Tubular connection member for membrane filtration system

Abstract

A tubular connection member arranged for interconnecting a plurality of tubular members in a fluid flow system, the tubular connection member comprising: at least one primary outlet having a primary inflow / outflow direction, where the primary outlet is arranged for connecting a primary tubular element to an outer end thereof, the main tubular element has a cylindrical cross section at least at the outer end of the main tubular element; at least one secondary outlet having a secondary inflow / outflow direction, where the secondary outlet is arranged for connecting a secondary tubular element to an outer end thereof, the secondary tubular element having a cylindrical cross-section at least at the outer end of the secondary tubular element; wherein the secondary inflow / outflow direction is arranged at a non-zero angle with respect to the primary inflow / outflow direction; and wherein the secondary outlet further comprises an inner section having a non-circular, in particular elliptical, cross-section when viewed in a plane perpendicular to the secondary inflow / outflow direction.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a tubular connection member arranged for interconnecting a plurality of tubular members in a fluid flow system, and to a fluid flow system, such as a membrane filtration system, comprising such a tubular connection member.

[0002] Membrane filtration systems typically comprise a plurality of tubular filtration units arranged in parallel, wherein membrane filters are arranged to filter a liquid flowing through said filtration units. These filtration units are typically connected to a feed line and / or a discharge line using T-shaped tubular connection pieces, i.e. junctions, made of a plastic material. However, due to the elevated pressure in the range of 3 to 10 bar, the T-shaped tubular connection pieces need to have a relatively thick outer wall in order to keep material stress, especially at critical locations in the axilla of the T-shape, below a certain material related stress threshold, typically below a fatigue stress limit, in order to ensure a sufficient lifetime of the T-shaped connection piece. The relatively thick wall leads to a relatively expensive manufacturing process of these connection pieces.

[0003] In addition, due to the flow characteristics of such membrane filtration systems, the liquid flow is unevenly distributed over the different membrane filtration units, leading to a decrease in the overall performance of the system.

[0004] The present invention seeks to provide a tubular connection member arranged for interconnecting a plurality of tubular members in a fluid flow system, for example in a membrane filtration system, which improves the flow characteristics of such system and which is easier and less costly to manufacture.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a tubular connection member arranged for interconnecting a plurality of tubular members in a fluid flow system, the tubular connection member comprising:

[0006] at least one primary outlet having a primary inflow / outflow direction, wherein the primary outlet is arranged for connecting, in particular to an outer end of, a primary tubular element having a cylindrical cross-section at least at its outer end;

[0007] at least one secondary outlet having a secondary inflow / outflow direction, wherein the secondary outlet is arranged for connecting, in particular to an outer end of, a secondary tubular element having a cylindrical cross-section at least at its outer end;

[0008] wherein the secondary inflow / outflow direction is arranged at a non-zero angle with respect to the primary inflow / outflow direction; and

[0009] wherein the secondary outlet further comprises an inner section having a non-circular, in particular elliptical, cross-section when viewed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the secondary inflow / outflow direction.

[0010] Due to the non-circular cross-section of the inner section, such a tubular connection member is able to reduce the stress concentration factor and thereby the critical stress in the axilla of the tubular connection member at the junction of the primary outlet and the secondary outlet. This allows to reduce the overall wall thickness of the tubular connection member, allowing to manufacture the tubular connection member using a molding process such as an injection molding process or an additive manufacturing process and at a lower cost. The non-circular cross-section also allows to thereby adjust the flow characteristics of the tubular connection member and thereby of the membrane filtration system, enabling a more uniform outflow of the secondary outlets of the tubular connection member. Thereby, when respective secondary outlets of such a tubular connection member are connected to a plurality of parallel filtration units, the non-circular cross-section enables a more uniform flow through the different filtration units. As the liquid flow is more evenly distributed over the different filtration units, the overall performance of the system is improved.

