JP2001038134A - Module and device for separating gas, module for removing moisture and cap therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a large-volume and compact gas separating device for separating and removing the material such as steam from the gas such as pressurized air. SOLUTION: This gas separating module 30 is provided with a cylindrical main body 31 and caps 33 and 34 whose each outer periphery shape is square at a gas introducing side and a gas discharging side, and open holes 38 and 42 communicated to the inside are respectively provided at four side parts of each cap 33 and 34. Moreover, the caps 33 and 34 are provided with connection parts 47 and 48 to be two-dimensionally connected to the gas separating module 30 by being in close contact with the module 30.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gas separation module for selectively separating a substance such as moisture or a specific gas from a gas such as air, a cap for constituting the gas separation module, and a supply to the gas separation module. A gas conditioning module for removing separation harmful substances present in the gas to be removed, a cap for constituting the gas conditioning module, and a plurality of gas separation modules or a combination of the gas conditioning modules in addition thereto. The present invention relates to a configured gas separation device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a gas separation module using a separation membrane has been used to selectively separate substances such as a specific gas such as water vapor or oxygen mixed in a gas. A general gas separation module includes a cylindrical main body containing a separation membrane and caps attached to both ends thereof. The gas to be treated is supplied into the main body from the cap on the gas introduction side, flows out of the cap on the gas discharge side through the primary side of the separation membrane, and the substance to be separated is separated due to the permeability of the membrane. Separated and removed on the secondary side of the membrane. As the separation membrane, for example, a porous polymer membrane such as polyimide, polysulfone, silicon rubber, and polystyrene is used,
Depending on the substance to be separated and the separation conditions such as the processing temperature and pressure, various kinds of separation membranes having different materials and separation characteristics are selected.

[0003] The thickness of the separation membrane is usually extremely thin, about several tens of microns, and the shape thereof is a flat membrane type and a hollow fiber membrane formed by bundling a large number of hollow fiber membranes having a small diameter (for example, an inner diameter of about several hundred microns). There are two types of molds. The flat membrane type includes a flat shape or a pleated shape thereof. However, since the separation capacity of the separation membrane is proportional to the surface area per unit volume (specific surface area), a hollow fiber membrane type having an extremely large specific surface area is often used. Furthermore, the separation capacity of a separation membrane is proportional to the permeability of the membrane, which is proportional to the difference in concentration between the primary and secondary substances to be separated. Therefore, in order to reduce the concentration of the substance separated on the secondary side of the separation membrane, a gas for purging is usually passed through the secondary side. Examples of the gas separation module using the hollow fiber separation membrane as described above include, for example, C10V type for water vapor separation by Ube Industries, and SUNSEP-W, SWB of Asahi Glass.
-01-100, DRY POIN of BEKO (Germany)
Oxygen En of T / A / G Technology (US)
riched Air for EnhancedFe
mentation, MOD of PEAMEA (USA)
EL PPA-250 and the like.

[0004] The separation capacity per gas separation module is limited in terms of dimensions and manufacturing. Therefore, in order to process a large amount of gas, it is necessary to configure a separation device combining a plurality of gas separation modules. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of such a conventional gas separation device, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an installation state of the gas separation device. In these figures, a gas separation device 1 supplies a gas separation unit 2 for separating water vapor in pressurized air and clean air by removing contaminants such as water droplets, dirt, oil, tar, and carbon. It consists of a gas conditioning part 3. The gas separation unit 2 includes a plurality (eight in this example) of gas separation modules 4. Each gas separation module 4 includes a cylindrical main body 5, a cap 6 on the gas introduction side, and a cap 7 on the gas discharge side. Have
A large number of hollow fiber separation membranes are housed in the main body 5. The gas inlet side pipe 8 is connected to a connection port provided at the top of the cap 6, and the gas discharge side pipe 9 is connected to a connection port provided at the bottom of the cap 7.

The introduction pipe 8 is connected to a supply pipe 10 for gas from an air compressor (not shown), and the supply pipe 10 is provided with a gas conditioning section 3. The gas conditioning section 3 includes a centrifugal separation type drain separator 11 for separating water droplets and solids in the air flow, a pressure reducing valve 12 for reducing the air flow to further remove the remaining drain, and a pre-filter 13 for separating mist in the air flow.
And a filter 14, which are connected in series to the supply pipe 10 in order from the air compressor side. Here, a sintered metal filter having a large number of fine communication holes is used as the prefilter 13 and the filter 14. These devices constituting the gas conditioning unit 3 are well known in this field, and various devices are commercially available from many manufacturers such as Taiyo Iron Works.

