JP2020049410A - Separation film module - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a separation film module configured so that bending loads applied to a support member supporting one ends of tubular separation films can be reduced and the number of the tubular separation films can be increased.SOLUTION: The separation film module comprises: a cylindrical housing 2; a plurality of tubular separation films 3 arranged in a longitudinal direction of the housing 2; end pipes 4 connected to lower ends of the tubular separation films 3; support boxes 5 for supporting the end pipes 4; and a back-pressure chamber 16 arranged below the support box 5. The insides of the tubular separation films 3 are communicated with assembly chambers 5v of the support boxes 5. Permeable fluid is taken out through a nozzle 5n provided in the support box 5. A chamber 11 is communicated with the back-pressure chamber 16 through a communication hole 14f of a tie-rod 14 and both chambers 11 and 16 are set to have approximately equal pressure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a separation membrane module used for separating some components from a fluid such as a solution or a mixed gas.

  BACKGROUND ART Separation membrane modules are known as devices for separating components in a solution or a mixed gas. The tubular separation membrane used in the separation membrane module has a tubular porous support and a porous separation membrane made of zeolite or the like provided on the outer peripheral surface of the support. In order to separate a specific component from a fluid such as a solution or a mixed gas, the specific component is separated by bringing the fluid of the solution into contact with one (outer surface) of the separation membrane element and depressurizing the other (inner surface). A method of vaporizing and separating, a method of vaporizing a solution and contacting the separation membrane in a gaseous state, depressurizing the non-contact surface side to separate a specific component, and contacting a pressurized gas mixture with the separation membrane. Methods for separating specific components are known.

  Patent Literature 1 (particularly, FIG. 6 (a) thereof) has a tubular housing vertically arranged and a plurality of tubular separation membranes vertically arranged in the housing. An end tube is connected to a lower end of the support tube. The end tube protrudes from an upper surface of a support plate installed so as to cross the housing, and an insertion hole is provided in the upper surface of the support plate. Describes a separation membrane module inserted into the insertion hole.

  Patent Literature 1 describes that a baffle into which an end tube is loosely inserted is disposed above a support plate. This support plate is held at a predetermined height by a tie rod.

  The gas that has passed through the tubular separation membrane flows into the outflow chamber below the support plate, and is taken out of the outflow chamber via the outflow port.

JP-A-2006-155093

  In the structure of Patent Document 1 in which the end tube connected to the lower end of the tubular separation membrane is inserted into the insertion hole of the support plate and the end tube is supported by the support box, the pressure in the outflow chamber below the support plate is reduced. Is lower than the pressure in the gas chamber to be processed on the upper side of the support plate, so that a large bending load is applied to the support plate.

  In the structure of Patent Document 1, gas in the fluid chamber to be processed above the support plate is prevented from leaking to the outflow chamber through the space between the outer peripheral surface of the support plate and the inner peripheral surface of the housing. For this reason, it is necessary to provide a sufficient seal between the outer peripheral surface of the support plate and the inner peripheral surface of the housing.

  Further, in Patent Document 1, since the tie rod is provided close to the inner peripheral surface of the housing, the tubular separation membrane is not provided at a portion along the inner peripheral surface of the housing, and the separation efficiency is improved. There was room for

  The present invention provides a separation membrane module in which a bending load applied to a support member supporting one end of a tubular separation membrane is reduced, and a seal member between an outer peripheral surface of the support member and an inner peripheral surface of the housing can be omitted. The purpose is to provide.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a separation membrane module in which a tubular separation membrane can be arranged at a portion along an inner peripheral surface of a housing.

  The separation membrane module of the present invention has a cylindrical housing, and a plurality of tubular separation membranes disposed in the housing in the longitudinal direction of the housing, and the fluid to be treated is provided at one end in the fluid chamber of the housing. A separation membrane module in which a fluid flowing from the side to the other end and permeating the tubular separation membrane is taken out through the tubular separation membrane, one end of the tubular separation membrane is installed so as to cross the housing. In a separation membrane module supported by the supporting member, a tie rod extending from the supporting member into the fluid chamber to be processed, and a collecting chamber provided in the supporting member and communicating with the inside of the tubular separation membrane, A take-out member for taking fluid out of the housing out of the housing, a back pressure chamber formed between the support member and an end of the housing, and a communication between the back pressure chamber and the fluid chamber to be processed. To Characterized by comprising a communication hole provided in Iroddo.

