Membrane filtering device for micro and ultra filtration of fluids by the crossflow method

• US 5,034,125 A
• Filed: 05/21/1990
• Issued: 07/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seitz Filter Werke GmbH Und Co.
• Original Assignee: Seitz-Filter-Werke THEO & Geo Seitz/GmbH & Company
• Inventors: Strohm, Gerhard, Kaul, Wilfried, Karbachsch, Massoud
• Primary Examiner(s): Sever, Frank
• Application Number:
  US07/526,308
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 55/158, 55/16, 210/321.72, 210/321.78, 210/321.79, 210/321.8, 210/321.81, 210/321.87, 210/321.88, 210/321.89, 210/321.9, 210/500.23
• US Class Current: 210/321.8
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/025 Specific membrane holders
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/04 Specific sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/041 Gaskets or O-rings
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/105 Supply manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/125 Discharge manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/02 Hollow fibre modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/046 in separate housings
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/069 comprising a bundle of tubular membranes

Abstract

A membrane type filtering device has modules containing bundles of capillary tubular membranes. To meet various filtration problems the modules have double accesses located at the two end faces of the module housings. Connections to these accesses are made by plugging in the module ends into flow distributor heads, which can be of two types whereby the crossflow can be selectively conducted either through the internal passages of the capillary membranes or else along the outsides of the capillary membranes. Appropriate matching is achieved by exchangeable inserts and exchangeable intermediate tension plates and end tension plates.

Claims

1. A membrane type filtering device for the micro filtration of fluids, said filtering device having an elongate filter module (27) which includes a plurality of bundled stem-like tubular membranes (41) disposed in a tubular filter housing (28a, 28b), said filtering device further including flow distributor heads (29a, 29b) attachable to filter-housing ends, and including assemblages of flow distributor plates (30) and associated line connectors (32), said assemblages being attachable to said flow distributor heads (29a, 29b) so as to enable a controlled fluid circulation to be had through the said filter module and thereby effect controlled replenishment of fluid to be treated and also discharge of the filtrate and substances filtered out, characterized by means for providing the option to conduct fluid to be treated either through the interior or over the exterior of said tubular membranes (41), including:

a) said filter module having at each end means providing two access passages (42,

     43), said access passages (42,

     43) being hydraulically sealed from each other,

b) one of said access passages (42) at each end of said filter module leading to the adjoining end faces of said bundled membranes (41), said membranes being so sealed to one another as to form a fluid-tight plug (47) at both said end faces without obstructing flow to the interiors of the membranes (41),

c) the other of said access passages (43) at each end of said filter module communicating with the interior (46) of the filter housing (28a, 28b) and with the outer sides of the tubular membranes (41),

d) said flow-distributor heads (29a, 29b) comprising two pairs which are interchangeably attachable either one pair of the other to the respective ends of the filter module (27), said flow distributor head (29a, 29b) each having a first pair of flow channels (62,

     63) which are respectively connectable to the access passages (42,

     43) of the filter module and having a second pair of flow channels (59,

     60) which are adapted for respective communication with said line connectors for the purpose of carrying filtrate and non-filtrate fluids,

e) said first pairs (62,

     63) of flow channels of the distributor heads (29a, 29b) having outward-facing portions characterized by given and prefixed orientations with respect to the exterior of said flow-distributor heads to enable the heads to be interchangeable on the modules,

f) said first pair of flow channels (62,

     63) of one (29a) of said pairs (29a, 29a) of heads being respectively connected to said second pair (59,

     60) of flow channels that one (29a) of the pairs (29a, 29a) of heads in one given order,

g) said first pair of flow channels (62,

     63) of the other pair (29b) of heads (29b, 29b) being connected to said second pair (59,

     60) of flow channels of that other one (29b) of the pairs (29b, 29b) of heads in an order which is the reverse of said first given order,

h) said first and second pairs of flow channels of each head being respectively hydraulically isolated from each other.

