JP5966757B2 - Gas separation membrane module and hollow fiber element replacement method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas separation membrane module or the like that performs gas separation using a hollow fiber membrane, and in particular, a gas separation that can easily and accurately perform mounting or the like of a replaceable hollow fiber element. The present invention relates to a method for replacing a membrane module and a hollow fiber element.

  Conventionally, as a 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 frames are used. Type, tubular type, and hollow fiber membrane type. Among them, the hollow fiber membrane type gas separation membrane module not only has the advantage that the membrane area per unit volume is the largest, but also has excellent pressure resistance and self-supporting properties. It is advantageous and widely used.

  Various types of hollow fiber membrane type gas separation membrane modules have been proposed in which hollow fiber elements (details below) are provided so as to be replaceable with respect to the container. The hollow fiber element has a hollow fiber bundle composed of a number of hollow fiber membranes having selective permeability, a resin-made cured plate (tube plate) formed at one or both ends of the hollow fiber bundle, and the like. It is a replacement part to be attached to and detached from.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a gas separation membrane module that includes a hollow fiber element and a container that accommodates the hollow fiber element, and performs gas separation by supplying a relatively high pressure mixed gas to the hollow fiber element. Specifically, the hollow fiber element has a hollow fiber bundle composed of a number of hollow fiber membranes and a core tube disposed at the center thereof, and a part of the core tube protrudes from the hollow fiber bundle. The nozzle part is configured. When the hollow fiber element is mounted, the hollow fiber element is inserted into the container so that the nozzle portion is inserted into a predetermined core tube fixing portion in the container.

JP 2008-178872 A

  In the case of the configuration as in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to accurately position the nozzle portion of the hollow fiber element with respect to the core tube fixing portion in the container. For example, when the total length of the hollow fiber element is relatively long There is a problem that it is difficult to control the position of the nozzle portion, and it takes time to insert the nozzle portion into the core tube fixing portion. Further, in that case, the nozzle part and the core tube fixing part are not correctly connected, the sealing performance between the two members becomes insufficient, and the functionality of the gas separation membrane module may be lowered. In addition, if the insertion is forced, the nozzle part may be damaged.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a gas separation membrane module and a hollow fiber element that can easily and accurately mount a replaceable hollow fiber element. It is to provide an exchange method.

The mode of the present invention for achieving the above object is as follows:
1. A gas separation membrane module that performs gas separation by supplying a mixed gas to a hollow fiber membrane,
(A) A replaceable hollow fiber element having a hollow fiber bundle composed of a number of hollow fiber membranes, and a core tube that is disposed substantially at the center of the hollow fiber bundle and partially protrudes as a nozzle portion,
(B) a cylindrical container having at least an opening through which the hollow fiber element is taken in and out, and a core tube fixing part in which a channel that fixes the nozzle unit and communicates with a gas channel in the nozzle unit is formed; ,
(C) a lid member attached to the opening,
further,
When the hollow fiber element is inserted into the cylindrical container or when the element is pulled out, the hollow fiber element is provided with a guide member that guides the hollow fiber element while keeping the position of the nozzle portion at a predetermined position. Gas separation membrane module.

2. The guide member is
A main body portion formed with a support portion for supporting a part of the nozzle portion or the hollow fiber element;
A leg portion provided on the main body portion and substantially in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical container;
2. The gas separation membrane module according to 1 above, comprising:

3. The gas separation membrane module according to the above, wherein the guide member has two legs.

4). The gas separation membrane module according to the above, wherein the leg is a round bar-shaped member.

5. The round bar-shaped leg portion is provided substantially perpendicularly to the main body portion, and a portion extending from the main body portion in the first direction extends in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The gas separation membrane module as described above, which is longer than the above.

6). The gas separation membrane module according to the above, wherein the two hollow fiber elements are coaxially arranged in the cylindrical container.

