US 12,186,708 B2
Multi-stage sweeping gas membrane distillation system and process
Dahiru Umar Lawal, Dhahran (SA); Turki Nabieh Baroud, Dhahran (SA); and Hasan Al Abdulgader, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA); and King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA); and King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Aug. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/892,269.
Prior Publication US 2024/0058757 A1, Feb. 22, 2024
Int. Cl. B01D 61/36 (2006.01); C02F 1/44 (2023.01)
CPC B01D 61/3641 (2022.08) [B01D 61/366 (2013.01); C02F 1/447 (2013.01); B01D 2311/13 (2013.01); B01D 2317/022 (2013.01); C02F 2301/08 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A multi-stage sweeping gas membrane distillation (MS-SGMD) system comprising:
a feed line configured to flow a liquid feed, the feed line fluidically coupled to a liquid feed tank configured to store the liquid feed;
a carrier gas line configured to flow a carrier gas;
a sweeping gas configured to flow a sweeping gas;
a plurality of modules fluidically coupled in parallel to each other and to the feed line, the carrier gas line and the sweeping gas line, wherein each of the plurality of modules comprises:
a feed chamber fluidically coupled to the feed line and the carrier gas line, wherein the feed line introduces the liquid feed into the feed chamber from the liquid feed tank, and wherein the carrier gas line introduces the carrier gas into the feed chamber;
a sweeping gas chamber fluidically coupled to the sweeping gas, wherein the sweeping gas is passed through the sweeping gas chamber; and
a membrane separating the feed chamber from the sweeping gas chamber, wherein the membrane allows transportation of the vapor from the feed chamber to the sweeping gas chamber while blocking liquid from moving from the feed chamber to the sweeping gas chamber;
a sweeping gas return line fluidically coupled to each sweeping gas chamber in each of the plurality of modules, the sweeping gas return line configured to flow the sweeping gas and a vapor from each feed chamber that has migrated to each respective sweeping gas chamber;
a carrier gas outlet line fluidically coupled to each feed chamber in each of the plurality of modules, the carrier gas outlet line configured to flow the carrier gas flowed out of each feed chamber, wherein the carrier gas is at least partially saturated with vapor in the liquid feed; and
a condenser fluidically coupled to the sweeping gas return line and the carrier gas outlet line, the condenser configured to condense vapor flowed through the sweeping gas return line and vapor carried by the carrier gas.