FLUID PURIFICATION SYSTEM

摘要

FLUID PURIFICATION SYSTEM A fluid purification system for performing filtration of particles from a feed liquid by a tangential flow of the feed liquid over a membrane surface. In one embodiment, the purification system includes a filter cartridge contained within a filter housing having ports permitting ingress and egress of feed liquid and filtrate. The cartridge includes a filter element having a layered construction with a thin flow channel between the layers. One layer of the filter element is formed of a sheet of impervious material defining one wall of the thin flow channel. Another layer of the filter element is spaced from the one layer and formed of a sheet of permeable membrane material and defines another wall of the thin flow channel. The spacing between the walls of the thin flow channel is maintained by a sheet of reticular material that provides turbulence in the thin flow channel to promote cross flow filtration. The filter element is formed into a pleated, cylindrical shape with a flow axis parallel to the pleats. The sheet of impervious material may be provided with a limited number of pores of sufficient dimension to permit intermittent entry of feed liquid along the thin flow channel to linearize the pressure along the flow channel without a proportionate decrease in mass flux. In another embodiment, the purification system is adapted for dialysis and/or diafiltration by modifying the cartridge and filter element to include another flow path for dialyzate. A second thin flow channel is formed by the addition of another layer of impervious sheet material, Both flow paths share a common membrane boundary.