As shown in FIG. 14, the gas separation apparatus 1 is generally installed near an unobstructed wall 15 such as a corner of a room or another room where a supply destination device or equipment is installed. However, since the plurality of gas separation modules 4 constituting the gas separation unit 2 and the respective devices constituting the gas conditioning unit 3 are connected to each other by piping, various connection members are required, and the area required for installation is large. There is a problem. Furthermore, the selection and connection of these devices requires specialized knowledge and skilled skills. FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view showing another gas separation unit 2 partially solving such a problem. The gas separation unit 2 is configured by closely arranging gas separation modules 4 each having a tubular main body 5 having a rectangular cross section and containing a separation membrane therein in two rows and seven stages, and the upper side of each main body 5 is connected for each stage. Body 16
Are detachably connected, and a common connecting body 17 is detachably connected to the lower side.

[0007] The bottom and both sides of the connecting body 16 are communicated by communication holes 18 for each row, the bottom side is connected to the upper end side of the gas separation module 4, and both sides are connected to the communicating holes 18 of the adjacent connecting body 16. Communicated. The connecting bodies 16 are connected to each other by plate-like connecting members 19 and bolts 20. Bolts 21 are provided between the upper side of each gas separation module 4 and the connecting bodies 16 and between the lower side of each gas separation module 4 and the connecting bodies 17 respectively. Be linked. The pair of communication holes 18 in the connecting body 16 located at both ends are communicated with each other, and are connected to an external pipe as a common communication hole 22. In addition, a communication hole for connecting the respective gas separation modules 4 connected thereto to each other is provided in the connection body 17. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the gas separation device 1 configured by connecting the gas separation unit 2 of FIG. 15 and the gas conditioning unit 3 shown in FIG. 13, and FIG. It is a top view showing the state where it did.

[0008]

The conventional gas separation section 2 shown in FIG. 15 connects each gas separation module 4 without using piping, and thus has an advantage that its installation area is small. Since the overall shape is limited to an elongated block shape, it may be difficult to install, for example, in a place where a pillar projects. Further, since each device constituting the gas conditioning unit 3 combined with the gas separation unit 2 needs to be connected by a pipe or the like, the same problem as in the example of FIG. 13 remains.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems in the conventional gas separation apparatus, and has the following objects. A first object is to provide a gas separation module that can be freely connected two-dimensionally without using piping. A second object is to improve the separation ability of the separation membrane in the gas separation module. A third object is to make it possible to freely adjust the separation capability of the separation membrane in the gas separation module. 4th
It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas inlet or gas discharge side cap connected to a cylindrical main body of the gas separation module.

A fifth object is to provide a compact and integrated gas conditioning module for supplying gas to the gas separation module. A sixth object is to provide a gas conditioning module that can be closely connected to the gas separation module. A seventh object is to provide a gas separation device in which a plurality of the gas separation modules are closely connected. An eighth object is to provide a gas separation device in which the gas separation module and the gas conditioning module are closely connected.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cylindrical main body 31 containing a separation membrane 32, a gas inlet side cap 33 connected to the main body 31, and a gas inlet side cap 33. In the gas separation module 30 including a discharge-side cap 34 and the primary side of the separation membrane 32 communicating with each of the caps 33 and 34, the gas introduction-side and gas discharge-side caps 33 and 34 have a square outer peripheral shape. Opening holes 38 and 42 communicating with the insides of the caps 33 and 34 are provided on the four side surfaces thereof, respectively. Further, when a plurality of gas separation modules 30 are closely connected and two-dimensionally connected,
The space between the caps 33 on the gas introduction side and the cap 34 on the gas discharge side can be communicated without using piping, and the gas separation module 30 is closely contacted with a plurality of other similar gas separation modules 30, The gas separation module is provided with connecting portions 47 and 48 for dimensional connection.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a gas purge passage 35 is formed on the secondary side of the separation membrane 32 in the main body 31, and the gas purge passage 35 is provided in the gas purge passage 35.
2. The gas separation module according to claim 1, wherein the gas inside is introduced as a purge gas. The third aspect of the present invention is the gas separation module according to the second aspect, wherein the cap 34 on the gas discharge side is provided with a flow rate adjusting means 45 for adjusting the flow rate of the purge gas.

