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

• US 8,182,687 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Evoqua Water Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Beck, Thomas William, Johnson, Warren Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): FORTUNA, ANA M
• Application Number:
  US12/022,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20080179249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 210/500.23, 21032178-32181, 21032187-3219, 264/40.6, 264/255, 264/263, 264/277, 264/36.1
• US Class Current: 210/321.8
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/02 Hollow fibre modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/021 Manufacturing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/022 Encapsulating hollow fibres
• 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 integrity loss in a hollow fiber membrane module upon breakage of at least one membrane during filtration, the method comprising:

supporting at least one end of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, each comprising a lumen, in a membrane pot to form the hollow fiber membrane module; and

inserting a hollow pin into the lumen of each hollow fiber membrane at a potted segment of each membrane lumen to provide an inner cross-sectional area of the potted segment of each membrane lumen that is smaller than an inner cross-sectional area of a remaining segment of each membrane lumen.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to monitor a transmembrane pressure level in the filtration system during filtration of the feed water.

2. A hollow fiber membrane module, comprising:

a plurality of hollow fiber membranes each comprising a lumen and each having at least one end supported in a pot; and

a hollow pin inserted into the lumen of each one of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes in a region of the pot.

3. A filtration system, comprising:

a hollow fiber membrane module, comprising;

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

a hollow pin inserted into the lumen of each one of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes in a region of the pot to increase a flow resistance through the lumen of each of the hollow fiber membranes in the region of the pot; and

a source of feed water fluidly connected to an inlet of the hollow fiber membrane module.