7). A method of replacing a hollow fiber element in a cylindrical container of a gas separation membrane module,
at least,
(A) inserting the distal end side of the hollow fiber element into the inside thereof from the opening of the cylindrical container;
(B) moving the hollow fiber element further back along the axial direction of the cylindrical container;
(C) inserting and connecting the nozzle portion at the tip of the hollow fiber element to the core tube fixing portion in the cylindrical container;
Including
At least in the steps (b) and (c), while using a guide member that keeps the position of the nozzle part at a predetermined position, the hollow fiber element is moved and the nozzle part is inserted and connected to the core tube fixing part. How to replace the hollow fiber element.

In this application, “substantially vertical” includes both vertical and substantially vertical. “Substantially center” includes both center and substantial center. “Substantially abutting” includes both abutting and substantially abutting.
The “lid member” is intended to be attached so as to cover the opening or the like, and is not necessarily limited to a member for closing the portion.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the gas separation membrane module and the replacement | exchange method of a hollow fiber element which can perform the attachment of the hollow fiber element provided so that replacement | exchange etc. easily and correctly are provided.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the gas separation membrane module of 1st Embodiment. It is a side view of the hollow fiber element detachably attached to the module of FIG. It is a figure which shows the guide member used when attaching a hollow fiber element. It is a figure which shows attachment of a hollow fiber element. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the gas separation membrane module of 2nd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, terms indicating directions such as right, left, top, and bottom may be used, but these terms do not limit the present invention.

[Configuration of gas separation membrane module]
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the gas separation membrane module of the present embodiment. This gas separation membrane module 100 is, for example, a shell feed type, and basically separates gases in the same manner as Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-178872 filed earlier by the present applicant. Regarding the configuration of the gas separation membrane module 100, a part of the description of the same or substantially the same configuration as that disclosed in this document will be omitted.

  In addition, although FIGS. 1-5 demonstrates the example which inserts a hollow fiber element (following) sideways fundamentally, this invention is not limited to this. A configuration in which the hollow fiber element is inserted vertically will be described in a fourth embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the gas separation membrane module 100 is attached to one replaceable hollow fiber element 140, a cylindrical container 110 that accommodates the hollow fiber element 140, and both ends of the cylindrical container 110. And lid members 125 and 127.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the hollow fiber element 140 has a hollow fiber bundle 149 formed by bundling a number of hollow fiber membranes. The cross-sectional shape of the hollow fiber bundle 149 may be circular as an example. A tube plate (not shown) for fixing the hollow fiber membrane is formed at one end or both ends of the hollow fiber bundle 149. The material of the tube sheet is not particularly limited, and a conventionally known thermosetting resin or the like can be used.

  The hollow fiber element 140 has a core tube 142 disposed at the approximate center of the hollow fiber bundle 149. One end (the right side in the figure) of the core tube 142 protrudes from a tip cap 148 (detailed below) at the end of the hollow fiber bundle 149 as a nozzle portion 143. The nozzle portion 143 is a portion inserted into a core tube fixing portion 121 described later, and a tapered portion 143a is formed at the tip of the nozzle portion 143. An annular groove 143b for fitting an O-ring is formed on the outer periphery of the nozzle portion 143. Although not limited, the core tube 142 and the nozzle part 143 are metal as an example. In the following description, the nozzle portion 143 side may be expressed as the “tip (side)” of the hollow fiber element, and the opposite side may be expressed as the “base end (side)”.

  The hollow fiber element 140 includes a proximal end cap 146 provided on the proximal end side of the hollow fiber bundle 149 and a distal end cap 148 provided on the distal end side. A tube plate (not shown) for fixing the hollow fiber membrane is disposed in the proximal end cap 146. Two annular grooves 146a for fitting an O-ring are formed on the outer periphery of the base end cap 146. Attached adjacent to the proximal cap 146 is a perforated plate 147 (details below).