A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a cylindrical main body 31 containing a separation membrane 32, a gas inlet side cap 33 and a gas discharge side cap 34 connected to the main body 31.
And the primary side of the separation membrane 32 is provided with each of the caps 33 and 34.
The caps 33, 34 on the gas introduction side or the gas discharge side in the gas separation module 30 communicating with the inside, and the caps 33, 34 have a rectangular outer peripheral shape, and have caps 33, 34 on four side surfaces thereof, respectively. Opening holes 38 and 42 communicating with the inside are provided.
The caps for the gas separation module are provided with connecting portions 47 and for providing a close connection with at least another similar gas separation module 30 at the portions 3 and 34.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the gas separation modules 30 according to any one of the first to third aspects are provided, and the respective gas separation modules 30 are two-dimensionally closely connected to each other. In addition, the space between the cap 33 on the gas introduction side and the space between the caps 34 on the gas discharge side of the adjacent gas separation module 30 are communicated through the respective opening holes 38 and 42 without using piping. It is a gas separation device.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a cylindrical main body 51 is provided.
And a cap 52 on the gas introduction side connected to the main body 51.
And a cap 53 on the gas discharge side, a centrifugal separator 54 for separating water droplets and solids in the gas flow in order from the gas introduction side to the gas discharge side in the main body 51, a decompression unit 55 for reducing the gas flow, and a Filter unit 5 for separating mist
6. A gas conditioning module characterized in that the gas inlet side and the gas outlet side caps 52 and 53 have a rectangular outer peripheral shape, and caps 52 and 53 are respectively provided on four side surfaces thereof. Opening hole 7 communicating with the inside of 53
4, 78 are provided, and when the outer circumferences of other similar caps are closely connected two-dimensionally, pipes are used between the caps 52 on the gas introduction side and between the caps 53 on the gas discharge side. And the cap 5
2 and 53 are gas conditioning modules provided with connecting portions 88 and 89 for closely connecting other similar caps two-dimensionally.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the gas conditioning module 50 according to the sixth aspect is closely connected to the gas separation module 30.
The cap 5 on the gas discharge side of the gas conditioning module 50
3 is a gas separation device that communicates with the opening 38 of the cap 33 on the gas introduction side of the gas separation module 30 without using a pipe.

[0017]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of the gas separation module of the present invention, and a part thereof is cut away for easy understanding. FIG. 2 shows II- of FIG.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the arrow II. In these figures, a gas separation module 30 has an elongated cylindrical main body 31, a separation membrane 32 composed of a bundle of hollow fibers housed therein, and a cap having a rectangular outer peripheral shape connected to both ends of the main body 31. 33, 3
4 is provided. In addition, a part of another similar gas separation module 30 to be connected to the gas separation module 30 is shown for reference on the upper left side of FIG. The main body 31 and the caps 33 and 34 are formed by molding a transparent or translucent plastic, aluminum, stainless steel, or the like as in the related art. As the separation membrane 32, a porous polymer membrane similar to the conventional one is selected according to the purpose.

Separation membranes 32 are provided at both ends of the opened main body 31.
Are fixed with an adhesive while maintaining airtightness. The primary side of the separation membrane 32 is a cap 33, 3
4, a purge passage 35 is formed between the secondary side of the separation membrane 32 and the inner wall of the main body 31. A plurality of through holes 36 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on both side walls of the main body 31. A communication hole 37 is provided inside the cap 33 on the gas introduction side (lower side), and the communication hole 37 is formed on the gas introduction side (lower side) of the main body 31 and the opening holes 3 provided on each side.
8 is communicated. At the upper part of the cap 33, an insertion part 39 having a circular cross section having two different inner diameters is formed. Sealed by

The cap 34 on the gas discharge side (upper side) also has a communication hole 41 provided therein, and the communication hole 41 is formed in the main body 3.
One gas discharge side (upper side) communicates with an opening hole 42 provided on each side. An insertion portion 43 having a circular cross section is formed at the lower portion of the cap 34, and the discharge side end of the main body 31 is inserted into the insertion portion 43, and the space therebetween is sealed by an O-ring 40. Further, in order to supply the purge gas from the inside of the cap 34 to the purge passage 35, a purge communication hole 44 is communicated with the inside of the cap 34, and a flow rate adjusting means 45 for adjusting the flow rate of the purge gas is provided. . As the flow rate adjusting means 45, for example, a small adjustment valve capable of adjusting the valve opening degree with a tool such as a screwdriver can be used.

The purge communication hole 44 on the outlet side of the flow control means 45 is branched into two, and one end thereof is formed as an opening 46 which opens in a ring groove shape along the inner peripheral surface of the insertion portion 43. When the cap 34 is attached to the main body 31, the opening 46 communicates with the plurality of through holes 36. The other branch is opened at the corner of the cap 34 as a sampling tube 44a, and for example, a pressure gauge (not shown) is connected.
The cap 33 and the cap 34 are provided with connecting portions 47 and 48 for closely connecting the adjacent similar gas separation module 30 or a gas conditioning module described later. The connecting portion 47 is composed of four bolt holes that penetrate vertically and horizontally between the opposing side portions of the connecting member 33, and long bolts (not shown) for connection are inserted into the bolt holes and fastened with nuts. The connecting portion 48 is configured similarly to the connecting portion 47.

FIG. 3 is an example of a gas separation membrane module 30 using a flat membrane, and is a partial sectional view showing the vicinity of an intermediate portion of a cylindrical main body, FIG. FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view showing the annular separation membrane element 32a in which the separation membrane 32 is housed, with a part cut away. Although not shown, the structure and connection form of the caps on the gas introduction side and the gas outlet side connected to the cylindrical main body 31 are the same as those in the example of FIG. In these figures,
The cylindrical main body 31 has an outer triple cylinder 31a and an inner double cylinder 31b coaxial therewith, and an inner passage 31c formed in the outer triple cylinder 31a communicates with the inside of the cap on the gas introduction side. The outer passage 31d is a purge gas discharge passage. An inner passage 31e formed in the inner double cylinder 31b is communicated with a gas discharge side cap, and an outer passage 31f forms a purge gas introduction passage.