[0011] The inner section extends inwardly with respect to the outer end of the secondary outlet. That is, when viewed along the flow path from the primary outlet through the tubular connection member to the secondary outlet, the inner section is located between the primary outlet and the outer end of the secondary outlet. More specifically, in the case of a T-connection, for example, the inner section can be located in the axilla of the T.

[0012] The tubular connection member, in particular the primary portion, can have a rounded cross-section such as a circular cross-section or a polygonal cross-section such as a square or triangular cross-section. For example, as viewed in cross-section, the circumference of the connection member can be shaped as a square, a truncated circle, a rounded square, a square circle or the like. Thus, the term "tubular" does not limit the shape to a circular cylinder. Preferably, the flow passage through the tubular connection member is substantially circular in cross-section, except for the non-circular inner section of the secondary outlet.

[0013] Preferably, the non-circular cross-section of the inner section has a long axis and a short axis, wherein the width of the non-circular cross-section along the long axis is greater than the width of the non-circular cross-section along the short axis, in particular the width of the non-circular cross-section along the long axis is greatest, and wherein the long axis of the non-circular cross-section is arranged at a non-zero angle with respect to the main inflow / outflow direction. This configuration results in a reduced vortex disturbance in the secondary outlet, which negatively affects the throughflow of the outlet. Thereby, a more uniform flow through the different filtration units of the membrane filtration unit is obtained.

[0014] To optimize this effect, the non-circular cross-section of the inner section is more preferably a substantially elliptical cross-section, preferably having a long axis substantially perpendicular to the main inflow / outflow direction and a short axis substantially parallel to the main inflow / outflow direction.

[0015] The primary outlet can be coupled to the tubular element by means of an annular clamp mounted around the respective outer end portion. Due to the smaller width of the inner section of the secondary outlet along an axis parallel to the primary inflow / outflow direction, the length of the primary outlet can be reduced, so that a more compact connection is obtained, while retaining sufficient space for mounting the clamp. Thereby, a more compact fluid flow system overall can be obtained.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the diameter of the circular cross section of the outer section of the primary outlet is smaller than the diameter of the circular cross section of the outer section of the secondary outlet. This allows to directly connect a membrane filtration unit to the secondary outlet, which membrane filtration unit comprises a tubular housing with a diameter of typically not more than 12 inches or 10 inches, typically about 8 inches (about 20 cm), while a feed pipe with a smaller diameter of typically at least 4 inches, typically about 6 inches (about 15 cm) can be directly connected to the primary outlet. This reduces the need for further separation adapters in such membrane filtration systems. More generally, it is therefore preferred that the outer outlet diameter of the connection member corresponds to the outer end portion diameter of the tubular element to be connected to the connection member, so that the connection member can be directly connected to the respective outer end portion of the tubular element. For example, it is therefore also conceivable that the connection member has two or three equal outer outlet diameters.

[0017] In this context, for example, "outer end portion" and "outer section" can be used in an interchangeable manner, and "outer end portion" and "outer section" generally relate to or refer to the free end portion of the respective outlet, which extends outward, in particular for connection to a tubular element.

[0018] The primary outlet preferably comprises an inner section extending inwardly with respect to the outer section, wherein the inner section comprises a circumferential wall, and wherein the inner section of the secondary outlet is formed as a through-hole through the circumferential wall of the inner section of the primary outlet. By selecting the shape of the through-hole, a non-circular cross section of the inner section can be formed.

[0019] It is further preferred that the width of the long axis of the non-circular cross section of the inner section of the secondary outlet is not larger than the maximum width of the inner section of the primary outlet, the inner section of the secondary outlet extending through the inner section of the primary outlet, preferably wherein the inner section of the primary outlet has a substantially circular cross section when viewed in a plane perpendicular to the primary inflow / outflow direction. It is then further preferred that the long axis of the non-circular cross section of the inner section of the secondary outlet is not larger than the diameter of the circular cross section of the inner section of the primary outlet. By forming the non-circular cross section in this way, the above-mentioned vortex interference can be effectively reduced.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the tubular connecting element further comprises a tertiary outlet for connecting a tertiary tubular element to an outer section thereof. This allows connecting further tubular elements to the tubular connecting piece, so that for example a plurality of membrane filtration units arranged in parallel can be applied. It is then further preferred that the tertiary outlet is a second primary outlet having a second primary inflow / outflow direction, wherein the second primary outlet is arranged for connecting to a primary tubular element having a cylindrical cross section at least at its outer end,

