JP2013010098A - Gas separation membrane module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gas separation membrane module which is reduced in replacement cost, and which is advantageous for simplifying a structure.SOLUTION: The gas separation membrane module includes: a cartridge having a cylindrical container that houses a hollow-fiber bundle comprising a plurality of hollow-fiber membranes; a cap member mounted on both ends of the cartridge; a sealing member for sealing between the cap members and the cartridge; and a fixture for mutually fixing the cap members. The cartridge is mounted between the cap members to be replaceable.

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas separation membrane module that performs gas separation using a number of hollow fiber membranes having selective permeability. In particular, the present invention relates to a separation membrane module that can reduce the cost at the time of replacement and is also advantageous in simplifying the structure.

  Conventionally, as a gas separation membrane module for performing gas separation (for example, oxygen separation, nitrogen separation, hydrogen separation, water vapor separation, carbon dioxide separation, organic vapor separation, etc.) using a separation membrane having selective permeability, plates and There are frame type, tubular type and hollow fiber type. Among them, the hollow fiber type gas separation membrane module not only has the advantage that the membrane area per unit volume is the largest, but also is excellent in terms of pressure resistance and self-supporting properties, so it is industrially advantageous. It is widely used.

  A hollow fiber type gas separation membrane module generally includes a hollow fiber element having a yarn bundle made up of a number of hollow fiber membranes having selective permeability and a cylindrical container for housing the hollow fiber element. One end or both ends of the hollow fiber bundle of the hollow fiber element is fixed to the end of the container by a resin curing plate (tube plate). A cap member is attached to the end of the cylindrical container, whereby the inside of the container is sealed.

  In the conventional gas separation membrane module, as described above, the cap member is attached to the end of the cylindrical container, and these form a single case as a whole, so when replacing the separation membrane module, The entire module had to be replaced. For this reason, cap members that do not need to be replaced are also replaced together, and there is a problem that the cost of replacement parts increases.

  On the other hand, it may be possible to replace only the hollow fiber element in the case, but in this case, for example, it is necessary to create a structure for detaching the hollow fiber element in the case, which complicates the module structure. Inviting, it can also be disadvantageous for weight reduction.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to reduce the cost at the time of replacement, and is advantageous for simplification of the structure, and can be easily reduced in size and weight. Is to provide.

A separation membrane module according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object is as follows.
1. A cartridge in which a hollow fiber bundle composed of a number of hollow fiber membranes is housed in a cylindrical container;
Cap members attached to both ends of the cartridge;
A sealing member that seals between each cap member and the cartridge;
A fixing tool for fixing the cap members to each other,
A gas separation membrane module, wherein the cartridge is configured to be replaceably mounted between the cap members.

2. As the fixture, at least one fixing rod for connecting the cap members to each other,
Each cap member has a through hole through which the fixing rod is inserted.
2. The gas separation membrane module according to 1 above.

3. The cap member is attached so as to cover the end of the cylindrical container,
The gas separation membrane module according to 1 or 2, wherein the sealing member is an elastic ring member disposed between an outer periphery of the cartridge and an inner periphery of the cap member.

4). 4. The gas according to claim 3, wherein the elastic ring member is held on the inner periphery of the cap member, and is configured to remain on the cap member side even when the cartridge is removed from the cap member during replacement. Separation membrane module.

5. The cartridge has a tube plate for holding the end of the hollow fiber bundle and isolating the inside and the outside of the cylindrical container,
An inner circumferential groove is formed in a region facing the tube plate inside the cylindrical container,
5. The gas separation membrane module according to any one of 1 to 4, wherein a part of the tube sheet is engaged with the inner circumferential groove.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a separation membrane module which can suppress the cost at the time of replacement, is advantageous for simplification of the structure, and can be easily reduced in size and weight.

