Methods of making flat sheet membrane element adapted for use in symbiotic fluids factionation, water treatment, and osmotic processes

Abstract

The present application introduces design methodology and manufacturing procedures employing conventional permeable and semipermeable membrane flat sheet membrane apparatus [FSM], adapted for use in symbiotic fluids fractionation, water treatment, symbiotic osmotic processes of brine desalination and osmotic power generation, where flat sheet membranes are manufactured in the form of plurality of spaced apart, encaged self-supported unrolled membrane of flat surface panel (leaf) in three (3) categories, including; methodology for assembly of pre-cut flat sheet membrane panels, tube-like blown or rolled membrane film methodology, and blanketing membrane sheet methodology. Further assembling these flat sheet membranes in large membrane frames, where symbiotic reverse osmosis or symbiotic osmosis power generation membrane panels varies from about 250 mm (˜10 inch) to 1.00 m (˜40 inch) in width and 250 mm to 2.00 m (˜10-80 inch) in length or larger for a new unique approach in desalinating various water salinity sources. Where, desalinated seawater recovery can exceed 85%, where water and chemicals can be recovered for reuse in Ecologically Sustainable Hydraulic Fracturing [ES-FRAC] processes of underground waters, and where generating osmotic power from brines can be achieved at 10-25 KW/liter-sec, depending on the source.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . Methods of Making Flat Sheet Membrane [FSM] Apparatus Adapted for various symbiotic fluids fractionation and osmotic processes in this application comprising three distinctive methodologies for fabricating and mounting conventional permeable or semipermeable membrane sheet in the form of plurality a spaced apart, self-supported and un-rolled spiral wound configuration membrane flat surface panel (leaf), essentially employing same conventional permeable or semipermeable membrane sheets. 
     
     
         21 a. The first methodology wherein adjacent permeable or semipermeable membrane flat sheets, in an un-rolled configuration, is formed by two adjacent permeable or semipermeable membrane flat sheets of same size and specifications, separated by flat porous permeate carrier, in the form of a hard board, comprising intermediate flow channels or permeable inert structure for communicating permeated desalinated water across said flat sheet membranes, in a horizontal pattern to the vertical side headers of a flat sheet membrane panels frame, as in case of vertically mounted enclosing vessels ( FIG. 4 ), wherein each of the opposite membrane panel edges, top and bottom, are heat or epoxy sealed. Such flow pattern arrangement is reversed when vessels are mounted horizontally.
 Said process can be automated by laying the first permeable or semipermeable membrane flat sheet on a moving belt, followed by laying the flat hard board porous permeate carrier on to top of the first membrane sheet, then followed by laying the second permeable or semipermeable membrane flat sheet and finally seem welding the top and bottom membrane sheets with epoxy material or heat.   
     
     
         21 b. The second methodology comprising replacement of the two membrane sheets of claim  21 a, by permeable or semipermeable membrane films that can be formed as a tube, either by employing blown-film extrusion process of molten and malleable resin pellets, in a similar fashion for forming conventional plastic bags, if membrane physical and chemical specifications are adaptable for such process, or by mechanically rolled the required membrane sheet in a tube form and seal its edges.
 In either application, the circumference of said tube has to be completely and securely overlay the flat porous permeate carrier board. This implies the need to heat the membrane polymeric tube with hot dry air or nitrogen @ 40-45° C. in a heating chamber, if tube has already been formed in a roll. Then flatten the end of the malleable formed tube, while it is hot, and slide it on the flat porous permeate carrier board, which can be accomplished, preferably by using automatic bag filling and sealing machine (modified version of zipper bags filling/sealing) to open the end of the extruded polymeric tube by air suction to expand tube diameter by few millimeters, then inserted on the flat porous permeate carrier boards being mounted on a moving conveyor belt.   As the film cools, it shrinks maintaining secure flat sheet film on both side of porous permeate carrier board. Then, the process is completed but cutting/trimming the required flat sheet membrane length for mounting in the desalinated water header of the membranes frame. This process is more suited for vertically mounted flat porous permeate carrier board assembly lines.   For an example, a membrane tube 19 cm (7.5 inch) in diameter overlays both sides of a flat membrane panel of 30 cm (11.8 inch) wide.   
     
