MBR Fouling & Water-Quality Monitoring Patent Landscape
A small group of established water-treatment incumbents — led by Evoqua Water Technologies, Doosan Heavy Industries, and Zenon Environmental — controls a disproportionate share of activity in this maturing field. Annual filing volume has eased from its 2017 peak, signalling a field past its growth phase, though the United States remains the dominant protection jurisdiction.
Evoqua leads a concentrated incumbent tier in a maturing field
Evoqua Water Technologies holds the top position with 19 patent records, ahead of Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction and Zenon Environmental, each with 14 patent records. The top five filers account for 27% of the combined total across the hundred largest filers, indicating meaningful but not extreme concentration.
A clear tier gap separates the top three from the mid-rank group. BL Technology (10 patent records), Siemens Industry, and General Electric (8 each) form a second tier, while the remainder of the ranked field holds 7 or fewer records apiece. This structure suggests the leading positions are held by a small set of water-treatment specialists with deep, overlapping portfolios.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evoqua Water Technologies LLC | 19 | |
| 2 | DOOSAN HEAVY IND & CONSTR CO LTD | 14 | |
| 3 | Zenon Environmental Inc. | 14 | |
| 4 | BL Technology Inc. | 10 | |
| 5 | Siemens Industry Inc. | 8 | |
| 6 | General Electric Company | 8 | |
| 7 | Industrial Technology Research Institute | 7 | |
| 8 | Praxair Technology Inc. | 7 | |
| 9 | Metawater Co., Ltd. | 7 | |
| 10 | Zenon Technology Partnership | 6 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | MP Mine Operations LLC | 6 | |
| 12 | Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation | 5 | |
| 13 | SCI Associates Inc. | 4 | |
| 14 | Beijing Jinkong Data Technology | 4 | |
| 15 | BG NEGEV TECHNOLOGIES & APPLICATIONS LTD | 4 | |
| 16 | Veolia Water Technologies Inc. | 4 | |
| 17 | Kaneka Corporation | 3 | |
| 18 | OTV SA | 3 | |
| 19 | The Regents of the University of Michigan | 3 | |
| 20 | VEOLIA WATER SOLUTIONS & TECH NORTH AMERICA | 3 |
The incumbents’ positions are grounded in core membrane separation (B01D) and water treatment (C02F) claims, reflecting decades of incremental improvement rather than disruptive platform shifts. New entrants face a dense prior-art base in these core branches, making adjacencies in monitoring, AI-driven control, and biological process optimisation comparatively more accessible.
The most recent 18–24 months of filings are subject to publication lag and are likely under-counted; the apparent low volumes in 2024–2025 should not be read as a further structural decline. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Volume has eased from a 2017 peak; core classes dominate but digital branches are emerging
The annual filing trend and technology composition charts together illustrate a field that has passed its primary growth phase and is now consolidating around a well-defined set of IPC classes, with early signals of expansion into digital and biological adjacent branches.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings peaked at 21 records in 2017 and have trended downward since, with a notable trough in 2020 (4 records) followed by a partial recovery in 2021–2023 (10–11 records per year). The 2024–2025 figures are subject to publication lag and should be treated as preliminary. The multi-year window shows an 18% contraction from the earlier peak, consistent with a field in a post-peak consolidation phase rather than active growth.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C02F (water and wastewater treatment) and B01D (separation and filtration processes) together account for the overwhelming majority of classified records, confirming that membrane operation and fouling control remain the dominant technical focus. Digital and computational branches — G01N (material analysis and testing), G06F (data processing), and G06N (AI models) — each hold only a handful of records, marking them as structurally sparse relative to the core.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Membrane bioreactor wastewater treatment using cal…
The present invention relates to a process for the treatment of wastewater in the membrane bioreactor (MBR) process using at least one membrane module, characterized by the steps of a) providing wastewater, b) contacting the wastewater of step a) with the at least one membrane module in the presence of sludge, c) adding calcium carbonate to the wastewater… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Filtration apparatus comprising a membrane bioreac… | 155 |
| 2 | Submerged membrane bioreactor for treatment of nit… | 142 |
| 3 | Membrane bioreactor, process and aerator | 102 |
| 4 | Membrane bioreactor, process and aerator | 98 |
| 5 | Aerated hot membrane bioreactor process for treati… | 74 |
| 6 | Filtration apparatus comprising a membrane bioreac… | 71 |
| 7 | Filtration apparatus comprising a membrane bioreac… | 71 |
| 8 | Membrane bioreactor, process and aerator | 69 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the patent structure means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of a post-peak lifecycle, a concentrated incumbent tier, and sparse digital branches points to specific entry and differentiation opportunities for teams evaluating where to commit R&D resources.
Field is in decline from a 2017 peak — consolidation phase
The lifecycle evidence classifies this field as in decline, with annual volume easing back from a 2017 peak of 21 records. On a multi-year basis the recent-window growth is negative at 18%. For R&D teams, this means the core membrane fouling control space is crowded with prior art, raising freedom-to-operate complexity and reducing the expected return on incremental claims in C02F and B01D.
Lifecycle: DeclineTop five filers hold 27% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total
Evoqua, Doosan, Zenon, BL Technology, and Siemens Industry form a tight incumbent bloc. Their portfolios overlap heavily in membrane separation and biological treatment sub-classes, meaning cross-licensing or design-around strategies are both relevant for entrants. The mid-tier (6–10 records) remains thin, leaving room for a focused challenger to establish a differentiated niche.
High concentrationCo-filing is limited; Doosan–Ho Jaeho and Zenon–OTV Omnium are the most active pairs
The most active co-filing relationship is between Ho Jaeho (an individual inventor) and Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, with 8 joint filings. Zenon Environmental and OTV Omnium de Traitements & de Valorisation have co-filed 4 times. Evoqua Water Technologies and Siemens Industry share 2 co-filings. Overall, collaborative activity is sparse, suggesting the field has not yet developed the broad ecosystem partnerships seen in more open innovation sectors.
Low collaborationUS leads; China and EPO offer meaningful secondary coverage
The United States is the primary filing jurisdiction with 71 records, followed by China (50 records), Europe via the EPO (45 records), and WIPO PCT (23 records). Australia (19), Canada (12), and India (10) form a secondary tier. South Korea, Brazil, and Germany each have only a handful of records. For market-entry planning, US and EPO coverage is well established by incumbents, while protection strategies in India and Southeast Asian growth markets appear comparatively thin.
US-led, multi-regionGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| HO JAEHO | Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Ltd. | 8 |
| Zenon Environmental Inc. | OTV OMNIUM DE TRAITEMENTS & DE VALORISATION SA | 4 |
| Zenon Environmental Inc. | OTV SA | 2 |
| Evoqua Water Technologies LLC | Siemens Industry Inc. | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Evoqua and Doosan anchor opposite ends of the membrane-treatment spectrum
The two leading filers differ in their technical emphasis: Evoqua concentrates on biological water treatment and filtration system claims, while Doosan couples filtration apparatus design with biological treatment, reflecting its engineering-heavy background in industrial infrastructure.
Evoqua Water Technologies LLC
Evoqua leads the field with 19 patent records, concentrated in C02F 3 (biological water treatment), C02F 1 (physicochemical treatment), and B01D 61 (pressure-driven membrane separation). This breadth across both biological and physicochemical treatment routes suggests a platform strategy covering multiple fouling mechanisms. No momentum data places Evoqua in a recent acceleration phase; its position reflects a sustained, mature portfolio rather than a surge.
patent records: 19Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction
Doosan holds 14 patent records, with its primary focus split equally across B01D 63 (membrane module design), C02F 3 (biological treatment), and B01D 65 (membrane maintenance and cleaning) — each with 21 or 18 sub-class hits respectively. The prominent B01D 65 emphasis signals particular depth in membrane cleaning and anti-fouling maintenance protocols, a technically distinct position from Evoqua’s broader water chemistry focus. The most active co-inventor relationship in the field — 8 joint filings with Ho Jaeho — sits within Doosan’s portfolio.
patent records: 14| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| NEO CHEMICALS & OXIDES LLC | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches in sensing, mixing optimisation, and microbiology
Several IPC classes adjacent to the dominant C02F/B01D core carry only a handful of records each, representing areas where prior-art density is low relative to plausible technical value in the MBR fouling and water-quality monitoring context.