  In one aspect of the present invention, a baffle is disposed in the housing, and the baffle is held by the tie rod.

  In one aspect of the present invention, a plurality of tubular separation membrane units having the support member and the tubular separation membrane connected thereto are arranged in the housing, and the tubular separation membrane unit arranged closest to the back pressure chamber side Is connected to a collecting chamber of another tubular separation membrane unit by a connecting member.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the connection member is a nozzle extended from the support member.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the nozzles extend from each support member, and the nozzles of adjacent tubular separation membrane units are connected to each other.

  In one aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the tie rods are provided at an equal radius from the axis of the housing, and the tubular separation is provided on both the outer peripheral side and the axis side of a circle of the radius connecting the tie rods. A membrane is provided.

  In the separation membrane module of the present invention, the back pressure chamber is provided between the support member and the end of the housing, and the back pressure chamber communicates with the fluid chamber to be processed. Becomes substantially equal pressure. Therefore, the bending load due to the pressure of the fluid to be processed applied to the supporting member is eliminated or significantly reduced. Further, in the present invention, it is not necessary to provide a seal member between the outer peripheral surface of the support member and the inner peripheral surface of the back pressure chamber.

  In the present invention, a communication hole is provided in the tie rod so as to communicate the processing fluid chamber and the back pressure chamber. Therefore, the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the support member and the inner peripheral surface of the housing can be reduced. In addition, a tubular separation membrane can be provided at a portion along the inner peripheral surface of the housing. By separating the tie rods from the outer peripheral surface of the support member, the number of tubular separation membranes along the inner peripheral surface of the housing can be increased.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the separation membrane module according to the embodiment, taken along a housing axis line direction. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 1. It is an expanded sectional view of an end tube and a support box. It is sectional drawing in alignment with the housing axial line direction of the separation membrane module which concerns on another embodiment. It is sectional drawing in alignment with the housing axial line direction of the separation membrane module which concerns on another embodiment.

  A separation membrane module according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a cross section taken along line II of FIG.

  This separation membrane module 1 is provided at a lower part in the housing 2, a cylindrical housing 2 having a cylindrical axis in a vertical direction, a plurality of tubular separation membranes 3 arranged in a direction parallel to an axis of the housing 2. And a bottom cover 6A attached to the lower end of the housing 2 and a top cover 6B attached to the upper end of the housing 2, and are arranged at the lower and upper portions of the housing 2 in parallel with the support box 5. A first baffle (rectifying plate) 7 and a second baffle (rectifying plate) 8. The first baffle 7 is arranged above the support box 5.

  In this embodiment, outward flanges 2a, 2b, 6b, 6c are provided on the lower and upper ends of the housing 2 and the outer peripheral edges of the bottom cover 6A and the top cover 6B, respectively, and these are fixed by bolts (not shown). Have been.

  A minute gap is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the support box 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2. The support box 5 is placed on a plurality of protrusions 2t protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2.

  The projection 2t on which the support box 5 is placed is omitted, and for example, in order to increase the strength of the support box 5, a support (not shown) is raised from the bottom cover 6A, and the support box 5 is supported by the support. Good.

  A back pressure chamber 16 is provided between the support box 5 and the bottom cover 6A. The back pressure chamber 16 communicates with the chamber 11 through a communication hole 14f of the tie rod 14 described later. The back pressure chamber 16 communicates with the upper chamber 11 of the support box 5 via a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the support box 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2.

  In this embodiment, an end tube 4 is connected to the lower end of the tubular separation membrane 3. An end plug 20 is connected to the upper end of the tubular separation membrane 3. Although FIGS. 1 to 3 show 19 tubular separation membranes, the number of tubular separation membranes can be appropriately set as described later.

  In FIG. 1, the tubular separation membrane 3 is a single piece, but a plurality of, for example, two tubular separation membranes 3 may be connected via a joint pipe (not shown).

