KR101716826B1 - Hollow fiber membrane module - Google Patents

Abstract

It is possible to minimize contamination of the hollow fiber membrane due to the accumulation of contaminants inside the header having the hollow fiber membrane fixed therein and to prevent contamination accumulated in the header when the hollow fiber membrane module is separated and washed, A hollow fiber membrane which is connected to the water tube and has one end connected to the inside of the header and has a free end and filtering the raw water by the head; a housing, which is installed in the header and extends into the water tube, Wherein the header or the housing has at least one discharge portion for discharging raw water and / or wash water into and out of the header or the housing.

Description

[0001] HOLLOW FIBER MEMBRANE MODULE [0002]

The present invention relates to a hollow fiber membrane module. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hollow fiber membrane module that is easy to clean.

In general, separation membrane technology is one of the separation techniques using the material selective permeability of polymer materials, and it is divided into a flat membrane, a tubular membrane, and a hollow fiber membrane depending on the type thereof.

Membrane filtration process using membrane is used for water treatment facility which occupies less area than existing water treatment process and can completely remove material larger than nominal pore size of membrane. In addition, the membrane technology can be applied to a small-scale water treatment by allowing a small-scale modularization.

The separator is a module which is convenient for use and is selected according to the use. Among them, hollow fiber membranes are hollow tubes with a diameter of 0.2 ~ 2 mm and hollow center. The hollow fiber membrane is larger than that of membranes having different membrane area ratios per unit volume. Therefore, the hollow fiber membrane has high productivity. In addition, the hollow fiber membranes are often used because they are small in diameter and can maintain their own shape, eliminating the need for a separate support.

However, since the membrane module requires a high pressure difference, there is a problem in that the contamination of the membrane is accelerated, and a pump and a blower, which have high energy consumption, are required to reduce membrane contamination due to suspended substances. Thus, the water treatment apparatus using the conventional membrane module takes a high energy and high cost, and it is difficult to use the water treatment system because of the difficulty in maintaining maintenance in a region where power is insufficient or in an underdeveloped country.

In order to solve such a problem, a non-powered water treatment technique has been developed in which water is filtered using a water head pressure of a water bottle. However, the structure does not properly clean contaminants attached to the membrane module. Thus, there is a disadvantage in that water production is continuously reduced during filtration.

Particularly, in the header portion where the tip of the hollow fiber membrane is fixed, the motion of the hollow fiber membrane is limited, and the pollutant is relatively accumulated more. The contaminants accumulated in the hollow fiber membrane of the header portion grow along the hollow fiber membrane to further accelerate contamination. As a result, the contamination of the hollow fiber membrane is increased, and the performance of the module is deteriorated.

Further, in order to recover the reduced module performance due to the contamination of the hollow fiber membranes, separate washing for separating and washing the module from the water tank is performed periodically. However, in the conventional structure, the connection portion of the hollow fiber membrane in the header is closed, So that it is not easy to remove contaminants from the header portion. As a result, it has been confirmed that the module of the conventional structure has a limitation in restoring the performance of the reduced module even by the separation cleaning. (Answer: It is not necessary to describe the conventional structure in detail, and it is desirable to describe it briefly.)

Provided is a hollow fiber membrane module in which contaminants are accumulated in a header having a hollow fiber membrane fixed therein and contamination of the hollow fiber membrane can be minimized.

The present invention also provides a hollow fiber membrane module capable of more easily discharging contaminants accumulated in a header when the hollow fiber membrane module is separated and washed.

The hollow fiber membrane module of the present embodiment includes a header coupled to a water reservoir in which raw water is received, a hollow fiber membrane having one end coupled to the header and a free end and filtering raw water by a head, And a header in which the hollow fiber membrane is disposed. The header or the housing may have a structure in which at least one outlet for circulating raw water or washing water is formed.

The outlet may include an outlet formed along the outer surface of the header or the housing.

The outlet may be elongated along the axial direction of the header and narrow in the circumferential direction.

The outlet may be elongated along the circumferential direction of the header and narrower in the axial direction.

The outlet may be formed as a plurality of layers with intervals along the axial direction of the header.

The discharge port may have a structure in which both facing sides are inclined so that the width becomes narrower toward the outer surface from the inner surface of the header.

The outlet may be formed at a position spaced apart from the fixing portion for supporting the hollow fiber membrane in the header.

The discharge unit may include a discharge pipe formed at the center of the header for discharging raw water or washing water, and a cap for selectively opening and closing the discharge pipe.

