Hollow fibre filter cartridge and header

Details Hollow fibre filter cartridge and header Hollow fibre filter cartridge and header

1988-05-06

1989-10-24

Sever, Frank

Liquid purification or separation

Processes

Liquid/liquid solvent or colloidal extraction or diffusing...

210650, 21032181, 2103219, B01D 1300

Patent

active

048760129

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to hollow fibre filters and more particularly to shells or casings which house the fibres and to the headers through which fluids pass to and from the shell.
2. Discussion of the Background
In this specification, the term "hollow fibre" refers to fibres of a tubular shape having a continuous passageway (or lumen) disposed substantially along the axial centre line of the fibre. The term "membrane" refers to porous or microporous material which may, inter alia, be in the shape of a hollow fibre.
Hollow fibre filters consist of a bundle of hollow, porous, polymeric fibres which can be arranged in the shell or casing in either a tube-in-shell or candle-in-shell configuration.
Tube-in-shell filters which are widely used for ultrafiltration and microfiltration consist of a number of hollow porous fibres aligned side by side as a bundle and which are secured at each end by being cast in a resin, care being taken to keep the lumens of the fibres open. The bundle thus formed is either permanently bonded at each end to an outer shell, which may be made of plastic material, or it is fitted or moulded with sealing means for insertion into a reuseable, usually metal, shell.
Candle-in-shell filters are similar except that the fibre bundle is attached to the cartridge shell at one end, and at the other the ends of the fibres are each sealed but left free of one another. Alternatively, the fibres in the bundle are each looped so that both ends of each fibre are sealed in the resin casting.
The assembly of the fibre bundle and shell forms what is called a filter cartridge. At each end of the cartridge there is a header through which fluids pass to and from the cartridge. The feed to be filtered may be applied to either he inside or the outside of the fibres with the filtrate being withdrawn from the other side of the fibres.
Cartridges and headers are often bonded or welded to one another to form an integral structure. Sometimes the whole fibre plus shell plus header assembly is called a cartridge, but in this specification the term "cartridge" applies to the assembly of fibre bundle and shell without the headers and the term "filter" applies to the cartridge plus headers.
A plurality such filters may be connected in parallel or in series and are usually coupled by threaded screw fittings to piping from a feed pump and to piping leading to a filtrate collection apparatus. The term "bank", "bank of filters", or "filter bank" is applied to such an assembly of filters. The piping assemblies which deliver feedstock to and collect filtrate and concentrate from a plurality of filters, are each called a manifold.
Existing designs have many disadvantages. For example, screw fittings are expensive and take up space. Furthermore, in many applications (such as shipboard or portable use) the maximum possible area of filter membrane must be contained in the smallest possible volume. Filters with protruding fittings do not use space economically. In addition, portable applications require light weight construction using a minimum of materials.
Another disadvantage of existing designs is that equipment incorporating lightweight cartridges and headers made of polymeric plastic materials is not transportable in an assembled or partially assembled form. Because piping and screw fittings support a cantilevered assembly, they can snap if transported on a truck in rough terrain or if delivered by helicopter or parachute.
There is a need for compact transportable equipment for mobile or military use. There is also a need that such equipment be at least partially assembled during transport and that it be easy to complete the assembly for rapid use in the field.
A disadvantage of metal shells and headers is that they are expensive, and, for economy, require that the bundle of hollow fibre membranes be replaceable within the metal shell. This is achieved with a series of O-rings at each end of the bundle which must then be inserted with considerable mechanical force into the

REFERENCES:
patent: 4265763 (1981-05-01), Bollinger et al.

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