G01N · Material analysis & testing — in-situ water-quality sensing
With only 5 records at the G01N level and a 1% share among the classified branches, real-time in-situ sensing for fouling precursors (turbidity, EPS concentration, dissolved oxygen profiles) is structurally sparse. General Electric’s portfolio shows one G01N 33 sub-class hit, suggesting the connection to water-quality analytics exists but has not been systematically developed. Teams with sensor integration or spectroscopic expertise could file targeted claims in this branch with limited direct prior-art competition from the current incumbents. Entry path: sensor hardware combined with MBR process claims under C02F/B01D as the anchor.
Search this in Eureka →G06N / G06F · AI models and digital data processing — predictive fouling control
G06N (AI/machine-learning models) and G06F (digital data processing) each hold only 3–4 records, making algorithmic fouling prediction and adaptive control a notably thin area given the field’s operational complexity. The Beijing Jinkong Data Technology entry in the applicant ranking (4 patent records) is the clearest signal that data-driven approaches are beginning to enter the space, but the branch remains sparse. The technical case for predictive maintenance models trained on transmembrane pressure and flux data is well established in adjacent industrial AI domains. Entry path: combine process-sensor data claims (G01N) with ML model claims (G06N) and anchor to the established C02F treatment process context.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ across membrane design, treatment chemistry, and process control routes
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | C02F 3 · Water & wastewater treatment | C02F 1 · Water & wastewater treatment | B01D 65 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) | B01D 61 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) | B01D 63 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Ltd. | Strong · 21 | Strong · 11 | Strong · 18 | Moderate · 7 | Strong · 21 |
| Zenon Environmental Inc. | Strong · 21 | Strong · 17 | Absent | Emerging · 4 | Absent |
| Evoqua Water Technologies LLC | Strong · 13 | Strong · 8 | Moderate · 6 | Strong · 7 | Moderate · 6 |
| Siemens Water Technologies Corp. | Absent | Strong · 9 | Strong · 10 | Strong · 8 | Strong · 9 |
| NEO Chemicals & Oxides LLC | Strong · 8 | Strong · 8 | Moderate · 4 | Strong · 7 | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
Evoqua Water Technologies LLC leads with 19 patent records, followed by Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction and Zenon Environmental Inc, each with 14 patent records. BL Technology Inc ranks fourth with 10 records.
No. The lifecycle evidence classifies the field as in decline. Annual filings peaked at 21 records in 2017 and the recent multi-year window shows an 18% contraction. The 2024–2025 figures are subject to publication lag, but the structural trend is one of consolidation rather than growth.
The United States leads with 71 records, followed by China (50 records), Europe via the EPO (45 records), and WIPO PCT (23 records). Australia (19) and Canada (12) form a secondary tier. Protection in India (10 records) and Southeast Asia is comparatively thin.
C02F (water and wastewater treatment) and B01D (separation and filtration processes) together account for the large majority of classified records. Digital and AI-related branches — G01N, G06F, and G06N — each hold only a handful of records, marking them as emerging and comparatively sparse.
Collaborative filing is limited. The most active co-filing pair is Ho Jaeho (individual inventor) and Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction with 8 joint filings. Zenon Environmental and OTV Omnium de Traitements & de Valorisation have 4 co-filings, and Evoqua Water Technologies and Siemens Industry share 2. Overall, the field has not developed broad ecosystem co-filing networks.
The most structurally sparse adjacent branches are G01N (material analysis and in-situ sensing, 5 records), G06N (AI and machine-learning models, 3 records), and G06F (digital data processing, 4 records). These branches have plausible technical value for predictive fouling control and real-time water-quality monitoring but remain under-developed relative to the dominant membrane and treatment chemistry core.
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Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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