JP5271607B2 - Membrane filtration device management system, membrane filtration device used therefor, and membrane filtration device management method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a management system for membrane filtration apparatuses capable of managing a membrane filtration apparatus with higher precision, a membrane filtration apparatus used in the system and a method of managing a membrane filtration apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: An attachment member, or an interconnector 42, comprising at least two of a conductivity sensor 11, a flow rate sensor 13 and a pressure sensor 15 is attached to each of at least two membrane elements 10 arranged in the membrane filtration apparatus 50. A management unit 200 obtains data from the at least two of the sensors and compares the data with comparison data which represent the correlation between positions in the axial direction of the membrane filtration apparatus 50 and respective reference values obtained through the at least two of the sensors. This enables the cause of a change occurring in the membrane filtration apparatus 50 to be more clearly identified, carrying out appropriate management according to the cause identified and thus managing the membrane filtration apparatus 50 with higher precision. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention manages a membrane filtration device that is formed by arranging a plurality of membrane elements side by side in the axial direction in a cylindrical pressure-resistant container, and filters the stock solution by the membrane elements to generate a permeate. The present invention relates to a membrane filtration device management system, a membrane filtration device used therefor, and a membrane filtration device management method.

  2. Description of the Related Art There is known a membrane filtration device configured by arranging a plurality of membrane elements on a straight line and connecting the central tubes of adjacent membrane elements with an interconnector (connecting portion). The plurality of membrane elements connected in this way are accommodated in a pressure-resistant container formed of, for example, a resin and handled as a single membrane filtration device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  This type of membrane filtration apparatus is generally used for obtaining purified permeated water (permeated liquid) by filtering raw water (raw liquid) such as waste water or seawater. In particular, in a large plant or the like, a large number of membrane filtration devices are held in a rack called a train, so that processing characteristics (pressure, quality of permeated water, amount of water, etc.) are managed for each train.

  However, when processing characteristics are managed for each train as described above, only a membrane element or a connection part in some membrane filtration devices out of a large number of membrane filtration devices held by the train has a problem. In some cases, it is difficult to identify the defective portion, and there is a problem that a great deal of labor is required for the identification work.

  Moreover, in the configuration in which a large number of membrane filtration devices each having a plurality of membrane elements are held by a train as described above, the position of each membrane filtration device in the train or the position of each membrane element in each membrane filtration device Accordingly, the degree of contamination of the separation membrane and the load when the stock solution is filtered differ depending on the separation membrane. Therefore, when replacing a membrane element, a new membrane element and a membrane element that can still be used are appropriately combined and housed in a pressure-resistant vessel so that the optimum performance of the entire train can be finally achieved. In addition, the arrangement and combination of each membrane element is optimized. However, at present, optimization is performed based only on the period of use, so that it cannot be said that the optimization is sufficiently performed.

  In addition, whether or not to perform maintenance such as cleaning or replacement of the membrane element is determined based on the processing characteristics of each train. Therefore, depending on the membrane element, the maintenance is not always performed properly depending on the position and period of use. It may not be said that there is. That is, depending on the case, one of the membrane elements may be too late to perform maintenance, or maintenance may be performed at an earlier stage than necessary.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, if the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used, for each membrane element, data related to the processing characteristics is preliminarily stored in a wireless tag (RFID tag) provided in the membrane element. The processing characteristics can be managed for each membrane element by storing the data and reading the data from each wireless tag. However, even if management is performed based only on data stored in advance in such a wireless tag, the state of each membrane element changes from moment to moment, so it can be said that the management accuracy is sufficient. If the state of each membrane element can be detected in real time, management can be performed with higher accuracy.

  Therefore, a method of detecting the state of each membrane element in real time using a sensor or the like is also known (see, for example, Patent Document 2). This Patent Document 2 describes that a flow sensor, a conductivity sensor, and the like are provided for a plurality of membrane elements.

Special table 2007-527318 International Publication No. 2007/030647 Pamphlet

  In the above method, the state of each membrane element is detected by using a sensor or the like to determine whether or not the membrane element needs to be replaced. Therefore, although the state change in each membrane element can be confirmed, the cause of the change It is difficult to specify. For example, even if a change occurs in the properties of a liquid such as permeate or raw water in any membrane element, the cause is due to biofouling that occurs when grown microorganisms adhere to the membrane. In some cases, it may be due to a scale generated by the deposition of salts deposited by concentrating the liquid on the membrane.

  Therefore, even if a change in the state of each membrane element can be confirmed, the maintenance method to be performed differs depending on the cause of the change. I can't do it. In addition, if the cause is erroneously specified, not only good effects cannot be obtained even if maintenance is performed, but there is a possibility that problems such as shortening the life of each membrane element may occur.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a membrane filtration device management system capable of more accurately managing a membrane filtration device, a membrane filtration device used therefor, and a membrane filtration device management method The purpose is to do.

