Methods of minimizing the effect of integrity loss in hollow fibre membrane modules

• US 7,160,463 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Evoqua Water Technologies LLC (Xylem, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: US Filter Wastewater Group Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Johnson, Warren Thomas, Beck, Thomas William
• Primary Examiner(s): Fortuna; Ana
• Application Number:
  US11/015,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20050145556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 210/500.23, 210/321.78, 210/321.8, 210/328.88, 210/32.89, 210/650, 210/321.88, 96/4, 96/10, 264/41, 264/45.1, 156/295
• US Class Current: 210/650
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/02 Hollow fibre modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/021 Manufacturing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 65/104 Detection of leaks in membrane apparatus or modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/08 Hollow fibre membranes manufacture of hollow fibres D01D5/24, D01F1/08

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reducing the effect of integrity loss in a hollow fiber membrane module, said module including a plurality of hollow fiber membranes (5), at least one end of the fiber membranes (5) being supported in a pot (6), the method including the step of increasing flow resistance of the liquid through the lumen (8) of the fiber membrane (5) in the region of the pot (6).

Claims

1. A method of reducing an effect of an integrity loss in a hollow fibre membrane module, the module comprising a plurality of hollow fibre membranes, each hollow fibre membrane comprising a lumen, wherein at least one end of each of the hollow fibre membranes is supported in a pot, the method comprising the step of:

increasing a flow resistance of a liquid through a lumen of a fibre membrane in a region of the pot, whereby an effect of an integrity loss is reduced,

wherein increasing the flow resistance comprises one of placing a porous layer in a flow path of the lumen in the region of the pot and reducing an inner cross-sectional area of the lumen by smearing a surface of the pot in the region of the lumen with a grouting material or by swelling a material used to form the pot.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein increasing the flow resistance comprises placing a porous layer in a flow path of the lumen in the region of the pot.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein increasing the flow resistance comprises reducing the inner cross-sectional area of the lumen by smearing a surface of the pot in the region of the lumen with a grouting material.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein increasing the flow resistance comprises reducing the inner cross-sectional area of the lumen by swelling a material used to form the pot.

5. A hollow fibre membrane module comprising:

a plurality of hollow fibre membranes, each hollow fibre membrane comprising a lumen, wherein at least one end of each of the hollow fibre membranes is supported in a pot; and

a flow restrictor for increasing a flow resistance of a liquid through the lumen of the hollow fibre membrane in a region of the pot,

wherein the flow restrictor comprises one of a grouting material on a surface of the pot in the region of the lumen, and a porous layer in a flow path of the lumen in the region of the pot.

6. The hollow fibre membrane module according to claim 5, wherein the flow restrictor comprises a grouting material smeared on a surface of the pot in the region of the lumen.

7. The hollow fibre membrane module according to claim 5, wherein the flow restrictor comprises a porous layer in a flow path of the lumen in the region of the pot.