The inner peripheral wall of the outer passage 31d formed in the triple cylinder 31a has a plurality of through holes 31 along the circumferential direction.
g are arranged at equal intervals, and a plurality of through holes 31h are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral portion of the inner passage 31c. Further, a plurality of through holes 31i are formed along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of the outer passage 31f formed in the double cylindrical body 31b.
Are arranged at equal intervals, and a plurality of through holes 31j are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of the inner passage 31e. The separation membrane element 32a has an annular casing 32b having a U-shaped cross section having a plate portion and legs provided at both ends thereof,
It has a pair of annular holding bodies 32c and 32d which are respectively arranged opposite to both legs. And the annular separation membrane 32
Are both leg portions of the annular casing 32b and the annular holding body 32c,
It is mounted with its both ends sandwiched between 32d. As a flat membrane for separating water vapor from gas, for example, Un
Linde commercially available from ion Carbide
Types can be used.

An annular communication passage is formed in each of the two legs of the annular casing 32b in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of through holes 32e and 32f are arranged in the annular communication passage at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. An annular communication passage is formed in the inner annular holding body 32d in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of through holes 32g are arranged in the annular communication passage at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. The outside of the annular casing 32b communicates with the inside passage 31c of the triple cylinder 31a through a short tubular spacer and extends to the inner peripheral wall of the outside passage 31d, thereby forming a through hole 31g.
And the through hole 32e are communicated. The annular casing 32
The inside of b extends to the inner peripheral wall of the passage 31f outside the double cylindrical body 31b via a short tubular spacer, whereby the through-hole 31i and the through-hole 32f communicate. Further, the inside of the inner annular holding body 32d communicates with the through hole 31j and the through hole 32g, and extends to the inner peripheral wall of the passage 31e.
The separation membrane elements 32a are arranged in multiple stages at predetermined intervals along the axial direction of the main body 31, and the main body 31 is attached by bonding or the like. Accordingly, the through holes 31g, 31h,
31i, 31j, 31g, etc. are also provided in multiple stages. In addition, each separation membrane element 32a can be attached to the main body 31 in multiple stages in close contact.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a gas conditioning module which can be closely connected to the gas separation module 30. In order to facilitate understanding, some of the elements housed therein are cut away. Shown. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the centrifugal separation unit accommodated in the gas conditioning module. In the upper left part of FIG. 6, a part of another similar gas conditioning module to be connected to the gas conditioning module is shown for reference. In these figures, the gas conditioning module 50
Is a pipe-shaped main body 51, gas introduction side and gas discharge side caps 52 and 53 connected to the main body 51, and water droplets and solids in the air flow in order from the gas introduction side to the gas discharge side in the main body 51. A centrifugal separator 54 for separation, a decompression unit 55 composed of an orifice for reducing the airflow, and filter units 56 and 57 for separating mist in the airflow are accommodated.

The main body 51 has three cylinders, an upper cylinder 58, a middle cylinder 59, and a lower cylinder 60. The upper cylinder 58 and the middle cylinder 59 are connected by a short cylindrical partition block 61, The middle cylinder 59 and the lower cylinder 60 are connected by another short cylindrical partition block 62. These connections are made by an inner screw provided on each cylinder and an outer screw provided on each partition block. To ensure airtightness, an O-ring 6 is provided at each connecting portion.
3 are interposed. Drain discharge ports 64, 65, and 66 are respectively penetrated through lower side walls of the upper cylindrical body 58, the middle cylindrical body 59, and the lower cylindrical body 60, and a connecting body is provided on upper outer surfaces of the upper cylindrical body 58 and the lower cylindrical body 60. A screw portion for connecting to the connecting member 52 or the connecting body 53 is formed. Each cylinder is formed by molding transparent or translucent plastic or aluminum, stainless steel or the like.
Reference numerals 1 and 62 are made by molding plastic or processing a metal block such as aluminum.

A tubular airflow guide 67 is extended upward from the upper surface of the central portion of the partition block 61, and the airflow guide 67 is extended.
A pressure reducing portion 55 composed of a small-diameter hole or slit is formed from the center of the bottom toward the inside of the partition block 61. At the lower part of the partition block 61, a holding cylinder 68 whose diameter is reduced in a step shape is formed, and an air flow hole 69 communicating with the pressure reducing portion 55 penetrates the side wall of the holding cylinder 68. At the upper and lower portions of the partition block 62, holding cylinders 7 having different diameters are provided.
Reference numerals 0 and 71 are provided, and an air flow hole 72 penetrating the inside from the upper surface penetrates the side wall of the holding cylinder 71.

