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EP-4076707-B1 - MEMBRANE MODULE

EP4076707B1EP 4076707 B1EP4076707 B1EP 4076707B1EP-4076707-B1

Inventors

  • MAHLEY, George E. III.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20201216

Claims (11)

  1. A membrane assembly (100), comprising: a tube container (102) having an inlet conduit (104) and a first outlet conduit (106) both oriented in a radial direction, and a second outlet conduit (114) oriented in an axial direction; and a hollow fiber membrane element (120) disposed inside the tube container (102), the hollow fiber membrane element (120) comprising: a first adapter (122) with a centrally disposed axial permeate fluid passage (264) and a peripherally disposed inlet gas passage; a second adapter (124) with a centrally disposed axial permeate fluid passage and a peripherally disposed non-permeate fluid passage; a plurality of hollow fibers disposed between the first adapter (122) and the second adapter (124), each hollow fiber having a first end engaged with the first adapter (122) and a second end opposite from the first end, wherein the second end of each fiber is sealed; a tube sheet member (123) located at a first end (204) of the membrane element (120), the tube sheet member (123) comprising a first section (210) and a second section (212), the first section (210) having an outer diameter that is greater than that of the second section (212), wherein the first adapter (122) engages with the first section (210) of the tube sheet member (123) at an interface surface (208); a filter member (206) engaging with the second section (212) of the tube sheet member (123) and having an outer diameter substantially the same as that of the second section (212); and a baffle member (214) surrounding the filter member (206) and the second section (212) of the tube sheet member (123) and mating the two members together, the baffle member (214) being made of a material that is substantially impermeable to gases encountered by the membrane element (120) and configured to prevent expansion of fibers of the filter member (206) as fluid penetrates the fibers.
  2. The membrane assembly of claim 1, wherein the hollow fiber membrane element (120) has a central conduit (220) with a sleeve (222), the hollow fibers are disposed in a volume around the central conduit (220) and the sleeve (222), the sleeve (222) and the central conduit (220) define an annular space between the sleeve (222) and the central conduit (220), and the sleeve (222) has openings (236) that fluidly connect the annular space with the volume.
  3. The membrane assembly of claim 2, wherein the inlet gas passage of the first adapter (122) fluidly communicates with the annular space.
  4. The membrane assembly of claim 3, wherein the first adapter (122) has a permeate conduit that fluidly connects the first end of each hollow fiber to the permeate fluid passage (264).
  5. The membrane assembly of claim 4, wherein the first adapter (122) has a plenum (258) within the first adapter (122) and fluidly connected to the permeate conduit.
  6. The membrane assembly of claim 5, wherein the first adapter (122) has two plenums (258, 266) within the first adapter (122) and fluidly connected to the permeate conduit.
  7. The membrane assembly of claim 2, wherein the sleeve (222) forms a seal (228) with the central conduit (220) and the openings are between the seal (228) and the tube sheet (123).
  8. The membrane assembly of any preceding claim, comprising: a plurality of hollow fiber membrane elements (108) disposed inside the tube container (402) in a serial arrangement, wherein the second adapter (124B) of one hollow fiber membrane element (108B) is connected to the first adapter (122A) of another hollow fiber membrane element (108A) to form a continuous central passage (220A, 220B) through all the hollow fiber membrane elements (108).
  9. The membrane assembly of claim 8, wherein adjacent hollow fiber membrane elements (108A, 108B) define a plenum (408) between the two elements, the plenum (408) providing fluid passage for non-permeate fluid from one hollow fiber membrane element (108A) to the inlet conduit in the first adapter (122B) of the adjacent hollow fiber membrane element (108B).
  10. The membrane assembly of claim 9, further comprising a relief valve (410) fluidly coupled to the continuous central passage of the hollow fiber membrane elements (108).
  11. A method of arranging a filter assembly, comprising: disposing a plurality of hollow fiber membrane elements (108) of the membrane assembly of any of claims 1 to 7 inside the tube container (402) in a serial arrangement; connecting the second adapter (124B) of one hollow fiber membrane element (108B) to the first adapter (122A) of an adjacent hollow fiber membrane element (108A) to form a continuous central passage (220A, 220B) through all the hollow fiber membrane elements (108), wherein adjacent hollow fiber membrane elements (108A, 108B) define a plenum (408) between the two elements, the plenum (408) providing fluid passage for non-permeate fluid from one hollow fiber membrane element (108A) to the inlet conduit in the first adapter (122B) of the adjacent hollow fiber membrane element (108B); collecting penetrant fluid from the unsealed ends of the fibers into the central conduit (220) at a penetrant fluid end of the filter assembly; and flowing non-penetrant fluid to a non-penetrant fluid end (308) of the filter assembly.

