JPS5932162B2 - Fluid treatment device with laminated structure - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a fluid treatment device using a hollow fiber membrane, and more specifically, a plurality of hollow fiber bundles are attached to one distribution element, and a plurality of distribution elements are further laminated. The present invention relates to a fluid processing device.

In recent years, fluid treatment devices using hollow fiber membranes have come to be used in many fields.

For example, as an artificial kidney, a device is provided in which thousands to tens of thousands of hollow fiber membranes are enclosed in a case to purify blood.

In addition, for industrial applications such as separation and concentration of various solutions, tens to hundreds of thousands of hollow fibers are divided into multiple fiber bundles and these are attached to a single housing to increase the membrane area. Devices have also been proposed.

In such industrial equipment, it is an important issue to accommodate as large a membrane area as possible in a given volume.

The conventional device, ie, the structure in which a plurality of hollow fiber bundles are housed in a housing, is not sufficiently effective in solving this problem.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a device having a large membrane area, and further to provide a fluid treatment device in which the membrane area can be easily adjusted and the hollow fiber bundle can be extremely easily maintained.

That is, the present invention is a fluid treatment device comprising a substantially rectangular distribution element to which a plurality of hollow fiber bundles are mounted and a backing body inserted between the distribution elements, which are pressurized and sealed, the distribution element having a shape that penetrates through the distribution element. a first frame having a liquid inflow hole that connects to the liquid inflow hole, a distribution pipe that connects to the liquid inflow hole, and a plurality of hollow fiber bundle connection holes bored in the distribution pipe; a liquid outflow hole that penetrates the distribution element; A second frame having a connecting collecting pipe and a plurality of hollow fiber bundle connecting holes bored in the collecting pipe is located at an opposing position, and is separated from another pair of frames supporting the first and second frames. A fluid treatment device having a laminated structure.

In the device according to the present invention, as the hollow fiber membrane, regenerated cellulose-based, cellulose derivative, polyvinyl alcohol-based,
Various polymers such as polyacrylonitrile, polymethyl methacrylate, polyamide, polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, and silicone rubber can be used.

The hollow fiber membrane preferably has an outer diameter of 10 to 3000 microns and a wall thickness of about 5 to 500 microns.

These hollow fibers are assembled into bundles of several hundred to several hundred thousand fibers.

This is defined as a unit hollow fiber bundle.

The hollow fiber bundle is attached to a substantially rectangular distribution element, which will be described later.

One feature of the present invention is that the hollow fiber bundle is not attached to a casing, but is attached to a distribution element, and a plurality of distribution elements are stacked to form an apparatus.

That is, in the present invention, one distribution element serves as a unit component of the entire device.

The distribution element used in the present invention has a substantially rectangular frame,
A pair of opposing frames, preferably one above the other, are used for mounting the hollow fiber bundle, and another pair of frames is used to support the frames.

The present invention will be explained below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a distribution element according to the invention. The three distribution element has a first frame 1 and a second frame 2 of a thickness capable of accommodating the hollow fiber bundle, and The second frame is supported by the other pair of frames 3 and 4 and maintains a substantially rectangular structure.

The first frame 1 has a liquid inlet hole 5 passing through the frame.
and a distribution pipe 6 connected thereto is installed in the length direction of the first frame.

The distribution pipe 6 is further provided with a plurality of hollow fiber bundle connection holes 7, into which hollow fiber bundles 8 are removably attached in a liquid-tight manner by appropriate means.

The second frame 2 has a liquid outflow hole 9 passing through the frame.
A collecting pipe 10 connected thereto is installed in the length direction of the second frame.

A hollow fiber bundle connecting hole 11 corresponding to the connecting hole 7 provided in the first frame is further bored in the collecting pipe 10, and a hollow fiber bundle is installed therein.

With the above structure, the fluid supplied from the liquid inflow hole 5 is distributed to each hollow fiber bundle connecting hole 7 through the distribution pipe 8, flows inside the hollow fibers of the hollow fiber bundle 8, and collects in the collecting pipe 10. The liquid is discharged from the liquid outflow hole 9.

While passing through the hollow fiber membrane, the fluid undergoes treatments such as dialysis, ultradialysis or reverse osmosis.

If it is necessary to supply fluid to the outside of the hollow fiber membrane, the frame of the distribution element is provided with further fluid supply holes 12 and drainage holes 13, as shown in FIG.

In order to stack a plurality of such distribution elements, it is necessary to insert a backing body between the distribution elements.

The backing body 14 preferably has substantially the same shape as the frame of the distribution element, and has flow passages 15, 15' extending through the frame and connecting with fluid inflow and outflow holes and supply and discharge holes. , 16°16' are provided.

FIG. 2 is an example of a fluid treatment device constructed by stacking distribution elements according to the present invention.

A predetermined number of distribution elements 17 and backing bodies 14 are stacked between the end plates 18, 19, and in order to fix their position, guide rods 21.
21' to fix the position.

After assembly is completed, the dispensing element and backing body are brought into a pressure-tight seal by an optional pressure means, such as pressure mechanism 22 on end plate 19.

Fluid supply and discharge mechanisms 23 and 2 to the end plate, for example, the end plate 18
3' and 24, 24' are provided for supplying and discharging fluid to the device.

According to the device having this structure, the membrane area can be adjusted not only by increasing or decreasing the number of distribution elements, but also by inserting a baffle plate that blocks fluid flow at an arbitrary position. can.

Other embodiments are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The distribution element shown in FIG. 3 includes a liquid inlet hole 5, a liquid outlet hole 9
Further, another fluid supply hole 12 and a discharge hole 13 necessary for supplying fluid to the outside of the hollow fiber are provided toward the outside of the frame.

By providing the inflow hole and the discharge hole toward the outside of the frame, supply and discharge of fluid to each distribution element can be performed using externally provided fluid supply and discharge mechanisms 23 and 2 as shown in FIG.
3', 24, 24'.

This structure has the advantage that fluid can be easily supplied and stopped to each distribution element independently by operating a valve of an external mechanism, and that the structure of each frame and backing body can be simplified.

The rest of the structure is the same as the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The device according to the present invention is not only easy to assemble and disassemble, but also allows hollow fiber membranes to be processed on a per-distribution element basis.
Maintenance such as cleaning is easy, and the practical effect is extremely large.

The distribution element used in the present invention can be manufactured by integral molding of plastic such as FRP or by attaching a pipe or the like to a suitable frame.

The device of the present invention can be used for liquid-liquid, liquid-gas, and gas-
Can be used as a gas processing device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a distribution element and a backing body used in the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a fluid treatment device in which they are assembled. FIG. 3 shows another example of the distribution element and backing body of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a fluid treatment device in which they are assembled.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A fluid treatment device comprising a substantially rectangular distribution element to which a plurality of hollow fiber bundles are attached and a backing body inserted between the distribution elements, which are pressurized and sealed, the distribution element having a liquid inflow hole passing through the distribution element. , a first frame having a distribution pipe connected to the liquid inflow hole and a plurality of hollow fiber bundle connection holes bored in the distribution pipe, a liquid outflow hole passing through the distribution element, and a collecting pipe connected to the liquid outflow hole. and a second frame having a plurality of hollow fiber bundle connecting holes bored in the collecting pipe at opposing positions, and comprising another pair of frames supporting the first and second frames. A fluid treatment device having a laminated structure characterized by: