HOLLOW FIBER MEMBRANE MODULE

• US 20100072124A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toray Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Toray Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Sakai, Kenji, Kobayashi, Hidetada, Morikawa, Hirofumi, Tanaka, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,307,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/321.790
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/08 Flow guidance means within the module or the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/20 Specific housing
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/21 Specific headers, end caps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/02 Hollow fibre modules

Abstract

This invention provides a hollow fiber membrane module which can reduce pressure loss in discharging water within a module and can reduce operating power. A hollow fiber membrane bundle comprising a plurality of numbers of hollow fiber membranes are disposed within a cylindrical case having in its side face an opening part for the inflow/outflow of water, and the end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is fixed by bonding at a position which is located in the axial direction of the cylindrical case at an outer position than the position of the opening part for the inflow/outflow of water on the side face of the cylindrical case. The hollow fiber membrane module is characterized in that a distribution cylinder provided with distribution holes is provided inward with respect to the opening part for the inflow/outflow of water on the side face of the cylindrical case and so as to surround the outer periphery of the hollow fiber membrane bundle, and grooves and/or corrugated protrusions are provided on the inner face of the distribution cylinder so as to be in communication with each other among the distribution holes.

Claims

1. A hollow fiber membrane module in which a hollow fiber membrane bundle including a great number of hollow fiber membranes is arranged in a cylindrical case having a water entrance/exit opening formed on a side surface, and an end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is adhered and fixed at an outer side in an axial direction of the cylindrical case than a position of the water entrance/exit opening at the side surface of the cylindrical case;

wherein

a distribution cylinder formed with a distribution hole is arranged on the inner side of the water entrance/exit opening at the side surface of the cylindrical case so as to surround an outer periphery of the hollow fiber membrane bundle, and a groove for communicating the distribution holes is arranged on a surface on the inner side of the distribution cylinder.

3. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a longitudinal direction of the groove or a longitudinal direction of the corrugated protrusion arranged on the surface on the inner side of the distribution cylinder is a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane.

4. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 3, wherein the groove intersecting the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane and the corrugated protrusion intersecting the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane are arranged on the surface on the inner side of the distribution cylinder.

5. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the groove and/or the corrugated protrusion is arranged in plurals on the surface on the inner side of the distribution cylinder, and the grooves and/or the corrugated protrusions have a longitudinal direction parallel to each other.

6. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the groove and/or the corrugated protrusion is arranged in plurals on the surface on the inner side of the distribution cylinder, and at least some of the grooves and/or the corrugated protrusions intersect each other at the surface on the inner side of the distribution cylinder.

7. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an intersecting angle of a longitudinal direction of the groove arranged on the surface on the inner side of the distribution cylinder and a longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane, and/or, an intersecting angle of a longitudinal direction of the corrugated protrusion arranged on the surface on the inner side of the distribution cylinder and the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane are respectively greater than or equal to 30 degrees.

8. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, wherein a width of the groove arranged on the surface on the inner side of the distribution cylinder is between 50% and 125% of a hole diameter of the distribution hole, and a depth of the groove is between 10 and 50% of the thickness of the distribution cylinder surface.

10. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a hole diameter of the distribution hole formed in the distribution cylinder is between 1 and 10 mm, and a filling rate of the hollow fiber membrane is between 25 and 70%.

11. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a water discharge opening is arranged as the water entrance/exit opening on the side surface of the cylindrical case, and the distribution cylinder is arranged on the inner side of the water discharge opening so as to surround the outer periphery of the hollow fiber membrane bundle.

12. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a water discharge opening and a water supply opening are arranged as the water entrance/exit opening on the side surface of the cylindrical case, and the distribution cylinder is arranged on the inner side of the water discharge opening so as to surround the outer periphery of the hollow fiber membrane bundle, and the distribution cylinder is arranged on the inner side of the water supply opening so as to surround the outer periphery of the hollow fiber membrane bundle.

2. A hollow fiber membrane module in which a hollow fiber membrane bundle including a great number of hollow fiber membranes is arranged in a cylindrical case having a water entrance/exit opening formed on a side surface, and an end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is adhered and fixed at an outer side in an axial direction of the cylindrical case than a position of the water entrance/exit opening at the side surface of the cylindrical case;

wherein

a distribution cylinder formed with a distribution hole is arranged on the inner side of the water entrance/exit opening at the side surface of the cylindrical case so as to surround an outer periphery of the hollow fiber membrane bundle, and a corrugated protrusion is arranged on a surface on the inner side of the distribution cylinder.

9. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 2, wherein the corrugated protrusion arranged on the surface on the inner side of the distribution cylinder has an interval between the corrugated protrusions of between 50% and 125% of a hole diameter of the distribution hole, and a height of the corrugated protrusion is between 1 and 10 mm.