  The membrane filtration device management system according to the first aspect of the present invention is formed by arranging a plurality of membrane elements side by side in the axial direction in a cylindrical pressure vessel, and filters the permeate through the membrane element for permeation. A membrane filtration device for generating a liquid and a management device for managing the membrane filtration device, wherein at least two membrane elements of the plurality of membrane elements are for measuring the conductivity of the permeate. An attachment member provided with at least one sensor among an electrical conductivity sensor, a flow rate sensor for measuring the flow rate of the permeate, or a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the stock solution is attached, and the management device is A data acquisition means for acquiring data from the at least one sensor, a position along the axial direction in the membrane filtration device, and the at least one sensor. A comparison data storage means for storing comparison data representing a correlation with a reference value obtained from the data in advance, and a data comparison means for comparing the data acquired by the data acquisition means with the comparison data. To do.

  According to such a configuration, the attachment member having at least one of the conductivity sensor, the flow rate sensor, and the pressure sensor is attached to at least two membrane elements in the membrane filtration device, and thus obtained from these sensors. And the data in which the position of the sensor in the membrane filtration device in the axial direction is associated can be obtained. By comparing the data obtained in this way with comparison data, the cause of the change that occurs in the membrane filtration device can be more clearly identified, and appropriate maintenance can be performed according to the cause, so the membrane filtration device Can be managed more accurately.

  For example, if the attachment member is detachably attached to the membrane element, even if the membrane element is replaced, the attachment member is replaced with a new membrane element to prepare for the attachment member. Can be reused. Further, since there is no need to change the membrane element, the conventional membrane element can be used as it is.

  In the membrane filtration device management system according to the second aspect of the present invention, the sensor is provided only in the attachment members respectively attached to the membrane element on one end side and the membrane element on the other end side in the axial direction in the membrane filtration device. It is characterized by.

  According to such a configuration, data is acquired from sensors provided only on the attachment members attached to the membrane element on one end side in the axial direction and the membrane element on the other end side in the membrane filtration device, and the data is compared with the comparison data. By comparing with, the membrane filtration device can be managed. If the sensors are provided on all the attachment members, the membrane filtration device can be managed with higher accuracy. However, in this case, the number of sensors increases, resulting in a problem that the manufacturing cost increases. However, as in the present invention, if the sensor is provided only on the attachment member attached to the membrane element on one end side in the axial direction and the membrane element on the other end side in the membrane filtration device, the liquid (permeate or By detecting the properties of the liquid in the vicinity of the inlet and the outlet of the undiluted solution), the cause of the change occurring in the membrane filtration device can be identified relatively well. Therefore, the membrane filtration apparatus can be managed with higher accuracy using the minimum necessary sensors.

  The membrane filtration device management system according to a third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the management device has an instruction signal output means for outputting an instruction signal relating to the operation of the membrane filtration device based on a comparison result by the data comparison means. Features.

  According to such a configuration, the cause of the change that occurs in the membrane filtration device can be more clearly identified, and an instruction signal corresponding to the cause can be output, so that more appropriate maintenance can be performed, The filtration device can be managed with higher accuracy.

  In a membrane filtration device management system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the attachment member is an interconnector for connecting the plurality of membrane elements to each other.

  According to such a configuration, at least one of a conductivity sensor, a flow sensor, or a pressure sensor is provided in the interconnector originally provided in the membrane filtration device as an attachment member for connecting the membrane elements to each other. Can do. As described above, by using the attachment member originally provided in the membrane filtration device, it is not necessary to separately provide the attachment member, and thus the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  A membrane filtration device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a membrane filtration device used in the membrane filtration device management system, wherein the attachment is attached to the membrane element on one end side in the axial direction and the membrane element on the other end side, respectively. Only the member is provided with the sensor.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to provide a membrane filtration device that has the same effect as the filtration device management system according to the first and second aspects of the present invention.

  A membrane filtration device management method according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is formed by arranging a plurality of membrane elements side by side in the axial direction in a cylindrical pressure vessel, and filters the permeate through the membrane element for permeation. A membrane filtration device management method for managing a membrane filtration device for generating a liquid, wherein the conductivity of the permeate is provided in each of attachment members attached to at least two membrane elements among the plurality of membrane elements. A data acquisition step for acquiring data from at least one of a conductivity sensor for measuring the flow rate, a flow rate sensor for measuring the flow rate of the permeate, or a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the stock solution; The data acquired in the data acquisition step is a position along the axial direction in the membrane filtration device and the at least one sensor. And having a data comparing step of comparing a comparison data representing the correlation between the reference value obtained.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to provide a membrane filtration device management method that exhibits the same effect as the filtration device management system according to the first aspect of the present invention.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a membrane filtration device management method comprising the attachment member attached to the membrane element on one end side in the axial direction and the membrane element on the other end side in the membrane filtration device in the data acquisition step. Only data from the obtained sensor is acquired.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to provide a membrane filtration device management method that has the same effect as the filtration device management system according to the second aspect of the present invention.