2. A filtering device as in claim 1, wherein:

a) a pair of free spaces (50, 63;

42,

     62) is formed, respectively in the vicinities of the said access passages,

b) said free spaces communicating respectively with the said second pair of flow channels (59, 60;

or 60,

     59).

3. A filtering device as in claim 1, wherein:

a) said one access passage (42) at each end of the filter module is substantially centrally disposed with respect to the axis of the filter housing and surrounded by an annular inner sleeve that extends axially inward,

b) said other access passage at each end of the filter module surrounding said annular sleeve and being in turn surrounded by an outer sleeve, which has a transition piece that merges into the wall of the filter housing.

4. A filtering device as in claim 3, wherein:

a) said annular sleeve is substantially the same diameter as the wall of the filter housing but is separated at its inner end from said wall to form an annular fluid passage,

b) said outer sleeve and transition piece surrounding said annular fluid passage.

5. A filtering device as in claim 4, wherein:

a) the ends of the bundled membranes are cemented in said inner sleeves,

b) said annular fluid passage communicating with the outsides of the bundled membranes.

6. A filtering device as in claim 4, wherein:

a) said inner sleeve projects axially outward beyond said outer sleeve.

7. A filtering device as in claim 4, wherein:

a) said annular fluid passage has a flow area between 30% and 75% of the sectional area surrounded by said inner sleeve.

8. A filtering device as in claim 4, wherein:

a) the axial length of said annular fluid passage is between 30% and 75% of the inside diameter of the tubular housing wall.

9. A filtering device as in claim 3, wherein:

a) said inner sleeve has an exterior annular sealing means for engagement with the cooperable flow-distributor head.

10. A filtering device as in claim 3, wherein:

a) said filter housing is constituted of plastic substance,

b) said inner sleeve having a reinforcing ring completely imbedded in it.

11. A filtering device as in claim 3, wherein:

a) said filter housing is constituted of plastic substance,

b) said outer sleeve having a reinforcing ring completely imbedded in it.

12. A filtering device as in claim 3, wherein:

a) the said one pair (62,

     63) of flow channels of each flow-distributor head (29a, 29b) comprises sealing inner and outer sleeves forming both a central chamber and an annular chamber surrounding said central chamber,

b) said sealing inner and outer sleeves telescoping respectively with the inner and outer sleeves of the filter module.

13. A filtering device as in claim 12, wherein:

a) said telescoping sleeves are capable of limited relative axial movement without adversely affecting the seals thereof.

14. A filtering device as in claim 12, wherein:

a) one (59) of said two remaining flow channels is of larger section and is connected to the part which communicates with the flow channel (62) which forms the central chamber.

15. A filtering device as in claim 3, wherein:

a) said flow-distributor heads are of inert plastic and have reinforcing elements (65,

     66) in said sleeves.

16. A filtering device as in claim 1, wherein:

a) flow-modifying means are provided on the inner surface of said filter housing,

b) said flow-modifying means displacing portions of the membranes to produce turbulence in the flow.

17. A filtering device as in claim 1, wherein:

a) said filter housing is cylindrical.

18. A filtering device as in claim 1, wherein:

a) the said one pair (62,

     63) of flow channels of each flow-distributor head (29a, 29b) comprises seating holes,

b) each flow-distributor head (29a, 29b) having two exterior parallel side surfaces (57,

     58) and having the remaining two of said flow channels (59,

     60) extending between said side surfaces in directions normal to their axes,

c) said two remaining flow channels (59,

     60) connecting respectively to the flow channels of said one pair (62,

     63).

19. A filtering device as in claim 18, wherein:

a) one of said side surfaces of each flow-distributor head has an aseptic sealing means (68) at one end of one of said two remaining flow channels.

20. A filtering device as in claim 18, wherein:

a) said flow-distributor heads (29a, 29b) have eyes (67) for catenation on carrying and tension rods (36).