  An inlet 9 for the fluid to be treated is provided on the outer peripheral surface at the lower part of the housing 2, and an outlet 10 for the fluid to be treated is provided on the outer peripheral surface at the upper part. The inflow port 9 is provided so as to face a chamber 11 between the support box 5 and the first baffle 7. However, the inflow port 9 may be provided so as to face the back pressure chamber 16 as in the separation membrane module 1B in FIG. The same applies to a later-described embodiment of FIG. The outlet 10 is provided so as to face the outflow chamber 12 above the second baffle 8. A main chamber 13 for performing membrane separation is provided between the baffles 7 and 8.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the support box 5 is composed of a box having a top surface 5t, a bottom surface 5s and side surfaces 5u, and has a gas collecting chamber 5v inside. The bottom surface 5s is provided with a nozzle 5n for letting out gas in the collecting chamber 5v. An extraction nozzle 6n as an extraction member connected to the nozzle 5n by a flange connection or the like is provided through the bottom cover 6A.

  A plurality of tie rods 14 are erected from the support box 5, and the baffles 7, 8 are supported by the tie rods 14. In FIGS. 2 and 3, three tie rods 14 are provided. It is preferable that the number of the tie rods 14 is half or less of the number of the tubular separation membranes 3. Further, the position of the tie rod may be arranged at the position of the tubular separation membrane 3 arranged at a triangular pitch.

  The tie rod 14 passes through the top surface 5t of the support box 5, passes through the collecting chamber 5v, and penetrates the bottom surface 5s. The lower end of the tie rod 14 is flush with the bottom surface 5s, but may be slightly protruded or retracted.

  A communication hole 14f extends upward from the lower end surface of the tie rod 14. The communication hole 14f opens to the chamber 11 above the top surface 5f. Thus, as described above, the chamber 11 communicates with the back pressure chamber 16 below the support box 5 through the communication hole 14f.

  Note that the tie rod 14 may be formed of a pipe. In this case, the upper end of the pipe (or the middle in the vertical direction) is usually sealed. When the tie rod 14 is formed of a pipe, the fluid to be processed flowing into the back pressure chamber 16 passes through the tie rod and is introduced into the chamber 11 or the main chamber 13. In particular, when the inflow port 9 for the fluid to be treated is provided so as to face the back pressure chamber, the fluid to be treated can be introduced into the tubular separation membrane 3 through the tie rod 14.

  The tie rod 14 is preferably airtightly connected to the support box 5 by welding, brazing, or the like. The baffles 7 and 8 are held at a predetermined height of the tie rod 14 by screwing or nut fastening, welding or brazing, fitting using an O-ring or a seal material, or the like. A sheath tube (not shown) may be externally fitted to the tie rod 14, and the baffles 7, 8 may be held by the sheath tube.

  In this embodiment, each tie rod 14 is arranged between the axis of the housing 2 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2. Each tie rod 14 is located at an equiradius from the axis of the housing 2, but is not limited thereto and may be located at a different radius. . The tubular separation membrane 3 is also provided on the outer peripheral side of the circle having this radius. The tubular separation membrane 3 may be disposed on the circle having the radius, and the arrangement pattern may be such that the tubular separation membrane 3 is not disposed further on the outer peripheral side.

  The tie rod 14 may be a single tie rod or a tie rod connected in the middle.

  A sealing member such as an O-ring, a V-packing, or a C-ring is interposed between the outer peripheral surfaces of the baffles 7 and 8 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2, and gas is preferentially supplied along the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2. It may not flow.

  Each of the baffles 7 and 8 is provided with circular insertion holes 7a and 8a through which the tubular separation membrane 3 is inserted, and a connected body of the tubular separation membrane 3, the end pipe 4 and the end plug 20 is inserted into each of the insertion holes 7a. , 8a. The diameter of the insertion holes 7a and 8a is larger than the diameter (outer diameter) of the tubular separation membrane 3, the end pipe 4 and the end plug 20, and the inner peripheral surfaces of the insertion holes 7a and 8a and the end pipe 4 and the end plug 20. There is a gap between the outer circumference and the outer circumference.

