JPH0255097B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is a fluid separation method that uses a permeable thin film to separate specific components from a raw material fluid by utilizing differences in permeability of components in the raw material fluid. It is related to the device.

[Prior Art] Various devices have been proposed in the past that use permeable thin film-like materials and utilize the principles of osmosis or ultrafiltration to perform treatments such as separation and concentration of specific components from a fluid mixture.

In the present invention, the permeable thin film-like material refers to a bag or hollow fiber formed of a permeable thin film.

2 to 4 are cross-sectional views showing an example of the configuration of a conventional fluid separation device, and this separation device has a cylindrical separation device container 10 consisting of a cylindrical container body 12 and a lid 20. are doing. The container body 12 has a sealed shape at one end 12a;
A is provided with a raw material fluid discharge port 14, and a raw material fluid inlet 16 is provided on the other end side of the container body 12. The lid 20 is attached to the container body 12 and has a separation fluid outlet 18 .

In the figure, 22 is a partition wall that partitions the inside of the cylindrical container 10 into a raw material fluid passage chamber 24 and a separation fluid chamber 26, in which one end side of a permeable thin film-like material (hollow fiber in this example) 28 is embedded and fixed. ing. Note that the hollow fiber 28 is connected to the partition wall 22 so as to communicate with the separation fluid chamber 26.
The other end of the hollow fiber 28 is embedded and sealed in a synthetic resin plate 29.

In the conventional apparatus shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the raw material fluid A (for example, a mixed gas of hydrogen and methane)
6 into the passage chamber 24, a specific component (hydrogen in this example) contained therein permeates inside the hollow fiber 28, enters the separation fluid chamber 26, and is taken out from the outlet 18. Components that do not pass through the hollow fibers (methane in this example) are discharged from the outlet 14 to the outside of the container.

Incidentally, in such a fluid separation device, the partition wall is generally made of synthetic resin such as epoxy resin that can be cast and molded because it holds the permeable thin film-like material in an embedded state. Note that the container itself is made of metal, such as carbon steel, in order to withstand high-pressure fluid.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, in the conventional fluid separation device having a partition wall made of synthetic resin, when the raw material fluid is made to have a high pressure in order to increase the separation amount and separation efficiency of the fluid, the partition wall Due to the high pressure of the raw material fluid, it is bent toward the separation fluid chamber,
There was a risk that the sealing performance with the container body would be impaired and the life of the partition wall would be shortened. For this reason, it may be necessary to operate with lower pressure of the raw material fluid.
There have been disadvantages such as impeding improvement in separation efficiency or inapplicability to the separation of various fluids that require separation under high pressure.

In order to prevent the above-mentioned bending and deformation of the partition wall, it is possible to increase the strength of the partition wall itself by increasing its size, but partition walls made of synthetic resin such as epoxy resin are generally However, the moldability was poor, and the larger the partition wall, the more cracks would occur in the resin, resulting in a decrease in pressure resistance.

Furthermore, the difference in thermal expansion between the synthetic resin partition wall and the metal container may reduce the sealing performance between the two.

Furthermore, if the synthetic resin partition wall is simply surrounded by a metal annular member, there is a risk that the sealing performance between the two may be similarly reduced due to the difference in thermal expansion.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In the fluid separation device of the present invention, the interior of the metal cylindrical separator container is separated from raw materials by a synthetic resin partition wall provided intersecting the axial direction of the cylinder. A fluid separation device that is separated into a fluid passage chamber and a separation fluid chamber, and in which a permeable thin film-like material is embedded and fixed in the partition wall so that its hollow part communicates with the separation fluid chamber,
The synthetic resin partition wall is pressed and supported from the separation fluid chamber side by a presser member having air permeability,
The holding member consists of a holding member main body in which a large number of holes are formed along the extension axis of a permeable thin film, and a porous layer interposed between the holding member main body and a partition wall. A resin partition wall is surrounded by a metal annular member, and a stepped portion or a tapered surface that becomes smaller in diameter toward the separation fluid chamber is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the metal annular member and the outer circumferential surface of the partition wall, respectively, and the stepped portion Alternatively, the synthetic resin partition wall is engaged with the metal annular member by engaging the tapered surfaces, and the metal annular member is engaged with the container.

Furthermore, in the fluid separation device of the present invention, the stepped portions or tapered surfaces are bonded together using an adhesive.