It is sectional drawing of the gas separation membrane module which concerns on one form of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the cylindrical member of the module of FIG. It is the front view and side sectional drawing of the cap member of the module of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 (A) is sectional drawing which follows the XX line of FIG. 3 (B). It is a schematic diagram of the cap member for showing the example which changed the number of fixed rods. It is a perspective view which shows typically the gas separation membrane module which concerns on the other form of this invention. It is the schematic diagram which looked at the module of Drawing 5 from the side.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited to the structure shown by the following forms, The addition or omission of parts, the change of a shape, etc. may be made as needed.

(First embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 1, this gas separation membrane module 201 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a separation membrane module) includes a cylindrical cartridge 210 containing a hollow fiber bundle 215 therein, and cap members attached to both ends thereof. 220, 221 and a fixing rod 245 for fixing these cap members 220, 221 and the like.

  The cartridge 210 holds the cylindrical container 211 having both ends opened, the hollow fiber bundle 215 accommodated therein, the end of the hollow fiber bundle 215, and isolates the inside and the outside of the cylindrical container 211 from each other. Tube plates 230 and 231.

  A conventionally known hollow fiber bundle 215 can be used. The hollow fiber bundle 215 may be a bundle of about 100 to 1,000,000 hollow fiber membranes 214, for example. The hollow fiber membrane 214 may be made of any material as long as it has gas separation performance. For example, polymer materials such as polyimide, polysulfone, polyetherimide, polyphenylene oxide, polycarbonate, and the like made of a glassy polymer material at normal temperature (23 ° C.) are preferable because of good gas separation performance. The shape of the bundled hollow fiber bundles is not particularly limited, but may be a hollow fiber bundle bundled in a cylindrical shape from the viewpoint of ease of production and pressure resistance of the container. Although FIG. 1 illustrates a form in which the hollow fiber membranes 214 are arranged substantially in parallel, a form in which the hollow fiber membranes are arranged in a crossing manner may be used.

  The cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical container 211 may be any shape such as a circle, an ellipse, or a polygon. In the following description, a circular example will be described. As an example, the cylindrical container 211 may be produced by processing one metal pipe. In this embodiment, as an example, the means for fixing the cap members 220 and 221 to the cylindrical container 211 is not provided in the cylindrical container 211 on the cartridge side (that is, the cap member is fixed to the cylindrical container). A structure that does not). According to this, processing on the cylindrical container 211, for example, production of a flange, formation of a screw hole, arrangement of a fixing pin, and the like become unnecessary.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an inner peripheral groove 217 is formed near the end portion of the inside of the cylindrical container 211, and the inner diameter is partially increased. As will be described later, part of the tube plates 230 and 231 are fitted into the inner circumferential groove 217. Another inner circumferential groove 218 is formed further inside (in a direction away from the end portion) with a predetermined interval from the inner circumferential groove 217. Regarding each inner circumferential groove 217, 218, the cross-sectional shape of the dug groove may be, for example, a rectangular shape, a substantially rectangular shape, a trapezoidal shape, or a substantially trapezoidal shape.

  A plurality of openings 212 for discharging the gas in the container to the outside are formed in the portion where the inner peripheral groove 218 is formed. The number and position of the openings 212 are not particularly limited. As an example, a plurality of openings 212 may be formed around the cylindrical container 211 at equal intervals. As shown in FIG. 2, an outer peripheral groove 219 for fitting an elastic ring member R2 to be described later is formed on the outer periphery of the tubular member 211 and slightly inside the inner peripheral groove 218 (in the direction away from the end of the tube). Has been.

  Tube plates 230 and 231 (see FIG. 1) of the cartridge 210 are made of epoxy resin as an example, and are formed in a substantially disk shape that is fitted into the end of the container 211. Since the tube plate 230 and the tube plate 231 have basically the same structure, only one tube plate 230 will be described below. Each hollow fiber membrane 214 penetrates the tube plate 230 in the thickness direction, and an end of each hollow fiber membrane 214 opens to the outside of the tube plate 230. The tube sheet 230 integrally fixes a large number of hollow fiber membranes 214 and isolates the inside and the outside of the cylindrical container 211 from each other. The cured resin forming the tube sheet is not particularly limited as long as it has sufficient durability and can maintain airtightness in the hollow fiber module. When used for dehydration or humidification, it is preferable to have durability against water vapor. Usually, thermosetting resins such as polyurethane and epoxy resins are preferably used. An epoxy resin is particularly preferably used from the viewpoint of durability and strength. For example, in the case of a nitrogen membrane module, an epoxy resin such as that described in JP-B-2-36287 can be used, and in the case of an organic vapor separation module, it is described in WO2009 / 044711, etc. Something like that is available. The tube sheet is preferably formed by a known method such as centrifugal molding or stationary molding.

