Process for producing a hollow fiber mass transfer module and module produced by this process

• US 4,840,227 A
• Filed: 03/14/1988
• Issued: 06/20/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG
• Original Assignee: Dragerwerk AG
• Inventors: Schmidt, Wolf-Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Makay, Albert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kamen, Noah
• Application Number:
  US07/166,876
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 165/162, 165/180, 165/905, 165/158, 165/70, 210/321.8, 210/321.81, 210/321.89, 210/321.9, 210/500.23
• US Class Current: 165/162
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/025 Specific membrane holders
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/221 Heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/021 Manufacturing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/422 Unitary tube support or shell-side flow director carried by single tube

Abstract

A process for producing a hollow fiber mass transfer module with a number of hollow fibers sealed into a housing is improved according to the invention with regard to the development of a desirable flow space in the surface area of the hollow fibers by the fact that a spacing material is applied to the outsides of the hollow fibers before their insertion into the housing (2). The thickness of the material is chosen to conform to the desired separation of the hollow fibers. The hollow fibers are arranged substantially parallel and inserted as a bundle into the housing and are fixed with the grout. The spacing material can have a layered or particulate and granular form. A hollow fiber mass transfer module produced by the process pursuant to the invention has hollow fibers suitably arranged at uniform mutual spacings.

Claims

1. A mass heat exchanger comprising a cylindrical housing having an opening at each end, a cap closing each opening having axially aligned tubular connector portions for respective inlet and outlet fluid flow, a plurality of axially extending tubular fibers positioned in said housing and defining a second flow space in their interior volumes, a grout material in said housing adjacent each of the ends of said tubular fibers separating said fibers and securing them in axially aligned positions relative to said housing and defining a first flow space between the grout material of the ends of said fibers, a multiplicity of dispersed separating particles disposed in said first flow space and attached along the lengths of said fibers, providing a separate tubular fiber orientation, and an inlet and outlet connected into a side of said cylindrical housing communicating with said first flow space.

2. A mass heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said tubular fibers comprise polysulfone.

3. A mass heat exchanger according to claim 1 wherein the separating particles are thin filament portions.

4. A mass heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein said thin filament portions are adhered to the tubular fibers.

5. A mass heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein:

said separating particles have essentially the same largest cross-sectional dimension.