[0021] wherein the second primary inflow / outflow direction is substantially parallel or identical to the primary inflow / outflow direction, and / or wherein a central axis of the outer section of the primary outlet is substantially parallel to, in particular coaxial with, a central axis of the outer section of the second primary outlet.

[0022] This further allows forming a feed or discharge pipe by coupling with an adjacent primary outlet of an adjacent tubular connecting element, whereby the overall flow characteristics of the system can be further improved. Preferably, the tubular connecting element is thus formed to comprise at least a T-junction.

[0023] The tubular connecting element can have a plurality of secondary outlets, wherein each secondary outlet has a respective secondary inflow / outflow direction, wherein each secondary outlet is arranged for connecting to a respective secondary tubular element having a cylindrical cross section at least at its outer end;

[0024] wherein each respective secondary inflow / outflow direction is arranged at a non-zero angle with respect to the primary inflow / outflow direction; and

[0025] wherein each secondary outlet further comprises a respective inner section having a non-circular, in particular elliptical, cross section when viewed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the secondary inflow / outflow direction.

[0026] This enables connecting a plurality of membrane filtration units to a single tubular connecting element while benefiting from improved flow characteristics as described above.

[0027] Preferably, the primary outlet is formed by a substantially cylindrical tubular element, wherein the outer section is arranged at a respective end of the substantially cylindrical tubular element such that the primary inflow / outflow direction is substantially parallel to a central axis of the cylindrical tubular element. A substantially straight and unobstructed primary flow path can be obtained, so that the overall flow characteristics are further improved.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the respective outlet comprises a fixing device for fixedly connecting the respective cylindrical tubular element thereto, wherein the fixing device preferably comprises an engagement device, such as a circumferential protrusion or recess, arranged on or in the outer peripheral surface of the respective outlet,

[0029] wherein the fixing device preferably comprises a connecting bracket arranged to be mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the respective outlet, and

[0030] wherein the engagement device is preferably arranged to receive the connecting bracket thereon for interconnecting the outlet with a respective primary tubular element or secondary tubular element arranged with a similar, cooperating engagement device. By arranging the fixing device on the outer surface of the tubular coupling element, an essentially straight and unobstructed primary flow path can be obtained through a series of coupled tubular elements and / or tubular connecting elements, such that the overall flow characteristics of the membrane filtration unit are further improved.

[0031] Preferably, the tubular connecting member is monolithic. In order to economically obtain a monolithically shaped tubular connecting element with preferred properties, the tubular connecting element is preferably made of a plastic material, in particular a reinforced plastic material, or of a metal, such as steel, in particular by a casting process. For example, the connecting member can be made by an overmolding technique. Alternatively, the monolithic tubular connecting member can be made by welding. For example, the secondary outlet can be connected to the primary outlet by welding.

[0032] The tubular connecting member is preferably an elbow-shaped connecting member having only one primary outlet and only one secondary outlet, wherein preferably the primary inflow / outflow direction and the secondary inflow / outflow direction are arranged at an angle of 45° or 90° relative to each other.

[0033] Alternatively, the tubular connecting member is preferably a T-shaped connecting member having only two primary outlets and only one secondary outlet, wherein preferably the primary inflow / outflow directions and the secondary inflow / outflow direction are arranged at an angle of 45° or 90° relative to each other. Such a tubular connecting member allows to achieve an overall improved flow characteristic of the membrane filtration system.