  In the above description, the phrase “the tube plate isolates” the inside and the outside of the cylindrical container means that the tube plate only needs to be substantially isolated, and the outer periphery of the tube plate is not necessarily provided. It is not necessary to adhere to the inner surface of the cylindrical container.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a part of the tube plate 230 slightly protrudes from the end of the cylindrical container 211, and a chamfer surface (taper surface) is formed along the outer periphery of the end of the tube plate 230. . As an example of the process of manufacturing the tube plate 230, first, the hollow fiber bundle 215 is disposed in the cylindrical container 211, and a die (not shown) is attached to the end of the cylindrical container 211 in this state. . Next, a resin is injected into the mold and the cylindrical container 211 and cured. After the resin is cured, the mold is removed and the end of the cured resin is cut to form the end face of the tube plate 230 and open the end of the hollow fiber membrane 214. The chamfer surface of the tube plate 230 may be formed by a mold, or may be formed by secondary processing after resin curing.

  Since the inner peripheral groove 217 is formed in the cylindrical container 211, the resin of the tube plate 230 is also filled in the groove 217. As a result, a part of the tube plate 230 is engaged with the inner circumferential groove 217, and the tube plate 230 is positioned in the axial direction with respect to the cylindrical container 211. Usually, when the separation membrane module 201 is used, a pressure is applied to the tube plate 230 in a direction in which the tube plate 230 is pushed into the cylindrical container 211. Since it is engaged with the circumferential groove 217, the tube sheet 230 is not pushed into the cylindrical container 211 due to pressure during use.

  Next, the structure of the cap members 220 and 221 will be described with reference to FIGS. In this example, since the cap members 220 and 221 basically have the same structure, only one cap member 220 will be described below, and only a different part of the cap member 221 will be described. The material of the cap members 220 and 221 is not particularly limited, but may be made of metal, for example. Needless to say, the cap members 220 and 221 may have different shapes, and the shapes of the cap members 220 and 221 can be appropriately changed according to the use and specification of the separation membrane module.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the cap member 220 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3A, the opening of the cylindrical container 211. 220A which covers a part, and cylindrical part 220B extended from the peripheral part.

  A gas inlet P1 for introducing a mixed gas is formed in the end face 220A. Inner circumferential grooves 227a and 227b are formed inside the cylindrical portion 220B. As shown in FIG. 1, an elastic ring member R1 (detailed below) for sealing is fitted in the inner circumferential groove 227a. Another inner peripheral groove 227b is for forming a gas flow path P3 that goes around the cylindrical container 211 when the cap member 220 is fitted into the cylindrical container 211. The other cap member 221 has a non-permeate gas discharge port P2.

  The gas flow path P3 (FIG. 1) communicates with the plurality of openings 212 of the cylindrical container 211, and the gas inside the container flows into the gas flow path P3 through the openings 212. This gas is discharged to the outside through one discharge port 223 formed in the cylindrical portion 220B of the cap. In the form of FIG. 1, the cap member 221 is not formed with an opening corresponding to the discharge port 223 (opening). However, depending on the use of the module, the cap member 221 may be provided with an opening. One or a plurality of openings 212 may be provided in the cylindrical container 211.

