Gas separation: processes – Selective diffusion of gases – Selective diffusion of gases through substantially solid...
Utility Patent
1999-08-25
2001-01-02
Spitzer, Robert H. (Department: 1724)
Gas separation: processes
Selective diffusion of gases
Selective diffusion of gases through substantially solid...
C095S045000, C096S006000, C096S007000, C096S013000, C210S321760, C210S321850
Utility Patent
active
06168648
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spiral wound type membrane module employed for a gas-liquid contact operation such as gas dissolution in liquid or gas discharge from liquid, a spiral wound type membrane element used for the spiral wound type membrane module and a running method thereof.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally in many fields of the chemical industry and the like, a gas-liquid contact operation such as gas dissolution in liquid or gas discharge from liquid is performed. For example, oxygen supply to a microbial culture solution in the drug field or the like, ozone dissolution in an ultrapure water line in the electronic industry, oxygen supply to pisciculture in the marine products industry, or flue gas treatment of NO
x
(nitrogen oxide) or SO
x
(sulfur oxide) can be listed as gas dissolution, and decarbonization treatment in pure water preparation can be listed as gas discharge.
For the mode of a membrane module used for a gas-liquid contact method employing a membrane, a hollow fiber type is frequently employed in general due to the highness of charging efficiency. In a membrane module of the hollow fiber type, a use method of feeding liquid into a hollow fiber membrane and feeding gas outside the hollow fiber membrane is generally carried out.
In order to efficiently make mass transfer between gas and liquid in the gas-liquid contact method, it is necessary to reduce laminar film resistance on the liquid side. Therefore, a method of increasing the flow rate of the liquid and suppressing the laminar film resistance is generally carried out.
When the inside of the hollow fiber membrane of the hollow fiber membrane module is employed as a liquid passage, however, the flow state of the liquid forms laminar flow, the flow rate of the liquid lowers and the laminar film resistance rises. When liquid of a high flow rate is to be fed to the inside of the hollow fiber membrane in order to suppress the laminar film resistance, pressure loss in another liquid passage of the hollow fiber membrane module rises. Consequently, high energy is required in order to make the liquid flow in the hollow fiber membrane module, leading to poor economy.
In this regard, a hollow fiber membrane module employing the outside of a hollow fiber membrane as a liquid passage is developed in order to suppress laminar film resistance and increase an effective membrane area. This hollow fiber membrane module is so devised as to make the flow state of liquid flowing outside the hollow fiber membrane turbulent for suppressing laminar film resistance.
However, such a hollow fiber membrane module has such problems that the structure is complicated and the manufacturing cost increases. If the outside of the hollow fiber membrane is employed as a liquid passage, further, the amount of fine grains resulting from various members forming the hollow fiber membrane module increases as compared with the case of employing the inside of the hollow fiber membrane as the liquid passage, and the quality of treated water thus lowers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a spiral wound type membrane module suppressing increase of laminar film resistance for enabling an efficient gas-liquid contact operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a spiral wound type membrane element suppressing increase of laminar film resistance for enabling an efficient gas-liquid contact operation and a running method thereof.
A spiral wound type membrane module according to the present invention comprises a spiral wound type membrane element including a perforated hollow pipe and one or a plurality of pairs of continuous or independent permeation membranes spirally wound on the outer peripheral surface of the perforated hollow pipe while holding a first passage forming member inside and superposing a second passage forming member outside, and a cylindrical container accommodating the spiral wound type membrane element and having first fluid ports on both end portions respectively while having second fluid ports on at least one end portion and the outer peripheral portion respectively, a first passage is formed by the first passage forming member between the permeation membranes, a second passage is formed by the second passage forming member between the permeation membranes, a side portion on the inner peripheral side and a side portion on the outer peripheral side of the first passage are sealed while both end portions of the second passage are sealed, first spaces are formed in the cylindrical container on both end portions of the spiral wound type membrane element respectively, a second space is formed in the cylindrical container on the outer peripheral side of the spiral wound type membrane element, the first spaces and the second space are separated, the first spaces communicate with the first fluid ports, the second space communicates with the second fluid port on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical container, and the inner part of the perforated hollow pipe communicates with the second fluid port on at least one end portion of the cylindrical container.
In the spiral wound type membrane module according to the present invention, first fluid is supplied into one first space from the first fluid port on one end portion of the cylindrical container, passes through the first passage formed between the permeation membranes of the spiral wound type membrane element and flows into the other first space, and is derived outward from the first fluid port on the other end portion of the cylindrical container. Second fluid is supplied inward into the perforated hollow pipe from the second fluid port on at least one end portion of the cylindrical container, passes through the second passage formed between the permeation membranes of the spiral wound type membrane element and flows into the second space in the cylindrical container, and is derived outward from the second fluid port formed on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical container.
Inside the cylindrical container, the first fluid flows substantially in parallel with the perforated hollow pipe, and the second fluid spirally flows in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first fluid through the permeation membranes. The first fluid and the second fluid come into contact with each other through the permeation membranes, and permeation of a target component is performed. Due to such structures of the first passage and the second passage, the flow state of the first fluid or the second fluid can be brought into a turbulent state for reducing laminar film resistance on the surfaces of the permeation membranes. Thus, permeation of the target component can be efficiently performed between the first fluid and the second fluid.
In the cylindrical container, the passage region of the first fluid and the passage region of the second fluid are prevented from occurrence of stay. Thus, treatment of the fluid can be performed regularly in a clean state.
The fluid passing through the first passage may be gas, and the fluid passing through the second passage may be liquid. In this case, the gas is supplied into one first space from the first fluid port on one end portion of the cylindrical container, passes through the first passage formed between the permeation membranes of the spiral wound type membrane element and flows into the other first space, and is derived outward from the first fluid port on the other end portion of the cylindrical container. The liquid is supplied inward into the perforated hollow pipe from the second fluid port on at least one end portion of the cylindrical container, passes through the second passage formed between the permeation membranes of the spiral wound type membrane element and flows into the second space in the cylindrical container, and is derived outward from the second fluid port formed on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical container.
The fluid passing through the first passage may be liquid
Hayama Hideki
Kondou Yoshihiko
Ootani Akira
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P.
Nitto Denko Corporation
Spitzer Robert H.
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