A novel tubular membrane module

Abstract

The application discloses a novel tubular membrane module and belongs to the chemical industry. One end of the membrane module is a head, the other end is a cover, and a plurality of tubular membranes are arranged in the inner cavity of the membrane module. The tubular membranes are fixed through a tube plate, the two ends of the tubular membranes are provided with sealing gaskets, the head is provided with a permeate pipe, a retentate outlet is located at the upper end of the shell side where the tubular membranes are arranged, and a raw material inlet pipe is located in the inner cavity of the membrane module. The structure design of the application is ingenious, can not only increase the turbulent degree of fluid in the module, make the mixing degree of raw materials in the module higher, reduce the volume of the stagnant zone in the membrane module, improve the utilization rate of the membrane module, and reduce the pressure loss, but also can reduce the concentration polarization phenomenon of the membrane, improve the mass transfer effect, and achieve the purpose of improving the performance of the membrane.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of membrane separation, and in particular to a novel tubular membrane module. Background Technology

[0002] Membrane separation technology mainly involves liquid and gas separation, primarily utilizing the differences in physical or chemical properties between the separated substances and the membrane material to achieve separation of the system. In liquid separation, it can be used for dehydration of organic solvents or removal of small amounts of organic matter from water, as well as for the separation of organic-organic mixtures; in gas separation, it can be used for the removal of volatile organic compounds. Membrane separation technology has advantages such as simple process flow, ease of automation control, stable operation, low energy consumption, small footprint, and ease of scale-up. However, these advantages need to be further realized through membrane modules. The assembly of tubular membranes requires corresponding tubular membrane modules.

[0003] In the design of membrane modules, the flow distribution of materials within the module and concentration polarization must be considered. Achieving a seamless flow distribution of both gas and liquid within the module is crucial to maximizing the effectiveness of tubular membranes. Existing tubular membrane modules generally suffer from low membrane surface flow rates, weak turbulence, large retention zones, high pressure drops, and low module utilization. During membrane separation, the retained substances gradually increase their concentration at the membrane surface, leading to a higher concentration there than in the bulk solution, causing the material to diffuse back towards the bulk – this is concentration polarization. Concentration polarization increases the mass transfer resistance from the bulk solution to the membrane surface, thus reducing membrane flux. Patent number 201510976259.4, entitled "A Tubular Membrane Module," provides a method of adding a tubing within the module to ensure thorough mixing of the materials and improve mass transfer. However, the fabrication and installation of this tubing are complex, and it requires fixing to the membrane tube, making operation inconvenient and potentially damaging the membrane tube. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention aims to address the shortcomings of existing tubular membrane module designs, such as low liquid flow rate on the membrane, weak turbulence, numerous retention zones, and low membrane separation efficiency. To this end, it provides a novel design method for tubular membrane modules to improve membrane separation efficiency.

[0005] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A novel tubular membrane module has a head at one end and a cap at the other end. Several tubular membranes are arranged in the inner cavity of the membrane module and are fixed by a tube sheet. Sealing gaskets are provided at both ends of the tubular membranes. The cap is fixed with flanges and bolts. A permeate channel is provided on the head, and a retentate outlet channel is located at the upper end of the shell side where the tubular membranes are located. A raw material inlet channel is provided in the inner cavity of the membrane module, and the top of the raw material inlet channel is located outside the membrane module.

[0007] In the technical solution of this invention: the raw material inlet pipe located in the inner cavity of the membrane module is provided with a number of small holes.

[0008] In the technical solution of this invention: the small hole structure is a round hole with a diameter of 2-20mm, or the small hole structure is a rectangular hole with a length of 10-100cm and a width of 2-20mm.

[0009] Preferably, the small hole structure is a round hole with a diameter of 3-10mm, or the small hole structure is a rectangular hole with a length of 10-50cm and a width of 3-10mm.

[0010] In the technical solution of this invention: the small hole structure is a circular hole, and the diameter of the circular hole increases gradually from top to bottom;

[0011] Preferably, the diameter of the first hole in the circular incrementally graduated aperture is 2-10 mm, and the increment is 0.2-2 mm;

[0012] Further preferred: the diameter of the first hole of the circular incrementally increasing aperture is 3-8mm; the increment is 0.6-1.2mm.

[0013] In the technical solution of the present invention: the raw material inlet pipe located in the inner cavity of the membrane module is provided with 3-15 small hole structures; preferably: the raw material inlet pipe located in the inner cavity of the membrane module is provided with 5-10 small hole structures.

[0014] In the technical solution of this invention: the opening direction of the small hole is either perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 90° or 270°, or perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 0°, 90°, or 270°, or perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 90°, 180°, or 270°, or perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 0°, 90°, 180°, or 270°.

[0015] Preferably, the orifices are opened at positions perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 0°, 90°, and 270°. The optimized membrane module exhibits a reduced pressure drop of 400-700 Pa, an increased mixing degree of 0.6269-0.8620, and a 2-5% reduction in stagnant zone volume.