  Referring to FIG. 3 again, the cylindrical portion 220B is formed with a plurality of through holes 220h through which the fixing rod 245 (FIG. 1, details below) is inserted. In this example, six through holes 220h are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. As described above, the configuration in which the through hole 220h is formed in the cylindrical portion 220B and the fixing rod 245 is passed therethrough is advantageous in the following points. That is, according to such a configuration, since the cylindrical portion 220 </ b> B that is a part of the cap 220 holds the fixed rod 245, it is necessary to separately provide a special structure for holding the fixed rod in the cap member 220. There is no. Therefore, the cap member 220 and thus the separation membrane module 201 can be reduced in size, which contributes to the weight reduction of the module.

  The number of the fixing rods 245 is not limited to 6, but may be 1 to 5 or 7 or more. As an example, as shown in FIG. Also good. The material of the fixing rod 245 is not particularly limited, but may be made of metal as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, a part of the cylindrical part 220B is cut at a part of the cylindrical part 220B where the discharge port 223 is opened to form a flat part 220f. Further, as an example, a flat portion 220g for preventing the separation membrane module from rolling is formed at the bottom of the cylindrical portion 220B.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an elastic seal member R1 that seals between the tube plate 230 and the cap member 220 is fitted in the inner circumferential groove 227a of the cap member. The elastic ring member R1 is configured to remain on the cap member 220 side even when the cartridge 210 is removed from the cap member 220 during replacement. The elastic ring member R1 may be, for example, an O-ring (the cross-sectional shape is substantially circular), or a V-packing having a substantially V-shaped cross-section, a U-packing having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, or the like. There may be. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape may be an ellipse, a rectangle, a polygon, an X shape, or the like.

  Between the cylindrical container 211 and the cylindrical portion 220B, another elastic ring member R2 is disposed so as to be fitted into the outer peripheral groove 219 of the cylindrical container 211, thereby sealing between the two members. . As the elastic ring member R2, various members such as an O-ring, V packing, or U packing can be used as described above.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the cap members 220 and 221 are fixed to each other by six (one example) fixing rods 245 and nuts 246 attached to both ends thereof. In this embodiment, since the cap members 220 and 221 are fixed to each other by a fixture prepared as a separate part from the cartridge 210 as described above, the cap members 220 and 221 are fixed to the cartridge 210 side (in particular, the cylindrical member 211). Therefore, the structure of the cartridge 210 can be simplified.

  In addition, the fixing tool for fixing the cap members 220 and 221 is not limited to this, and various types can be used. For example, one end of the fixed rod may be a large-diameter head portion, and a nut may be attached to the other end. Alternatively, a screw is cut in the inner periphery of the through hole 220h of the cap member 220, and a corresponding screw is also cut in the rod end, and the rod end is screwed into the through hole 220h. May be. Alternatively, other mechanisms for mechanically connecting and fixing the cap members, for example, a mechanism for fixing the both ends (cap members 220 and 221) of the module by using clamps may be used.

  Further, the mechanism is not limited to fixing the cap members 220 and 221 to each other, and is a mechanism for fixing the cap members 220 and 221 to a predetermined fixing position, and the cartridge 210 is detachably provided between the cap members 220 and 221. It is also possible to use what is provided. For example, a configuration in which a part of an apparatus or facility on which a separation membrane module is mounted functions as a base member (not shown) and each cap member 220, 221 is fixed to the base member may be used. Good.

  In the separation membrane module 201 of the present embodiment, for example, the following gas separation is performed: Pressurized air is introduced into the container through the gas inlet P1, and this air is the open end of the hollow fiber membrane 214. Is sent to the inside. While the pressurized air flows through the hollow fiber membrane 214, the oxygen-enriched air selectively permeates out of the membrane, and the permeated oxygen-enriched air is in the space in which the hollow fiber bundles between the tube plates are stored. Move to (transmission side space). This permeated gas is discharged to the outside through the opening 212 and the opening 223 which are permeated gas discharge ports. On the other hand, the nitrogen-enriched air that has not permeated is discharged to the outside through the other opening of the hollow fiber membrane 214 from the non-permeate gas discharge port P2, which is a non-permeate gas discharge port.