  The membrane filtration device management method according to an eighth aspect of the present invention includes an instruction signal output step of outputting an instruction signal relating to the operation of the membrane filtration device based on the comparison result of the data comparison step.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to provide a membrane filtration device management method that has the same effect as the filtration device management system according to the third aspect of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, the cause of the change that occurs in the membrane filtration device can be more clearly identified, and appropriate maintenance can be performed according to the cause. Therefore, the membrane filtration device can be managed with higher accuracy.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a membrane filtration device 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the membrane element 10 of FIG. The membrane filtration device 50 is configured by arranging a plurality of membrane elements 10 in a straight line in the pressure vessel 40.

  The pressure vessel 40 is made of a resin cylinder and is formed of, for example, FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastics). A plurality of membrane elements 10 are arranged in the pressure vessel 40 along the axial direction. A raw water inlet 48 into which raw water (raw solution) such as drainage or seawater flows is formed at one end of the pressure vessel 40, and the raw water flowing at a predetermined pressure from the raw water inlet 48 is a plurality of membrane elements 10. The filtered permeated water (permeated liquid) and the concentrated water (concentrated liquid) that is the raw water after the filtration are obtained. At the other end of the pressure vessel 40, a permeate outlet 46 through which permeate flows out and a concentrated water outlet 44 through which concentrated water flows out are formed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the membrane element 10 is spirally wound around the central tube 20 in a state where the separation membrane 12, the supply-side channel material 18, and the permeation-side channel material 14 are laminated. RO (Reverse Osmosis) element formed by

  More specifically, the separation membrane 12 having the same rectangular shape is superposed on both surfaces of the rectangular permeation-side flow path material 14 made of a resin mesh member, and the three sides thereof are adhered. A bag-like film member 16 having an opening on one side is formed. And the opening part of this membrane member 16 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the center pipe | tube 20, and it winds around the center pipe | tube 20 with the supply side flow-path material 18 which consists of resin-made mesh members, The said membrane element 10 is formed. The separation membrane 12 is formed, for example, by sequentially laminating a porous support and a skin layer (dense layer) on a nonwoven fabric layer.

  When raw water is supplied from one end side of the membrane element 10 formed as described above, the raw water passes through the membrane element 10 through the raw water flow path formed by the supply-side flow path material 18 that functions as a raw water spacer. To do. At that time, the raw water is filtered by the separation membrane 12, and the permeated water filtered from the raw water penetrates into the permeated water flow path formed by the permeate-side flow path material 14 functioning as a permeated water spacer.

  Thereafter, the permeated water that has permeated into the permeated water flow path flows to the central tube 20 side through the permeated water flow path, and the central tube is formed from a plurality of water passage holes (not shown) formed on the outer peripheral surface of the central tube 20. 20 is led. As a result, the permeated water flows out from the other end side of the membrane element 10 through the central tube 20, and the concentrated water flows out through the raw water flow path formed by the supply side flow path material 18.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the plurality of membrane elements 10 accommodated in the pressure vessel 40, the central tubes 20 of the adjacent membrane elements 10 are connected by a tubular interconnector 42. The interconnector 42 constitutes a mounting member that can be attached to and detached from the central tube 20 of the membrane element 10. Therefore, the raw water flowing in from the raw water inlet 48 flows into the raw water flow path in order from the membrane element 10 on the raw water inlet 48 side, and the permeated water filtered from the raw water in each membrane element 10 is connected by the interconnector 42. The permeated water outlet 46 flows out through the single central pipe 20. On the other hand, the concentrated water that is filtered and concentrated by passing through the raw water flow path of each membrane element 10 flows out from the concentrated water outlet 44.

  In the present embodiment, each interconnector 42 has a conductivity sensor 11 for measuring the conductivity of the permeated water, a flow sensor 13 for measuring the flow rate of the permeated water, and a pressure for measuring the pressure of the raw water. A sensor 15 is provided. The conductivity sensor 11 is provided inside the interconnector 42 and measures the conductivity of the permeated water flowing through the interconnector 42. In order to measure the electric conductivity of the permeated water, it is preferable to provide a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the permeated water in the interconnector 42. The flow sensor 13 is provided inside the interconnector 42 and measures the flow rate of the permeated water flowing through the interconnector 42. The pressure sensor 15 is provided outside the interconnector 42 and measures the pressure of raw water flowing outside the interconnector 42.

  These sensors 11, 13, and 15 may be provided one by one for each interconnector 42, or the number of sensors provided for each interconnector 42 may be different. It is preferable to be provided so as to be arranged at equal intervals. The sensors 11, 13, and 15 are not limited to the interconnector 42 and may be provided on other attachment members that can be attached to and detached from the membrane element 10. For example, an attachment member attached to the upstream end (raw water inlet 48 side) of the membrane element 10 or an attachment member attached to the downstream end (permeate outlet 46 side) of the membrane element 10 A configuration in which each of the sensors 11, 13, and 15 is provided may be employed.