The discharge pipe may extend through the center of the header and extend in the direction of the header axis, and the inner end may be provided with discharge holes for discharging raw water or washing water along the outer peripheral surface.

The discharge hole may have a structure in which both opposite sides are inclined so that the width becomes narrower from the outer surface to the inner surface of the discharge pipe.

The inner end of the discharge pipe gradually converges to the central portion to be formed into a conical shape, and a hole may be formed at the tip thereof.

The hollow fiber membrane module may include a collector installed in the header and connected to the hollow fiber membrane to collect the treated water, and a treated water pipe connected to the collector to discharge the treated water.

The header may further include a fastening portion for engagement with the bucket.

According to the apparatus as described above, it is possible to minimize contamination of the hollow fiber membrane in the header where the movement of the hollow fiber membrane is dull.

In addition, the pollutant accumulated in the header can be discharged more easily, and the pollutant can be prevented from being deposited in the header.

In addition, when the hollow fiber membrane module is separated and washed, the discharging part becomes a moving passage of the washing water, so that accumulated dirt around the fixing part of the hollow fiber membrane and the header can be cleaned more thoroughly.

Therefore, it is easy to maintain and extend the service life, and it can be used for a long time.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a hollow fiber membrane module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a side view showing a hollow fiber membrane module according to this embodiment.
3 is a side view showing another embodiment of the discharge port in the hollow fiber membrane module according to the present embodiment.
4 is a sectional view of the hollow fiber membrane module according to the present embodiment taken along line AA of FIG.
5 is a sectional view of the hollow fiber membrane module according to the present embodiment taken along line BB of FIG.
6 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a hollow fiber membrane module according to another embodiment.
7 is a plan sectional view of the hollow fiber membrane module shown in FIG.
FIG. 8 is a graph showing the cleaning effect when the hollow fiber membrane module according to the present embodiment is separated and washed, compared with the conventional one.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Wherever possible, the same or similar parts are denoted using the same reference numerals in the drawings.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular forms as used herein include plural forms as long as the phrases do not expressly express the opposite meaning thereto. Means that a particular feature, region, integer, step, operation, element and / or component is specified, and that other specific features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / And the like.

All terms including technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Predefined terms are further interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the relevant technical literature and the present disclosure, and are not to be construed as ideal or very formal meanings unless defined otherwise.

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described by taking as an example the structure in which the separation membrane in which water treatment is performed is a hollow fiber membrane. The present invention is not limited thereto, and any separation membrane that filters raw water by pressure difference is applicable.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a hollow fiber membrane module according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 shows a cross section of a hollow fiber membrane module.

The hollow fiber membrane module 10 includes a header 40 coupled to a water bottle 20 containing raw water and a housing 42 installed in the header 40 and extending into the water bottle 20, And a hollow fiber membrane 44 installed in the header 40 and extending into the housing 42 to perform water treatment by pressure difference.

The hollow fiber membrane module includes a collector 46 installed in the header 40 and connected to the hollow fiber membrane 44 to collect the treated water and a treatment water pipe 48 connected to the collector 46 to discharge the treated water .

The header 40 has a coupling part 30 for coupling with the water bottle 20 so that the hollow fiber membrane module 10 can be detachably attached to the water bottle 20. The fastening part 30 may be coupled to, for example, a fastening hole formed in a bucket. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the fastening part 30 has a structure in which a male screw is formed on the outer surface of the header. In response, a female screw may be formed on the fastening hole on the side surface of the water tank 20 in which the module is inserted, so as to be fastened to the male screw of the fastening part. Thus, the header 40 can be coupled to the water bottle in a screw-engagement manner. When the header 40 is coupled to the water container 20, the header 40 is installed in close contact with the side of the water container 20. The housing 42 installed at the inner side of the header 40 and the header is connected to the water container 20, .

One end of the housing 42 is coupled to the tip of the header 40, and the other end is cylindrical. The housing 42 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be formed in various shapes such as a rectangular tube or a polygonal cross-sectional shape. The housing 42 surrounds and protects the hollow fiber membrane 44.

The collector (46) is formed inside the header (40). A fixing portion 47 for fixing the hollow fiber membrane in the header 40 is located adjacent to the collector 46. The fixing part 47 supports one end of the hollow fiber membrane 44 and blocks the inside of the housing 42 and the collector 46.

The hollow fiber membrane 44 is connected at one end to the fixing portion 47 so that the internal passage 45 communicates with the collector 46. The hollow fiber membrane 44 is coupled to the fixing portion 47 and is disposed in the header inner space and extends along the housing.