[0034] A fluid flow system can be any system in which a fluid can flow. The term "fluid" is not limited to liquids, such as water, but can also refer to gases. Therefore, a fluid flow system can be any system in which a fluid pressure drop can occur, such as a membrane filtration system or a carbon capture system. Thus, a fluid flow system is provided comprising a plurality of tubular elements for allowing fluid to flow through it, wherein the system further comprises at least one tubular connecting member according to any of the embodiments described above, wherein the tubular connecting member interconnects the tubular elements among the plurality of tubular elements, wherein a primary outlet of the tubular connecting member connects a primary tubular element among the plurality of tubular elements to its outer end, the primary tubular element having a cylindrical cross-section at least at its outer end, and wherein a secondary outlet of the tubular connecting member connects a secondary tubular element among the plurality of tubular elements to its outer end, the secondary tubular element having a cylindrical cross-section at least at its outer end.

[0035] In a second aspect, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a tubular connecting member according to any of the foregoing embodiments into a single piece by means of a casting process.

[0036] In a third aspect, the present invention relates to a fluid flow system comprising a supply line for supplying a fluid to be treated and a discharge line for discharging the fluid after treatment. The fluid flow system further comprises at least one fluid processing unit disposed between the supply line and the discharge line and including an inlet and an outlet, wherein the fluid processing unit is arranged such that, when in use, fluid flows from the supply line to the discharge line, thereby passing through the fluid processing unit, and...

[0037] At least one of the inlet and outlet has a cylindrical cross-section;

[0038] The system also includes at least one tubular connection member according to any of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the tubular connection member interconnects at least one of the inlet and outlet with a supply line or a discharge line, respectively.

[0039] This allows for the acquisition of fluid flow systems with improved flow characteristics, wherein the fluid flow system has the improved connecting members as described above.

[0040] Preferably, the secondary outlet of the tubular connecting member is connected to at least one of the inlet and outlet of the fluid processing unit, and the main outlet of the tubular connecting member is connected to either a supply line or a discharge line. In a preferred embodiment, the housing of the fluid processing unit is substantially a tubular member with a cylindrical cross-section, wherein the inlet and outlet are arranged at opposite ends of the respective tubular shapes of the housing, wherein a first tubular connecting member interconnects the inlet with the supply line, and a second tubular connecting member interconnects the outlet with the discharge line. This results in an improved system with the aforementioned advantages.

[0041] Preferably, the fluid flow system includes a plurality of fluid processing units arranged substantially in parallel with respect to each other, and a plurality of tubular connecting members for interconnecting the plurality of fluid processing units with supply lines and discharge lines. Further preferably, each inlet of each fluid processing unit is connected to a secondary outlet of a corresponding first tubular connecting member, and wherein each outlet of each fluid processing unit is connected to a secondary outlet of a corresponding first tubular connecting member, and wherein adjacent first tubular connecting members are connected via a main outlet to form a supply line, and wherein adjacent second tubular connecting members are connected via a main outlet to form a discharge line.

[0042] As a result, as described above, a more uniform flow distribution was achieved in the fluid processing unit.

[0043] The fluid flow system may be a membrane filtration system, wherein a supply line is provided for supplying the liquid to be filtered, wherein each fluid processing unit is a membrane filtration unit, the membrane filtration unit including a housing having an inlet, an outlet and a filter membrane located between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the membrane filtration unit is arranged such that, when in use, the liquid flows from the inlet to the outlet, thereby passing through the filter membrane.

[0044] Alternatively, the fluid flow system can be a carbon capture system for capturing carbon dioxide from a gas mixture from a source such as an industrial source, wherein a supply line supplies the gas mixture from which carbon dioxide is to be captured, and each fluid processing unit is a carbon capture unit for removing carbon dioxide from the mixture. The carbon capture unit is, for example, an adsorption unit or a membrane gas separation unit, comprising a housing having an inlet, an outlet, and a gas separation membrane located between the inlet and outlet. An exhaust line is then used to discharge the captured carbon dioxide or to discharge the gas mixture from which carbon dioxide has been captured. The liquid flow is more uniformly distributed across the different adsorption units or membrane gas separation units due to the non-circular cross-section of the tubular connecting members, thereby improving the overall performance of the carbon capture system.

