Module for purifying a fluid containing a cleaning agent, and methods of fabricating and using this kind of module
View Patent ↗The invention consists in a disposable module ( 31 ) for purifying a fluid, in particular water, adapted to form part of a thud purification system and comprising fluid purification means ( 25, 28 ), a housing ( 35 ) in which the purification means are housed, and means for removably connecting the purification module ( 31 ) to the purification system to establish fluid communication between the purification system and the purification module ( 31 ), characterized in that the housing ( 35 ) contains from the outset a cleaning agent ( 36 ) disposed to come into contact with the fluid caused to circulate inside the housing ( 35 ) to clean at least a portion of the purification system, it also consists in the purification system and corresponding fabrication and cleaning methods.
1. A disposable pre-treatment module for cleaning a purification system for purifying a fluid, wherein the pre-treatment module is connected to the purification system present downstream of the pretreatment module and wherein the module comprises:
(a) one or more features selected from the group consisting of an ion exchanger activated support or resin, activated charcoal, a chlorine reduction agent, a front filtration member, a tartar formation reduction agent, and any combination thereof; and
(b) a housing in which one or more features in (a) is housed, wherein the housing contains a cleaning agent from the outset, and wherein there is only a single fluid flow-path caused to circulate inside the housing which contacts the cleaning agent, wherein the cleaning agent dissolves upon contact with the fluid and cleans at least a portion of the purification system.
2. The disposable pre-treatment module according to claim 1 , wherein the housing may not be demounted.
3. The disposable pre-treatment module according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning agent is disposed between an inlet for fluid to be treated formed in the housing and the purification means or between the purification means and a purified fluid outlet formed in the housing.
4. The disposable pre-treatment module according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning agent is housed in a recess in a raised portion of the housing.
5. The disposable pre-treatment module according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning agent is housed inside a retaining means.
6. The disposable pre-treatment module according to claim 5 , wherein the retaining means is a cage.
7. The disposable pre-treatment module according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid purification means comprises tangential filtration employing one of reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration and microfiltration.
8. The disposable pre-treatment module according to claim 1 , wherein the chlorine reduction agent is a copper-zinc alloy formulation.
9. The disposable pre-treatment module according to claim 1 , wherein the tartar formation reduction agent comprises a polyphosphate.
10. The disposable pre-treatment module according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning agent comprises one or more chemical compounds capable of destroying a biofilm, having a bactericidal effect or capable of eliminating organic and/or mineral soiling.
11. The disposable pre-treatment module according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning agent takes the form of a liquid, a powder, crystals, granules, tablet, coating of a capsule or a sachet.
12. The disposable pre-treatment module according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning agent is selected from the group consisting of a chlorinated product, an organochlorinated product, an oxidizing product, an acid, a base, and a disinfectant product.
13. A purification system for purifying a fluid comprising at least one pre-treatment module set forth in claim 1 .