JPH07194943A - Multi-combined hollow fiber membrane module - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a module with good installation vol. efficiency and easy mutual bonding of each membrane element by assembling a plurality of membrane elements consisting of a hollow fiber membrane by using a monolithic end cap. CONSTITUTION:A plurality of membrane elements 5 are assembled in series by means of a monolithic end cap 6 and a flow path 7 penetrating through this end cap 6 in the longer direction is provided on this end cap 6. In addition, a membrane element is inserted in the opening face of each liq. storage 8 and is assembled and sealing of outside and inside of a multi-combined membrane module is made by using an O-ring 9 between the membrane element 5 and the end cap 6. In addition, fixing of the upper and the lower end caps 6 on the membrane element 5 is performed by means of a tie rod 10. A T-shaped board 4 is provided in the neighborhood of both ends of a housing of the membrane element 5 and it is connected with the T-shaped board 4 of the adjoining housing by using a short connecting pipe 12, an O-ring 14 and a collar 13.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a membrane module in which a plurality of membrane elements composed of hollow fiber membranes are assembled, and more specifically, the installation volume efficiency and the like are improved, and the membrane elements are connected to each other. The present invention relates to a multi-bond hollow fiber membrane module that is easy to handle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a hollow fiber membrane module has a large filtration membrane area within a fixed volume and can be downsized, so that it is used for various membrane separation applications. In the hollow fiber membrane module, usually, a hollow fiber membrane bundle composed of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes is bonded and sealed between the hollow fiber membranes and the case housing with a resin or the like, and at least one end surface of the hollow fiber membrane is opened. It is configured in the state. Moreover, when performing a large amount of processing using these hollow fiber membrane modules, a fluid is supplied in parallel to two or more hollow fiber membrane modules for use. As described above, in using two or more membrane modules in parallel, in the conventional technique, the membrane modules are connected to each other with a general piping material or a flexible tube, and several hollow fiber membrane modules are used. The size of the hollow fiber membrane module is being increased by housing it in a single housing. Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-500649, fluid is distributed in parallel to each membrane module through a port hole provided on the side surface of the end cap of the hollow fiber membrane module, and the side surface of each end cap is processed into a flat surface. Then, an example is disclosed in which the hollow fiber membrane modules are integrated by sandwiching packing between adjacent end cap surfaces.

[0003]

When a plurality of hollow fiber membrane modules are lined up and a large number of hollow fiber membrane modules are connected to each other by piping, the fluid can be supplied in parallel and the pipes or pipes can be used. It is preferable that the flexible tube is of a type that can be removed when the membrane element is replaced. However, in order to make the pipe or the flexible tube removable, conventionally, a general union joint or flange joint is used, so that the interval between the adjacent membrane modules becomes large and the installation volume efficiency of the membrane module is reduced. In addition, the above-mentioned JP-A-1-500649
In the method disclosed in the publication, a high degree of precision is required for the parallelism of the planar processed surface with respect to the housing and the parallelism of the opposed planar processed surfaces of the cap alone, so that the internal fluid easily leaks. Also, when mounting the caps on the top and bottom of the housing, there is a possibility that the dimensions of the port surfaces of the top and bottom caps will have an error, or if the parallelism has an error, the joints with the adjacent modules will not match. Higher technology is required than general manufacturing technology. In particular, the manufacturing cost of the cap becomes high due to the increase in processing accuracy. Further, tightening with a tie rod is adopted as a method of joining adjacent modules, but this structure requires a space for the through hole portion of the cap, which is also one of the factors that increase the manufacturing cost of the cap. It becomes one.

On the other hand, in general, the hollow fiber membrane module is designed to be extremely compact in order to improve the efficiency of the installation volume. For this reason, the ones having the capacity equivalent to several membrane modules are combined into one and are enlarged. Efforts are being made to However, in order to increase the size, a new investment in manufacturing equipment is required due to the increase in size and weight, and at the manufacturing and installation sites, a heavy load carrying device and a fixed installation tool are required when carrying around. In addition, as a problem in using the multi-bonding type membrane module, it is necessary to replace the membrane module when a defect occurs in a part of the hollow fiber bundle, but in the case of a large membrane module, the entire membrane module must be replaced. It must be replaced, but in the case of a small-sized multi-bond type membrane module, it is only necessary to replace the defective one. Under these circumstances, it has been earnestly desired to develop a multi-bonding hollow fiber membrane module that is easy to handle in manufacturing or in use, has improved installation volume efficiency, and is inexpensive.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems The inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive studies to achieve the above-mentioned object, and as a result, by assembling a plurality of membrane elements composed of hollow fiber membranes manufactured by the prior art into an integral end cap. The present invention has been completed by discovering that the installation volume can be made more efficient, and furthermore, the handling of each membrane element outer cylinder (hereinafter referred to as a housing) can be facilitated by combining short tubes.