  For example, the tip cap 148 may play a role of pressing the end of the looped hollow fiber membrane. The tip cap 148 has a disk shape as an example, and the front surface 148 a is a flat surface that goes straight in the axial direction of the core tube 142. It should be noted that the hollow fiber membrane being looped does not limit the present invention.

  The hollow fiber membrane may be made of any material as long as it has gas separation performance. For example, it is a polymer material, particularly polyimide, polysulfone, polyetherimide, polyphenylene oxide, polycarbonate, etc. at room temperature (23 ° C.). A glassy polymer material is preferable because it can be easily looped and has good gas separation performance.

  The tube sheet is preferably formed of a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, or a thermosetting resin made of epoxy resin or urethane resin. The tube plate separates the space in the container by the tube plate, and isolates the outer space of the hollow fiber membrane from the space communicating with the gas flow path formed between the inside of the hollow fiber membrane and the lid member. Have a role.

  The perforated plate 147 is interposed between the tube plate of the hollow fiber element 140 and the lid member 125, and has a role of preventing the deformation of the tube plate by receiving the pressure received from the tube plate together with the lid member 125. As the perforated plate 147, a conventionally known one (for example, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-178872) can be used. As an example, the perforated plate 147 has a large number of through holes (not shown) in the thickness direction thereof, and has both a function as a structure and a function as a flow path for flowing gas. The material can be metal, resin, ceramics, or the like.

  The perforated plate may be mounted such that at least a portion thereof touches the tube plate and thereby supports the tube plate. The perforated plate may be configured to support the tube plate in contact with the tube plate at the center portion and the outer peripheral portion. Another role of the porous plate is to secure a flow path for the permeated gas discharged from the opening of the hollow fiber membrane located on the surface of the tube sheet and guide it to the gas flow path of the lid member.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a film 145 that does not substantially transmit gas may be wound around the hollow fiber bundle 149. The film 145 covers most of the outer surface (specifically, 60% or more, particularly 80% or more of the side surface area) excluding the vicinity of the tube sheet (exposed portion A140) of the hollow fiber bundle 149. Also good. The film 145 is not particularly limited as long as it is a film-like material that does not substantially transmit gas, and a film made of a polymer material, a metal foil, or the like can be suitably used. The film 145 may have a role of controlling the flow of the gas mixture in the container, and a role of maintaining the shape of the entire hollow fiber bundle as one united structure around the core tube. Alternatively, a part of the tip cap 148 may be extended.

  The exposed portion A140 that is not covered with the film 145 may be covered with a mesh. As the net-like material, a sheet-like material that transmits gas, particularly a sheet-like material having a porosity of 30% by volume or more, preferably 50% by volume or more is suitable. The net does not necessarily need to be a net. A woven fabric, knitted fabric, cloth-like or net-like sheet-like material made of a fiber material, a polymer material, a paper material, a metal material, or the like is preferable. Particularly preferred are elastic nets. This network does not impede gas permeation and maintains the shape of the entire bundle of hollow fibers around the core tube as one united structure. Especially, the hollow fiber membranes fluctuate due to fluctuations in gas flow. It has a role to suppress. For this reason, it is preferable that the end portion of the mesh is embedded and fixed in the tube sheet together with the hollow fiber membrane.

  The core tube 142 has a role of preventing the hollow fiber element 140 from being deformed and maintaining its shape. The base end portion (the left end portion in the drawing, not shown) of the core tube 142 may be fixed to the tube plate. The fixing may be performed by embedding the core tube 142 itself in a tube plate. In addition, for example, a resin member formed with a screw may be used to connect by screwing. The core tube 142 has a gas flow path formed therein. A plurality of holes are formed in the outer peripheral surface of the core tube 142. Thereby, the non-permeating gas that has not permeated through the hollow fiber membrane is sent into the core tube through the plurality of holes, and the non-permeating gas is discharged from the nozzle portion 143 of the core tube 142. .