  The configuration is not limited to the configuration in which all the three sensors 11, 13, and 15 are provided in the interconnector 42, as long as at least one of the three sensors 11, 13, and 15 is provided. Good. Further, the numbers of the membrane elements 10 and the interconnectors 42 provided in the membrane filtration device 50 are not limited to the numbers shown in the example of FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a membrane filtration device management system applied to the membrane filtration device 50 of FIG. In this membrane filtration device management system, raw water such as waste water and seawater can be filtered by the fresh water producing device 100 provided with a large number of membrane filtration devices 50, and purified permeated water can be generated. The water freshener 100 can be managed by the management device 200 provided in the monitoring center. A plurality of racks called trains are provided in the fresh water generator 100, and a large number of membrane filtration devices 50 are held in each train, and management of processing characteristics is performed for each train.

  Each membrane filtration device 50 communicates with the communication device 60 provided in the fresh water generator 100 in addition to the interconnector 42 provided with the above-described conductivity sensor 11, flow rate sensor 13 and pressure sensor 15. The communication part 51 for performing is provided. Each of the communication unit 51 and the communication device 60 includes an antenna, and can perform wireless communication with each other. Data output from each sensor 11, 13, 15 is wirelessly transmitted to the communication device 60 via the communication unit 51, and is transmitted to the management device 200 of the central monitoring center via the communication device 60. The communication unit 51 may be attached to the membrane element 10 or may be attached to another member provided in the membrane filtration device 50 such as the interconnector 42. However, the data from each sensor 11, 13, 15 is not limited to a configuration that is wirelessly transmitted to the communication device 60, and each sensor 11, 13, 15 is connected to the communication device 60 via wiring. Thus, the configuration may be such that wired transmission is performed.

  In addition to the membrane filtration device 50 and the communication device 60, the fresh water generator 100 displays a maintenance execution unit 70 for executing maintenance on each membrane filtration device 50 and various displays relating to the state of the fresh water production device 100. A display device 80 and the like are provided. The maintenance execution unit 70 includes, for example, a pressure valve for adjusting the pressure of the raw water to be supplied, a flow rate adjustment valve for adjusting the flow rate of the raw water, a chemical cleaning unit for supplying chemicals and cleaning the inside of the membrane filtration device 50, and the like. Yes. Each unit provided in the maintenance execution unit 70 not only operates by a direct operation by an operator, but also operates based on an instruction signal received from the management device 200 of the central monitoring center via the communication device 60. You can also. The display device 80 can be configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display.

  The central monitoring center management apparatus 200 includes, for example, a computer, and includes a communication unit 201, a data comparison unit 202, an instruction signal output unit 203, a comparison data storage unit 204, and the like. The communication unit 201 communicates with the communication device 60 of the fresh water generator 100. The communication may be either wired or wireless. The communication unit 201 constitutes data acquisition means for acquiring data from the sensors 11, 13, and 15 provided in the membrane filtration device 50 via the communication device 60.

  The comparison data storage unit 204 is a comparison data storage unit that stores in advance comparison data for comparison with the acquired data from the sensors 11, 13, and 15. The comparison data includes correlation data between positions along the axial direction in the membrane filtration device 50 and reference values obtained from the sensors 11, 13, and 15, respectively. For example, regarding the plurality of sensors 11, 13, and 15 provided at different positions along the axial direction in the membrane filtration device 50, the membrane filtration device 50 is operating normally at each of those positions (maintenance is performed). The comparison data can be obtained by associating the data obtained from each of the sensors 11, 13, and 15 as a reference value in a state that does not need to be performed.

  The data comparison unit 202 is a data comparison unit that compares data acquired from the sensors 11, 13, and 15 provided in the membrane filtration device 50 with comparison data stored in the comparison data storage unit 204. The instruction signal output unit 203 is an instruction signal output unit that outputs an instruction signal related to the operation of the membrane filtration device 50 based on the comparison result by the data comparison unit 202. However, the configuration may be such that the operator performs the determination by the data comparison unit 202. In this case, the configuration may be such that the instruction signal is output based on the operation of the operator. Hereinafter, the processing by the data comparison unit 202 and the instruction signal output unit 203 will be described more specifically.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a mode when comparing data acquired from each sensor 11, 13, 15 with comparison data. In each graph shown in FIG. 4, the horizontal axis indicates the position in the membrane filtration device 50, and the vertical axis indicates the value of data acquired from each sensor 11, 13, 15. 4, the left side is the upstream side (raw water inlet 48 side) of the membrane filtration device 50, and the right side is the downstream side (permeate outlet 46 side) of the membrane filtration device 50. . In this example, a mode in which five adjacent sensors 11, 13, and 15 of the same type are arranged at equal intervals is shown.