[0016] In the technical solution of the present invention: the arrangement of the membrane tubes of the novel membrane module is a square arrangement, a triangular arrangement or a ring arrangement; preferably: the arrangement of the membrane tubes of the novel membrane module is a square arrangement; further preferably: the spacing between the tubular membranes is 3-50mm; most preferably: the spacing between the tubular membranes is 6-30mm.

[0017] In the technical solution of this invention: the inner diameter of the raw material inlet pipe and the effluent outlet pipe is 1-20cm, preferably 2-10cm; the inner diameter of the permeate pipe is 1-20cm, preferably 2-10cm; the inner diameter of the membrane module shell side is 10-150cm, the shell side wall thickness is 1-10mm, and the shell side length is 50-120cm, preferably 60-100cm.

[0018] A method for separation using the novel tubular membrane module described above, wherein the feed liquid is introduced into the membrane module through a feed pipe at a flow rate between 0.1 and 5.0 m / s, a concentration of 0.5-50 wt%, a temperature of -20 to 200°C, a viscosity of 0.3-5 cP, and a permeate-side pressure of 0.2-20 kPa. The liquid exiting from the small orifice of the feed pipe is divided into multiple streams, thereby contacting the membrane tube. The permeate side of the membrane tube is evacuated by a vacuum pump to provide the pressure differential required for separation, thus separating the feed liquid.

[0019] Preferred parameters include: feed flow rate of 0.5-3 m / s, feed liquid temperature of 0-80℃, solution viscosity of 0.3-3 cP, and permeate-side pressure of 0.5-10 kPa. The optimized membrane module exhibits a reduced pressure drop of 400-800 Pa, an increased mixing degree of 0.7133-0.8620, and a stagnant zone volume reduction of 4-7%.

[0020] In the above method: when the liquid viscosity is greater than 3.0 cP, the diameter of the circular gradient opening of the feed tube is preferably 6-15 mm, the increment is preferably 1-3 mm, and the spacing between the membrane tubes is preferably 15-50 mm when the square membrane tubes are arranged.

[0021] In the above method: the novel tubular membrane module is suitable for the separation of liquid-liquid systems, and the types of liquid-liquid systems include at least one of alkanes, aromatics, alcohols, esters and various fermentation broths or mixtures of two or more of them.

[0022] In the technical solution of this invention: the feed liquid and the permeate are separated by a sealing gasket. The permeate is collected and discharged through the permeate end pipe. During the membrane separation process, for the separated substances of different viscosities, openings of different shapes, sizes and directions are set on the feed pipe. At the same time, the arrangement of the membrane tubes is changed accordingly, thereby increasing the turbulence of the fluid in the module, reducing the pressure drop of the membrane module, and reducing the volume of the stagnant zone in the membrane module. This reduces the impact of concentration polarization on the separation process, improves the separation performance of the membrane, and increases the utilization rate of the membrane module.

[0023] In the technical solution of this invention: the tubular membrane uses membrane materials including silicone rubber polymer membranes and polyether block amide polymer membranes. The tubular membranes can all be polymer separation membranes with either an outer or inner wall coating on the support. Preferably, a polymer separation membrane with an outer wall coating on the support is used.

[0024] In the technical solution of the present invention: the membrane tube spacing a and b of the membrane module is 3-50mm, preferably 6-30mm.

[0025] In the technical solution of the present invention: the mixing degree of the fluid in the novel membrane module is increased to 0.6269-0.8620, the pressure drop of the fluid through the module is reduced to 400-800 Pa, and the stagnation volume of the membrane module is reduced by 9-17%.

[0026] In the technical solution of this invention: when the liquid viscosity is greater than 3.0 cP, the diameter of the circular gradient opening of the feed tube is preferably 6-15 mm, the increment is preferably 1-3 mm, and the spacing between the membrane tubes is preferably 15-50 mm when the square membrane tubes are arranged.

[0027] In the technical solution of this invention: the novel tubular membrane module is suitable for the separation of liquid-liquid systems, and the types of liquid-liquid systems include at least one of alkanes, aromatics, alcohols, esters and various fermentation broths or mixtures of two or more of them.

[0028] In the technical solution of this invention: depending on the separation system, the novel tubular membrane module can reduce membrane fouling by 5-40%.

[0029] Under the same experimental conditions—feed concentration of 0.5-50 wt%, temperature of -20-200℃, feed flow rate of 0.1-5.0 m / s, solution viscosity of 0.3-5 cP, and permeate-side pressure of 0.2-20 kPa—compared with ordinary membrane modules, the novel tubular membrane module exhibits a 5-20% increase in flux, a 5-25% increase in selectivity, and a 6-17% improvement in overall performance. The novel tubular membrane module is suitable for the separation of liquid-liquid systems, including at least one of alkanes, aromatics, alcohols, esters, and various fermentation broths or mixtures of two or more of these.