Next, the cylindrical container 110 and the lid members 125 and 127 will be described.
The cylindrical container 110 has a cylindrical portion 111 and flange portions 112 and 113 formed at both ends thereof. In the example of FIG. 1, the cylindrical container 110 is disposed sideways, and thus the hollow fiber element 140 is also inserted sideways. A core tube fixing part 121 into which the nozzle part 143 of the hollow fiber element 140 is inserted is provided in the cylindrical container 110. The core tube fixing portion 121 has a function of holding the core tube 142 in the central hole 121a and guiding the gas from the core tube 142 to the outside of the container. The core fixing part 121 may have a taper part (not shown) for facilitating insertion of the nozzle part 143 at the center hole entrance part. The shape of the taper portion is not particularly limited, and various taper shapes can be used.

  A mixed gas introducing portion 115 is formed in the cylindrical portion 111 of the cylindrical container 110. The mixed gas from the outside is introduced into the cylindrical container 110 via the gas flow path 115a of the mixed gas introducing portion 115.

The gas separation membrane module 100 configured as described above is used as follows:
First, the mixed gas is introduced into the cylindrical container 110 from the gas flow path 115 a of the mixed gas introduction unit 115. Next, the introduced mixed gas flows outside the film 145 toward the proximal end side of the hollow fiber element 140 and comes into contact with the hollow fiber membrane at the exposed portion A140. A part of the mixed gas flows in the direction opposite to the supply direction of the mixed gas this time inside the film. In this way, when the mixed gas flows while contacting each hollow fiber membrane, the specific component gas in the mixed gas selectively permeates the hollow fiber membrane, and the permeated gas (permeated gas) is the hollow fiber membrane. It passes through the inside and is sent out from the end of the tube sheet. This permeated gas is discharged to the outside through the gas passage 125 a of the lid member 125 through the opening 110 a of the cylindrical container 110.

  On the other hand, the non-permeating gas that has not permeated the hollow fiber membrane flows into the inside through a plurality of holes on the outer periphery of the core tube 142, and is sent from the nozzle portion 143 through the core tube. The non-permeating gas from the nozzle part 143 is then discharged to the outside through the gas passage 127a of the lid member 127 via the central hole 121a of the core tube fixing part 121.

  The gas separation membrane module 100 of the present embodiment is for separating and recovering a specific gas component from a mixed gas having a gauge pressure of about 0.1 to 30 MPa, preferably about 0.2 to 25 MPa, particularly about 1 to 25 MPa. Can be suitably used.

  Although not particularly limited, for example, the use of separating and recovering oxygen-enriched air and nitrogen-enriched air from air, separating and recovering hydrogen and helium from a mixed gas containing hydrogen and helium, and methane gas and carbonic acid. It can be suitably used in applications where methane gas and carbon dioxide gas are selectively separated and recovered from a mixed gas containing gas.

(Installation of hollow fiber element)
As described above, in the present embodiment, the hollow fiber element 140 is inserted into the cylindrical container 110 in the horizontal direction and attached to the container. In such a configuration, it is necessary to accurately position the nozzle portion 143 at the tip of the hollow fiber element 140 with respect to the central hole 121 a of the core tube fixing portion 121. However, depending on the specifications, the hollow fiber element 140 may be longer than 1 m. In this case, it is more difficult to insert the nozzle portion 143 of the hollow fiber element 140 into the central hole 121a of the core tube fixing portion 121. Become.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, a guide member 160 as shown in FIG. 3 is used. As shown in FIG. 3A, the guide member 160 includes a main body portion 161 having a concave support portion 161 s that supports the lower portion of the core tube 142, and two leg portions provided at the lower portion of the main body portion 161. 163. Although not limited, the main body portion 161 and the leg portion 163 may be made of metal.

  As the guide member 160, (i) a function of keeping the nozzle portion 143 at a predetermined height, and (ii) a function of moving inside the cylindrical container 110 together with the element when the hollow fiber element 140 is inserted. As long as it is provided, any configuration other than that shown in FIG. 3 can be adopted.

