Systems and methods of marker based direct integrity testing of membranes

US10814284B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• 1934612 Ontario Inc. · CA

Inventors

• Anthony L. Powell · Ypsilanti, US
• Brian E. Butters · London, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 7, 2018
• Grant date: Oct 27, 2020
• Expiry date: Aug 8, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2015/084
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to methods of marker based direct integrity testing of at least one membrane comprising: (a) dosing a feed fluid of a loop with at least one marker comprising at least one challenge particle, the loop comprising: the feed fluid; a pump comprising an outlet stream; a membrane module comprising the at least one membrane and a membrane module outlet stream, wherein the membrane module is in fluid communication with the outlet stream; a marker recycle stream in fluid communication with the membrane module outlet stream and the pump; and a means to measure particle concentrations; (b) circulating the feed fluid through the membrane module at least once to produce a filtrate comprising a filtered at least one marker; (c) measuring a filtrate particle concentration of the filtered at least one filtered marker in the filtrate to produce a filtrate concentration measurement; and (d) calculating a log removal value from the filtrate concentration measurement and the feed concentration measurement; wherein the log removal value is less than about 3 μm.