[0045] The invention is further illustrated by the following figures, which show preferred embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. In the figures:

[0046] - Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a membrane filtration system is shown, in which the feed solution can be pumped through eight membrane filtration units connected in parallel, and the flow rate and pressure can be regulated by valves.

[0047] - Figure 2 A three-dimensional perspective view of a T-shaped tubular connecting element according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically.

[0048] - Figure 3 A schematic top view of the T-shaped tubular connecting element is shown.

[0049] - Figure 4 A schematic three-dimensional cross-sectional view of a T-shaped tubular connecting element taken along the longitudinal axis is shown.

[0050] - Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of a T-shaped tubular connecting element, taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, is schematically shown in the front view along the longitudinal axis.

[0051] - Figures 6A-6B The diagram schematically illustrates the use of T-shaped connecting elements according to the prior art and similar elements. Figure 1 Comparison of results obtained from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of flow in a membrane filtration system with a T-shaped connecting element according to the present invention.

[0052] - Figure 7 The bar graph illustrates a comparison between the flow in membrane filtration systems employing T-shaped connecting elements according to the prior art and T-shaped connecting elements according to the present invention.

[0053] Figure 1 A membrane filtration system 1000 is shown, in which a feed solution is pumped by a pump 1009 through eight membrane filtration units 1001 to 1008 connected in parallel, and the flow rate and pressure are regulated by a valve 1010. Pressure and temperature can be measured by pressure sensors 1011, 1012 and temperature sensor 1013. The system includes a feed line 1100 for feeding the feed solution (i.e., the liquid to be filtered) to the membrane filtration units 1001 to 1008, a filter liquid discharge line 1200 for collecting the liquid filtered by the membrane filtration units 1001 to 1008, and a discharge line 1300 for discharging the waste mixture filtered from the feed solution, also referred to as "discharge" or "concentrate". In the present system 1000, the membrane filtration units 1001 to 1007 are constructed by means of, for example...Figures 2-5 The T-shaped tubular connecting element 1, shown in detail, is connected to the feed line, while the final membrane filtration unit 1008 is connected by means of the elbow-shaped tubular connecting element (not shown in detail) according to the invention.

[0054] Figures 2-5 The T-shaped tubular connecting element 1 is shown in more detail, wherein, as can be seen, the T-shaped tubular connecting element 1 includes two main outlets 10 and a single secondary outlet 20, the two main outlets 10 being connectable to a feed line or a discharge line, and the single secondary outlet 20 being connectable to... Figure 1 The membrane filtration units 1001 to 1008 shown have cylindrical housings. The T-shaped tubular connecting element 1 is further provided with a bracket 50 for connecting the T-shaped tubular connecting element 1 to a frame and / or similar support member. The T-shaped tubular connecting element 1 is integrally formed by injection molding, preferably of metal or plastic such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyamide (PA), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethersulfone (PES), polysulfone (PSU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or polylactic acid (PLA), particularly high-performance plastics such as styrene resins (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)) or amorphous blends of polyphenylene ether and polystyrene (PPE / PS) or polyamide (PPE / PA). The tubular connecting element 1 may be made of fiber-reinforced composite materials, such as glass fiber; preferably, the fiber-reinforced composite material includes at least one of the aforementioned materials.

[0055] The T-shaped tubular connecting element 1 includes two main outlets 10 having a main inflow / outflow direction I, wherein the main outlets 10 are arranged to connect to a main tubular element having a cylindrical cross-section at least at its outer ends. An outer section 13 is arranged here to have a circular cross-section. Between the respective (tubular) outer sections 13 of the two main outlets 10 is a (tubular) inner section 14 that interconnects the respective outer sections 13. The outer sections 13 and the inner sections 14 thereby effectively form a substantially straight tubular member having a main central axis AI extending parallel to the main inflow / outflow direction I.