  FIG. 4A shows an example of the comparison data, and shows a state in which the membrane filtration device 50 is operating normally. As shown in FIG. 4A, in the state where the membrane filtration device 50 is operating normally, the conductivity of the permeated water measured by the conductivity sensor 11 is the axis in the membrane filtration device 50. It is almost constant regardless of the position of the direction. Further, the flow rate of the permeated water measured by the flow rate sensor 13 is inversely proportional to the position in the axial direction in the membrane filtration device 50 and decreases as it goes from the upstream side to the downstream side in the membrane filtration device 50. Further, the pressure of the raw water measured by the pressure sensor 15 is proportional to the position in the axial direction in the membrane filtration device 50 and decreases as it goes from the upstream side to the downstream side in the membrane filtration device 50.

  The processing by the data comparison unit 202 is performed by comparing whether the data acquired from each of the sensors 11, 13, and 15 is within a predetermined range with respect to the comparison data shown in FIG. . For example, the conductivity of the permeated water measured by each conductivity sensor 11 provided at a different position in the axial direction in the membrane filtration device 50 is centered on the comparison data of the conductivity corresponding to each position. , Whether or not each is within a predetermined conductivity range R1 is compared. The flow rate of the permeated water measured by the flow rate sensors 13 provided at different positions in the axial direction in the membrane filtration device 50 is a predetermined flow rate centered on the comparison data of the flow rates corresponding to the respective positions. It is compared whether or not it is within the range R2. The pressure of the raw water measured by each pressure sensor 15 provided at a different position in the axial direction in the membrane filtration device 50 is a predetermined pressure range centering on the comparison data of the pressure corresponding to each position. It is compared whether or not it is within R3.

  In the example of FIG. 4B, the conductivity of the permeated water measured by the conductivity sensor 11 on the upstream side among the conductivity sensors 11 provided at different positions is within the conductivity range R1. However, the conductivity of the permeated water measured by the conductivity sensor 11 on the downstream side from the center is outside the conductivity range R1. Among the flow sensors 13 provided at different positions, the flow rate of the permeated water measured by the flow sensors 13 on the upstream side and the downstream side is within the flow rate range R2, but the flow sensor at the center. The flow rate of the permeate measured by 13 is outside the flow rate range R2. On the other hand, the pressure of the raw water measured by the pressure sensors 15 provided at different positions is within the pressure range R3 at any position.

  Thus, while the pressure of the raw water measured by each pressure sensor 15 is within the pressure range R3, the flow rate of the permeated water measured by each flow sensor 13 is only at the central portion in the membrane filtration device 50. When the flow rate is outside the flow range R2, and only the conductivity of the permeate measured by the conductivity sensor 11 downstream from the center is outside the conductivity range R1, the center There is a high possibility that an abnormality has occurred in the membrane element 10 or the interconnector 42 provided in. Therefore, in such a case, an instruction signal indicating that the membrane element 10 or the interconnector 42 should be confirmed or replaced together with the position information of the membrane element 10 or the interconnector 42 provided in the central portion. The data is transmitted from the communication unit 201 of the management device 200 to the communication device 60 of the fresh water generator 100. In the fresh water generating device 100, based on the received instruction signal, the fact that confirmation or replacement of the membrane element 10 or the interconnector 42 should be performed is displayed on the display device 80 together with the position information, and the operator works based on the display. I do.

  However, the configuration is not limited to the above, and the configuration may be such that the maintenance execution unit 70 automatically confirms or replaces the membrane element 10 or the interconnector 42 based on the received instruction signal. . Moreover, the structure which an instruction | indication signal which instruct | indicates to deliver the membrane element 10 for replacement | exchange to the desalinator 100 may be transmitted to a member center from a central monitoring center may be sufficient.

  In the example of FIG. 4C, only the flow rate of the permeated water measured by the flow rate sensor 13 on the upstream side among the flow rate sensors 13 provided at different positions is smaller than the flow rate range R2. The flow rate of the permeated water measured by the other flow rate sensor 13 is within the flow rate range R2. Note that the flow rate of the permeated water measured by the flow rate sensor 13 on the downstream side is larger than the comparison data within the flow rate range R2. Of the pressure sensors 15 provided at different positions, only the pressure of the raw water measured by the upstream pressure sensor 15 is larger than the pressure range R3, and measured by the other pressure sensors 15. The pressure of the raw water is within the pressure range R3. On the other hand, the conductivity of the permeated water measured by the conductivity sensors 11 provided at different positions is within the conductivity range R1 at any position.

