WOVEN MEMBRANE MODULE WITH CONTROLLED TUBESHEET EPOXY WICKING

• US 20150174533A1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude (L'Air Liquide SA)
• Original Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude (L'Air Liquide SA)
• Inventors: LI, Tao, SANDERS, Edgar S. Jr., BENNETT, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,283,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2053/224 with hollow fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/22 by diffusion manufacturing semi-permeable membranes B01D67/00; form, structure or properties of semi-permeable membranes B01D69/00; material for semi-permeable membranes B01D71/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/022 Encapsulating hollow fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/026 Wafer type modules or flat-surface type modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/10 Spiral-wound membrane modules

Abstract

A gas separation membrane module is formed from a woven fabric of weft membrane hollow fibers and warp yarns. The membrane module includes an active hollow fiber region spanning the inner edges of the two tubesheets. The membrane module also includes two tubesheets formed by encapsulating membrane fiber on one or both ends. The tubesheet on the end includes a first sub-region adjacent the active fiber and a second sub-region extending from first sub-region to the outer face of the tubesheet. The spacing of the warp threads is relatively denser in the first sub-region than in the active region or the second sub-region.

Claims

1. A gas separation membrane module for separation of a gas mixture of interest, comprising:

a core tube having an axis;

a fabric spirally wrapped around the core tube, the fabric comprising weft hollow fibers that are semi-permeable to a gas mixture of interest and also warp threads, the weft hollow fibers extending in a direction parallel to the core axis, the warp threads spiraling in a direction perpendicular to the weft hollow fibers;

first and second tubesheets disposed at and impregnating opposite axial ends of the wrapped fabric, the tubesheets being comprised of thermoset or thermoplastic resin, a section of the fabric extending between the tubesheets being an active region, each section of the fabric impregnated by one of the tubesheets comprising a first sub-region adjacent the active region and a second sub-region extending from the associated first sub-region to the associated axial end of the fabric, the warp threads being spaced more densely in the first sub-regions than in the second sub-regions;

first and second end caps secured to the vessel to completely encase the outer ends of the first and second tubesheets, at least one of the end caps including an orifice for introduction or withdrawal of a gas; and

a pressure vessel encasing the first and second tubesheets, the pressure vessel surrounding at least the active region and including at least one orifice for introduction or withdrawal of a gas.

2. The module of claim 1, further comprising first and second O-rings each one of which is disposed between a groove formed in an outer surface of an associated one of the tubesheets and an inner wall of the pressure vessel.

3. The module of claim 1, wherein the active region and second sub-regions have a warp thread spacing of 0.1 cm to 5.0 cm and the first sub-regions have a warp thread spacing of 0.03 cm to 0.3 cm.

4. The module of claim 1, wherein the thermoset or thermoplastic resin of the tubesheets is an epoxy resin.

5. The module of claim 1, wherein the weft fibers are made of a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polysulfones, polyether sulfones, polyimides, polyamides, polyaramides, polyamide-imides, and blends thereof.

6. A method of manufacturing the gas separation membrane module of claim 1, comprising the steps of:

wrapping the fabric around the core tube;

injecting liquid, resinous potting composition comprising the thermoset or thermoplastic resin into one of first and second ends of the fabric-wrapped core for a time sufficient to impregnate the first and second sub-regions and fill in the potting composition among interstices of the weft fibers thereat;

allowing the liquid resin to cure and form the associated tubesheet;

injecting liquid, resinous potting composition into the other of the first and second ends of the fabric-wrapped core for a time sufficient to impregnate the first and second sub-regions and fill in the potting composition among the interstices of the weft fibers thereat;

allowing the liquid resin to cure and form the associated tubesheet;

machining one or both of the tubesheets to open one or both ends of the weft hollow fibers on the outer ends of the tubesheet;

securing the endcaps to the vessel to completely encase the tubesheets; and

securing the pressure vessel to encase membrane bundle and tubesheets.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of machining a groove in an outer surface of each tubesheet and placing O-rings in the grooves to provide a gas tight seal between the tubesheets and the pressure vessels.

8. A method of using the gas separation membrane module of claim 1 where each of the end caps includes an orifice for introduction or withdrawal of a gas, comprising the steps of:

introducing a gas mixture to the orifice of one of the end caps;

withdrawing a permeate from the orifice of the pressure vessel; and

withdrawing a non-permeate from the orifice of the other of the end caps.

9. A method of using the gas separation membrane module of claim 1 where the pressure vessel includes two orifices for introducing or withdrawing a gas, comprising the steps of:

introducing a gas mixture to one of the two orifices of the pressure vessel;

withdrawing a permeate from the orifice of one of the end caps; and

withdrawing a non-permeate from the other of the two orifices of the pressure vessel.

10. A method of using the gas separation membrane module of claim 1 where fiber ends are kept closed on one of the two outer ends of the tubesheet and machined open on the other outer ends of the tubesheet, each of the end caps includes an orifice for introduction or withdrawal of a gas, comprising the steps of:

introducing a gas mixture to the orifice of the pressure vessel;

withdrawing a permeate from open ends of the fiber to the orifice of the end caps; and

withdrawing a non-permeate from central core tube to closed end of the fiber and the orifice of the other end cap.