A communication hole 73 is provided inside the cap 52 on the gas introduction side on the gas inlet side (upper side), and the communication hole 73 is communicated with the gas inlet side (upper side) of the main body 51. Are communicated with four opening holes 74 provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of. An insertion portion 75 having a circular cross section is formed at a lower portion of the cap 52, and the insertion portion 75 is attached to the main body 51.
Is inserted and fixed by screw connection.
The body 51 and the connecting body 52 are sealed by an O-ring 76. A communication hole 77 is also provided inside the cap 53 on the gas outlet side (lower side), and the communication hole 77 is provided in the main body 3.
It is communicated with one gas outlet side (upper side), and is also communicated with four opening holes 78 provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the side part. An insertion portion 79 having a circular cross section is provided on the upper portion of the cap 53.
Is formed, and the end on the outlet side of the main body 51 is inserted into the insertion portion 79 and fixed by screw connection. The space between the main body 51 and the insertion portion 79 is also sealed by the O-ring 76.

As shown in FIG. 7, the centrifugal separator 54 has a cylindrical upper body 80 and a cylindrical lower body 81 coaxially extended therefrom. A number of airflow guide blades 82 are arranged. On the side surface of the upper main body 80, a plurality of pieces (in this example, two
) Openings 83 are provided, and the center of the upper surface of the central portion and the openings 83 are communicated with each other through an airflow hole 84. The lower edge of the lower main body 81 extends obliquely downward, and is formed so that an airflow can be efficiently introduced into the lower main body 81 from below. Then, as indicated by the arrow in FIG.
Water flows in from above and blows out from the opening 83, and is separated by a centrifugal force generated while the airflow guide blades 82 are turned as shown by the arrow and descend. The descending gas is further introduced into the lower body 81 from the lower edge thereof and flows into the airflow guide 67.

In FIG. 6, a filter section 56 is a pre-filter, and collects, for example, fine solids and aerosols having a particle size of 3 μm or more. The filter body has a collection particle size of 0.3 μm
A cylindrical filter made of a sintered metal having a large number of fine communication holes, and holding members attached to the upper and lower sides of the filter, and the holding tube 6 of the partition block 61 is utilized by using these holding members.
The filter is formed so that a cylindrical filter can be detachably attached to the holding cylinder 70 of the partition block 8 and the partition block 62. The filter unit 57 is a mist filter and collects very fine oil mist and the like. The filter body has a collection particle size of 0.0
A cylindrical filter made of sintered metal having a large number of fine communication holes of about 1 μm, and holding members attached to the upper and lower sides of the filter, and the holding members 71 and the filter support 85 of the partition block 62 are utilized by using these holding members. The filter is formed so that a cylindrical filter can be detachably attached to the filter. The filter support 85 is composed of a cylindrical body 86 and a flange 87 formed at the upper end thereof, and the cap 53 is guided by the flange 87 as a guide.
Is removably attached to the insertion portion 79 of the main body.

The cap 52 and the cap 53 are provided with a connecting portion 88 and a connecting portion 89 for closely connecting the adjacent similar gas conditioning module 50 (or the above-described gas separation module 30). The connecting portion 88 is composed of four bolt holes penetrating in a vertical and horizontal direction between the opposing sides of the cap 52, a long bolt for connection (not shown), a nut, and the like. The connecting portion 89 also includes a similar bolt hole, a long bolt for connection (not shown), a nut, and the like.

FIG. 8 shows the gas separation module 3 as described above.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of a gas separation device 100 configured using a gas conditioning module 50 and a gas conditioning module 50, and FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a state where the gas separation device 100 is installed at an installation location. First, a method of assembling the gas separation device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 6, and 8. First, a plurality of (eight in this example) gas separation modules 30 and one gas conditioning module 50 are two-dimensionally arranged close to each other. At this time, the gas conditioning module 50 is positioned at a corner as shown in FIG. Next, the cap 33 and the cap 34 of the adjacent gas separation module 30 are connected to each other by the connecting portion 47 and the connecting portion 4.
8 to connect. Specifically, a long bolt (not shown) is inserted into a bolt hole forming the connecting portion 47 and the connecting portion 48 and fastened with a nut. Note that the side surfaces of the cap 33 and the cap 34, which are the gas separation module 30 disposed outside and have no adjacent ones, are connected by being covered with a lid plate (not shown) provided with bolt holes. The openings 38, 42 are closed or the openings 3
Internal threads are formed in 8, 42 and externally threaded stoppers (not shown) are screwed into the threads to close them.

Between the gas conditioning module 50 and the gas separation module 30 adjacent to the gas conditioning module 50, a connecting body 34 and a connecting body 5
The connecting parts 47 and the connecting parts 88 and the connecting parts 48 and the connecting parts 89
The connection is made in the same manner as described above. At this time, the openings 74 and 78 of the gas conditioning module 50 where there is no adjacent one are closed in the same manner as the openings 38 and 42. As described above, when the plurality of gas separation modules 30 and one gas conditioning module 50 are two-dimensionally connected, the gas in the gas separation module 30 adjacent to the opening 78 on the gas outlet side in the gas conditioning module 50 is connected. The opening 38 on the inlet side communicates. In addition, the openings 38 on the gas inlet side and the openings 42 on the gas outlet side between the gas separation modules 30 communicate with each other. The airtightness is ensured by interposing a packing (not shown) between these opening holes.