The hollow fiber membrane 44 has a free end whose one end is supported by the fixing part 47 and communicates with the collector 46 and extends along the housing 42 while the other end is not constrained and can freely flow. Therefore, the hollow fiber membrane 44 can be shaken even with a small kinetic energy, thereby maximizing the cleaning effect.

A treatment water pipe (48) is installed on the outer surface of the header (40). The treatment water pipe 48 communicates with the collector 46 inside the header 40. The treated water collected in the collector 46 by the hollow fiber membrane 44 is discharged to the outside of the hollow fiber membrane module 10 through the treatment water pipe 48. The treatment water pipe 48 may be extended downward by providing a separate hose or the like. The downwardly extending hose applies the suction pressure by the siphon principle to the hollow fiber membrane 44. Accordingly, the effective permeation pressure of the hollow fiber membrane 44 can be increased to enhance the water treatment ability.

The hollow fiber membrane module of the present embodiment has a discharge portion to form a raw water flow inside and outside the header and a structure in which wash water flows into and out of the header when cleaning the hollow fiber membrane module. Accordingly, contaminants can be prevented from accumulating inside the header, and the cleaning efficiency can be further increased.

To this end, in this embodiment, the discharge portion includes at least one discharge port 70 formed along the outer circumferential surface of the header 40 and through which raw water or washing water flows. The outlet may be formed in the housing in addition to the header.

The outlet (70) forms a flow of raw water circulating in and out of the header (40) during the use of the hollow fiber membrane module. That is, the raw water in the water tank may be introduced into the header through the outlet outside the header, or may be discharged from the header through the outlet inside the header. The raw water flowing through the discharge port 70 forms a flow of raw water inside the header.

The header is a portion where one end of the hollow fiber membrane is fixed by the fixing portion, and the movement of the hollow fiber membrane hardly occurs inside the header. Therefore, at the inside of the header, that is, at the fixed portion of the hollow fiber membrane, the hollow fiber membrane is hardly shaken and contaminants accumulate. In this embodiment, as described above, the flow of the raw water inside the header is formed by the discharge port, thereby preventing the contaminants from accumulating in the header 40 by the flow of the raw water and enhancing the cleaning power of the hollow fiber membrane.

In addition, the discharge port 70 serves as a passage through which the washing water flows when cleaning the hollow fiber membrane module. During washing of the hollow fiber membrane module, the washing water flows through the discharge port 70 from inside the housing by up-down movement or rotational movement of the module. Through the flow of the wash water, the sludge and contaminants attached to the surface of the hollow fiber membrane inside the housing are discharged through the outlet 70 as well as the open end of the housing. Accordingly, it is possible to increase pollutant cleaning efficiency inside the header and inside the housing.

The outlet 70 formed in the header 40 is a hole formed in the header 40 and has a rectangular slit shape extending in the axial direction of the header 40 and having a relatively narrow width in the circumferential direction . Here, the axial direction means the y-axis direction in Fig. 2, and the circumferential direction means the x-axis direction.

The outlets 70 may be closely arranged along the outer circumferential surface of the header 40 at intervals. The size or the number of the discharge ports 70 may be appropriately selected according to the discharge amount of the raw water. The outlet ports 70 are densely arranged along the entire outer circumferential surface of the header 40 so that the raw water is distributed to the inside and outside of the header 40 through the outlet port 70 over the entire surface of the header 40. The spacing of the discharge ports 70 along the outer circumferential surface of the header can be appropriately selected so as to uniformly treat contaminants in the entire header 40. [

3, the discharge port 70 may be formed in a slit shape extending long in the circumferential direction of the header 40 and having a relatively narrow width in the axial direction. That is, the discharge port 70 may have a structure in which the length is short in the y-axis direction in the axial direction and elongated in the x-axis direction in the circumferential direction. The outlet 70 may be continuously formed on the circumferential surface of the header in a circumferential direction and may be formed as a plurality of layers spaced along the axial direction of the header 40.

Each outlet formed along the header circumferential surface may be formed to penetrate toward the center of the header, or may be formed in one direction along a direction parallel to a straight line passing through the center axis. In the case of a structure in which the discharge port is formed in one direction, the discharge port can be formed more easily in the header, which is more advantageous in manufacturing.

4, the discharge port 70 is formed at a predetermined distance from the fixing portion 47 for supporting the hollow fiber membrane 44 in the header 40, as shown in Fig. One end of the outlet is extended to a position close to the fixing portion and the other end is extended to approximately the housing.

Thus, the discharge port 70 is formed sufficiently long to be close to the fixed portion, so that the flow of the raw water through the discharge port 70 can be formed near the fixed portion of the hollow fiber membrane.