  Thus, while the conductivity of the permeated water measured by each conductivity sensor 11 is within the above-described conductivity range R1, the flow rate of the permeated water measured by each flow sensor 13 is within the membrane filtration device 50. When the flow rate is smaller than the flow rate range R2 only on the upstream side, and the raw water pressure measured by each pressure sensor 15 is larger than the pressure range R3 only on the upstream side in the membrane filtration device 50. There is a high possibility that biofouling has occurred. This bio-fouling is a phenomenon in which microorganisms grow in the membrane filtration device 50, and slimming occurs near the entrance of the membrane filtration device 50 due to the growth of the microorganisms. Therefore, the measured values of the sensors 11, 13, and 15 are described above. Such a tendency arises.

  In such a case, for example, an instruction signal indicating that alkali cleaning in the membrane filtration device 50 should be performed is transmitted from the communication unit 201 of the management device 200 to the communication device 60 of the fresh water generator 100. In the fresh water generator 100, the inside of the membrane filtration device 50 is cleaned by introducing an alkaline cleaning agent from a chemical cleaning unit provided in the maintenance execution unit 70 based on the received instruction signal.

  However, the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and based on the received instruction signal, for example, the display device 80 displays that alkali cleaning in the membrane filtration device 50 is to be performed, and the operator performs work based on the display. The structure which performs may be sufficient. Further, the display device 80 may be configured to display that the preprocessing or daily management method should be changed based on the received instruction signal. In the above example, it is determined whether biofouling has occurred based on the measured values of both the flow sensor 13 and the pressure sensor 15, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. Alternatively, the determination may be based on only one measurement value of the pressure sensor 15. Further, the above determination may be made based only on the measured value of the flow sensor 13 or the pressure sensor 15 provided on the most upstream side.

  In the example of FIG. 4D, only the flow rate of the permeate measured by the flow rate sensor 13 on the downstream side among the flow rate sensors 13 provided at different positions is smaller than the flow rate range R2. The flow rate of the permeated water measured by the other flow rate sensor 13 is within the flow rate range R2. In addition, the flow rate of the permeated water measured by the flow rate sensor 13 on the upstream side is larger than the comparison data within the flow rate range R2. Of the pressure sensors 15 provided at different positions, only the pressure of the raw water measured by the pressure sensor 15 on the downstream side is smaller than the pressure range R3, and measured by the other pressure sensors 15. The pressure of the raw water is within the pressure range R3. On the other hand, the conductivity of the permeated water measured by the conductivity sensors 11 provided at different positions is within the conductivity range R1 at any position.

  Thus, while the conductivity of the permeated water measured by each conductivity sensor 11 is within the above-described conductivity range R1, the flow rate of the permeated water measured by each flow sensor 13 is within the membrane filtration device 50. When the flow rate is smaller than the flow rate range R2 only on the downstream side, and the pressure of the raw water measured by each pressure sensor 15 is smaller than the pressure range R3 only on the downstream side in the membrane filtration device 50. The scale is likely to have occurred. Since this scale concentrates as it approaches the outlet of the membrane filtration device 50 and the salts contained in the stock solution exceed the solubility, it tends to occur near the outlet of the membrane filtration device 50. The above-described tendency occurs in the measured values of the sensors 11, 13, and 15.

  In such a case, for example, an instruction signal indicating that the acid cleaning in the membrane filtration device 50 should be performed is transmitted from the communication unit 201 of the management device 200 to the communication device 60 of the fresh water generator 100. In the fresh water generator 100, the inside of the membrane filtration device 50 is cleaned by introducing an acidic cleaning agent from a chemical cleaning unit provided in the maintenance execution unit 70 based on the received instruction signal.

  However, the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and based on the received instruction signal, for example, the display device 80 displays that acid cleaning in the membrane filtration device 50 is to be performed, and the operator performs work based on the display. The structure which performs may be sufficient. Further, the display device 80 may indicate that the preprocessing or daily management method should be changed based on the received instruction signal, or the recovery rate (permeate flow rate / raw water flow rate). The recovery rate may be optimized by automatically lowering the set value. In the above example, it is determined whether or not a scale has occurred based on the measured values of both the flow sensor 13 and the pressure sensor 15, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The configuration may be such that the determination is based on only one measured value of the sensor 15. Further, the above determination may be made based only on the measurement value of the flow sensor 13 or the pressure sensor 15 provided on the most downstream side.

  In the example of FIG. 4 (e), the conductivity of the permeated water measured by the conductivity sensors 11 provided at different positions is larger than the conductivity range R1 at any position. On the other hand, the flow rate of the permeated water measured by the flow rate sensors 13 provided at different positions is within the flow rate range R2 at any position, and the pressure of the raw water measured by the pressure sensors 15 is Any position is within the pressure range R3.

  In this way, the flow rate of the permeated water measured by each flow sensor 13 is within the flow range R2, and the pressure of the raw water measured by each pressure sensor 15 is within the pressure range R3. When the conductivity of the permeated water measured by the degree sensor 11 is larger than the conductivity range R1 at any position, there is a possibility that a substance that degrades the membrane element 10 is mixed in the raw water. high. Therefore, in such a case, an instruction signal indicating that the membrane element 10 should be replaced is transmitted from the communication unit 201 of the management device 200 to the communication device 60 of the fresh water generator 100. In the fresh water generator 100, the membrane element 10 is automatically replaced by the maintenance execution unit 70 based on the received instruction signal.

