JPH06226062A - Hollow fiber membrane module - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the exchange, assembly and disassembly of damaged hollow fiber membranes while assuring the high airtightness and liquidtightness of the hollow fiber membrane module. CONSTITUTION:Sealing and fixing parts 3 are formed at both ends of a hollow fiber bundle 2 consisting of the plural hollow fiber membranes and these sealing and fixing parts 3 are attachably and detachably mounted to headers 4. The sealing and fixing parts 3 and these headers 4 are sealed from each other by elastic O-rings 6. The headers 4 are attachably and detachably mounted into a casing 7. The headers 4 and this casing 7 are sealed from each other by elastic O-rings 8. Annular grooves 10 are formed in the parts of the casing 7 adjacent to the headers 4 and snap rings 11 are attachably and detachably disposed to these annular grooves 10 in order to regulate the positional deviation of the headers. The two headers 4 may be attachably and detachably connected and fixed to tie rods. The hollow fiber bundle 2 may constitute a cartridge type case protected by an air permeable or liquid permeable protective means.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hollow fiber membrane module useful for separating gas or liquid by a hollow fiber membrane.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hollow fiber membrane modules are used in various membrane separation applications because of their large membrane area and the ability to downsize the device. This hollow fiber membrane module is usually a hollow fiber bundle composed of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, and a sealing and fixing portion in which both end portions of the hollow fiber bundle are adhesively sealed in a state where both end surfaces of the hollow fiber membrane are open, And a casing that houses the hollow fiber bundle,
The casing and the sealing and fixing portion are bonded with an adhesive or sealed with a sealing member such as an elastic O-ring. In addition, at both ends of the casing, a lid having a supply port for supplying a fluid to be treated and an outlet for discharging a component that has not passed through the hollow fiber membrane are usually formed. It is joined to the lid. A discharge port for discharging the component that has passed through the hollow fiber membrane is formed on the peripheral surface of the casing.

In the membrane separation using the hollow fiber membrane module having such a structure, the fluid to be treated is often treated at a high pressure and at a relatively high temperature. Therefore, between the sealing and fixing portion and the casing, and It is necessary to seal between the sealing and fixing portion and the lid with high airtightness and liquid-tightness.

However, if the airtightness and the liquidtightness are increased, it becomes difficult to replace the hollow fiber bundle when the hollow fiber membrane is damaged. In particular, in order to enhance airtightness and liquid-tightness, the sealing fixing portion and the casing are adhesively sealed together with the sealing member together with the sealing member, although the hollow fiber membrane or the casing can be used. The whole needs to be replaced.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a hollow fiber which can be easily replaced with a new hollow fiber bundle while ensuring high airtightness and liquid tightness even if the hollow fiber membrane is damaged. It is to provide a membrane module.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hollow fiber membrane module which can be easily assembled and disassembled.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of intensive studies to achieve the above-mentioned object, the inventor has detachably attached a sealing and fixing portion of a hollow fiber bundle, a header and a casing, respectively, and It was found that when the space between the hollow fibers is sealed by the first sealing member, the hollow fiber bundle can be easily replaced while ensuring high airtightness and liquid tightness, and the module can be easily disassembled and assembled. The present invention has been completed.

That is, the hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention comprises a hollow fiber bundle composed of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes and at least one end of which is sealed and fixed in a state where the end faces of the hollow fiber membrane are open, A header to which the sealing and fixing portion is attached, and a casing in which the header is detachably attached to the inside,
A first sealing member that seals between the header and the casing is provided.

[0009]

In the hollow fiber membrane module, the hollow fiber bundle sealing and fixing portion is mounted on the header which is detachable from the casing. Therefore, if the hollow fiber bundle is damaged, the header can be removed from the casing and replaced with a new header. Then, since the space between the header and the casing is sealed by the first sealing member, the airtightness and the liquidtightness can be secured, and the fluid to be treated can be treated by the hollow fiber membrane.

When the sealing and fixing part is removable from the header, the hollow fiber bundle, the header and the casing can be exchanged with each other.