In the above description, one gas conditioning module 50 and a plurality of gas separation modules 30 are closely connected to each other. However, in some cases, a plurality of gas conditioning modules 50 are closely connected to each other. The processing capacity can be increased and a plurality of gas separation modules 30 can be connected. Further, a plurality of gas separation modules 30 closely connected to each other and the gas conditioning unit 3 shown in FIG. 13 can be combined.

The gas separation device 1 assembled in this manner
00 is installed, for example, as shown in FIG. In this example, a rectangular recess 15 is formed at a corner of a wall 15 of a building.
The gas separation device 100 is installed using a. A supply pipe 10 from an air compressor (not shown) is connected to an opening 38 on the gas inlet side of the gas conditioning module 50 using a connector, and an outlet pipe 9 to the load equipment is connected using a connector. The gas conditioning module 50 is connected to the opening 42 on the gas outlet side of the gas separation module 30 which is diagonally opposite to the gas conditioning module 50.
10 to 12 show a case where a plurality of gas separation modules 30 are assembled in different arrangements to construct a wall 15 or a pillar 1 of a building.
FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of installation near 5b, and its configuration is the same as in FIGS.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 1, 6 and 9, the operation of the gas separation device 100 using the hollow fiber separation membrane will be described by taking as an example the case where water vapor is separated from gas such as pressurized air. . First, as shown in FIG. 9, the gas supplied from the supply pipe 10 is separated into water droplets, solids, mist, and the like while passing through the gas conditioning module 50, and becomes a clean gas to be supplied to the plurality of gas separation modules 30. Be distributed. The dried gas from which the water vapor has been separated by the gas separation module 30 is supplied to the load equipment via the discharge pipe 9. Next, the operation of the gas conditioning module 50 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 6. Gas from the supply pipe 10 is introduced through the opening hole 74 of the cap 52, passes through the communication hole 73, and flows through the centrifugal separator 54. Hole 8
4 and squirts into the main body 31 through the opening 83. The jetted gas is swirled by the action of the airflow guide blades 82, and solids such as water droplets and dust contained while descending along the outer periphery of the cylindrical lower main body 81 are centrifuged. As a result, most of the water droplets and solids in the gas are separated and removed, and most of the remaining minute amount of water exists as a gas (steam) (saturated). The separated water droplets and solids are discharged from the drain discharge port 64 to the outside via a discharge pipe (not shown).

Next, the gas enters from the lower end of the lower main body 81 and is introduced into the airflow guide 67, and further expands in the decompression section 55 to become unsaturated and the remaining water vapor is thoroughly separated. Removed. The separated water is discharged from the drain discharge port 65 to the outside through a discharge pipe (not shown). Next, the gas is introduced into the filter unit 56, and while passing therethrough, fine solids and aerosols having a particle diameter of, for example, 3 μm or more are removed, and further introduced into the filter unit 57,
99.9% or more of extremely fine mist having a particle size of 0.01 μm or more remaining while passing therethrough is removed and supplied to the gas separation module 30 through the opening 78 of the discharge side cap 53. Note that the separated mist is discharged to the drain outlet 66
Is discharged to the outside through a discharge pipe (not shown).

Next, the operation of the gas separation module 30 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
The clean gas discharged from the opening 78 on the gas discharge side of No. 0 is divided and introduced into the inside of each main body 31 through the opening 38 of the cap 33 on the gas introduction side in the two gas separation modules 30 adjacent thereto. You. Further, the gas also flows into the caps 33 of the gas separation module 30 downstream of the two caps 33 one after another, and is diverted into the respective main bodies 31 to be processed in parallel. The gas introduced into each main body 31 is separated from water vapor contained in the gas flowing through the separation membrane 32, becomes a dry gas, and flows into the respective caps 34 on the discharge side. The dry gas that has flowed into each cap 34 merges into the discharge pipe 9
From the load equipment. The gas separation module 30 for separating water vapor from the air may be, for example, C10V commercially available from Ube Industries or D made by BEKO.
RYPOINT or the like can be used.

A part of the dry gas in the cap 34 on the discharge side flows from the purge communication hole 44 into the purge passage 35 on the gas discharge side of the main body 31 through the opening 46 and the through hole 36. The dry gas flowing into the purge passage 35 is separated from the separation membrane 32.
Through the through hole 36 on the gas introduction side of the main body 31 with the water vapor permeated to the secondary side of the
Is discharged to the outside. As described above, the separation ability of the separation membrane is proportional to the concentration difference of the substance to be separated between the primary side and the secondary side. Therefore, the separation ability can be controlled by adjusting the water vapor concentration on the secondary side of the separation membrane. In this example, the flow rate adjusting means 45 adjusts the flow rate of the purge gas flowing into the purge passage 35 to control the concentration of the purge gas. In addition, a pressure gauge (not shown) is connected to the sampling pipe 44a branched from the purge communication hole 44, and the flow rate adjusting means 45 can be adjusted using the pressure value as a guide of the flow rate of the purge gas.