  On the top surface 5t side of the support box 5, an insertion hole 5a into which the lower end of the end tube 4 connected to the tubular separation membrane 3 is inserted is provided. The insertion hole 5a has a cylindrical shape and extends from the upper surface of the support box 5 to a point in the thickness direction. The hole bottom of the insertion hole 5a faces the collecting chamber 5v via the small hole 5b and the large hole 5c (or only the small hole 5b without the large hole 5c).

  A gasket (not shown) is interposed between the lower end surface of the end tube 4 and the bottom surface of the insertion hole 5a. Alternatively, an O-ring (not shown) is interposed between the side surface of the end tube 4 and the side surface of the insertion hole 5a.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the hole 4a of each end pipe 4 communicates with the collecting chamber 5v via the small hole 5b and the large hole 5c. The connection between the end pipe 4 and the tubular separation membrane 3 is sealed by using a gasket, an O-ring, or a heat-shrinkable tube.

  An end plug 20 is connected to the upper end of the tubular separation membrane 3. The end plug 20 has a columnar shape or a shape in which a part of the end plug 20 is shaved, and seals the upper end of the tubular separation membrane 3. At the lower end of the end plug 20, a small diameter portion inserted into the tubular separation membrane 3 is provided. The space between the end plug 20 and the tubular separation membrane 3 is sealed by a gasket or an O-ring. Although not shown, the space between the end plug 20 and the tubular separation membrane 3 may be sealed by using a heat-shrinkable tube.

  In the present invention, the end pipe 4 and the support box 5 may be arranged on the upper end side of the tubular separation membrane 3, and the end plug 20 may be arranged on the lower end side of the tubular separation membrane 3.

  In the separation membrane module 1, the fluid to be treated is introduced into the chamber 11 of the housing 2 from the inflow port 9 and passes through the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 7 a of the baffle 7 and the outer peripheral surface of the end pipe 4. After flowing into the main chamber 13 and passing through the main chamber 13, it flows out to the chamber 12 through a gap between the insertion hole 8 a of the baffle 8 and the end plug 20. While flowing through the main chamber 13, some components of the fluid to be processed permeate the tubular separation membrane 3 and are taken out of the tubular separation membrane 3 through the collecting chamber 5v and the nozzles 5n, 6n. The fluid which has not permeated flows out of the separation membrane module 1 from the outlet 10.

  In this embodiment, the inside of the back pressure chamber 16 and the inside of the chamber 11 communicate with each other through a communication hole 14f and a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the support box 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2, and the pressure in both chambers is increased. Since there is no difference or extremely small, the bending load applied to the support box 5 is extremely small. Further, a member for sealing between the outer peripheral surface of the support box 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2 is unnecessary.

  In this embodiment, the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the support box 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing may be made sufficiently small as long as the support box 5 can be taken in and out of the housing 2.

  The flow in the main chamber 13 and the flow in the tubular separation membrane 3 may be co-current or counter-current, and the inflow port 9 and the outflow port 10 of the fluid to be treated may be interchanged.

  The separation membrane module 1 may be used with the top cover 6B side up as shown in FIG. 1 or may be used with the bottom cover 6A side up. Further, the separation membrane module 1 may be installed horizontally so that the direction connecting the bottom cover 6A and the top cover 6B is substantially horizontal.

  In this embodiment, a large number of tubular separation membranes 3 are arranged and arranged in parallel, and the tubular separation membranes 3 are also arranged in a portion immediately adjacent to the inner peripheral surface along the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2. Is large, so that membrane separation is efficiently performed.

  In this embodiment, end tubes 4 and end plugs 20 connected to the upper and lower ends of the tubular separation membrane 3 are inserted into insertion holes 7a and 8a of baffles 7 and 8, respectively. Therefore, even if the tubular separation membrane 3 vibrates or swings and the end pipe 4 and the end plug 20 abut against the inner peripheral surfaces of the insertion holes 7a and 8a, the zeolite membrane is not damaged, and the operation is stable for a long time. It can be performed.