That is, according to the present invention, a plurality of membrane elements made of hollow fiber membranes are assembled in an integral end cap, or a multi-bonding type hollow fiber membrane module or a plurality of the membrane elements are provided. It is intended to provide a multi-bonding type hollow fiber membrane module characterized by being arranged in two rows or three or more membrane elements in a bundle. Further, the present invention provides a multi-bonding type hollow fiber membrane module characterized by having a pipe penetrating in the integral type end cap. Further, in the method of connecting the T-shaped ports to each other in the housing provided with the T-shaped ports, connect the T-shaped ports with a short pipe having the same outer diameter as the outer diameter of the port opening, and connect with the O-ring and the collar that holds the O-ring. Or a multi-bonding hollow fiber membrane module characterized by the above, or the outside of the port opening of the T-shaped port can be connected by an O-ring, and the inside can be connected with a threaded pipe by providing a female thread for pipe By connecting multiple T-shaped ports with a multi-joint type hollow fiber membrane module or a short tube with an inner diameter almost the same as the outer diameter of the port opening, and inserting the O-ring between them. The present invention provides a multi-bond hollow fiber membrane module characterized by being connected. Less than,
The present invention will be described in detail.

Any hollow fiber membrane can be mounted and used as the multi-bonding hollow fiber membrane module according to the present invention, and the pore diameter can be several angstroms to several hundreds of micrometers in the reverse osmosis membrane region.
Any pore size can be used up to rough filtration. Also, there is no limitation as to the material thereof, for example, cellulose acetate-based resin, polysulfone-based resin such as polyethersulfone or polysulfone, polyacrylonitrile-based resin, polyvinyl alcohol-based resin, polyolefin-based such as polypropylene or polyethylene. resin,
Examples include polyimide resins, polyamide resins, polymethylmethacrylate resins, fluorine group-containing resins, cellulose resins, AS resins, ceramics, etc., and composites in which these are combined in combination. It may be a membrane. It can be appropriately selected according to the purpose of filtration.

The term "membrane element" as used in the present invention means a plurality of hollow fiber membranes which are bundled and inserted into a housing, and both ends or one end thereof are sealed with a resin and then opened.
The size of the membrane element is not particularly limited, but the length is preferably 5 to 200 cm, more preferably 30 to 15
It is 0 cm. The thickness is not particularly limited, but the hollow fiber membrane bundle loaded in one housing preferably has a diameter of 1 to 30 cm, more preferably a diameter of 5 to 20 cm. Is. If necessary, more preferably, more preferably, more preferably, a T-shaped port is attached to the housing, and is used for supplying or collecting permeated water or raw water in the case of treating water. The multi-bonding hollow fiber membrane module referred to in the present invention refers to a module in which end caps are attached to the membrane elements and the channels of permeated water or raw water between the membrane elements are coupled by a combination of short tubes.

The material of the housing, the end cap or the short pipe used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include polysulfone resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, polyolefin resin such as polypropylene and polyethylene, acrylic resin, polymethyl resin. Methacrylate-based resin, polycarbonate-based resin, AS resin, fluorine-containing resin such as 4-fluoroethylene resin and polyvinylidene fluoride,
Examples of the material include iron, stainless steel, ceramics, glass and the like, which can be appropriately selected depending on the raw water to be supplied, the installation environment, and the like.

The multiple bond type hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention can be applied to applications in any field.
For example, river water, lake water filtration, nuclear power generation, thermal power generation water filtration, condensate filtration, water disinfection, waste liquid filtration and collection, food filtration, organic solvent filtration and separation, liquid degassing, liquid It can be used for various purposes such as liquid extraction. Of these, it is particularly suitable for applications that require regular membrane sterilization and sterilization, such as filtration of river water and lake water, filtration of clads (colloidal and particulate components), and sterilization of water. .

[0011]

EXAMPLES The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these.