  According to the separation membrane module 201 of the present embodiment described above, the cartridge 210 containing the hollow fiber bundle 215 is configured to be replaceably attached between the cap members 220 and 221. It is only necessary to change the cartridge, and it is not necessary to replace the entire module, so that the cost of replacement parts can be reduced.

  On the other hand, a structure in which only the element corresponding to the hollow fiber element 215 inside is replaced can be considered. In this case, however, it is necessary to make a structure for detaching the replacement part in the cylindrical container 211. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the cylindrical container 211 that is a part of the cartridge 210 functions as it is as the case of the module 201, so that a complicated structure is not required. This is advantageous for reducing the weight of the separation membrane module 201 as a whole, and can be particularly suitably applied in fields where it is desired to reduce the weight of the module, for example, in the aviation field.

  Further, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the cap members 220 and 221 are connected by fixing means (245 and 246) which are separate parts from the cartridge 210, so that the cap member is connected to the cylindrical container 211. It is not necessary to form a structure portion (for example, a flange portion). Therefore, the structure of the cartridge 210 can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  In this embodiment, the elastic ring member R1 is held on the inner periphery of the cap members 220 and 221 so that the ring member R1 remains on the cap member side even when the cartridge 210 is removed during replacement. Yes. Such a configuration is advantageous in reducing the manufacturing cost of the cartridge 210 as compared to providing the ring member R1 on the cartridge 210 side.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the configuration of the present embodiment, a chamfer surface (tapered surface) is formed along the outer periphery of the end portion of the tube plate 230. Can be inserted smoothly.

  While the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments and can be variously modified. For example, regarding the sealing member for sealing between each member, the shape and arrangement position may be appropriately changed. In addition to the elastic ring members R1 and R2, additional sealing members may be provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the above embodiment exemplifies a configuration in which the elastic ring member R <b> 2 is fitted to the outer periphery of the cylindrical container 211, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the elastic ring is attached to the inner periphery of the cap members 220 and 221. A member R2 may be provided, and the elastic ring member R2 may remain on the cap members 220 and 221 side when the cartridge is replaced. In this case, since it is not necessary to form the outer peripheral groove 219 in the cylindrical container 211 of the cartridge 210, the manufacturing cost of the cartridge 211 can be further suppressed.

  In the above embodiment, an example of a separation membrane module constituting a so-called bore feed type has been shown, but the present invention can also be applied to a separation membrane module constituting a shell feed type. In this case, the cartridge corresponding to the shell feed type may be configured to be replaceably mounted between the cap members as described above.

(Other embodiments)
FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing a gas separation membrane module according to another embodiment of the present invention (the fixture is not shown). In the gas separation membrane module A201, a plurality of cartridges A210 are held by a pair of holding members A220 and A221. In FIG. 5, the number of cartridges A210 is three, but it is needless to say that two or four or more cartridges A210 may be held. With respect to the arrangement of the cartridges A210, the arrangement may be such that the cartridges A210 are arranged in a line as shown in FIG. 5, or may be an arrangement in which a plurality of cartridges A210 are arranged three-dimensionally.

  The holding member A220 is a member corresponding to the cap member 220 in FIG. 1, and the holding member A221 is a member corresponding to the cap member 221 in FIG. The holding member A220 may have a common gas inlet P1 for supplying gas to each cartridge A210. In the case of this configuration, a flow path (not shown) connecting the gas introduction port P1 and each cartridge A210 is formed inside the holding member A220, and gas is supplied to each cartridge A210 from the gas introduction port P1. It may be.

  The holding member A220 may have a common permeable gas outlet P4 for taking out the permeable gas from each cartridge A210 to the outside. In this case, a flow path (not shown) for connecting a permeate gas discharge port (not shown) and a permeate gas outlet P4 provided in each cartridge A220 may be formed inside the holding member A220.