  The main body 161 is a flat plate member in this example, and has a substantially trapezoidal outline shape when viewed from the front as shown in FIG. The support portion 161 s is formed on the upper side portion of the main body portion 161 and supports the lower portion of the nozzle portion 143. The support portion 161s may be formed as an arc-shaped recess corresponding to the outer shape of the nozzle portion 143. Thereby, the nozzle part 143 can be hold | maintained stably. Alternatively, the support portion 161s may be a V-shaped groove instead of the arc-shaped recess.

  Each leg portion 163 is attached vertically or substantially perpendicular to the flat plate-like main body portion 161. The leg 163 may be a solid or hollow round bar. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3A, the contact area between the outer peripheral surface of the leg portion 163 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical container 110 is reduced, and furthermore, the curves are in contact with each other. Can be easily slid in the cylindrical container 110.

  With respect to the position at which the main body portion 161 is fixed to the leg portion 163 (see FIG. 3C), the main body portion 161 may be provided at the center in the length direction of the leg portion 163. In the present embodiment, instead, the main body 161 is attached at a position shifted from the center of the leg 163. In FIG. 3C, of the leg portion 163, a relatively long portion is shown as a long portion 163a, and a relatively short portion is shown as a short portion 163b.

  Hereinafter, attachment of the hollow fiber element 140 using the guide member 160 will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 4A, a guide member 160 is disposed in the vicinity of the inlet in the cylindrical container 110 in a state where the lid member 125 is not attached. The guide member 160 is disposed in such an orientation that the long portion 163a side of the leg portion 163 is the front side in the insertion direction. Then, the hollow fiber element 140 is inserted into the cylindrical container 110 from the opening 100 a so that the nozzle portion 143 of the hollow fiber element 140 is supported on the support portion 161 s of the guide member 160.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the hollow fiber element 140 is further inserted into the cylindrical container 110. At this stage, the guide member 160 supports the nozzle portion 163a with the support portion 161s, and one surface of the main body portion 161 is in contact with the front end cap front surface 148a of the hollow fiber element 140. Therefore, when the hollow fiber element 140 is inserted, the guide member 160 is also pushed and slid by the hollow fiber element 140.

  The guide member 160 slides in this way, but in this embodiment, the leg portion 163 has a round bar shape as shown in FIG. 3, so the leg portion 163 slides well in the cylindrical container 110. Move. In addition, since the guide member 160 has a configuration in which the two leg portions 163 abut on the inner periphery of the cylindrical container 110, the nozzle portion 143 can be stably supported in the cylindrical container 110. Further, since the guide member 160 is disposed in such a direction that the long portion 163a of the leg portion 163 is on the front side in the insertion direction, the guide member 160 falls in the insertion direction when the guide member 160 is slid. This is also prevented.

  Thereafter, the hollow fiber element 140 is advanced to a position as shown in FIG. 4C, and the nozzle portion 143 is inserted into the central hole 121 a of the core tube fixing portion 121. Here, the height of the nozzle portion 143 is maintained at a predetermined position by the guide member 160 (that is, a position where the axis of the nozzle portion 143 and the axis of the central hole 121a of the core tube fixing portion 121 are aligned). The nozzle portion 143 can be smoothly inserted into the central hole 121a.

  In the state of FIG. 4C, a sealing property between the nozzle portion 143 and the inner periphery of the core tube fixing portion 121 is ensured by an O-ring (not shown) on the outer periphery of the nozzle portion 143. Further, an O-ring (not shown) on the outer periphery of the base end cap 146 of the hollow fiber element 140 ensures a sealing property between the base end cap 146 and the inner periphery of the cylindrical container 110.

  Finally, the lid member 125 is fixed to the flange portion 112 of the cylindrical container 110 with a plurality of bolts and nuts, for example, as in the prior art. Thereby, the shell feed type gas separation membrane module 100 as shown in FIG. 1 is completed.

