Membrane filtering device for micro and ultra filtration of fluids by the crossflow method
First Claim
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.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
29 Claims
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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- 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).
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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).
Specification