[0030] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0031] The novel membrane module of this invention improves the material feeding method and the membrane tube arrangement, enabling better fluid distribution within the module and increasing overall fluid turbulence. This reduces the boundary layer at the membrane surface, enhances mass transfer, and the high turbulence effectively washes the membrane surface. This not only reduces concentration polarization at the membrane surface but also minimizes contaminant deposition, extending membrane lifespan and further reducing production costs. Furthermore, it reduces the volume of the stagnant zone within the membrane module, improving its utilization rate.

[0032] This invention improves fluid distribution within the membrane module by designing feed pipes with different configurations and extending them into the module, thereby increasing the turbulence within the membrane module. When the orifices are circularly progressively larger, vortices can be formed within the module, reducing the boundary layer of the fluid flow and thus facilitating mass transfer. Furthermore, the lateral scouring of the membrane surface by the flowing medium reduces contaminant deposition, improves membrane fouling, and reduces the volume of stagnant zones within the membrane module, increasing its utilization rate. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the basic structure of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the square arrangement of pipes in this invention.

[0035] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the pipes arranged in an equilateral triangle according to the present invention.

[0036] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the annular arrangement of pipes in this invention.

[0037] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of a feed pipe with uniformly circular openings.

[0038] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of a feed pipe with a rectangular opening.

[0039] Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of a feed pipe with progressively increasing circular openings.

[0040] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing the opening direction of the feed hole.

[0041] Wherein: 1 is the component housing, 2 is the tubular membrane, 3 is the raw material inlet pipe, 4 is the effluent outlet pipe, 5 is the sealing gasket, 6 is the cap, 7 is the flange, 8 is the bolt, 9 is the end cap, 10 is the permeate pipe, and 11 is the tube sheet. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The present invention will be further described below with reference to embodiments, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto:

[0043] like Figures 1-8 A novel tubular membrane module is disclosed, comprising a head at one end and a cap at the other end. A plurality of tubular membranes are disposed within the inner cavity of the membrane module. The tubular membranes are fixed by a tube sheet. Sealing gaskets are provided at both ends of the tubular membranes. The cap is secured with flanges and bolts. A permeate channel is provided on the head, and a retentate outlet channel is located at the upper end of the shell side where the tubular membranes are located. A raw material inlet channel is provided within the inner cavity of the membrane module, with the top of the raw material inlet channel located outside the membrane module.

[0044] The lower end of the raw material inlet pipe (3) is provided with several small hole structures. The small hole structures are round holes with a diameter of 2-20mm or rectangular holes with a length of 10-100cm and a width of 2-20mm; preferably, the small hole structures are round holes with a diameter of 3-10mm or rectangular holes with a diameter of 10-50cm and a width of 3-10mm.

[0045] Alternatively, the small hole structure may be a circular hole, and the diameter of the circular hole increases gradually from top to bottom; preferably, the diameter of the first hole of the circular incrementally increasing gradient opening is 2-10mm, preferably 3-8mm; the increment is 0.2-2mm, preferably 0.6-1.2mm.

[0046] The lower end of the raw material inlet pipe (3) is provided with 3-15 small holes; preferably, the lower end of the raw material inlet pipe (3) is provided with 5-10 small holes.

[0047] The opening direction of the small hole includes opening at a position perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 90° and 270°, or opening at a position perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 0°, 90°, and 270°, or opening at a position perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 90°, 180°, and 270°, or opening at a position perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°; preferably, opening at a position perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 0°, 90°, and 270°.

[0048] The arrangement of the membrane tubes in the novel membrane module can be square, triangular, or annular. The arrangement of the membrane tubes in the novel membrane module is square. The inner diameter of the raw material inlet pipe (3) and the retentate outlet pipe (4) is 1-20cm, preferably 2-10cm; the inner diameter of the permeate pipe (10) is 1-20cm, preferably 2-10cm; the inner diameter of the membrane module shell side is 10-150cm, the shell side wall thickness of the module shell (1) is 1-10mm, and the shell side length of the module shell (1) is 50-120cm, preferably 60-100cm. The spacing of the tubular membranes (2) is 3-50mm, preferably 6-30mm.

[0049] Example 1

[0050] Combined with appendix Figure 1 The tubular membrane module includes a shell (1), a head (9) at one end of the shell, a cap (6) at the other end, several membrane tubes (2) inside the shell, a feed inlet pipe (3) extending into the shell, a retentate outlet pipe (4) welded to the shell, and permeate collected through the head and discharged through the permeate pipe (10). (See attached diagram.) Figure 2 As shown, the membrane tubes are arranged in a square pattern within the tube shell. (See attached diagram.) Figure 7 As shown, the feed tube uses incrementally increasing circular openings. The diameter of the first opening is 3mm, and the increment is 0.6mm. There are 7 openings, and the opening directions are perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 0°, 90°, and 270°. After the raw material enters the membrane module through the inlet, it is dispersed into the space inside the membrane module through the circular openings, avoiding the formation of stagnant areas. Both ends of the membrane tube are sealed with sealing gaskets (5) to prevent raw material gas or liquid from entering the end caps. The two ends of the tubular membrane tube are respectively inserted into the tube sheet (11) for fixation.