     
         21 c. The method further comprising modification of flat sheet membrane of  claim 21 , where a plurality of spaced apart, self-supported, vertically mounted flat sheet membrane panels assembly, wherein adjacent permeable or semipermeable membrane flat sheets, in an un-rolled configuration, can be formed efficiently and economically by laying down the selected membrane film, of a sufficient width on a speed-controlled moving belt(s) of several meters long, to securely wrapping both sides of the permeate carrier board, then laying down the flat porous permeate carrier board for the full length of the belt, then automatically wrapped the two sheet edges fairly tight around the board and seal these edges by adhesive sealing, heat sealing, or ultrasonic welding, where the sealing process is followed by an automatic process to cut this long film assembly to the required Flat Sheet Membrane panel (leaf) length.
 The process is most suited for narrow and square membrane panels (leaves), where the membrane outlets width of the desalinated water discharge is at or longer than the panels' sealed sides.   
     
     
         22 . Wherein the panel surface is tightly wrapped by a highly porous protective woven fabric, secured by epoxy sealed sleeves, or equivalent means, at the panel both side ends, then the panel is shielded with protective rigid polymeric or rustproof metallic porous screen. 
     
     
         25 . Wherein a stack of plurality of uniform membrane panels are mounted within detachable top and bottom of holding caps that can be securely inserted and epoxy scaled to the top and bottom headers of the flat sheet membrane frame for communicating treated water. 
     
     
         26 . Wherein said mounted membrane panels are separated apart to maintain flow Reynold's number of 3,000-3,500 for mitigating membrane fouling, while maintaining=a minimum clearance of least of 1.0 mm (˜0.04 inch) for regular membranes maintenance procedures. 
     
     
         27 . Wherein said flat sheet membrane panels [FSM] for osmotic processes are exceptionally large in size than that of conventional desalination membranes and uniquely designed for operating at pressures of up to 70 kg/cm 2  (1,000 psi), would be mounted in frames of up to one meter in width and more than two (2) meters in length, or more; 
     
     
         28 . Wherein, flat sheet membrane panel's frames, of essentially same configuration, but of varying specification and operating conditions are housed in large holding compartments of essentially cubical shapes that are mounted within a vertical tower or horizontal train of sequential set of vessels, for specific process applications; macro filtration, micro filtration, ultra-filtration, nano filtration and reverse osmosis. 
     
     
         29 . Wherein flat sheet membrane in the form of polymeric sheets or ceramic sheets, as well as in the form of hollow fiber can be mounted in independent vessels within the same desalination and salinity power generation trains of multi vessels. 
     
     
         30 . Wherein, flat sheet membrane panel [FSM] frames, of essentially the same configuration, but of varying specification and operating conditions are housed in vertical, single stage axial flow pressure vessels, mounted above or for below grade, or housed in multi stages water desalination towers (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/967,295), 
     
     
         31 . Wherein, the water desalination or brine power generation operating capacity determines the size, weight and the mechanical integrity of equipment; where size and number of panels is dictated by availability of safe means to handle, operate and maintain such operating systems; 
     
     
         32 . Wherein, small desalination operating capacity that may require 15 membrane panels, with frame header cross section of 20 cm, only one single frame of 20 cm size can be used considering the relatively light weight of the frame and its mounted panels. 
     
     
         33 . Wherein, the large operating desalination capacity that may require multiple heavy weight frames, then the membrane panels frame header can be 10-15 cm (˜4-6 inch) in width, comprising 6-12 membrane panels; where size and number of panels is dictated by water flow rates, turbidity and salinity, availability of safe means to handle, operate and maintain such operating systems; 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 21  further comprises:
 A plurality of spaced apart, vertically mounted flat ceramic membrane panels assembly, wherein adjacent permeable membrane flat sheets can be used ahead of the semipermeable reverse osmosis polymeric flat sheet membranes [FSM], for water filtration and can be formed, as well, by separating these panels with flat porous permeate carrier comprising an intermediate flow channels for communicating permeated filtered water across said flat ceramic membranes, 
 Wherein, said ceramic membranes are mostly suitable for macro, micro and ultrafiltration, generally has limited operating pressure of about 300 psi, but less sensitive to temperature changes, 
 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 21 ,  22 ,  23 , further comprises:
 Automated or semi-automated assembly platform (assembly line) for assembling flat sheet membrane panels in sequential steps, comprising a moving belt, where the first shielding screen is laid down on the belt, followed by a feed spacer, then by a flat membrane panel, followed by a feed spacer, then by the second shielding screen, where bottom and top shielding metallic screens edges are continuously welded or epoxy sealed, if screens are of polymeric materials, where this automated process for panel's assembly could potentially construct 90-120 panels per hour.   
     
