Filtration membrane and method of making same

1. A spiral wound module for fluid treatment comprising:

a spiral wound filtration membrane comprising integrated feed spacers, said feed spacers comprising post-like protrusions isolated from each other in all planar directions along a surface of said membrane, said protrusions arranged in a plurality of rows parallel to an edge of said membrane;

wherein a spacing between adjacent said rows gradually decreases as said rows approach said edge.

2. The spiral wound module of claim 1 wherein said feed spacers comprise a thermopolymer.

3. The spiral wound module of claim 2 wherein said thermopolymer comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, urethanes, amides and esters.

4. The filtration membrane of claim 1 wherein said feed spacers comprise at least one member selected from the group consisting of embossed, ink-jet printed, off-set printed, direct printed and stereolithographic printed feed spacers.

5. The spiral wound module of claim 1 wherein said feed spacers comprise different shapes.

6. The spiral wound module of claim 1 wherein said feed spacers are in various patterns.

7. The spiral wound module or claim 1 wherein said feed spacers are at various orientations.

8. The spiral wound module of claim 1 wherein said membrane comprises at least one type of membrane selected from the group consisting of reverse osmosis, nano-filtration, ultra-filtration, microfiltration and particle filtration membranes.

9. The spiral wound module of claim 1 wherein said membrane comprises a biocide impregnated into said membrane.

10. The spiral wound module of claim 1 further comprising electrical circuitry.

11. The spiral wound module or claim 1 further comprising a catalyst.

12. The spiral wound module or claim 1 further comprising a susceptor.

13. The spiral wound module of claim 1 wherein said feed spacers comprise a maximum height of less than approximately 0.028 cm.

14. The spiral wound module or claim 13 wherein said feed spacers comprise a maximum height of less than approximately 0.015 cm.

15. A method of making a spiral wound module for use in fluid treatment, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a filtration membrane;

integrating feed spacers on a surface of the membrane, said feed spacers comprising post-like protrusions isolated from each other in all planar directions along a surface of said membrane;

arranging the protrusions in a plurality of rows parallel to an edge of the membrane;

gradually decreasing a spacing between adjacent rows as the rows approach said edge; and

spirally winding the membrane into a cylindrical shape.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the integrating step comprises a method selected from the group consisting of embossing, ink-jet printing, off-set printing, direct printing, and stereolithographic printing.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said reed spacers comprise at least one variation selected from the group consisting of shapes, patterns and orientations.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the feed spacers comprise a maximum height of less than approximately 0.028 cm.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said membrane comprises at least one type of membrane selected from the group consisting of reverse osmosis, nano-filtration, ultra-filtration, microfiltration and particle filtration membranes.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein said membrane comprises a biocide impregnated into said membrane.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein said membrane further comprises at least one additional element selected from the group consisting of electrical circuitry, a catalyst and a susceptor.

22. A method or using a spiral wound filtration membrane for treating a fluid comprising the steps of:

providing a spiral wound filtration membrane comprising feed spacers, wherein the feed spacers comprise at least one member selected from the group consisting or embossed, ink-jet printed, off-set printed, direct printed and stereolithographic printed feed spacers, the feed spacers comprising post-like protrusions isolated from each other in all planar directions along a surface of said membrane and arranged in a plurality of rows parallel to an edge of the membrane;

gradually decreasing a spacing between adjacent rows as the rows approach the edge; and

providing in the fluid at least one result selected from the group consisting of creating a diffusion effect, reducing concentration polarization, reducing fluid shear, and inducing localized vorlicity.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of pulsing fluid low through the membrane.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said feed spacers comprise at least one variation selected from the group consisting of different shapes, various patterns, and various orientations.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein said membrane comprises at least one type of membrane selected from the group consisting of reverse osmosis, nano-filtration, ultra-filtration microfiltration and particle filtration membranes.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein said membrane comprises a biocide impregnated into said membrane.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein said membrane further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of electrical circuitry, a catalyst, and a susceptor.

28. The spiral wound module of claim 1 comprising a biocide impregnated into said filtration membrane.

29. The spiral wound module of claim 28 wherein said biocide comprises a silver material.

30. The spiral wound module of claim 28 wherein said biocide comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of copper (I) oxide, copper (I) oxide/4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-3(2H)-isothiazolone, copper (I) oxide-Diuron, copper (I) oxide/Zineb, copper (I) oxide/Irgarol 1051, copper (I) thiocyanate/Diuron, copper (I) thiocyanate/Irgarol 1051, copper (I) oxide/Zinc pyrithione, and tributyltin (“TBT”).