[0051] Preferably, in this embodiment, the shell material is stainless steel, but is not limited to stainless steel, fiberglass, or engineering plastics. The membrane material used on the ceramic membrane tube includes, but is not limited to, polymer membranes, ceramic membranes, molecular sieves, etc. In this embodiment, a polydimethylsiloxane composite membrane is used.

[0052] In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the module housing is 15cm, the wall thickness of the module housing is 3mm, the length of the module housing is 80mm, the membrane tube spacing 'a' is 6mm, the number of membrane tubes is 32, and the actual membrane area is 1m². 2 The inner diameter of the raw material inlet pipe (3), the truncation outlet pipe (4), and the permeate pipe (10) is 2 cm.

[0053] The novel membrane module described above was used to separate an ethanol (4 wt%) / water mixture. The feed temperature was 30°C, the viscosity was 0.81 cP, the bulk feed flow rate was 0.5 m / s, and the permeate-side pressure was 0.5 kPa. The feed was divided into 21 elongated streams in three directions within the novel feed tube, increasing the fluid mixability within the module to 0.7907. Under these structural and boundary conditions, the effect of the novel membrane module on the separation performance was experimentally determined, showing an improvement of approximately 15%. Fluid dynamics calculations yielded a pressure drop of 633 Pa for the module.

[0054] Example 2

[0055] Combined with appendix Figure 1The tubular membrane module includes a shell (1), a head (9) at one end of the shell, a cap (6) at the other end, several membrane tubes (2) inside the shell, a feed inlet pipe (3) extending into the shell, a retentate outlet pipe (4) welded to the shell, and permeate collected through the head and discharged through the permeate pipe (10). (See attached diagram.) Figure 2 As shown, the membrane tubes are arranged in a square pattern within the tube shell. (See attached diagram.) Figure 7 As shown, the feed tube uses incrementally increasing circular openings. The diameter of the first opening is 3mm, and the increment is 0.6mm. There are 7 openings, and the opening directions are perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 0°, 90°, and 270°. After the raw material enters the membrane module through the inlet, it is dispersed into the space inside the membrane module through the circular openings, avoiding the formation of stagnant areas. Both ends of the membrane tube are sealed with sealing gaskets (5) to prevent raw material gas or liquid from entering the end caps. The two ends of the tubular membrane tube are respectively inserted into the tube sheet (11) for fixation.

[0056] Preferably, in this embodiment, the shell material is stainless steel, but is not limited to stainless steel, fiberglass, or engineering plastics. The membrane material used on the ceramic membrane tube includes, but is not limited to, polymer membranes, ceramic membranes, molecular sieves, etc. In this embodiment, a polydimethylsiloxane composite membrane is used.

[0057] In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the module housing is 15cm, the wall thickness of the module housing is 3mm, the length of the module housing is 80mm, the membrane tube spacing 'a' is 6mm, the number of membrane tubes is 32, and the actual membrane area is 1m². 2 The inner diameter of the raw material inlet pipe (3), the truncation outlet pipe (4), and the permeate pipe (10) is 2 cm.

[0058] The novel membrane module described above was used to separate a 10 wt% mixture of n-octane and white oil at 30°C, with a viscosity of 0.53 cP, a bulk feed flow rate of 0.5 m / s, and a permeate-side pressure of 0.5 kPa. The feed was divided into 21 elongated streams in three directions within the novel feed tube, increasing the fluid mixing density within the module to 0.8394. Under these structural and boundary conditions, the effect of the novel membrane module on the separation performance was experimentally determined, showing an improvement of approximately 17%. Fluid dynamics calculations yielded a pressure drop of 536 Pa for the module.

[0059] Example 3

[0060] Combined with appendix Figure 1 The tubular membrane module includes a shell (1), a head (9) at one end of the shell, a cap (6) at the other end, several membrane tubes (2) inside the shell, a feed inlet pipe (3) extending into the shell, a retentate outlet pipe (4) welded to the shell, and permeate collected through the head and discharged through the permeate pipe (10). (See attached diagram.) Figure 2As shown, the membrane tubes are arranged in a square pattern within the tube shell. (See attached diagram.) Figure 7 As shown, the feed tube uses incrementally increasing circular openings. The diameter of the first opening is 3mm, and the increment is 0.6mm. There are 7 openings, and the opening directions are perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 0°, 90°, and 270°. After the raw material enters the membrane module through the inlet, it is dispersed into the space inside the membrane module through the circular openings, avoiding the formation of stagnant areas. Both ends of the membrane tube are sealed with sealing gaskets (5) to prevent raw material gas or liquid from entering the end caps. The two ends of the tubular membrane tube are respectively inserted into the tube sheet (11) for fixation.