     
         36 . The methods of  claim 21 ,  22 ,  23  through  claim 35  further comprising:
 Means for measuring fluid properties; flow rate, temperature, density, viscosity, acidity, radioactivity, etc., as well fluid sampling, flow conditioning and property adjustment for various processes. Where said Flat Sheet Membrane [FSM] apparatus is capable of processing several fluids, including: seawater and brines reverse osmosis desalination and osmotic power generation, flowback and produced water fractionation in the hydraulic fracturing process, in-situ leaching of underground soluble minerals, fractionation of alcohols mixtures, removing radioactive from water, medical solutions, fractionation of industrial gases, 
 
     
     
         37 . Flat porous permeate media in  claims 21 ,  22 ,  23  can be made of Polysulfone membrane support boards, less than 5 micron pores, Zirfon® with low zirconia. Also, interstitial porous aluminum oxide, woven metal screen, channels or nonwoven polyester or Polysulfone fiber mat. Epoxy sealing sleeve for right & left edges of vertically mounted membrane panels, 
     
     
         38 . Feed Spacer can be made of Polyester or polypropylene, or comparable material; 
     
     
         39 . Seawater, brackish water and brines desalination membranes are made of polyamide or cellulose acetate flat sheets, or comparable material; 
     
     
         40 . The methods of  claim 36  further comprising:
 Means for adjusting fluid temperature to sustain membrane mechanical integrity and fluid separation or retention of solutes, where the change of fluid temperature, as a result of atmospheric weather changes; summer and winter, on open water domains operation, can have serious implication on polymeric membrane pore size. This function is very important in the development of “Ecologically Sustainable Hydraulic Fracturing [ES-FRAC] Process” by the same applicant of the current patent application! 
 
     
     
         41 . A frame configured to house the plurality of the caped (Please see  FIG. 2 ) membrane Panels; the frame includes: a top header in communication with the first end cap and a bottom header in communication with the second end cap, each end cap configured to rest within a track formed in the bottom and top headers; a side member having a porous surface configured to permit the passage of saline water (or other saline fluids); and an outlet formed in at least one of the top header and the bottom header to allow passage of desalinated water (or other Fluids); wherein pressurized saline water is forced to passed through the porous side member of the frame through the flat sheet membranes. 
     
     
         42 . The panel assembly of  claim 21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  36 , wherein the plurality of flat sheet membranes is configured to be suitable for at least one of filtration or fractionation function; brackish water, seawater, brines desalination, fluid extraction, solute recovery, symbiotic salinity power generation, symbiotic Hypersalinity reverse osmosis, and gas mixture fractionation. 
     
     
         43 . The panel assembly of  claim 21 ,  22 ,  23 , wherein the plurality of flat sheet membranes is adapted for use in a rectangular shape. 
     
     
         42 . The panel assembly of  claim 21 ,  22 ,  23 , wherein treated water is collected through the plurality of headers and the brine waste water is disposed of, or used as a source for salt, as in the case of seawater desalination. 
     
     
         44 . The panel assembly of  claim 21 ,  22 ,  23 , wherein the plurality of the flat sheet membranes are made of at least one of a polyamide and a cellulose acetate, or equivalent membrane material, having a pore size suitable for filtration or desalination. 
     
     
         45 . The panel assembly of  claim 21 ,  22 ,  23 , wherein the plurality of flat sheet membranes are separated by a permeate carrier. 
     
     
         46 . The panel assembly of  claim 21 ,  22 ,  23 , wherein the permeate carrier is configured to resist collapse under the operating pressure of the fluid. 
     
     
         47 . The panel assembly of  claim 21 ,  22 ,  23 , further comprising:
 a shielding screen coupled to a surface of the flat sheet membranes panels and configured to protect membranes from damage.   
     
     
         48 . The panel assembly of claim  1 , wherein the frame is configured to include a rolling device configured to translate the frame on the bottom header within the pressure vessel. 
     
     
         49 . In all design cases, desalinated water collecting header has to be on the long side of the membrane panels (leaves) to avoid restricting the flow of desalinated water through the membrane. 
     
     
         50 . This invention pertains to Permeable and Semipermeable Flat Sheet Membranes (FSM) applicant's novel applications such as:
 a. Agitated axial and oscillating flow reverse osmosis,   b. Agitated axial flow underground vertical wells reverse osmosis,   c. Induced symbiotic osmatic [ISOP] for salinity power generation,   d. Symbiotic hypersaline water reverse osmosis [SRO],   e. Induced symbiotic osmosis [ISO] for solutes recovery/fluids concentration,   f. Symbiotic gases fractionation processes [SGF].   g. Ecologically sustainable hydraulic fracturing process [ES-FRAC].