  According to the gas separation membrane module 100 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the hollow fiber element 140 is placed in the cylindrical container 110 while the guide member 160 maintains the height of the nozzle portion 143 of the hollow fiber element 140 at a predetermined position. Since the nozzle portion 143 is accurately positioned, the nozzle portion 143 can be smoothly inserted into the central hole 121a of the core tube fixing portion 121.

(Second Embodiment)
The gas separation membrane module according to the present invention may be one in which two hollow fiber elements 140 are mounted as shown in FIG. This gas separation membrane module 100 'includes one cylindrical container 110' formed longer than that of the first embodiment, and lid members 125-1 and 125-2 attached to both ends thereof. Two hollow fiber elements 140 are coaxially arranged in a cylindrical container 110 ′.

  A core tube fixing portion 121 'is provided at a substantially central portion in the cylindrical container 110'. Both ends of the core tube fixing portion 121 'are open, and one hollow fiber element 140 is provided at one opening portion. Nozzle part 143 is inserted, and the nozzle part 143 of another hollow fiber element 140 is inserted into the other opening. A non-permeate gas discharge part 117 is connected to the core tube fixing part 121 ', and the non-permeate gas is discharged outside through this.

  Thus, even in the configuration in which the two hollow fiber elements 140 are mounted on the cylindrical container 110 ′, one guide member 160 is prepared for each hollow fiber element 140 as in the above embodiment, and the guide member By inserting the hollow fiber element 140 using 160, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the above embodiment.

(Third embodiment)
In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide member 160 may be fixed to the hollow fiber element 140. Thereby, not only when mounting the hollow fiber element 140 but also when removing it, the element 140 can be pulled out with high positional accuracy.

  The means for fixing the guide member 160 and the hollow fiber element 140 is not particularly limited. For example, fixing using a fixing tool such as a bolt, fixing by welding, fixing by fitting, and the like are adopted. sell. The guide member 160 may be fixed so as to be removable or may be fixed so as not to be removable. Further, the guide member 160 may be integrated with any of the members constituting the hollow fiber element 140. In this case, the guide member 160 does not exist as a single member but as a part of another member.

(Fourth embodiment)
The gas separation membrane module of the present invention may be one in which one or a plurality of hollow fiber elements are arranged vertically in a container. In this case, the guide member only needs to have a function of maintaining the nozzle portion of the hollow fiber element at a predetermined position (for example, approximately the radial center in the cylindrical container). Therefore, the guide member may have three, four, or five or more legs that substantially contact the inner periphery of the cylindrical container. In this case, the leg portions may be evenly arranged in the circumferential direction.
Instead of the “leg portion”, for example, a rotating element such as a roller or a tire that rolls in contact with the cylindrical container may be used.

(Additional notes on the configuration of each part)
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the specific configuration disclosed above. Further, the configuration of each part of the gas separation membrane module may be more specifically as follows.

  As the gas separation membrane module, if a replaceable hollow fiber element is provided and it is necessary to insert the hollow fiber element horizontally / vertically and connect the nozzle part to a predetermined fixed part, this The invention can be applied. In the above embodiment, the shell feed type module has been mainly described. However, the present invention can naturally be applied to a bore feed type module.

  Regarding the guide member, the number of leg portions 163 (see FIG. 3) is not limited to two, and may be three or more. Further, in order to make the slide movement of the leg portion 163 smoother, the tip end side of the leg portion 163 may have a tapered shape (tapered shape, hemispherical shape, etc.), or a shape in which the lower portion is partially chamfered. In FIG. 3, the guide member 160 supports the nozzle portion 143, but the position where the guide member 160 supports is not limited to this. The nozzle portion 143 may be maintained at a predetermined position by supporting a part of the hollow fiber element 140.