  Similarly, the other holding member A221 may have a common non-permeate gas outlet P2 for taking out the non-permeate gas from each cartridge A210 to the outside. A flow path (not shown) for connecting a non-permeate gas discharge port (not shown) provided in each cartridge A210 and the outlet P2 may be formed inside the holding member A221.

  According to the configuration shown in FIG. 5, since the plurality of cartridges A210 are held together by the holding members A220 and A221, the configuration can be simplified compared to the case where the cartridges A210 are held one by one. it can. Further, since the gas inlet P1, the permeate gas outlet P4, and the non-permeate gas outlet P2 are also used in common, the configuration is simplified in this respect.

  Note that one or only two of the gas inlet P1, the permeate gas outlet P4, and the non-permeate gas outlet P2 may be shared, and the rest may be provided one by one corresponding to each cartridge A210. Although not shown in FIG. 5, a common purge gas introduction port for supplying purge gas to each cartridge A210 may be provided in the holding member A221.

  Various fixing tools for fixing the pair of holding members A220 and A221 can be used. For example, a fixing rod A245 as shown in FIG. 6 may be used. Both members A220 and A221 may be fixed using. As an example, the holding members A220 and A221 may be attached to a plate material (for example, a predetermined wall surface or floor surface), and the cartridge may be detachably set between the holding members A220 and A221. .

  In this specification, the phrase “fixing the cap member (here, the holding member)” means that the fixing member is not limited to connecting both the holding members using a fixing rod or the like, and for example, a plate material, a wall surface, or a floor surface In this case, the position is fixed by attaching each holding member to a predetermined base member.

  In addition, about the structure which was not mentioned especially in the above, the thing similar to 1st Embodiment can be utilized.

The invention according to the above-described embodiment is as follows:
(A1)
A cartridge in which a hollow fiber bundle composed of a number of hollow fiber membranes is housed in a cylindrical container;
Holding members attached to both ends of the cartridge;
A sealing member that seals between each holding member and the cartridge;
With
A gas separation membrane module, wherein the cartridge is configured to be replaceably mounted between the holding members;
A gas separation membrane module configured such that holding members (A220, A221) hold at least two of the plurality of cartridges (A210) and are fixed at predetermined positions.

201, A201 Gas separation membrane module 210, A210 Cartridge 211 Cylindrical container 212 Opening 214 Hollow fiber membrane 215 Hollow fiber bundle 217, 218 Inner circumferential groove 219 Outer circumferential groove 220, 221, A220, A221 Cap member (holding member)
220A End face 220B Cylindrical part 220f Flat part 220g Flat part 220h Through hole 223 Discharge port 227a, 227b Inner peripheral groove 230, 231 Tube sheet R1, R2 Elastic ring member 245, A245 Fixed rod 246 Nut P1 Gas inlet P2 Non-permeate gas exhaust Outlet P3 Gas flow path P4 Permeated gas outlet

Claims (5)

A cartridge in which a hollow fiber bundle composed of a number of hollow fiber membranes is housed in a cylindrical container;
Cap members attached to both ends of the cartridge;
A sealing member that seals between each cap member and the cartridge;
A fixing tool for fixing the cap members to each other,
A gas separation membrane module, wherein the cartridge is configured to be replaceably mounted between the cap members. As the fixture, at least one fixing rod for connecting the cap members to each other,
The gas separation membrane module according to claim 1, wherein each cap member has a through hole through which the fixing rod is inserted. The cap member is attached so as to cover the end of the cylindrical container,
The gas separation membrane module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing member is an elastic ring member disposed between an outer periphery of the cartridge and an inner periphery of the cap member.   The said elastic ring member is hold | maintained at the inner periphery of the said cap member, and is comprised so that it may remain in the said cap member side also when the said cartridge is removed from the said cap member at the time of replacement | exchange. Gas separation membrane module. The cartridge has a tube plate for holding the end of the hollow fiber bundle and isolating the inside and the outside of the cylindrical container,
An inner circumferential groove is formed in a region facing the tube plate inside the cylindrical container,
The gas separation membrane module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a part of the tube sheet is engaged with the inner circumferential groove.

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