US 12,263,447 B2
Composite ionomer membrane tubing modules and system and methods incorporating same
Bamdad Bahar, Georgetown, DE (US); Harish Opadrishta, Dover, DE (US); and William Parmelee, Orleans, MA (US)
Filed by FFI IONIX IP, INC., Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed on Mar. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/693,729.
Application 17/693,729 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/560,924, filed on Sep. 4, 2019, granted, now 11,273,413.
Application 16/560,924 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/365,401, filed on Mar. 26, 2019, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/765,535, filed on Sep. 4, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/648,357, filed on Mar. 26, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0193613 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B01D 61/48 (2006.01); B01D 63/06 (2006.01); B01D 69/04 (2006.01); B01D 71/36 (2006.01)
CPC B01D 61/48 (2013.01) [B01D 63/06 (2013.01); B01D 69/04 (2013.01); B01D 71/36 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ion conducting polymer module system comprising:
a) a plurality of ion conducting tubes each comprising:
i) a composite ion conducting sheet comprising:
a permeable support material; and
an ion conducting polymer that is imbibed into the permeable support material and extending along a surface of the permeable support material as a surface layer;
an overlap area formed by an outer layer of the composite ion conducting sheet over an inner layer of the composite ion conducting sheet;
wherein the overlap area is a bonded area consisting of the surface layer of ion conducting polymer of the outer layer of the composite ion conducting sheet being bonded directly to the surface layer of ion conducting polymer of the inner layer of the composite ion conducting sheet to form said ion conducting tube;
wherein only the ion conducting polymer forms said bonded area between the outer layer and the inner layer;
wherein the tube has a tube surface area that is the product of an outer circumference of the tube and a length of the tube, and wherein the overlap area is no more than 30% of the tube surface area;
ii) a length from an inlet end to an outlet end; and
iii) a tube conduit extending along said length,
b) a module having a module inlet and a module outlet;
c) a feed fluid that flows through the module on one of an inside or an outside of the plurality of ion conducting tubes;
d) a process fluid that flows on an opposing said inside or said outside from the feed flow of the plurality of ion conducting tubes;
wherein moisture is exchanged between the feed fluid and the process fluid and wherein moisture passes through the ion conducting tube.