Further, by providing a stopper at a portion of the casing adjacent to the header, the header can be positioned and fixed, and the header can be attached to and detached from the casing. A rigid spacer is detachably connected and fixed in the casing.
When two headers are provided, the sealing and fixing portions at both ends of the hollow fiber membrane can be fixed, and the headers can be easily replaced.

Further, when the hollow fiber bundle is a cartridge type case protected by a ventilating or liquid-passing protection means, the hollow fiber bundle can be easily attached to and detached from the header, and the hollow fiber bundle is protected by the protection means. It is possible to prevent damage to the thread film.

A plurality of hollow fiber bundle sealing and fixing portions may be attached to the header. In this case, the membranes can be efficiently separated by a plurality of hollow fiber bundles, and each hollow fiber bundle can be replaced. It is also possible to replace only the hollow fiber bundle in which the hollow fibers have leaked.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of the hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a state in which a sealing and fixing portion is attached to the header of the module of FIG. 1, and FIG. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the mounting state of the stopper of FIG.

In this hollow fiber membrane module, a hollow fiber bundle 2 composed of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 1 and both end portions of the hollow fiber bundle 2 are adhesively sealed with both end surfaces of the hollow fiber membrane 1 open. The sealing and fixing unit 3 is provided. The sealing and fixing portion 3 is made of a sealing agent such as epoxy resin or polyurethane, and the hollow fiber membrane 1 is used.
It is formed by burying and adhering between the spaces.

The hollow fiber membrane module has a hollow header 4 to which the sealing and fixing portions 3 of a plurality of hollow fiber bundles 2 are mounted. Each of these headers 4 is composed of a mounting plate 4a in which a mounting portion to which the sealing and fixing portion 3 is mounted is formed, and a header body 4b extending from this mounting plate. The sealing / fixing part 3 is detachably mounted on the mounting plate 4a so that the hollow part of the hollow fiber membrane 1 can be ventilated or passed, that is, in the state where the end face is open. In the header 4, the mounting plate 4a and the header body 4b may be integrally formed, or may be joined in a sealed state with an adhesive agent or a bolt.

A supply port 5a for supplying a fluid to be treated is formed in one of the header bodies 4b, and a component which has not permeated the hollow fiber membrane 1, that is, a concentration, is formed in the other header body 4b. An outflow port 5b for letting out the component is formed.

Further, a space between the mounting portion of the mounting plate 4a and the outer periphery of the sealing and fixing portion 3 of the hollow fiber bundle 2 is hermetically sealed by an elastic O-ring 6 or packing as a second sealing member. Has been done.

The header 4 is detachably mounted in a cylindrical casing 7 whose both ends are open, and a space between the header 4 and the casing 7 is elastic O as a first sealing member. -It is hermetically sealed by the ring 8 and packing. A discharge port 9 is formed on the outer surface of the casing 7 for discharging the components that have passed through the hollow fiber membrane 1.

Further, an annular groove 10 is formed in the casing 7 adjacent to the header main body 4b, and a substantially annular snap ring 11 made of an elastic metal piece is detachably disposed in the annular groove for snapping. At both ends of the ring 11,
A convex portion is formed for easy mounting and removal. The protrusions on both ends may have holes. The snap ring 11 elastically deforms inwardly and outwardly from the center portion, and functions as a stopper that restricts and fixes the positional displacement of the header body 4b.

In such a hollow fiber membrane module, the sealing and fixing portion 3 of the plurality of hollow fiber bundles 2 and the mounting plate 4 of the header 4 are provided.
The a and the casing 7 can be attached to and detached from each other. Therefore, the hollow fiber membrane 1, the header 4 and the casing 7
If any of the elements is damaged, the damaged element can be easily replaced. Further, even if the hollow fiber membranes 1 of some of the plurality of hollow fiber bundles 2 are damaged, the hollow fiber bundles 2 of the damaged hollow fiber membranes 1 should be replaced with new hollow fiber bundles 2. You can also

Further, the sealing and fixing portion 3 of the plurality of hollow fiber bundles 2 is mounted on the mounting plate 4a of the header 4 on which the O-ring 6 is arranged, and the header 4 is placed in the casing 7 in which the O-ring 8 is arranged. Then, the snap ring 11 is attached to the annular groove 1
It is possible to construct a hollow fiber membrane module having excellent air-tightness and liquid-tightness simply by arranging it elastically at 0, and it is easy to assemble the module.