(Embodiment 1) FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment in which a plurality of membrane elements are connected in series and an integral type end cap is attached. FIG. 1 is a front view of a multi-bond hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view thereof. A plurality of membrane elements (5) are assembled in series with an integral end cap (6), which has a longitudinal passage (7). In the case of an internal pressure type hollow fiber membrane, the flow path serves as a raw water supply path or a concentrated water discharge path, and in the case of an external pressure type hollow fiber membrane, a permeate discharge path. In addition, when connecting another pipe from the outside to the flow passage (7) of the fluid to be penetrated, connect it to only one of the flow passages (7) located at both ends of the end cap, and connect the flow passage to the other one. A closing plug (11) is provided. In addition, the membrane element (5) is inserted into the opening surface of each liquid pool (8) and assembled, and a plurality of membrane elements (5) and end caps (6) are joined by using an O-ring (9). The inside and outside of the mold membrane module are sealed. Furthermore, the upper and lower end caps (6) are fixed to the membrane element (5) by tie rods (1).
0). The housing (2) of the membrane element (5) is provided with T-shaped ports (4) near both ends, and the short tube (12) and the O-ring (14) are connected between the T-shaped ports (4) of the adjacent housings. , Collar (13) to connect.

The first feature of the connection structure of this embodiment is that, compared with the prior art multi-bond type membrane module (FIG. 10),
The connection between the ports of the adjacent membrane elements can be simply and shortened. The second feature is that even if there is a slight deviation between the center lines of the adjacent T-shaped ports, the deviation can be absorbed by the O-ring (14) and the collar (13). Therefore, there is no risk of fluid leakage even if the overall mounting dimensional accuracy of the T-shaped port (4) of the housing is loose. The ports provided at both ends of the housing (2) are a raw water supply passage or a concentrated water discharge passage when the hollow fiber membrane used is an internal pressure type hollow fiber membrane, and a permeated water discharge passage when the hollow fiber membrane is an external pressure type hollow fiber membrane. Becomes The outer diameter of both ends of the T-shaped port (4) adopts a connection method using O-rings, and a female thread for a pipe is provided on the inner side so that a threaded pipe can be formed if necessary. A typical typical usage of the T-shaped port in the present invention is to connect the housings with a connecting short pipe (12) or the like, and to connect the end from the outside with a female screw for pipe inside the T-shaped port. Connecting. Also, external piping is connected to the port only on one side of the T-shaped ports located at both ends of the connected housings, and a plug (16) is used on the other side to close the flow path.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a multi-bonding type hollow fiber membrane module in which a plurality of membrane elements are bundled and connected to an integral end cap, and FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG. . In this embodiment, the integrated end cap (6)
A flow path (7) for allowing a fluid to pass through is provided substantially in the center of each liquid pool (8) of each of the end caps (6).
A branch channel (7-1) communicating with the liquid pool (8) is provided.
In the case of an internal pressure type hollow fiber membrane, the flow path serves as a raw water supply path or a concentrated water discharge path, and in the case of an external pressure type hollow fiber membrane, a permeate discharge path. In addition, a plug (11) for closing the connection is provided in the fluid passage (7) which penetrates. Hereinafter, the method of assembling the membrane element (5) to the end cap (6), the method of fixing the membrane element (5) and the end cap (6) by the tie rod (10), and the T-shaped port (4) of the adjacent membrane element. The method of connection by the short pipes between them is the same as that in the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which the membrane elements are connected in a bundle and attached with an integral end cap. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the integral end cap of FIG. 5, FIG.
Shows a side view of the end cap of FIG. In this embodiment, the height of the end cap (6) is extended to a position covering the ports (4-1) near both ends of the housing (2), and O-rings (9) are provided so as to sandwich the ports. .
On the other hand, the end cap has a housing port (4-
By providing a fluid flow path (17) leading to 1),
The T-shaped port shown in the second embodiment and the connecting short pipe between them can be omitted. The end cap structure can also be applied to the structure of the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 8 shows a structure in which a plurality of independently formed end caps are provided with common through holes, a pipe is passed through the through holes, and the end caps are integrally assembled by the pipe. Is. The end cap (6) is made individually for each membrane element.
Reference numeral (7) is a through hole, and (7-2) is a pipe for supplying or taking out a fluid, which penetrates through each end cap. (7-4) indicates a nut, and the plurality of end caps are coupled by tightening the nut. Pipe (7
-2) is a flow path for supplying or extracting a fluid in addition to the purpose of connecting a plurality of end caps, and the flow path (7-3) provided in the pipe is connected to the membrane element for the purpose. Can be made. (7-5) shows a sealing packing between the pipe (7-2) and the end cap (6).