[Function] According to the present invention, since the partition wall is backed up by the pressing member from the side opposite to the fluid pressurizing surface, the partition wall is reinforced from the side opposite to the pressurizing direction, and even if it is made of synthetic resin, high pressure fluid Deformation caused by this is reliably prevented. Moreover, since the holding member has air permeability, the flow of the separation fluid to the separation fluid chamber side through the partition wall is not inhibited in any way.

In the present invention, this holding member is composed of a main body having a large number of holes and a porous layer interposed between the main body and the partition wall, so that a very large number of holes are exposed at the end face of the synthetic resin partition wall. All the open ends of the fine hollow fibers (permeable thin film-like material) are ensured to communicate with the pores of the main body. That is, even if the holes in the holding member main body and the open end surfaces of the hollow fibers do not match, the two are reliably communicated through the pores in the porous layer. As a result, the fluid separated and extracted inside the hollow fiber flows extremely smoothly into the separated fluid chamber.

In the present invention, the synthetic resin partition wall is surrounded by a metal annular member, and the metal annular member is fixed to the container, so there is no or very small difference in thermal expansion between the metal annular member and the metal container. Therefore, the separation fluid chamber and the raw material fluid chamber are always reliably isolated.

In the present invention, a stepped portion or a tapered surface that becomes smaller in diameter toward the separation fluid chamber is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the metal annular member and the outer circumferential surface of the synthetic resin partition, respectively, and the stepped portion or tapered surface is engaged. Since the synthetic resin partition wall is then locked to the metal annular member, the synthetic resin partition wall is firmly locked to the metal annular member. and,
Even if there is a difference in thermal expansion between the synthetic resin partition wall and the metal annular member, the separation fluid chamber and the raw material fluid chamber are reliably sealed.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the stepped portions or tapered surfaces can be bonded together using an adhesive. In this way, the contact surfaces between the step portions or the tapered surfaces are tightly sealed.

[Examples] The present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to examples shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view showing an engaging portion between a partition wall and an inner wall surface of a container in a fluid separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 12 and 20 are the container body and the lid, respectively, as described above, and 22 is a partition wall.
Both the container body 12 and the lid 20 are made of metal, such as carbon steel. The partition wall 22 has, for example, a large number of hollow fibers 28 made of polyimide resin embedded and fixed therein, each having a diameter of 200 to 500 μm.
For example, it is made of epoxy resin. This partition wall 22 is made of carbon steel, for example. It is surrounded by a metal annular member 22b. Note that the hollow fibers 28 are buried so as to reach the upper end surface of the partition wall 22 so as to communicate with the separation fluid chamber 26 as described above.

The upper end edge of this synthetic resin partition wall 22 is cut out to have an L-shaped cross section to form a step 30, while the middle part of the inner circumferential surface of the metal annular member 22b is cut out. A protrusion 32 having a shape that engages with this step 30 is provided protrudingly, and the partition wall 22 and the annular member 22b are fitted together so that the step 30 and the protrusion 32 are engaged with each other. As shown enlarged in the figure, the locking portion is attached with adhesive 31. As the adhesive, for example, an epoxy adhesive is used. Since the stepped portions are engaged with each other in this way, the locking strength of the partition wall 22 is high, and since the partition wall 22 and the annular member 2 are bonded together with the adhesive 31, the partition wall 22 and the annular member 2
The contact surface with 2d is tightly sealed.

The annular member 22b has a large inner peripheral surface on the upper side of the protrusion 32, and has a cylindrical portion 22a with a large inner diameter that protrudes above the partition wall 22. A presser member 34 having air permeability is fitted into the cylindrical portion 22a to press and support the partition wall 22 from the separation fluid chamber 26 side. That is, the holding member 34 includes a holding member main body 34a made of metal in which a large number of holes 36 are bored along the direction of the extension axis of the hollow fibers 28, and a porous metal holding member main body 34a interposed between the holding member main body 34a and the partition wall 22. The porous layer 34b is made of sintered metal such as stainless steel, ceramics, or the like. Then, the container body 1 is placed in a state where the lower surface of the annular member 22b and the lower surface of the partition wall 22 are flush with each other.
2 are placed together on the stepped portion 12a formed in 2, and
The upper surface of the annular member 22b and the upper surface of the holding member main body 34a are brought into contact with the inner surface of the lid body 20 in a state where they are flush with each other, and the lid body 20 is tightened to the container body 12 with a fastener 38 such as a bolt. It is being As a result, the partition wall 22 is backed up from the separation fluid chamber 26 side by the holding member 34 in a ventilable state.

In addition, in FIG. 1, the hole 36 of the presser member main body 34a
Although shown enlarged for clarity, in reality, a large number of holes are drilled in a lattice arrangement as shown in FIG.