Moreover, since the treatment can be performed by a plurality of hollow fiber bundles 2, the membrane separation efficiency of the fluid to be treated does not decrease.

The hollow fiber bundle is not limited to both ends,
It suffices if at least one end is sealed and fixed. That is, the end face of the hollow fiber membrane may be opened to form a sealing and fixing portion at one end, and the hollow portion of the hollow fiber membrane at the other end may be closed. Alternatively, one hollow fiber bundle may be bent into a U shape or the like to bundle both ends, and the sealing and fixing portion may be formed at the bundled ends. Such a hollow fiber bundle may be detachably attached to one header in the casing. Also,
The one header may be fixed by stoppers provided on the casings on both sides adjacent to each other to prevent displacement.

The header is not limited to the above structure, but may be composed of at least the mounting plate having a mounting portion. Further, at least one hollow fiber bundle may be detachably attached to the header. The shapes of the sealing and fixing portion of the hollow fiber bundle and the mounting portion of the header are not particularly limited and may be polygonal or elliptical in cross section, but are often circular in cross section.

The stopper is not limited to the snap ring, and various restricting means for fixing the header and restricting the positional deviation can be used. The stopper may be, for example, a pin-shaped stopper that is discretely attached in a circumferential direction of the inner surface of the casing and is detachably attached, or a stopper such as a curved piece adapted to the inner surface shape of the casing.

These stoppers may be able to move back and forth inward of the casing by urging means such as springs arranged in the outer peripheral portion of the casing or the outer portion of the casing. Further, the stopper may include a hook portion that engages with an engaging portion on the side end surface of the header. Further, when the outer side in the axial direction of the casing is formed to be a slanted surface and the hook portion is formed to the inner side, and a stopper capable of advancing and retracting in the inward direction of the casing is used, the header is guided along the slanted surface. Since the header can be easily guided, the header can be easily mounted, and after the mounting, the header can be fixed to the casing by the engagement with the hook portion.

The stoppers may be provided on the inner side and / or the outer side of the casing adjacent to the header. In order to facilitate the replacement of the hollow fiber bundle and the assembly of the module, the casing is used. It is preferable to be removable. In the case where the hollow fiber bundle constitutes a rigid cartridge, the stopper may be provided at a site outside the side of the casing adjacent to the header. Furthermore, a convex portion that comes into contact with one header may be formed on the inner wall of the casing, and the other header may be positioned and fixed by one stopper.

Further, in the present invention, at least the header may be attachable to and detachable from the casing, and the space between the header and the casing may be sealed by the sealing member, but the hollow fiber bundle can be easily replaced. Therefore, it is preferable that the sealing and fixing portion of the hollow fiber bundle can be attached to and detached from the header as in the above embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing another example of the hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention. The same elements and members as those of the module shown in FIG. 1 will be described with the same reference numerals.

In this example, the tie rod 21 as a rigid spacer penetrates the shaft centers of the two headers 24, and both ends thereof are connected and fixed to the header 24 by detachable fixing means such as bolts 22. Further, a supply port for supplying the fluid to be treated and an outlet for discharging the components that have not permeated the hollow fiber membrane 1 are formed in the side regions of the two header bodies 24b that are off the axial center. The module has basically the same structure as that of the module shown in FIG.

The sealing and fixing portions 3 of the hollow fiber bundle 2 composed of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 1 are mounted at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the mounting plate 24a. Further, the space between the sealing and fixing part 3 and the mounting part of the header 24 is sealed by the same two O-rings 6 as described above, and the space between the header 24 and the casing 7 is the same O-ring as described above. It is sealed by 8.
Further, a sealing member such as an elastic O-ring 23 or packing is arranged between the through hole of the header 24 and the outer periphery of the tie rod 21.