21. A filtering device as in claim 20, wherein:

a) said filtering device comprises a plurality of said flow-distributor heads (29a, 29b) strung up on and carried by a tension rod (36), and comprises a springy tensioning device (39) to effect mutual compression of said heads.

22. A filtering device as in claim 18, wherein:

a) one (59) of said two remaining flow channels is for non-filtrate flow and has a larger cross-section than the other (60) remaining flow channel.

23. A filtering device as in claim 1, wherein:

a) said flow-distributor heads are of alloy steel.

24. A filtering device as in claim 1, wherein:

a) a plug-in insert (73a, 73b) is provided in a flow-distributor plate (30) that is connected to a distributor head,

b) said insert being adapted to the type of flow channel connections existing in said head.

25. A membrane-type filtering device for micro-filtration of fluids, comprising means contributing to providing the option to conduct fluid to be treated either through the interior or over the exterior of tubular capillary membranes, including rows of multiple membrane filter modules (27), each module (27) containing a housing (28a, 28b) having in it a bundle of said capillary membranes, and containing flow distributor heads (29a, 29b) having through channels, said heads being attached to the ends of the housings, characterized in that the flow distributor heads (29a, 29b), having the membrane filter modules (27) arranged in parallel, are strung up juxtaposed in adjacent rows according to their paired attachment to the membrane filter modules (27) and are held together in mutually sealing fashion by means of carrying and tensioning rods (36) and flexible contact pressure devices (39, 40), rigidly connected flow distributor plates (30) being attached to one set of ends of said rows of flow distributor heads (29a, 29b) and end tension plates (38) being provided which close the through channels of the other set of ends of the rows of flow distributor heads (29a, 29b), he axial spacing of the membrane filter modules (27) between the rows of flow distributor heads (29) being fixed at one end of said rows by said rigidly connected flow distributor plates (30) and at the other end of said rows by an end tension plate (38).

26. A membrane type filtering device according to claim 25, characterized in that the end tension plates (38) are provided with sealing devices to aid in the shut-off of the flow channels extending through the rows of flow distributor heads (29a, 29b).

27. A membrane-type filtering device according to claim 25, characterized in that intermediate tension plates (37) which fix the mutual spacing occupied by the membrane filter modules (27) are inserted in the rows of flow distributor heads (29a, 29b), said intermediate tension plates (37) being provided with holes (78, 79) to effect a continuation of the flow channels (59, 60) of the flow distributor heads (29a, 29b) and, on their surfaces, being provided with sealing devices for the flow channels (59, 60).

28. A membrane-type filtering device according to claim 25, characterized by an even number of rows of membrane filter modules (27) being arranged in parallelism and having one pair each of flow distributor heads (29), each head containing a nonfiltrate through flow channel (59) and a filtrate through flow channel (60), said flow distributor heads of the adjacent rows being so arranged that their filtrate flow channels (60) face each other.

29. A membrane filter module for use in membrane-type filtering devices for micro filtration of fluids comprising, means contributing to providing the option to conduct fluid to be treated either through the interior or over the exterior of tubular membranes, including a flow distributor head (29a, 29b) attached to each end of a tubular filter housing (28a, 28b) of the module, and wherein a plurality of flow distributor heads are catenated to form a row of juxtaposed membrane filter modules arranged essentially in parallelism, characterized in that there are formed, at both ends of the filter housing (28a, 28b) which accommodates a bundle of said tubular membranes (41), two accesses (42, 43) each of which is separated from the other in leakproof manner, one access (42) being central and leading to one face of the bundle, said bundle face being held together closely by cementing or fusing while leaving intact the flow connection to the interior of the tubular membranes (41) thereof, whereas the second access (43) surrounds the central access (42) annularly and leads, in sealed leakproof fashion, past the said bundle face to the interior of the filter housing (28a, 28b) which interior accommodates the bundle of tubular membranes (41).