[0061] Preferably, in this embodiment, the shell material is stainless steel, but is not limited to stainless steel, fiberglass, or engineering plastics. The membrane material used on the ceramic membrane tube includes, but is not limited to, polymer membranes, ceramic membranes, molecular sieves, etc. In this embodiment, a polydimethylsiloxane composite membrane is used.

[0062] In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the module housing is 15cm, the wall thickness of the module housing is 3mm, the length of the module housing is 80mm, the membrane tube spacing 'a' is 6mm, the number of membrane tubes is 32, and the actual membrane area is 1m². 2 The inner diameter of the raw material inlet pipe (3), the truncation outlet pipe (4), and the permeate pipe (10) is 2 cm.

[0063] The novel membrane module described above was used to separate a mixture of n-octane and white oil (30 wt%) at 30 °C, with a viscosity of 0.67 cP, a bulk feed flow rate of 0.5 m / s, and a permeate-side pressure of 0.5 kPa. The feed was divided into 21 elongated streams in three directions within the novel feed tube, increasing the fluid mixing ratio within the module to 0.7501. Under these structural and boundary conditions, the effect of the novel membrane module on the separation performance was experimentally determined, showing an improvement of approximately 15%. Fluid dynamics calculations yielded a pressure drop of 501 Pa for the module.

[0064] Example 4

[0065] Combined with appendix Figure 1 The tubular membrane module includes a shell (1), a head (9) at one end of the shell, a cap (6) at the other end, several membrane tubes (2) inside the shell, a feed inlet pipe (3) extending into the shell, a retentate outlet pipe (4) welded to the shell, and permeate collected through the head and discharged through the permeate pipe (10). (See attached diagram.) Figure 2 As shown, the membrane tubes are arranged in a square pattern within the tube shell. (See attached diagram.) Figure 7As shown, the feed tube uses incrementally increasing circular openings. The diameter of the first opening is 3mm, and the increment is 0.6mm. There are 7 openings, and the opening directions are perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 0°, 90°, and 270°. After the raw material enters the membrane module through the inlet, it is dispersed into the space inside the membrane module through the circular openings, avoiding the formation of stagnant areas. Both ends of the membrane tube are sealed with sealing gaskets (5) to prevent raw material gas or liquid from entering the end caps. The two ends of the tubular membrane tube are respectively inserted into the tube sheet (11) for fixation.

[0066] Preferably, in this embodiment, the shell material is stainless steel, but is not limited to stainless steel, fiberglass, or engineering plastics. The membrane material used on the ceramic membrane tube includes, but is not limited to, polymer membranes, ceramic membranes, molecular sieves, etc. In this embodiment, a polydimethylsiloxane composite membrane is used.

[0067] In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the module housing is 15cm, the wall thickness of the module housing is 3mm, the length of the module housing is 80mm, the membrane tube spacing 'a' is 6mm, the number of membrane tubes is 32, and the actual membrane area is 1m². 2 The inner diameter of the raw material inlet pipe (3), the truncation outlet pipe (4), and the permeate pipe (10) is 2 cm.

[0068] The novel membrane module described above was used to separate a mixture of n-octane and white oil (30 wt%) at 30 °C, with a viscosity of 0.67 cP, a bulk feed flow rate of 1.0 m / s, and a permeate-side pressure of 0.5 kPa. The feed was divided into 21 elongated streams in three directions within the novel feed tube, increasing the fluid mixing ratio within the module to 0.7798. Under these structural and boundary conditions, the effect of the novel membrane module on the separation performance was experimentally determined, showing an improvement of approximately 16%. Fluid dynamics calculations yielded a pressure drop of 414 Pa for the module.

[0069] Example 5

[0070] Combined with appendix Figure 1 The tubular membrane module includes a shell (1), a head (9) at one end of the shell, a cap (6) at the other end, several membrane tubes (2) inside the shell, a feed inlet pipe (3) extending into the shell, a retentate outlet pipe (4) welded to the shell, and permeate collected through the head and discharged through the permeate pipe (10). (See attached diagram.) Figure 3 As shown, the membrane tubes are arranged in an equilateral triangle pattern within the casing, with a spacing of 6 mm between tubes. The feed tube opening is rectangular, 12 cm long and 3 mm wide. (See attached diagram.) Figure 6As shown, the opening directions are 0°, 90°, and 270° perpendicular to the horizontal plane. After the raw material enters the membrane module through the inlet, it is dispersed into the space inside the membrane module through the rectangular opening, avoiding the formation of stagnant areas. The two ends of the membrane tube are sealed with sealing gaskets (5) to prevent raw material gas or liquid from entering the end cap. The two ends of the tubular membrane tube are respectively inserted into the tube sheet (11) for fixation.