Accordingly, contaminants accumulated in the conventional header 40 or contaminants on the surface of the hollow fiber membrane 44 located in the housing can be easily removed by the flow of raw water or washing water flowing through the discharge port 70 .

Fig. 5 shows a sectional structure of the discharge port 70. Fig. As shown in FIG. 5, the discharge port 70 of the present embodiment has a structure in which both widthwise opposite sides are inclined in the thickness direction of the header 40 so that the width becomes narrower from the inner surface to the outer surface of the header 40 .

That is, the outlet 70 is formed so that the width gradually decreases from the center toward the outer side along the radial direction at the center of the header 40. The outlet 70 has the largest width of the hole inside the header 40 and the smallest width of the hole outside the header 40. Accordingly, as the raw water or the washing water flows from the inside to the outside of the header 40, the contaminants accumulated in the header 40 can be discharged more easily through the outlet 70 together with the raw water or the washing water. Contaminants outside the header 40, on the other hand, are less likely to enter the header 40 due to the narrow width of the outlet 70. Accordingly, contamination of the header 40 can be minimized by minimizing the inflow of contaminants into the header 40.

6 shows another embodiment of the hollow fiber membrane module.

Hereinafter, the hollow fiber membrane module of the present embodiment is the same as the above-described structure except for the structure of the discharge portion. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as those of the previous embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

6, the discharge unit includes a discharge pipe 72 formed at a central portion of the header 40 and discharging raw water or washing water, and a cap 76 for opening and closing the discharge pipe 72, if necessary can do.

The discharge unit may further include a discharge pipe 72 at a central portion of the header in addition to the discharge port 70 formed at the outer peripheral surface of the header 40, and may include only the discharge pipe 72 without a discharge port.

The discharge tube 72 is formed in a predetermined length and has an inner hollow tube-like structure and extends in the header axis direction through the center portion of the header.

A cap 76 for selectively opening and closing the discharge pipe 72 is installed at the outer end of the discharge pipe 72 extending outside the header 40. The cap 76 is sufficient to block or open the discharge pipe 72 and is not particularly limited in its structure or form. When the cap 76 is closed at the tip of the discharge pipe 72, the raw water or the washing water does not flow through the discharge pipe 72. When the cap 76 is opened, raw water or washing water inside the housing flows out through the discharge pipe 72. When the hollow fiber membrane module is cleaned, the discharge pipe 72 is opened by opening the cap 76 in the discharge pipe 72 and the cap 76 is installed in the discharge pipe 72 when the hollow fiber membrane module is used, Lt; / RTI >

The inner tip of the outlet tube 72 extends beyond the fixed portion 47 of the header 40 toward the housing 42. Since the discharge pipe 72 is disposed at the center of the header 40, the hollow fiber membrane 44 is disposed on the space between the discharge pipe 72 and the inner peripheral surface of the header. The hollow fiber membrane 44 is positioned along the outer circumferential surface of the discharge tube 72.

In the present embodiment, a discharge hole 74 through which raw water or washing water is discharged is arranged at an interval in the inner front end portion of the discharge pipe 72 extending into the header 40 along the peripheral surface.

The discharge hole 74 can be formed in various shapes. For example, the discharge hole 74 may be formed in a slit shape like the discharge hole described above. The size, shape and number of the discharge holes 74 can be appropriately selected according to the discharge amount of the raw water.

7, the discharge hole 74 of the present embodiment is formed such that both opposite side surfaces of the discharge hole 74 are inclined in the thickness direction of the discharge pipe 72, so that the width of the discharge hole 74 becomes narrower from the outer surface to the inner surface of the discharge pipe 72 It has a lagging structure.

That is, the discharge hole 74 is formed so that its width gradually increases from the inside to the outside along the radial direction at the center of the discharge pipe 72. The discharge hole 74 has the smallest width of the hole inside the discharge pipe 72 and the largest width of the hole outside the discharge pipe 72. Accordingly, as the washing water flows from the outside of the discharge pipe 72 to the inside, the contaminants accumulated in the header or the housing can be discharged to the discharge pipe 72 more easily through the discharge hole 74 together with the raw water or the washing water. On the other hand, the contaminants already discharged into the discharge pipe (72) are difficult to come out from the inside of the discharge pipe (72) due to the narrow width of the discharge hole (74). Accordingly, contamination of the header 40 can be minimized by restraining the contaminants in the bucket from flowing into the header from the discharge tube 72 as much as possible.

