Detection and analysis apparatus for membrane filtration process

1. A detection and analysis apparatus for a membrane filtration process, used in a filtration system comprising a filtering device, a filter medium, and a target fluid where the filtering device executes a filtration process and the filter medium possesses a thickness change of the cake formed thereon, the apparatus comprising:

a photo sensing device, comprising a plurality of sensing elements linearly arranged to form a first array, for detecting a signal of the thickness change of the cake at a linear position of the filter medium;

a driving device, comprising a stepping motor, for driving the photo sensing device to move relatively parallel to the filter medium on the top of the cake so that the photo sensing device detects the thickness change of the cake on at least one local plane of the filter medium; and

a data processing device, coupling to the photo sensing device, for continuously processing and analyzing the signal detected by the photo sensing device to thereby in-situ estimate the thickness change of the cake on the at least one local plane of the filter medium during the filtration process.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the photo sensing device further comprises at least one second array, the second array is formed by a plurality of sensing elements linearly arranged, the first array and the second array are parallel to each other, and the sensing elements in the first array and the sensing elements in the second array are arranged staggered.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the spacing between two sensing elements in the photo sensing device is larger than or equal to 30 mm.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection distance between the photo sensing device and the filter medium is smaller than or equal to 5 mm.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the photo sensing element comprises a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, the light emitting unit emits a light ray and then the light ray contacts the cake and is reflected to generate a reflective ray to be received by the light receiving unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the light emitting unit is a light emitting diode and the light receiving unit is a phototransistor.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the light ray is an infrared ray.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the photo sensing device uses a digital/analog converter (AD/DA converter) to convert the signal into the data to be analyzed by the data processing device.

9. A detection and analysis apparatus for a membrane filtration process, used in a membrane bioreactor comprising a plurality of filtering plates parallel to each other and a target fluid where each filtering plate is wrapped with a filtration membrane, the membrane bioreactor executes a filtration process, and each filtration membrane possesses a thickness change of the cake formed thereon, the apparatus comprising:

a photo sensing device, comprising a plurality of sensing elements linearly arranged to form a first array, for detecting a signal of the thickness change of the cake on the filtration membrane;

a driving device, comprising a stepping motor, for driving the photo sensing device to move relatively parallel to the filtration membrane on the top of the cake and driving the photo sensing device to move among the parallel filtering plates; and

a data processing device, coupling to the photo sensing device, for continuously processing and analyzing the signal detected by the photo sensing device to thereby in-situ estimate the thickness change of the cake on the entire plane of the filtration membrane of at least one filtering plate during the filtration process.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the photo sensing device further comprises at least one second array, the second array is formed by a plurality of sensing elements linearly arranged, the first array and the second array are parallel to each other, and the sensing elements in the first array and the sensing elements in the second array are arranged staggered.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the spacing between two sensing elements in the photo sensing device is larger than or equal to 30 mm.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the sensing elements of the photo sensing device are arranged double-sided to simultaneously detect the thicknesses of the cakes of the adjacent filtering plates.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the pathway that the photo sensing device moves among the parallel filtering plates is a continuous S shape.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the detection distance between the photo sensing device and the filtration membrane is smaller than or equal to 5 mm.

15. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the photo sensing element comprises a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, the light emitting unit emits a light ray and then the light ray contacts the cake and is reflected to generate a reflective ray to be received by the light receiving unit.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the light emitting unit is a light emitting diode and the light receiving unit is a phototransistor.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the light ray is an infrared ray.

18. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the photo sensing device uses a digital/analog converter (AD/DA converter) to convert the signal into the data to be analyzed by the data processing device.