Furthermore, seal rings 40 such as O-rings are provided at the joints between the upper and lower surfaces of the annular member 22b, the lid 20, and the container body stepped portion 12a, respectively, to maintain the airtightness of these joints.

In the fluid separation device formed in this manner, the synthetic resin partition wall 22 is pressed and supported from the separation fluid chamber 26 side by the presser member 34, so that the fluid supplied to the fluid passage chamber 24 is Even if the pressure is high, upward deflection is reliably prevented. Since the holding member 34 is composed of a holding member main body 34a having a large number of holes 36 and a porous layer 34b, as shown by the arrow in FIG. The fluid flows smoothly to the separation fluid chamber 26 side. That is, even if the holes 36 of the holding member main body 34a and the upper end openings of the hollow fibers 28 do not match, the two are reliably communicated through the porous portions in the porous layer 34b, allowing fluid to flow smoothly. It is.

Note that the outer peripheral part of the partition wall 22 is a metal annular member 2.
2b, even if the temperature rises or falls, there is no or very small difference in thermal expansion between the annular member 22b and the container body 12, and therefore the difference between the partition wall 22 and the inner peripheral surface of the container body 12 is The seal is completed by annular member 22b.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the upper part of a fluid separation device according to a different embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a plan view thereof.

In this embodiment as well, the synthetic resin partition wall 22 in which the hollow fibers 28 are embedded and fixed is surrounded by a metal annular member 22d, and the partition wall 22 and the annular member 22d are surrounded by a metal annular member 22d.
It is bonded to 2d with an adhesive. and,
The partition wall 22 is backed up by a presser member 34 as in the previous embodiment. Further, seal members 54 and 55 are disposed between the metal annular member 22d, the lid 20, and the container body 12, and provide a seal between the lid and the inner wall surface of the container (in this case, the inner wall surface of the lid 20). This embodiment has the same effect as the embodiment described above.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the outer circumferential surface of the partition wall 22 and the annular member 2 are similar to the embodiment shown in FIG.
A stepped portion and a protrusion that engages with the stepped portion are formed on the inner circumferential surface of each of the portions 2d. Further, in this embodiment, the lid body 20 includes half-split frame members 56, 5.
8 to the container body 12. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the lid 20 is an inclined surface 20a, and the upper end of the container body 12 is provided with a flange portion 60 having an inclined surface 60a. and,
The frame members 56, 58 have an inclined surface 56a, which engages with the inclined surfaces 20a, 60a, on the inner peripheral surface side thereof.
58a is formed.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, bolts 62 and 64 connecting the half-split frame members 56 and 58 are
By tightening the frame members 56 and 58, the frame members 56 and 58 are urged in the approaching direction, and this force in the approaching direction is applied to the lid body 20 and the flange portion 6 by the slopes 20a and 60a.
The force in the direction perpendicular to the mating surface with 0 is applied to the lid body 20.
is pressed against the flange portion 60. In the figure, 66 is a sealing member disposed on the mating surface of the lid body 20 and the flange portion 60.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, instead of the half-split frame members 56 and 58 as shown in FIG. 9, inclined surfaces 20a and 60a are used as shown in FIG.
Clamps 67a to 67d that engage with the connecting rods 68a and 67d are engaged with the circumferential portions of the lid body 20 and the flange portion 60, and the clamps 67a to d are connected to the connecting rods 68a and 68a.
The lid body 20 may be pressed against the flange portion 60 by connecting at 68b and applying force in the radial direction.

In addition, in the embodiment shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the lid 20 may be attached to the flange portion 60 of the container body 12 with bolts 69a and 69b.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a partition wall of a fluid separation device according to still another embodiment of the present invention. In this partition wall, the adhesive surface between the synthetic resin partition wall 22 and the metal annular member 22h is a tapered surface, and in addition to the adhesive effect between the partition wall and the annular member due to the adhesive,
Due to the pressure of the fluid received from the fluid passage chamber, the partition wall 2
Due to the effect that the outer peripheral surface of the metal annular member 22h is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the metal annular member 22h, the partition wall 22 and the annular member
The strength of the bond with h is increased.
In the partition wall shown in FIG. 12, the partition wall 22 is also backed up by a pressing member 34 to prevent deformation due to fluid pressure. Further, a sealing gasket is disposed between the metal annular member 22h and the container body 12 or the lid, and sealing between the annular member 22h and the container body 12 or the lid 20 is performed.