  However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration, and the display device 80 displays that the membrane element 10 should be replaced based on the received instruction signal, and the worker performs work based on the display. It may be. Further, the display device 80 may indicate that the maintenance management method should be thoroughly performed based on the received instruction signal, or the replacement membrane element 10 may be delivered to the fresh water generator 100. The configuration may be such that the instruction signal instructing to do so is transmitted from the central monitoring center to the member center.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed by the management apparatus 200. The management device 200 measures each sensor 11, 13, 15 provided in each membrane filtration device 50 from the water producing device 100 via the communication unit 201 every time a predetermined time elapses (Yes in step S101). A value is acquired (step S102: data acquisition step).

  The acquired measurement value data is compared with the comparison data stored in the comparison data storage unit 204 (step S103: data comparison step). If the measured values of the sensors 11, 13, and 15 are all within the predetermined ranges R1, R2, and R3, it is determined to be normal (Yes in step S104), and no maintenance instruction signal is output. On the other hand, if it is determined that the measured values of any of the sensors 11, 13, and 15 are out of the predetermined ranges R1, R2, and R3 (NO in step S104), FIG. In the manner as described above, the instruction signal corresponding to the comparison result is output (step S105: instruction signal output step). The operator may perform at least one of the data acquisition step, the data comparison step, and the instruction signal output step.

  In the present embodiment, the interconnector 42 including the conductivity sensor 11, the flow rate sensor 13, and the pressure sensor 15 is attached to at least two membrane elements 10 in the membrane filtration device 50, and thus these sensors 11, 13, 15. Can be obtained by associating the data acquired from the above and the positions of the sensors 11, 13, 15 in the axial direction in the membrane filtration device 50 with each other. By comparing the data obtained in this way with the comparison data, the cause of the change occurring in the membrane filtration device 50 can be more clearly identified, and appropriate maintenance can be performed according to the cause. The device 50 can be managed with higher accuracy.

  In particular, since the interconnector 42 is detachably attached to the membrane element 10, even when the membrane element 10 is replaced, the interconnector 42 is prepared by replacing the interconnector 42 with a new membrane element 10. The sensors 11, 13, and 15 that have been used can be reused. In addition, since it is not necessary to change the membrane element 10, the conventional membrane element 10 can be used as it is.

  However, the membrane filtration device 50 is not limited to the configuration including all of the conductivity sensor 11, the flow sensor 13, and the pressure sensor 15, and is at least one of the conductivity sensor 11, the flow sensor 13, and the pressure sensor 15 ( One type of sensor may be provided. For example, even with a configuration including only the conductivity sensor 11, it is possible to determine a state as shown in FIGS. 4 (b) and 4 (e). Further, even with the configuration including only the flow sensor 13, it is possible to determine the states as shown in FIGS. 4B, 4C, and 4D. Further, even with the configuration including only the pressure sensor 15, it is possible to determine the state as shown in FIGS. 4 (c) and 4 (d). In addition, the structure provided with at least 2 (2 types) sensors among the electrical conductivity sensor 11, the flow sensor 13, or the pressure sensor 15 may be sufficient. For example, even with a configuration including only the conductivity sensor 11 and the flow rate sensor 13, it is possible to determine the state as shown in FIGS. 4B and 4E, and the flow rate sensor 13 and the pressure sensor 15. It is possible to determine a state as shown in FIGS.

  Further, each interconnector 42 may be configured to include one sensor of the same type, or some interconnectors 42 may not include any type of sensor. However, it is preferable that the same type of sensors are arranged at equal intervals along the axial direction of the membrane filtration device 50.

  For example, the sensors 11, 13, and 15 are provided only in the interconnector 42 attached to the membrane element 10 on one end side (upstream side) and the membrane element 10 on the other end side (downstream side) in the axial direction of the membrane filtration device 50. The configuration as described above may be used. If the sensors 11, 13, and 15 are provided in all the interconnectors 42, the membrane filtration device 50 can be managed with higher accuracy. However, in this case, the number of the sensors 11, 13, and 15 increases, so that the manufacturing cost is increased. There is a problem that becomes high. However, as described above, if the sensors 11, 13, and 15 are provided only in the interconnector 42 attached to the membrane element 10 on one end side in the axial direction and the membrane element 10 on the other end side in the membrane filtration device 50, respectively. By detecting the properties of the liquid near the inlet and the outlet of the liquid (permeate or raw water) in the filtration device 50, the cause of the change occurring in the membrane filtration device 50 can be identified relatively well. For example, the state as shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D is only detected in the interconnector 42 attached to the membrane element 10 on one end side in the axial direction and the membrane element 10 on the other end side in the membrane filtration device 50. Even if it is the structure which provides 11, 13, and 15, it can judge favorably. Therefore, the membrane filtration device 50 can be managed with higher accuracy by using the minimum necessary sensors 11, 13, and 15.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since the cause of the change which arises in the membrane filtration apparatus 50 can be specified more clearly and the instruction | indication signal according to the cause can be output, more appropriate maintenance can be performed, The filtration device 50 can be managed with higher accuracy.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, at least two of the conductivity sensor 11, the flow rate sensor 13, and the pressure sensor 15 are connected to the interconnector 42 originally provided in the membrane filtration device 50 as an attachment member for connecting the membrane elements 10 to each other. Two sensors can be provided. In this manner, by using the attachment member originally provided in the membrane filtration device 50, it is not necessary to separately provide the attachment member, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced. However, the sensor 11, 13, 15 may be provided on an attachment member other than the interconnector 42 that can be attached to and detached from the membrane element 10.