Description

FIELD Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a membrane module. Specifically, a membrane module for counter-flow gas separation in a tube is disclosed. BACKGROUND Membrane filtration is commonly used to separate gases. A membrane filter element is disposed inside a housing, and gases that permeate the filter element flow to one outlet while those gases that do not permeate the filter element flow to another outlet. The housing is typically designed for one type of filter element, with inlet and outlet flows optimized to interact with the filter element inside the housing. For example, flat sheet spiral wound filter elements work by flowing high pressure gas in a radial direction of the housing and then axially through the filter element with a low pressure permeate stream directed into a central axial tube, while hollow fiber filter elements work by flowing high pressure gas in an axial or radial direction of the housing then axially or radially through the filter element with the low pressure permeate gas flowing from a tubesheet into a chamber and out of the housing, and one of the high pressure streams flowing through a central axial tube. Generally, such filter elements are not interchangeable in a single housing. Flexible membrane filter designs would be helpful. US 2017/128888 A1 discloses a pressure vessel containing a series of membrane elements which are separated by a sealing body that is compressed against an inner surface of the pressure vessel to provide a leak-tight seal in between a feed gas side of the sealing body and a non-permeate side of the sealing body. The sealing body may be slid within the pressure vessel without damaging the sealing body. SUMMARY The present invention resides in a membrane assembly as defined in claim 1 and a method of arranging a filter assembly as defined in claim 11. Preferred embodiments are defined in the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, may admit to other equally effective embodiments. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a membrane module according to one embodiment.Fig. 2 is a close-up view of a portion of the cross-section of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a close-up view of another portion of the cross-section of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a membrane assembly according to another embodiment. To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a membrane assembly 100 according to one embodiment. The membrane assembly 100 has a tube container 102 with an inlet conduit 104 attached to a sidewall thereof at an inlet port 105. A first outlet conduit 106 is also attached to the sidewall at a first outlet port 107. The inlet conduit 104 and first outlet conduit 106 are spaced apart in an axial direction of the membrane assembly 100 to allow for gas flow through a membrane module 108, further described below. The inlet conduit 104 and first outlet conduit 106 are oriented in a radial direction of the tube container 102. The tube container 102 also has a second outlet port 110 at a first end 112 of the tube container 102, with a second outlet conduit 114 extending into an interior 116 of the tube container to fluidly couple to the membrane module 108 at an end 118 of the second outlet conduit 114. The second outlet conduit 114 here has an inner diameter substantially the same as an inner diameter of the second outlet port 110 and an outer diameter less than an inner diameter of the tube container 102. The tube container 102 and the second outlet conduit 114 thus define an inlet plenum 119 that fluidly communicates with the inlet conduit 104 through the inlet port 105. In this case, the inlet port 105 is located closer to the first end 112 than the end 118 of the second outlet conduit 114. The membrane assembly 100 has a permeate end 125 and a non-permeate end 127, opposite from the permeate end 125. The inlet conduit 104 is located between the permeate end 125 and the non-permeate end 127. The first outlet conduit 106 is located at the non-permeate end 127, and the second outlet conduit 114 is located at the permeate end 125. The second outlet conduit 114 is configured within the tube container 102 such that permeate fluid flows to the central axis of the membrane assembly 100 into the second outlet c