[0071] Preferably, in this embodiment, the shell material is stainless steel, but is not limited to stainless steel, fiberglass, or engineering plastics. The membrane material used on the ceramic membrane tube includes, but is not limited to, polymer membranes, ceramic membranes, molecular sieves, etc. In this embodiment, a polydimethylsiloxane composite membrane is used.

[0072] In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the module housing is 15cm, the wall thickness of the module housing is 3mm, the length of the module housing is 80mm, the membrane tube spacing 'a' is 6mm, the number of membrane tubes is 32, and the actual membrane area is 1m². 2 The inner diameter of the raw material inlet pipe (3), the truncation outlet pipe (4), and the permeate pipe (10) is 2 cm.

[0073] This novel membrane module was used to separate an ethanol (4 wt%) / water mixture. The feed temperature was 30°C, the viscosity was 0.81 cP, the bulk feed flow rate was 0.5 m / s, and the permeate-side pressure was 0.5 kPa. The feed was divided into three flat streams in three directions within the novel feed tube, increasing the fluid mixing ratio within the module to 0.5033. Under these structural and boundary conditions, the effect of the novel membrane module on the separation performance was experimentally determined, showing an improvement of approximately 6%. Fluid dynamics calculations yielded a pressure drop of 407 Pa for the module.

[0074] Example 6

[0075] Combined with appendix Figure 1 The tubular membrane module includes a shell (1), a head (9) at one end of the shell, a cap (6) at the other end, several membrane tubes (2) inside the shell, a feed inlet pipe (3) extending into the shell, a retentate outlet pipe (4) welded to the shell, and permeate collected through the head and discharged through the permeate pipe (10). (See attached diagram.) Figure 3 As shown, the membrane tubes are arranged in an equilateral triangle pattern within the casing, with a spacing of 6 mm between tubes. The feed tube opening is rectangular, 12 cm long and 3 mm wide. (See attached diagram.) Figure 6 As shown, the opening directions are 0°, 90°, and 270° perpendicular to the horizontal plane. After the raw material enters the membrane module through the inlet, it is dispersed into the space inside the membrane module through the rectangular opening, avoiding the formation of stagnant areas. The two ends of the membrane tube are sealed with sealing gaskets (5) to prevent raw material gas or liquid from entering the end cap. The two ends of the tubular membrane tube are respectively inserted into the tube sheet (11) for fixation.

[0076] Preferably, in this embodiment, the shell material is stainless steel, but is not limited to stainless steel, fiberglass, or engineering plastics. The membrane material used on the ceramic membrane tube includes, but is not limited to, polymer membranes, ceramic membranes, molecular sieves, etc. In this embodiment, a polydimethylsiloxane composite membrane is used.

[0077] In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the module housing is 15cm, the wall thickness of the module housing is 3mm, the length of the module housing is 80mm, the membrane tube spacing 'a' is 6mm, the number of membrane tubes is 32, and the actual membrane area is 1m². 2 The inner diameter of the raw material inlet pipe (3), the truncation outlet pipe (4), and the permeate pipe (10) is 2 cm.

[0078] A novel membrane module was used to separate a mixture of n-octane and white oil (10 wt%) at a temperature of 30 °C, a viscosity of 0.53 cP, a bulk feed flow rate of 0.5 m / s, and a permeate-side pressure of 0.5 kPa. The feed was divided into three flat streams in three directions within the novel feed tube, increasing the fluid mixability within the module to 0.5816. Under these structural and boundary conditions, the effect of the novel membrane module on the separation performance was experimentally determined, showing an improvement of approximately 7%. Fluid dynamics calculations yielded a pressure drop of 396 Pa for the module.

[0079] Example 7

[0080] Combined with appendix Figure 1 The tubular membrane module includes a shell (1), a head (9) at one end of the shell, a cap (6) at the other end, several membrane tubes (2) inside the shell, a feed inlet pipe (3) extending into the shell, a retentate outlet pipe (4) welded to the shell, and permeate collected through the head and discharged through the permeate pipe (10). (See attached diagram.) Figure 3 As shown, the membrane tubes are arranged in an equilateral triangle pattern within the casing, with a spacing of 6 mm between tubes. The feed tube opening is rectangular, 12 cm long and 3 mm wide. (See attached diagram.) Figure 6 As shown, the opening directions are 0°, 90°, and 270° perpendicular to the horizontal plane. After the raw material enters the membrane module through the inlet, it is dispersed into the space inside the membrane module through the rectangular opening, avoiding the formation of stagnant areas. The two ends of the membrane tube are sealed with sealing gaskets (5) to prevent raw material gas or liquid from entering the end cap. The two ends of the tubular membrane tube are respectively inserted into the tube sheet (11) for fixation.

[0081] Preferably, in this embodiment, the shell material is stainless steel, but is not limited to stainless steel, fiberglass, or engineering plastics. The membrane material used on the ceramic membrane tube includes, but is not limited to, polymer membranes, ceramic membranes, molecular sieves, etc. In this embodiment, a polydimethylsiloxane composite membrane is used.