  In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the present invention is applied to the membrane filtration device 50 including the RO (Reverse Osmosis) element as the membrane element 10 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the RO element, and the UF (Ultra Filtration: Ultrafiltration) It is applicable also to the membrane filtration apparatus provided with other membrane elements, such as an element.

  Moreover, although the above embodiment demonstrated the case where raw water, such as waste water and seawater, was filtered using the membrane filtration apparatus 50, it is not restricted to such a structure, Stock solutions other than water are used using the membrane filtration apparatus 50. The structure which filters may be sufficient.

It is the schematic sectional drawing which showed an example of the membrane filtration apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed the internal structure of the membrane element of FIG. It is the block diagram which showed an example of the membrane filtration apparatus management system applied to the membrane filtration apparatus of FIG. It is the figure which showed an example of the aspect at the time of comparing the data acquired from each sensor with comparison data. It is the flowchart which showed an example of the process which a management apparatus performs.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Membrane element 11 Conductivity sensor 13 Flow sensor 15 Pressure sensor 20 Center pipe 40 Pressure-resistant container 42 Interconnector 50 Membrane filtration device 51 Communication unit 60 Communication device 70 Maintenance execution unit 80 Display device 100 Fresh water device 200 Management device 201 Communication unit 202 Data comparison unit 203 Instruction signal output unit 204 Comparison data storage unit

Claims (8)

A membrane filtration device that is formed by arranging a plurality of membrane elements side by side in the axial direction in a cylindrical pressure vessel, and generates a permeate by filtering the stock solution with the membrane element;
A management device for managing the membrane filtration device,
At least two membrane elements among the plurality of membrane elements have a conductivity sensor for measuring the conductivity of the permeate, a flow sensor for measuring the flow rate of the permeate, or the pressure of the stock solution. A mounting member having at least one of pressure sensors for measuring is attached,
The management device is
Data acquisition means for acquiring data from the at least one sensor;
Comparison data storage means for storing in advance comparison data representing a correlation between a position along the axial direction in the membrane filtration device and a reference value obtained from the at least one sensor;
A membrane filtration apparatus management system comprising data comparison means for comparing the data acquired by the data acquisition means with the comparison data.   2. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is provided only in the attachment member attached to the membrane element on one end side in the axial direction and the membrane element on the other end side in the membrane filtration device. Filtration device management system.   3. The membrane filtration device according to claim 1, wherein the management device includes an instruction signal output unit that outputs an instruction signal related to the operation of the membrane filtration device based on a comparison result by the data comparison unit. Management system.   The membrane filtration device management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the attachment member is an interconnector for connecting the plurality of membrane elements to each other. A membrane filtration device used in the membrane filtration device management system according to claim 1,
The membrane filtration device, wherein the sensor is provided only in the attachment member attached to the membrane element on one end side in the axial direction and the membrane element on the other end side. Membrane filtration for managing a membrane filtration device that is formed by arranging a plurality of membrane elements side by side along the axial direction in a cylindrical pressure vessel, and filters the stock solution by the membrane elements to generate a permeate A device management method comprising:
A conductivity sensor for measuring the conductivity of the permeate, and a flow sensor for measuring the flow rate of the permeate, each provided on an attachment member attached to at least two of the plurality of membrane elements. Or a data acquisition step of acquiring data from at least one of the pressure sensors for measuring the pressure of the stock solution;
A data comparison step of comparing the data acquired in the data acquisition step with comparison data representing a correlation between a position along the axial direction in the membrane filtration device and a reference value obtained from the at least one sensor. A method for managing a membrane filtration device.   In the data acquisition step, only data from the sensor provided in the attachment member respectively attached to the membrane element on one end side in the axial direction and the membrane element on the other end side in the membrane filtration device is obtained. The membrane filtration device management method according to claim 6.   8. The membrane filtration device management method according to claim 6, further comprising an instruction signal output step of outputting an instruction signal relating to the operation of the membrane filtration device based on a comparison result in the data comparison step.

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