The discharge hole 74 forms a flow of raw water or washing water circulating in and out of the discharge pipe 72. During washing of the hollow fiber membrane module, the washing water flows into the discharge pipe 72 through the discharge hole 74 in the housing by the vertical movement or rotation of the module, and flows out through the discharge pipe 72. Therefore, the contaminants of the hollow fiber bundle can be effectively discharged to the outside of the hollow fiber membrane module along with the flow of the washing water without being stagnated inside.

As described above, the sludge and contaminants attached to the surface of the hollow fiber membrane inside the housing are discharged through the discharge pipe 72 like the washing water, so that the contamination cleaning efficiency can be improved inside the header and inside the housing.

In addition, the inner tip of the discharge tube 72 may be an open or clogged structure. In this embodiment, the inner tip of the discharge tube 72 is gradually gathered to the central portion and formed into a conical shape, and a separate hole 78 may be formed at the tip thereof. As the discharge tube 72 is disposed in the inner center of the housing, the hollow fiber membrane is disposed around the discharge tube 72 around the discharge tube 72. Accordingly, the washing water passing through the center of the hollow fiber membrane can be more easily discharged from the inside of the housing to the discharge pipe 72 through the hole 78.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing the cleaning effect when the hollow fiber membrane module according to the present embodiment is separated and washed, compared with the conventional art.

In order to maximize the contamination level of the hollow fiber membranes, this experiment was conducted by using the conventional hollow fiber membrane module as a raw sewage as the raw water.

In FIG. 6, the comparative example shows the productivity recovery rate recovered in the conventional washing and washing machine without the discharge port formed in the header. The embodiment shows recovery rate of productivity recovered by separate cleaning of the hollow fiber membrane module having the discharge port formed in the header as in the embodiment shown in FIG. Except for the formation of the discharge port, the hollow fiber membrane modules of the examples and comparative examples have the same structure.

Separate washing of the hollow fiber membrane module was performed after filtration of 660 liters of sewage into the hollow fiber membrane module in both Comparative Examples and Examples.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the hollow fiber membrane module was separated and washed, it was confirmed that even in the case of the comparative example, only 70% of the productivity was recovered.

On the contrary, in the case of the embodiment, it is understood that the discharge of the pollutant is more reliably discharged through the outlet of the header when the hollow fiber membrane module is separated and washed, and recovered to 95% of the original productivity after the separation washing.

As described above, the hollow fiber membrane module of the present embodiment can improve the efficiency of cleaning the hollow fiber membrane and the internal pollutant removal efficiency and maintain the productivity of the treated water by forming the discharge part in the header.

While the illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, various modifications and alternative embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art. Such variations and other embodiments will be considered and included in the appended claims, all without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

10: Hollow fiber membrane module 20: Bucket
30: fastening part 40: header
42: housing 44: hollow fiber membrane
45: inner passage 46: collector
47: stationary part 48: treated water pipe
70: exhaust port 72: exhaust pipe
74: discharge hole 76: stopper
78: Hole

Claims (12)

A hollow fiber membrane that is coupled to one end of the header and has a free end and that filters raw water by a head; a hollow fiber membrane that is installed in the header and extends into the water tube, Wherein the header or the housing is formed with at least one outlet for circulating raw water or washing water in and out,
Wherein the discharge portion includes an outlet formed along the outer periphery of the header or the header-side end portion of the housing,
The hollow fiber membrane module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outlet has a sloped side surface facing the outer surface of the header, the slit having a narrower width in the circumferential direction and a longer length along the axial direction of the header. delete delete delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the outlet is elongated along the circumferential direction of the header and has a narrow slit shape with respect to the axial direction. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the outlet is stacked in a plurality of layers at intervals along the axial direction of the header. The method according to claim 1,
A collector connected to the header and connected to the hollow fiber membrane to collect the treated water, and a process water pipe connected to the collector to discharge the treated water. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the header further comprises a fastening portion for engagement with the bucket. The method according to any one of claims 1 and 5 to 8,
Wherein the discharge portion includes a discharge pipe formed at a central portion of the header for discharging raw water or washing water, and a cap for selectively opening and closing the discharge pipe. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the discharge tube extends through the center of the header and extends in the direction of the header axis, and discharge holes through which the raw water or the wash water is discharged are arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the hollow tube. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the discharge hole is inclined so that the width of the discharge hole becomes narrower from the outer surface to the inner surface of the discharge tube. 12. The method of claim 11,
The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, wherein the discharge tube has an inner tip gradually gathered to a central portion to form a conical shape, and a hole is formed at a tip thereof.

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