[0082] In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the module housing is 15cm, the wall thickness of the module housing is 3mm, the length of the module housing is 80mm, the membrane tube spacing 'a' is 6mm, the number of membrane tubes is 32, and the actual membrane area is 1m². 2 The inner diameter of the raw material inlet pipe (3), the truncation outlet pipe (4), and the permeate pipe (10) is 2 cm.

[0083] A novel membrane module was used to separate a mixture of n-octane and white oil (10 wt%) at 30 °C, with a viscosity of 0.53 cP, a bulk feed flow rate of 1.0 m / s, and a permeate-side pressure of 0.5 kPa. The feed was split into three flat streams in three directions within the novel feed tube, increasing the fluid mixability within the module to 0.6479. Under these structural and boundary conditions, the effect of the novel membrane module on the separation performance was experimentally determined, showing an improvement of approximately 8%. Fluid dynamics calculations yielded a pressure drop of 420 Pa for the module.

[0084] Example 8

[0085] Combined with appendix Figure 1 The tubular membrane module includes a shell (1), a head (9) at one end of the shell, a cap (6) at the other end, several membrane tubes (2) inside the shell, a feed inlet pipe (3) extending into the shell, a retentate outlet pipe (4) welded to the shell, and permeate collected through the head and discharged through the permeate pipe (10). (See attached diagram.) Figure 4 As shown, the membrane tubes are arranged in a ring within the tube shell with a spacing of 6 mm. The feed pipe is directly welded to the tube shell. Both ends of the membrane tubes are sealed with gaskets (5) to prevent raw material gas or liquid from entering the end caps. The two ends of the tubular membrane tubes are respectively inserted into the tube sheet (11) for fixation.

[0086] Preferably, in this embodiment, the shell material is stainless steel, but is not limited to stainless steel, fiberglass, or engineering plastics. The membrane material used on the ceramic membrane tube includes, but is not limited to, polymer membranes, ceramic membranes, molecular sieves, etc. In this embodiment, a polydimethylsiloxane composite membrane is used.

[0087] In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the module housing is 15cm, the wall thickness of the module housing is 3mm, the length of the module housing is 80mm, the membrane tube spacing 'a' is 6mm, the number of membrane tubes is 32, and the actual membrane area is 1m². 2 The inner diameter of the raw material inlet pipe (3), the truncation outlet pipe (4), and the permeate pipe (10) is 2 cm.

[0088] This membrane module was used to separate an ethanol (4 wt%) / water mixture. The feed temperature was 30°C, the viscosity was 0.81 cP, the bulk feed flow rate was 0.5 m / s, and the permeate-side pressure was 0.5 kPa. The feed entered the membrane module directly in a circular stream, and the fluid mixability within the module was 0.3826. Under these structural and boundary conditions, fluid dynamics calculations yielded a pressure drop of 719 Pa for the initial membrane module, at which point the membrane flux was 1.0 kg / (m³). 2 ·h), the separation factor is 7.

[0089] Example 9

[0090] Combined with appendix Figure 1 The tubular membrane module includes a shell (1), a head (9) at one end of the shell, a cap (6) at the other end, several membrane tubes (2) inside the shell, a feed inlet pipe (3) extending into the shell, a retentate outlet pipe (4) welded to the shell, and permeate collected through the head and discharged through the permeate pipe (10). (See attached diagram.) Figure 4 As shown, the membrane tubes are arranged in a ring within the tube shell with a spacing of 6 mm. The feed pipe is directly welded to the tube shell. The raw material enters the membrane module through the inlet and is directly dispersed within the module. Both ends of the membrane tubes are sealed with gaskets (5) to prevent raw material gas or liquid from entering the end caps. Both ends of the tubular membrane tubes are inserted into the tube sheet (11) for fixation.

[0091] Preferably, in this embodiment, the shell material is stainless steel, but is not limited to stainless steel, fiberglass, or engineering plastics. The membrane material used on the ceramic membrane tube includes, but is not limited to, polymer membranes, ceramic membranes, molecular sieves, etc. In this embodiment, a polydimethylsiloxane composite membrane is used.

[0092] In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the module housing is 15cm, the wall thickness of the module housing is 3mm, the length of the module housing is 80mm, the membrane tube spacing 'a' is 6mm, the number of membrane tubes is 32, and the actual membrane area is 1m². 2 The inner diameter of the raw material inlet pipe (3), the truncation outlet pipe (4), and the permeate pipe (10) is 2 cm.

[0093] This membrane module was used to separate a mixture of n-octane and white oil (10 wt%) at 30°C, with a viscosity of 0.53 cP, a bulk feed flow rate of 0.5 m / s, and a permeate-side pressure of 0.5 kPa. The feed entered the membrane module directly in a circular stream, and the fluid mixability within the module was 0.4404. Under these structural and boundary conditions, hydrodynamic calculations yielded a pressure drop of 861 Pa for the module, at which point the membrane flux was 4.5 kg / (m³). 2 •h), retention rate 90%.