  Referring to FIG. 5, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  In the separation membrane module 1A of this embodiment, a plurality of tubular separation membrane units 30, 31 are provided in the housing 2. The upper tubular separation membrane unit 30 is composed of the support box 5, the end pipe 4, the tubular separation membrane 3, the end plug 20, the baffles 7, 8 and the tie rods 14 in FIGS.

  The configuration of the lower tubular separation membrane unit 31 is substantially the same as that of the tubular separation membrane unit 30, except that a communication nozzle 6i as a connecting member extends upward from the center of the top surface 5t of the support box 5. Are different. The upper end of the communication nozzle 6i extends above the baffle 8 of the tubular separation membrane unit 31, and the upper end is connected to the lower end of the nozzle 5n of the upper tubular separation membrane unit 30 by screw connection, flange connection, or the like. Have been.

  There is a small gap between the outer peripheral surface of the support box 5 of the tubular separation membrane units 30 and 31 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2 to such an extent that each of the housings 2 can be taken in and out.

  Other configurations of the separation membrane module 1A are the same as those of the separation membrane module 1, and the same reference numerals denote the same parts.

  In this separation membrane module 1A as well, the fluid to be treated flows into the housing 2 from the inlet 9, the specific component permeates through the tubular separation membrane 3, and the non-permeate flows out from the outlet 10. The gas that has passed through each tubular separation membrane 3 of the lower tubular separation membrane unit 31 flows into the collecting chamber 5v in the support box 5 of the tubular separation membrane unit 31, and is taken out through the nozzles 5n and 6n.

  The fluid that has not permeated through the tubular separation membrane 3 of the lower tubular separation membrane unit 31 passes through the opening 8a of the baffle 8 of the tubular separation membrane unit 31, and the support box 5 between the baffle 8 and the tubular separation membrane unit 30. And then flows into the upper chamber 11 of the support box 5 through the communication hole 14f and the gap between the support box 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2, and then to the main chamber 13. Inflow.

  The gas that has passed through each of the tubular separation membranes 3 of the upper tubular separation membrane unit 30 flows into the collecting chamber 5v of the support box 5 of the tubular separation membrane unit 30, and passes through the nozzles 5n and 6i to form the lower tubular separation membrane. It flows into the collecting chamber 5v in the support box 5 of the unit 31, and is taken out through the nozzles 5n and 6n.

  The non-permeate fluid of the upper tubular separation membrane 30 flows out of the outlet 10 through the outlet chamber 12.

  In the separation membrane module 1A, the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the support box 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2 is reduced, so that the space from the buffer chamber 17 passes through the gap to the chamber 11 of the tubular separation membrane unit 30. The inflow rate can be reduced. As a result, in the upper tubular separation membrane unit 30, the fluid to be treated is prevented from flowing along the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2 in a short-circuit manner, and the separation efficiency is improved.

  In the separation membrane module 1A, the length of the housing 2 can be increased, and a plurality of tubular separation membrane units can be arranged in the housing 2. In FIG. 5, the tubular separation membrane units 30 and 31 are shown one by one. However, a configuration in which a plurality of tubular separation membrane units 31 are arranged and connected in multiple stages in the upper and lower directions, and the tubular separation membrane unit 30 is connected to the uppermost part. It may be. Alternatively, a structure may be employed in which a plurality of tubular separation membrane units 31 are arranged and connected in multiple stages, and the uppermost nozzle 6i is sealed with a cap, flange, or the like. As a result, it is possible to configure only the units having the same structure, and it is possible to reduce the cost.

  When a plurality of tubular separation membrane units are set up and down, the upper tubular separation membrane unit is supported by the lower tubular separation membrane unit. A support member for preventing rocking may be provided.

  Hereinafter, suitable materials and the like of the end pipe 4, the end plug 20, and the tubular separation membrane 3 constituting the separation membrane module of the present invention will be described.

  Materials that do not allow fluid to permeate, such as metals and ceramics, are exemplified as materials for the end tube 4 and the end plug 20, but are not limited thereto. The material of the baffles 7, 8, 51 and the joint pipe 17 is usually a metal material such as stainless steel, but is not particularly limited as long as it has heat resistance under separation conditions and resistance to supply and permeation components. It can be changed to another material such as a material.