Next, the operation in the case of using the flat membrane type gas separation module 30 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 to separate water vapor from a gas such as pressurized air will be described. The clean gas introduced into the passage 31c of the main body 31 from the cap (not shown) on the gas introduction side flows into each separation membrane element 32a from the plurality of through holes 31h and passes through the primary side of the separation membrane 32. The water vapor is separated into dry gas, and is discharged from the through hole 31j to the passage 31e, and then flows into the gas discharge side cap 34 (not shown). A portion of the dry gas in the cap 34 flows from the purge communication hole provided with the flow rate adjusting means through the opening and the through hole (both not shown) as a purge gas into the passage 31f as in FIG. The purge gas in the passage 31f is supplied to the plurality of through holes 31i.
Through the through-holes 32f of the separation membrane elements 32a. The purge gas flows into the passage 31d from the through hole 32e through the through hole 31g together with the water vapor existing while passing through the secondary side of the separation membrane. The gas containing water vapor in the passage 31d is discharged to the outside from a cap (not shown) on the gas introduction side as in the case of FIG.

[0040]

As described above, in the gas separation module according to the first aspect, a plurality of gas separation modules can be freely connected two-dimensionally without using piping, and the gas separation module is configured thereby. Gas separation device becomes compact. In addition, since there is no restriction on the installation shape, the degree of freedom of installation is large. Further, the workability at the time of installation is good, and the installation can be efficiently performed in a short time. The gas separation module according to claim 2 can further improve the separation capability of the separation membrane in the gas separation module.
In the gas separation module according to the third aspect, the separation capability of the separation membrane in the gas separation module can be freely adjusted. Further, by using the cap on the gas introduction side or the gas discharge side according to claim 4, the gas separation module can be easily configured by using the cap.

Further, the gas separation device according to claim 5 is
In addition to being compact and compact, it is not restricted by the installation shape, and therefore has a high degree of freedom in installation. Further, the workability at the time of installation is good, and the installation can be efficiently performed in a short time. In addition, the gas conditioning module according to claim 6 can be configured to be small and compact, so that it can be installed in a narrow place without substantially requiring on-site assembly. In the gas separation device according to the seventh aspect, since the gas separation module and the gas conditioning module are closely connected, it is possible to further reduce the size and the size.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing an example of a gas separation module of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an example of a gas separation module 30 using a flat membrane, showing the vicinity of an intermediate portion of a cylindrical main body.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged sectional view of the vicinity of a separation membrane 32 in FIG.

5 is a partially cutaway perspective view of an annular separation membrane element 32a accommodating the separation membrane 32 of FIG. 3 therein.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of the gas conditioning module of the present invention, in which some of the elements housed therein are cut away for easy understanding.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a centrifugal separation unit accommodated in the gas conditioning module of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a gas separation device 100 configured using a gas separation module 30 and a gas conditioning module 50.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a state where the gas separation device 100 of FIG. 8 is installed at an installation place.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example in which the gas separation device 100 is installed near a wall of a building.

FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an example in which the gas separation device 100 is installed near a wall of a building.

FIG. 12 is a plan view showing an example in which the gas separation device 100 is installed around a pillar 15b of a building.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional gas separation device.

FIG. 14 is a plan view showing an installation state of the gas separation device of FIG.

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view showing another conventional gas separation unit 2.

16 is a perspective view of a gas separation device in which the gas separation unit of FIG. 15 is combined with a gas conditioning unit 3 as shown in FIG.

FIG. 17 is a plan view showing an installation state of the gas separation device in FIG. 16;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Gas separation device 2 Gas separation part 3 Gas conditioning part 4 Gas separation module 5 Main body 6 Cap 7 Cap 8 Inlet-side piping 9 Discharge-side piping 10 Supply piping 11 Drain separator 12 Pressure reducing valve 13 Pre-filter 14 Filter 15 Wall 15a Recess Portion 15b Column 16 Linked body 17 Linked body 18 Communication hole 19 Connection tool 20 Bolt 21 Bolt 22 Communication hole 30 Gas separation module 31 Main body 31a Triple cylinder 31b Double cylinder 31c Passage 31d Passage 31e Passage 31f Passage 31g Penetration hole 31h Penetration Hole 31i Through hole 31j Through hole 32 Separation membrane 32a Separation membrane element 32b Annular casing 32c Annular holding body 32d Annular holding body 32e Through hole 32f Through hole 32g Through hole 33 Cap 34 Cap 35 Purge passage 36 Through hole 37 Communication hole 38 Opening hole 39 Insertion part 40 O-ring 41 Communication hole 42 Opening hole 43 Insertion part 44 Purge communication hole 44a Sampling tube 45 Flow rate adjusting means 46 Opening 47 Connecting part 48 Connecting part 50 Gas conditioning module 51 Main body 52 Cap 53 Cap 54 Centrifugal separator 55 Decompressor 56 Filter 57 Filter 58 Upper cylinder 59 Middle cylinder 60 Lower cylinder 61 Partition block 62 Partition block 63 O-ring 64 Drain discharge port 65 Drain discharge port 66 Drain discharge port 67 Airflow guide 68 Holding Cylinder 69 Airflow hole 70 Holding cylinder 71 Holding cylinder 72 Airflow hole 73 Communication hole 74 Opening hole 75 Insertion section 76 O-ring 77 Communication hole 78 Opening hole 79 Insertion section 80 Upper body 81 Lower body 82 Airflow guide blade 83 Opening 84 Airflow hole 85 Filter support 86 Tube Body 87 collar body 88 connecting portion 89 connecting portion 100 gas separating device