[0094] In summary, the novel tubular membrane module of the present invention can be used for the separation of mixed liquids or mixed gases. Its ingenious structural design not only reduces the volume of the retention zone within the membrane module, but also improves the mixing degree of the fluid within the module, reduces concentration polarization during membrane separation, reduces the pressure drop of the fluid passing through the membrane module, and improves the separation effect of the membrane process.

[0095] It should be understood that although this specification describes the embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0096] The detailed descriptions listed above are merely specific descriptions of feasible embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent embodiments or modifications made without departing from the spirit of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tubular membrane module, characterized in that: One end of the membrane assembly is a cap (9), and the other end is a cover (6). A number of tubular membranes (2) are arranged in the inner cavity of the membrane module. The tubular membranes (2) are fixed by the tube sheet (11). The two ends of the tubular membranes (2) are provided with sealing gaskets (5). The cap (6) is provided with flanges (7) and bolts (8) for fixing. The end cap (9) is provided with a permeate pipe (10). The retentate outlet pipe (4) is located at the upper end of the shell side where the tubular membranes (2) are located. The inner cavity of the membrane module is provided with a raw material inlet pipe (3). The top of the raw material inlet pipe (3) is located outside the membrane module. The raw material inlet pipe located inside the membrane module has several small hole structures. The small hole structures are circular holes, and the diameter of the circular holes increases from top to bottom. The diameter of the first hole of the circular incrementally increasing gradient opening is 2-10mm, and the increment is 0.2-2mm.

2. The tubular membrane module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the first hole in the circular incrementally gradient opening is 3-8 mm; the increment is 0.6-1.2 mm.

3. The tubular membrane module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The raw material inlet pipe located inside the membrane module has a structure with 3-15 small holes.

4. The tubular membrane module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The raw material inlet pipe located inside the membrane module has 5-10 small holes.

5. The tubular membrane module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The opening direction of the small hole is perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 90 degrees. o 270 o Position of the opening or perpendicular to the horizontal plane 0 o 90 o 270 o Position of the opening or perpendicular to the horizontal plane at 90 degrees o 180 o 270 o Position of the opening or perpendicular to the horizontal plane 0 o 90 o 180 o 270 o Position for opening.

6. The tubular membrane module according to claim 5, characterized in that: The opening direction of the small hole is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. o 90 o 270 o Position for opening.

7. The tubular membrane module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The membrane tubes of the membrane module are arranged in a square, triangular, or ring-shaped pattern.

8. The tubular membrane module according to claim 7, characterized in that: The membrane tubes of the membrane module are arranged in a square pattern.

9. The tubular membrane module according to claim 8, characterized in that: The spacing of the tubular membrane (2) is 3-50 mm.

10. The tubular membrane module according to claim 9, characterized in that: The spacing of the tubular membrane (2) is 6-30 mm.

11. The tubular membrane module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the raw material inlet pipe (3) and the truncation outlet pipe (4) is 1-20 cm; the inner diameter of the permeate pipe (10) is 1-20 cm. The inner diameter of the membrane module shell side is 10-150cm, the shell side wall thickness of the module shell (1) is 1-10mm, and the shell side length of the module shell (1) is 50-120cm.

12. The tubular membrane module according to claim 11, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the raw material inlet pipe (3) and the truncation outlet pipe (4) is 2-10 cm; the inner diameter of the permeate pipe (10) is 2-10 cm; and the shell length of the component housing (1) is 60-100 cm.

13. A method for separation using the tubular membrane module as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The feed solution is introduced into the membrane module through the feed pipe at a flow rate between 0.1 and 5.0 m / s, a concentration of 0.5-50 wt%, a temperature of -20 to 200 ℃, a viscosity of 0.3-5 cP, and a permeate-side pressure of 0.2-20 kPa. The liquid exiting from the small orifice of the feed pipe is divided into multiple streams, which then come into contact with the membrane tube. The permeate side of the membrane tube is evacuated by a vacuum pump to provide the pressure differential required for separation, thus separating the feed.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The feed flow rate is 0.5-3 m / s, the temperature of the feed liquid is 0-80 ℃, the solution viscosity is 0.3-3 cP, and the permeation side pressure is 0.5-10 kPa.

15. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that: For liquids with a viscosity greater than 3.0 cP, the diameter of the circular gradient opening in the feed tube is 6-15 mm, with an increment of 1-3 mm. When the square membrane tubes are arranged, the spacing between the membrane tubes is 15-50 mm.

16. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that: The tubular membrane module is suitable for the separation of liquid-liquid systems, including at least one of alkanes, aromatics, alcohols, esters, and various fermentation broths or mixtures of two or more of these.

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