  The mixed gas introduction port is preferably located on the side opposite to the side where the tube sheet of the hollow fiber element is located (that is, the front end side of the hollow fiber element). In particular, the mixed gas introduced from the mixed gas introduction port is preferably configured so as not to be blown directly onto the hollow fiber membrane. This is because the possibility of breakage of the hollow fiber membrane is reduced and the flow of the mixed gas tends to be uniform.

  In addition, the connection of the nozzle part of a core pipe and a core pipe fixing | fixed part is not limited to the method mentioned above. For example, you may connect via the connection member matched with the shape of the core pipe fixing | fixed part. Furthermore, the core tube fixing part may be a structure integrated with the container, not a separate member from the container. That is, a structure in which a part of the container has the function of the core tube fixing part may be used.

100, 100 'Gas separation membrane module 110, 110' Cylindrical container 110a Opening portion 111 Cylindrical portion 112, 113 Flange portion 115 Mixed gas introduction portion 115a Gas flow passage 117 Non-permeate gas discharge portion 121, 121 'Core tube fixing portion 121a Center hole 125, 127 Lid member 125a, 127a Gas flow path 140 Hollow fiber element 142 Core tube 143 Nozzle portion 145 Film 146 Base end cap 147 Perforated plate 148 Front end cap 148a Front surface 149 Hollow fiber bundle 160 Guide member 161 Main body portion 161s Support portion 163 Leg part 163a Long part 163b Short part A140 Exposed part

Claims (7)

A gas separation membrane module that performs gas separation by supplying a mixed gas to a hollow fiber membrane,
(A) A replaceable hollow fiber element having a hollow fiber bundle composed of a number of hollow fiber membranes, and a core tube that is disposed substantially at the center of the hollow fiber bundle and partially protrudes as a nozzle portion,
(B) a cylindrical container having at least an opening through which the hollow fiber element is taken in and out, and a core tube fixing part in which a channel that fixes the nozzle unit and communicates with a gas channel in the nozzle unit is formed; ,
(C) a lid member attached to the opening,
further,
The hollow fiber element is configured to move in the cylindrical container together with the hollow fiber element when the hollow fiber element is inserted into the cylindrical container, and the hollow portion is maintained while keeping the position of the nozzle portion at a predetermined position. A guide member for guiding the yarn element ;
The gas separation membrane module according to claim 1, wherein the guide member has a plurality of legs, rollers, or tires that substantially contact the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical container . The guide member is
A main body portion formed with a support portion for supporting a part of the nozzle portion or the hollow fiber element;
Provided to the body portion, the leg portion substantially abuts the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical container or, a roller or the tire,
The gas separation membrane module according to claim 1, comprising:   The gas separation membrane module according to claim 2, wherein the guide member has two legs.   The gas separation membrane module according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the leg is a round bar-shaped member.   The round bar-shaped leg portion is provided substantially perpendicularly to the main body portion, and a portion extending from the main body portion in the first direction extends from a portion extending in the second direction opposite to the first direction. The gas separation membrane module according to claim 4, which is configured to be longer.   The gas separation membrane module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the two hollow fiber elements are coaxially arranged in the cylindrical container. A method of replacing a hollow fiber element in a cylindrical container of a gas separation membrane module,
at least,
(A) inserting the distal end side of the hollow fiber element into the inside thereof from the opening of the cylindrical container;
(B) moving the hollow fiber element further back along the axial direction of the cylindrical container;
(C) connecting the nozzle part at the tip of the hollow fiber element to the core tube fixing part in the cylindrical container;
Including
At least in the steps (b) and (c), while using a guide member that keeps the position of the nozzle part at a predetermined position, the hollow fiber element is moved to connect the nozzle part to the core tube fixing part ,
The guide member is configured to move in the cylindrical container together with the hollow fiber element when the hollow fiber element is inserted into the cylindrical container, and an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical container Having a plurality of legs substantially in contact with the roller, or rollers or tires,
How to replace the hollow fiber element.

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