Also in such a hollow fiber membrane module, since it is easy to attach and detach the hollow fiber bundle 2 to and from the header 24, and to fix and release the tie rod 21 and the header 24, it is easy to replace the elements constituting the module. The module is easy to assemble and the module is easy to assemble.

The sectional shape of the tie rod as the rigid spacer is not particularly limited. Further, the rigid spacer and the header may be fixed by a detachable connecting means. For example, when both ends of the rigid spacer project from the header, both sides of the rigid spacer are orthogonal to the axial direction. It may be a pin penetrating in the direction.
Further, the detachable connecting means may be a screw portion formed at both ends of the rod and screwable with a spiral groove such as a hole formed in the header.

Also, in the module shown in FIG.
A detachable stopper may be provided at a portion of the casing adjacent to the header.

In the present invention, the hollow fiber bundle is preferably attachable to and detachable from the header mounting portion in a cartridge manner. Further, in order to protect the hollow fiber membrane, it is preferable that the hollow fiber bundle constitutes a cartridge protected by a protection means.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing another example of the cartridge type hollow fiber bundle of the hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention. In this example, the hollow fiber bundle 32 composed of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes is covered with a protective cylinder 34 that constitutes a cartridge case, and the peripheral surface of the protective cylinder 34 smoothly discharges the components that have passed through the hollow fiber membranes. Therefore, a plurality of holes 35 are formed. Further, both ends of the protection cylinder 34 are adhesively fixed by the sealing fixing portions 33 at both ends of the hollow fiber bundle 32, and the hollow fiber bundle 32 is
And the protection tube 34 are integrated to form a cartridge.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing still another example of the hollow fiber bundle of the hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention. In this example,
Both ends of the protective cylinder 44 that covers the hollow fiber bundle 42 are fixed to the sealing and fixing portion 43 of the hollow fiber bundle 42 as described above, and the protective cylinder 44 is located inward of the sealing and fixing portion 43 of the protective cylinder 44. A plurality of holes 45 are formed on the peripheral surface on the side.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing another example of the hollow fiber bundle of the hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention. In this example, the protection means is composed of a protection net 54, and both ends of the protection net 54 having high mechanical strength are adhesively fixed together with the sealing fixing portions 53 at both ends of the hollow fiber bundle 52, whereby the cartridge type hollow Forming a yarn bundle.

When the hollow fiber bundle is covered by such a protection means, the hollow fiber membrane can be prevented from being damaged. Further, since the protection means can ventilate or pass the liquid, there is no adverse effect on the membrane separation of the fluid to be treated. Further, the hollow fiber bundle can be easily attached to and detached from the header in a cartridge type. The protection means can be formed of a material having a large mechanical strength and shape retention, such as plastic, metal, or ceramics.

In the membrane separation by the hollow fiber membrane module, when the fluid to be treated is supplied to the hollow portion of the hollow fiber membrane, the inside of the casing may be depressurized by suction from the outlet of the casing. Further, contrary to the above, the fluid to be treated is supplied to the outer periphery of the hollow fiber membrane from one outlet of the casing, the concentrated component is caused to flow out from the other outlet of the casing, and the component that has permeated the hollow fiber membrane is It may be discharged from the supply port or outflow port of the header. In this case, the secondary side, which is the permeate side of the fluid to be treated, may be depressurized.

Examples of the polymer constituting the hollow fiber membrane include polyethylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, polypropylene and poly-4-methylpentene-1.
Olefin-based polymers such as; polytetrafluoroethylene, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymers, tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymers and other fluorine-containing polymers;
Cellulose-based polymers such as cellulose acetate; polyvinyl chloride; acrylonitrile-based polymers; acrylic-based polymers such as polymethylmethacrylate and acrylonitrile-methylmethacrylate copolymers; silicone resins; polyamides; polyimides; polyethersulfones; polysulfones; polyphenylene oxides; Examples include polyphenylene sulfide; polyarylate; polyetheretherketone; polyetherimide; polycarbonate; polyvinyl alcohol-based polymers. Preferred hollow fiber membranes include porous membranes.