  The tubular separation membrane 3 preferably has a tubular porous support and a zeolite membrane as an inorganic separation membrane formed on the outer peripheral surface of the porous support. Examples of the material of the tubular porous support include inorganic porous materials such as ceramic sintered bodies and metal sintered bodies containing silica, α-alumina, γ-alumina, mullite, zirconia, titania, yttria, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, and the like. Quality support. Among them, an inorganic porous support containing at least one of alumina, silica and mullite is preferable. The average pore diameter of the surface of the porous support is not particularly limited, but those having a controlled pore diameter are preferable, and usually 0.02 μm or more, preferably 0.05 μm or more, and more preferably 0.1 μm or more. The range is usually 20 μm or less, preferably 10 μm or less, and more preferably 5 μm or less.

The zeolite is crystallized on the surface of the porous support to form a zeolite membrane.
The main zeolite constituting the zeolite membrane usually contains a zeolite having an oxygen 6-10-membered ring structure, and preferably contains a zeolite having an oxygen 6-8-membered ring structure.

  Here, the value of n of the zeolite having an oxygen n-membered ring indicates the one having the largest number of oxygen among the pores formed of oxygen and the T element forming the zeolite skeleton. For example, when pores having a 12-membered oxygen ring and an 8-membered ring exist as in a MOR type zeolite, it is regarded as a zeolite having a 12-membered oxygen ring.

  Examples of zeolites having an oxygen 6-10 membered ring structure include AEI, AEL, AFG, ANA, BRE, CAS, CDO, CHA, DAC, DDR, DOH, EAB, EPI, ESV, EUO, FAR, FRA, FER, GIS, GIU, GOO, HEU, IMF, ITE, ITH, KFI, LEV, LIO, LOS, LTN, MAR, MEP, MER, MEL, MFI, MFS, MON, MSO, MTF, MTN, MTT, MWW, NAT, NES, NON, PAU, PHI, RHO, RRO, RTE, RTH, RUT, SGT, SOD, STF, STI, STT, TER, TOL, TON, TSC, TUN, UFI, VNI, VSV, WEI, YUG, etc. There is.

  The zeolite membrane may be one in which zeolite alone becomes a membrane, or one in which the zeolite powder is dispersed in a binder such as a polymer to form a membrane, and zeolite is fixed in a membrane on various supports. It may be a zeolite membrane composite. The zeolite membrane may partially contain an amorphous component or the like.

  The thickness of the zeolite membrane is not particularly limited, but is usually 0.1 μm or more, preferably 0.6 μm or more, and more preferably 1.0 μm or more. Further, it is usually 100 μm or less, preferably 60 μm or less, more preferably 20 μm or less, more preferably 12 μm or less, and particularly preferably 10 μm or less.

  However, in the present invention, a tubular separation membrane having a separation membrane other than the zeolite membrane may be used.

  The outer diameter of the tubular separation membrane 3 is preferably 3 mm or more, more preferably 6 mm or more, further preferably 10 mm or more, preferably 20 mm or less, more preferably 18 mm or less, still more preferably 16 mm or less, and particularly preferably 14 mm or less. . If the outer diameter is too small, the strength of the tubular separation membrane may not be sufficient and the tube may be easily broken. If the outer diameter is too large, the membrane area per module decreases.

  The length of the portion of the tubular separation membrane 3 covered with the zeolite membrane is preferably 20 cm or more, preferably 200 cm or less.

  In the separation membrane module of the present invention, the tubular separation membrane may be a single tube type or a multi-tube type, and is usually arranged in a number of 1 to 3000, particularly 6 to 2000, and the shortest distance between the tubular separation membranes is 1 mm to 10 mm. It is preferable to arrange them so that The size of the housing and the number of tubular separation membranes are appropriately changed depending on the amount of fluid to be processed. Note that the tubular separation membranes need not be connected by the joint pipe 17. Further, in the description with reference to the drawings, the separation membrane module 1 is installed vertically, but may be used horizontally or inclined.

  In the separation membrane module of the present invention, the treatment target fluid to be separated or concentrated is not particularly limited as long as it is a gas or liquid mixture composed of a plurality of components that can be separated or concentrated by the separation membrane. However, it is preferable to use a mixture of gases.

