Membrane filter for water treatment

• US 20040035779A1
• Filed: 08/01/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koch Membrane Systems GmbH (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Koch Membrane Systems GmbH (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schafer, Stefan, Vossenkaul, Klaus
• Application Number:
  US10/380,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20040035779A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/321.6
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/06 External membrane module supporting or fixing means
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/26 Specific gas distributors or gas intakes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2315/06 Submerged-type; Immersion type
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2321/12 Use of permeate
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2321/185 Aeration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/0241 being U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/04 comprising multiple hollow fibre assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/043 with separate tube sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 65/02 Membrane cleaning or sterilisation ; Membrane regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 65/08 Prevention of membrane fouling or of concentration polarisation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/444 by ultrafiltration or microfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/16 Regeneration of sorbents, filters

Abstract

The invention relates to a membrane filter for water treatment, comprising a head piece (1) consisting of a permeate collecting chamber (2) with a permeate outlet (3), and at least one fiber bundle (4) made from capillary membranes, which are poured into the head piece (1) with an end that is open towards the permeate collecting chamber (2) and sealed on the opposite end thereof. The head piece (1) contains an air duct (16) to which the mouth piece (10) that protrudes into the fiber bundle (4) is connected with at least one air outlet (11). At its other end, the fiber bundle (4) terminates in freely movable manner in the untreated water (6).

Claims

1. Membrane filter for water treatment, comprising

a head piece (1) consisting of a permeate collecting chamber (2) with a permeate outlet (3),

at least one fiber bundle (4) made from capillary membranes, which are poured into the head piece (1) with an end that is open towards the permeate collecting chamber (2) and sealed on the opposite end thereof, and

a gasification device (8) with a mouth piece (10) that has at least one outlet (11) for air and extends essentially parallel to the capillary membranes (5), within the fiber bundle (4),

whereby the capillary membranes (5) of the fiber bundle (4) that are surrounded by the untreated water (6) to be treated are attached, in a dense packing, to a connecting surface (7) of the head piece (1), and clarified liquid can be withdrawn in the capillary membranes (5), to the permeate collecting chamber (2), characterized in that the head piece (1) contains an air duct (16) to which the mouth piece (10) that protrudes into the fiber bundle (4) is connected, and that the fiber bundle (4) terminates, at its other end, without being clamped in place, in freely movable manner in the untreated water (6).

2. Membrane filter according to claim 1, characterized in that for immersion operation, the connecting surface (7) is not penetrated by flow channels for the untreated water.

3. Membrane filter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a basket (12) is set onto the head piece (1), which limits the lateral movements of the fiber bundle (14) [sic].

4. Membrane filter according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the head piece (1) has connecting devices for attachment to a frame, which can be lowered into a basin that contains the untreated water.

5. Membrane filter according to claim 1, characterized in that the head piece (1) has bores (15) that allow the untreated water to flow through, which are arranged concentrically around the gasification device (8), and that the capillary membranes (5) are poured into the head piece (1) on a ring-shaped connecting surface (7) between the gasification device (8) and the bores (15) that carry the liquid.

6. Membrane filter according to claim 5, characterized in that the connecting surface (7) of the head piece (1), into which the capillary membranes (5) that form the fiber bundle (4) are poured at their one end, is structured to be star-shaped, whereby the connecting surface (7) fills up the ring-shaped area between the gasification device (8) and the concentrically arranged bores (15), and extends into the regions between the channels for liquid.

7. Membrane filter according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the head piece (1) is releasably connected with a pipe-shaped mantle (17), which forms the filter chamber (14) through which flow can take place in the lengthwise direction of the capillary membranes (5).

8. Membrane filter according to claim 7, characterized in that the head piece (1) can be connected with the pipe-shaped mantle (17) of another, identically structured membrane filter, at the face that faces away from the fiber bundle (4), and that the permeate outlet (3) is arranged on the circumference of the head piece (1).

9. Membrane filter according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that several fiber bundles (4) are connected with the head piece (1), whereby a gasification device (8) as well as bores (15) through which liquid flows, which concentrically surround the gasification device (8), are assigned to each fiber bundle (4), and that the head piece (1) has separate distributor chambers (18, 19) for water and air, into which the bores (15) for water or the air ducts (16), respectively, empty;

and that chambers that each contain a fiber bundle (4) of capillary membranes and through which the untreated water flows in the lengthwise direction of the capillary membranes (5) are releasably connected with the head piece (1).

10. Membrane filter according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the mouth piece (10) has a pipe-shaped section with bores (11) on the circumference.

11. Membrane filter according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the mouth piece (10) is structured as a ring gap nozzle, from which the air exits radially.

12. Membrane filter according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the mouth piece (10) has a kick-back valve that closes if the pressure of the air feed drops.