US 12,134,075 B2
Membrane distillation apparatus for producing water
Wolfgang Heinzl, Ramerberg (DE)
Assigned to EVCON GMBH, Pliening-Landsham (DE)
Appl. No. 16/972,899
Filed by EVCON GMBH, Pliening-Landsham (DE)
PCT Filed Jun. 8, 2018, PCT No. PCT/EP2018/065222
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 7, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/233611, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 12, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0245102 A1, Aug. 12, 2021
Int. Cl. B01D 61/36 (2006.01); B01D 63/08 (2006.01); C02F 1/44 (2023.01); C02F 103/02 (2006.01); C02F 103/04 (2006.01)
CPC B01D 61/364 (2013.01) [B01D 61/366 (2013.01); B01D 61/368 (2013.01); B01D 63/082 (2013.01); C02F 1/447 (2013.01); B01D 2313/08 (2013.01); B01D 2313/221 (2022.08); B01D 2317/025 (2013.01); B01D 2317/04 (2013.01); B01D 2317/06 (2013.01); C02F 2103/026 (2013.01); C02F 2103/04 (2013.01); C02F 2301/08 (2013.01); C02F 2303/04 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A membrane distillation apparatus for producing water for injection, comprising:
at least one membrane distillation module, the at least one membrane distillation module being configured to be flowed through by a liquid to be concentrated, wherein:
the at least one membrane distillation module comprises at least one condensation/evaporation stage,
the at least one condensation/evaporation stage comprises at least one condensation/evaporation element, and
the at least one condensation/evaporation element comprises at least one condensation unit comprising a first steam space at least partly limited by a condensation wall, and the at least one condensation/evaporation element further comprising at least one adjacent evaporation unit comprising a second steam space at least partly limited by a steam-permeable, liquid-tight first membrane wall, the at least one condensation unit and the at least one adjacent evaporation unit forming a stack, wherein at least one flow channel for the liquid to be concentrated is provided between the at least one condensation unit and the at least one adjacent evaporation unit in the stack such that the liquid to be concentrated inside the flow channel is heated via the condensation wall and steam arising from the liquid to be concentrated moves through the first membrane wall into the second steam space,
the membrane distillation apparatus further comprising:
a heating stage configured to generate steam and to provide the steam generated by the heating stage to the at least one condensation/evaporation stage of the at least one membrane distillation module, and
a droplet elimination device comprising a second membrane configured to separate droplets from the steam generated by the heating stage, the second membrane being between the heating stage and the at least one condensation/evaporation stage.