In this manner, in each of the embodiments, the seal between the partition wall and the inner wall surface of the container is achieved by using the metal annular members 22b, 22.
d, 22f, 22h and the inner wall surface of the metal container (the inner wall surface of the container body 12 or the inner surface of the lid 20), and since both are made of metal, the temperature rises and falls. There is no or very small difference in thermal expansion, so a good seal is always achieved.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the fluid separation device of the present invention presses the synthetic resin partition wall from the separation fluid chamber side, which is the side opposite to the fluid pressure acting surface, with the presser member having air permeability. By supporting the partition wall and preventing it from deforming due to fluid pressure, it is possible to improve separation efficiency by supplying separation fluid at high pressure, and it is also possible to use various fluids that require high pressure for separation, expanding the range of applications. can be achieved. Further, the reliability of the mechanical strength of the partition wall is improved, and the useful life is also extended.

In addition, there is no need for synthetic resin partition walls to have strength, so the partition walls themselves can be small, so the resin that makes up the partition walls has good moldability, does not cause cracks, and is good and reliable. It can be a high bulkhead.

In the present invention, the porous layer of the holding member is in contact with the synthetic resin partition wall, and the inside of the permeable thin film-like material such as the hollow fiber is reliably communicated with the separation fluid chamber. As a result, separation efficiency increases.

In the present invention, the synthetic resin partition wall is surrounded by a metal annular member and the metal annular member is fixed to the container, so that even if there is a difference in thermal expansion between the synthetic resin partition wall and the metal container, the separating fluid chamber and the raw material fluid Good sealing with the room.

In the present invention, a stepped portion or a tapered surface that becomes smaller in diameter toward the separation fluid chamber is provided between the synthetic resin partition wall and the metal annular member. Even if there is a difference in thermal expansion, the raw material fluid chamber and the separation fluid chamber are reliably sealed.

In the present invention, the above-mentioned sealing can be made more reliable by interposing an adhesive on this stepped portion or tapered surface.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a main part of a fluid separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a conventional fluid separation device, Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the portion shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the locking portion of the partition wall shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the holding member body, and FIG. 7 is an explanation of the function of FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a main part of a fluid separation device according to a different embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a plan view of the embodiment device shown in FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 corresponds to FIG. 9. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing another embodiment. Also, Figures 11 and 12
Each figure is a sectional view of a main part showing further different embodiments of the present invention. 12... Container body, 20... Lid, 22... Partition wall, 24... Fluid passage chamber, 26... Separation fluid chamber,
28...Hollow fiber, 22b, 22d, 22f, 22
h... Annular member, 34... Pressing member, 34a...
Holding member main body, 34b... porous layer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The interior of a metal cylindrical separation device container is separated into a raw material fluid passage chamber and a separation fluid chamber by a synthetic resin partition wall provided intersecting the axial direction of the cylinder. In a fluid separation device in which a permeable thin film-like material is embedded and fixed in the partition wall so that its hollow part communicates with the separation fluid chamber, the synthetic resin partition wall is ventilated from the separation fluid chamber side. The holding member has a holding member body having a plurality of holes along the extension axis of the permeable thin film, and the holding member body and the partition wall. The synthetic resin partition wall is surrounded by a metal annular member, and separation fluid chambers are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the metal annular member and the outer circumferential surface of the synthetic resin partition wall, respectively. Forming a step or tapered surface that becomes smaller in diameter toward the other end, engaging the step or tapered surface to lock the synthetic resin partition wall to the metal annular member, and locking the metal annular member to the container. A fluid separation device characterized by: 2 The interior of the metal cylindrical separator container is separated into a raw material fluid passage chamber and a separation fluid chamber by a synthetic resin partition wall provided intersecting the axial direction of the cylinder, and the partition wall In a fluid separation device in which a permeable thin film-like material is embedded and fixed so that its hollow part communicates with a separation fluid chamber, the synthetic resin partition wall is attached to a presser member having air permeability from the separation fluid chamber side. Therefore, the presser member is supported under pressure, and the presser member includes a presser member main body in which a large number of holes are formed along the extension axis of the permeable thin film, and a porous hole interposed between the presser member main body and the partition wall. The synthetic resin partition wall is surrounded by a metal annular member, and steps are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the metal annular member and on the outer circumferential surface of the synthetic resin partition wall, each of which becomes smaller in diameter toward the separation fluid chamber. forming a section or a tapered surface, engaging the step section or tapered surface to lock the synthetic resin partition wall to the metal annular member, and locking the metal annular member to the container; Alternatively, a fluid separation device characterized in that tapered surfaces are bonded together with an adhesive.