated form when each of said additional banks of tubular capillary ultrafiltration membrane is operated in said back flush mode.