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Toshifumi Wakamatsu 5-37-1, Kamata, Ota-ku, Tokyo Toshiba Plant Construction Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shunichi Haga 66-2 Horikawa-cho, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture Toshiba Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Riki Igarashi 66-2, Horikawa-cho, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa F-term in Toshiba Engineering Co., Ltd. KB20 KB30 KE01Q MA01 MA03 MA31 MA33 MC24 MC58 MC62 MC65 PA01 PB17 PB65 PC72

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A cylindrical main body 31 accommodating a separation membrane 32.
And a gas introduction side cap 33 connected to the main body 31.
And a cap 34 on the gas discharge side.
In the gas separation module 30 in which the primary side communicates with each of the caps 33 and 34, the caps 33 and 34 on the gas introduction side and the gas discharge side
Is provided with opening holes 38 and 42 communicating with the insides of the caps 33 and 34, respectively, on its four side surfaces, and when a plurality of gas separation modules 30 are closely connected and two-dimensionally connected. , Cap 33 on each gas introduction side
And the cap 34 on the gas discharge side can be communicated without using a pipe. The gas separation module 30 is closely connected to another similar plurality of gas separation modules 30 for two-dimensional connection. A gas separation module provided with connecting portions 47 and 48. 2. A gas purge passage 35 is formed in the main body 31 on the secondary side of the separation membrane 32.
The gas separation module according to claim 1, wherein the gas in the cap (34) on the gas discharge side is introduced as a purge gas into the gas discharge side (5). 3. The gas separation module according to claim 2, wherein the gas discharge side cap is provided with a flow rate adjusting means for adjusting a flow rate of the purge gas. 4. A cylindrical main body 31 accommodating a separation membrane 32.
And a gas introduction side cap 33 connected to the main body 31.
And a cap 34 on the gas discharge side.
The gas inlet side or gas outlet side caps 33, 34 of the gas separation module 30 whose primary side communicates with the caps 33, 34, respectively, wherein the caps 33, 34 have a rectangular outer peripheral shape. Opening holes 38 and 42 communicating with the insides of the caps 33 and 34 are provided on four side surfaces, respectively.
4. A cap for a gas separation module, characterized in that at least four connection parts 47, 48 are provided for tightly connecting with another similar gas separation module 30. 5. A plurality of gas separation modules 30 according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the gas separation modules 30 is two-dimensionally closely connected to each other and adjacent to each other. A gas separation device wherein the caps 33 on the gas introduction side and the caps 34 on the gas discharge side of the module 30 communicate with each other through opening holes 38 and 42 without using piping. 6. A main body 51 having a cylindrical shape, a cap 52 on a gas introduction side and a cap 53 on a gas discharge side connected to the main body 51, and a gas flow in the main body 51 in order from a gas introduction side to a gas discharge side. A gas conditioning module characterized by containing a centrifugal separator 54 for separating water droplets and solids therein, a decompressor 55 for reducing airflow, and filters 56 and 57 for separating mist in the airflow. And the caps 52 and 53 on the gas introduction side and the gas discharge side.
Is provided with opening holes 74 and 78 communicating with the insides of the caps 52 and 53, respectively, on the four side surfaces thereof. When the outer circumferences of other similar caps are closely connected and two-dimensionally connected. The cap 52 on each gas introduction side
The cap and the cap 53 on the gas discharge side can communicate with each other without using a pipe. The caps 52 and 53 are connected to other similar caps in close contact and two-dimensionally by connecting portions 88 and 89.
Gas conditioning module provided with. 7. The gas conditioning module according to claim 6, wherein the gas conditioning module according to claim 6 is closely connected to the gas separation module, and a cap 53 on a gas discharge side of the gas conditioning module. A gas separation device in which an opening 78 provided in the gas separation module 30 communicates with an opening 38 of the cap 33 on the gas introduction side of the gas separation module 30 without using a pipe.