(Installation Volume Efficiency) When the fluid is supplied to the membrane elements in parallel and used, the case of using four membrane elements will be compared between the present invention and the prior art membrane module. Regarding the height of the membrane module, the present invention and the prior art are almost the same, so comparing the installation volume efficiency with the installation area efficiency shows that in the case of the prior art, the ports of the housings are connected by a union (see FIG. 10). In, the width and depth are 0.89mx
This is 0.31 m, and the area is 0.28 m ² , whereas in Example 1, the size and the area are 0.6.
9m × 0.25m = 0.17m ² , which is 61% of the conventional value.
Decrease to. Similarly, in Example 2, 0.33 m × 0.4
At 8 m = 0.16 m ² , it decreased to 57% of that of the prior art, and in Example 3, 0.32 m × 0.37 m = 0.12 m
^{In 2} , the reduction was 43% of the conventional technique, and in Example 4, as in the case of Example 1, it was reduced to 61% of the conventional technique, and in any case, the installation volume efficiency improvement according to the present invention was obtained.

[0018]

EFFECT OF THE INVENTION In the multi-bonding type hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention, since the T-shaped ports of each membrane element are connected by a combination of short tubes, the replacement of the membrane element is easy and the connecting portion is Since it has mobility, it is easy to effectively prevent liquid leakage from each T-shaped port. Further, even in the manufacturing or installation site, there is no need for a heavy load carrying device or a stationary attachment device when carrying it.
Moreover, when the hollow fiber membrane is lost, it is economical because the entire hollow fiber membrane does not need to be exchanged as in the case of a large-sized membrane module, and only the membrane element at the required location can be exchanged.
Further, the installation volume efficiency of the membrane module can be improved by mounting the integral type end cap, unlike the conventional combination of the union joint or the flange joint.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a multi-bond hollow fiber membrane module according to the present invention in which a plurality of membrane elements are arranged in parallel and an integrated end cap is attached.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the multi-bond hollow fiber membrane module of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a multi-bonding type hollow fiber membrane module according to the present invention in which four membrane elements are assembled in a bundle and an integral end cap is attached.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the multi-bond hollow fiber membrane module of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a multi-bond hollow fiber membrane module according to the present invention in which a flow path between housings is provided in an end cap.

6 is a plan view of the integral end cap of FIG.
Shown by rotating 0 °.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the end cap of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a multi-bonded hollow fiber membrane module according to the present invention in which each membrane element is equipped with a single end cap.

9 is a partial side view of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a conventional multi-bond hollow fiber membrane module in which a plurality of membrane elements are connected in parallel.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Hollow Fiber 2 Housing 3 Sealing Material 4 T-Shaped Port 4-1 Housing Port 5 Membrane Element 6 End Cap 7 Flow Path 7-1 Branch Flow Path 7-2 Pipe 7-3 Flow Path 7-4 Nut 7-5 Packing 7-6 Washer 8 Liquid Reservoir 9 O-ring 10 Tie Rod 11 Plug 12 Short Tube 12-1 Short Tube 13 Color 14 O-ring 15 Snap Ring 16 Plug 17 Channel 18 Cheese Joint 19 Union Joint 20 Elbow Joint 21 Nipple Joint

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A multi-bonding type hollow fiber membrane module, wherein a plurality of membrane elements made of hollow fiber membranes are assembled in an integral end cap. 2. The multi-bonded hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of membrane elements made of hollow fiber membranes are arranged in one or two rows. 3. The multi-bonding type hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, wherein three or more membrane elements made of hollow fiber membranes are arranged in a bundle. 4. The multi-bond hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, wherein the integral end cap has a pipe penetrating therethrough. 5. A method for connecting T-shaped ports of a membrane element outer cylinder (housing) provided with T-shaped ports with each other, by connecting the T-shaped ports with a short pipe having the same outer diameter as the outer diameter of the port opening. A multi-bonded hollow fiber membrane module, which is connected by an O-ring and a collar that holds the O-ring. 6. The T-shaped port has a shape in which the outside of the port opening can be connected with an O-ring, and the inside of the port opening is provided with a female thread for a pipe so that a threaded pipe can be connected. The multi-bonding type hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 5. 7. A method for connecting T-shaped ports of a membrane element outer cylinder (housing) provided with T-shaped ports with each other, wherein the T-shaped ports are connected by a short tube having an inner diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the port opening. A multi-bond hollow fiber membrane module, characterized in that it is connected by inserting it with an O-ring sandwiched therebetween.