  For separation or concentration of a liquid, a separation or concentration method called a pervaporation method (pervaporation method) or a vapor permeation method (vapor permeation method) can be used. The pervaporation method is a separation or concentration method in which a liquid mixture is directly introduced into a separation membrane, so that a process including separation or concentration can be simplified.

  In the present invention, when the mixture to be separated or concentrated is a gas mixture composed of a plurality of components, examples of the gas mixture include carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, methane, ethane, ethylene, and propane. , At least one selected from aromatic compounds such as propylene, normal butane, isobutane, 1-butene, 2-butene, isobutene, and toluene, sulfur hexafluoride, helium, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, and water And those containing components. Of the mixture of these gas components, the gas component having a high permeance is separated through the separation membrane, and the gas component having a low permeance is concentrated on the supply gas side.

  The separation membrane modules of the present invention can be used in combination depending on the amount of fluid or the desired degree of separation and concentration. If the amount of fluid is large, or if the desired degree of separation / concentration is so high that one module cannot be processed sufficiently, connect the piping so that the fluid that has exited the outlet enters the inlet of another module. Is preferred. Further, the desired degree of separation / concentration can be obtained by further linking according to the degree of separation / concentration.

  The separation membrane modules of the present invention may be installed in parallel to split a fluid and supply gas. At this time, it is also possible to install a module in series with each of the parallel modules. When the parallel modules are connected in series, the supply gas amount decreases in the serial direction and the linear velocity decreases. Therefore, it is preferable to reduce the number of parallel installations so as to maintain the linear velocity appropriately.

  In the case where the modules are arranged in series, the permeated components may be discharged for each module, or the modules may be connected and collected to be discharged.

1, 1A, 1B Separation membrane module 2 Housing 2a, 2b Flange 2t Projection 3 Tubular separation membrane 4 End tube 4a Tube hole 5 Support box 5a Insertion hole 5b Small hole 5c Large hole 5n Nozzle 5s Bottom surface 5t Top surface 5u Side surface 5v Meeting room 6A Bottom cover 6B Top cover 6b, 6c Flange
6i, 6n Nozzle 6v Collecting chamber 7, 8 Baffle 7a, 8a Insertion hole 9 Inlet 10 Outlet 11, 12, Chamber 13 Main chamber 14 Tie rod 14f Communication hole 16 Back pressure chamber 20 End plug 30, 31 Tubular separation membrane unit

Claims (6)

A cylindrical housing;
A plurality of tubular separation membranes disposed in the housing in a longitudinal direction of the housing,
A separation membrane module in which a fluid to be treated flows from one end side to the other end side in a fluid chamber to be treated in the housing, and a fluid permeating the tubular separation membrane is taken out through the tubular separation membrane,
One end of the tubular separation membrane is a separation membrane module supported by a support member installed so as to cross the housing,
A tie rod extending from the support member into the fluid chamber to be processed;
A collection chamber provided in the support member, the inside of the tubular separation membrane communicating with each other,
An extraction member for extracting the fluid in the collection chamber out of the housing;
A back pressure chamber formed between the support member and an end of the housing;
A separation membrane module comprising: a communication hole provided in the tie rod so as to communicate the back pressure chamber and the fluid chamber to be processed.   The separation membrane module according to claim 1, wherein a baffle is disposed in the housing, and the baffle is held by the tie rod.   A plurality of the tubular separation membrane units having the support member and the tubular separation membrane connected to the support member are arranged in the housing, and the collection chamber of the tubular separation membrane unit arranged closest to the back pressure chamber side, and the like. 3. The separation membrane module according to claim 1, wherein the collection chamber of the tubular separation membrane unit is connected by a connecting member. 4.   The separation membrane module according to claim 3, wherein the connection member is a nozzle extending from the support member.   The separation membrane module according to claim 4, wherein the nozzles extend from the respective support members, and the nozzles of adjacent tubular separation membrane units are connected to each other. A plurality of the tie rods are provided at an equal radius from the axis of the housing,
The separation membrane module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tubular separation membrane is provided on both an outer peripheral side and an axial center side of a circle having the radius connecting the tie rods.

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