The hollow fiber membrane may be subjected to surface treatment such as treatment with an organic solvent, plasma discharge treatment, corona discharge treatment and ozone treatment, if necessary, and then subjected to adhesive sealing.

The kind of the adhesive for sealing the ends of the hollow fiber bundle is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include epoxy resin, vinyl ester resin, urethane resin, olefin polymer, silicone resin, fluorine-containing resin and the like.

The shape of the casing can be selected according to the application, etc., but is usually cylindrical in many cases. Further, as is clear from the above-described embodiment, in the present invention, since the header is mounted inside the casing, it is not necessary to attach the lid body having the conventionally used nozzle-like supply port to the side portion of the casing. .

The material of the casing can be selected according to the fluid to be treated and the type of separation component. For example, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, (meth) acrylic polymer,
It may be a plastic such as polysulfone or polyether sulfone; a metal such as stainless steel. The casing is often made of polysulfone, polyethersulfone, stainless steel, or the like.

The fluid to be treated can be selected according to the separation characteristics of the hollow fiber membrane, and fluids containing gas or liquid such as air, oxygen and nitrogen can be used. As the liquid, water, alcohols, ethers, esters, ketones, organic acids, amines, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, alicyclic hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, etc. Can be mentioned.

The hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention is, for example,
Various separation methods such as reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, pervaporation, ultrafiltration, and microfiltration are used, and it can be suitably used for liquid separation, gas component separation from liquid, gas separation, and the like.

[0050]

In the hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention, the header and the casing to which the sealing and fixing portion of the hollow fiber bundle is mounted can be attached and detached, and the space between the header and the casing is sealed by the sealing member. Therefore, even if the hollow fiber membrane is damaged, it can be easily replaced with a new hollow fiber bundle while ensuring high airtightness and liquid tightness, and the module can be easily assembled and disassembled.

Further, when the sealing and fixing portion of the hollow fiber bundle, the header and the casing are respectively removable, the assembly and disassembly of the module can be further facilitated and the module can be partially replaced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention.

2 is a side sectional view showing a state in which a sealing and fixing portion is mounted on the header of the module of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a mounted state of the stopper of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing another example of the cartridge type hollow fiber bundle of the hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing still another example of the hollow fiber bundle of the hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing another example of the hollow fiber bundle of the hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Hollow fiber membrane 2, 32, 42, 52 ... Hollow fiber bundle 3, 33, 43, 53 ... Sealing fixing part 4, 24 ... Header 4a, 24a ... Mounting plate 4b ... Header body 5a ... Supply port 5b ... Flow Outlet 6 ... Elastic O-ring 7 ... Casing 8 ... Elastic O-ring 9 ... Discharge port 10 ... Annular groove 11 ... Snap ring 21 ... Tie rod 22 ... Bolt 23 ... Elastic O-ring 34, 44 ... Protective cylinder 35, 45 ... Hole 54 ... Protective net

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A hollow fiber bundle comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, at least one end portion of which is sealed and fixed in a state where the end surface of the hollow fiber membrane is open, and the sealing and fixing portion are mounted. A hollow fiber membrane module comprising a header, a casing into which the header is detachably mounted, and a first sealing member that seals between the header and the casing. 2. The sealing fixing part is attachable to and detachable from the header,
The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, wherein a space between the header and the mounted portion is sealed by a second sealing member. 3. A portion of the casing adjacent to the header,
The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, further comprising a removable stopper. 4. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, wherein two headers that are detachably connected and fixed to the rigid spacer are arranged in the casing. 5. A cartridge type case in which the hollow fiber bundle is protected by a protective means capable of ventilating or passing liquid, and both ends thereof are fixed together with both ends of the protecting means by a sealing and fixing portion. The hollow fiber membrane module according to any one of items 1 to 4. 6. The hollow fiber membrane module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the sealing and fixing portions of the plurality of hollow fiber bundles are detachably attached to the header.