[0056] The secondary outlet 20, effectively extending from the inner section 14 of the main outlet, has a secondary inflow / outflow direction II. The secondary outlet 20 is arranged to connect a secondary tubular element to its outer end 21, which has a cylindrical cross-section at least at its outer end. The outer section 23 is here arranged to have a circular cross-section. (As in...) Figure 3As best seen, the secondary outlet 20 is arranged between the inner section 14 of the main outlet 10 and the outer section 21 of the secondary outlet 20. The inner section 24 of the secondary outlet 20 has a substantially non-circular (inner) cross-section. Therefore, the secondary outlet 20 extends through the inner section 14 of the main outlet 10, and particularly through the circumferential wall of the inner section 14, by means of a non-circular, particularly elliptical, through-hole 25. As described above, the outer end 21 of the secondary outlet 20 has a larger diameter cross-section than the outer end 11 of the main outlet 10.

[0057] The main outlet 10 and the secondary outlet 20 thus form a T-shaped tubular connecting member (or T-shaped joining member), thereby allowing liquid flow entering one of the main outlets 10 to be directed to the other main outlet and secondary outlet, while liquid flow entering through the secondary outlet 20 can be directed to the corresponding main outlet 10. Notably, the secondary outlet 20 includes an intermediate section 26 arranged between the inner section 24 and the outer section 23, which is effectively formed as a shape transition to accommodate the difference in cross-sectional shape between the respective inner section 24 and the outer section 23.

[0058] The non-circular cross-section of the inner section 24 has a major axis III and a minor axis IV, wherein the width of the non-circular cross-section is greatest along the major axis III. The major axis III of the non-circular cross-section is arranged at a non-zero angle relative to the main inflow / outflow direction I. In the current embodiment, the major axis III is arranged substantially orthogonal to the main inflow / outflow direction I. The width w2 of the major axis III of the elliptical cross-section of the inner section 24 of the secondary outlet 20 is not greater than the maximum width w1 of the inner section 14 through which the inner section 24 of the secondary outlet 10 extends—corresponding to the inner diameter.

[0059] exist Figure 4 As can be seen, in order to further reduce the stress concentration factor at the armpit 30 where the main outlet 10 and the secondary outlet 20 are connected, the wall thickness of the main outlet 10 is increased at least toward the center of the inner section 14 so that it is at or near the center of the inner section 14.

[0060] It can be seen that the outer surface 11 of the main outlet 10 and the outer surface 21 of the secondary outlet 20 respectively include circumferential recesses 111 and 211, which are arranged at the end portions of the respective surfaces near the respective outer ends 12 and 22 of the respective main outlet 10 and secondary outlet 20. These circumferential recesses 111 and 211, which form a coupling device as part of the fixing device for receiving one end of a connecting bracket (not shown), are arranged to be mounted on the outer peripheral surfaces 11 and 21 of the respective outlets 10 and 20 for interconnecting the outlets 10 and 20 with corresponding main tubular elements or secondary tubular elements arranged with similar mating coupling devices.

[0061] Figures 6A-6B The diagram schematically illustrates the use of a T-shaped connecting element 1' according to the prior art and a similar element... Figure 1 A comparison of results obtained from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of the flow in a portion of the membrane filtration system 1000 with the T-shaped connecting element 1 according to the invention. Membrane filtration units 1002 to 1004, each comprising a cylindrical housing 101, are arranged in parallel and connected to a feed line 1100 formed by interconnected tubular connecting members 1, 1', particularly by adjacent main outlets 10, 10' of the interconnected tubular connecting members 1, 1'. The cylindrical housing 101 is connected to corresponding secondary outlets 20, 20'. Figure 6B As can be seen in, with Figure 6A Compared to the secondary outlet 20', the eddies in the secondary outlet 20 are reduced, thereby achieving improved flow and more uniform flow through the corresponding membrane filtration units 1002 to 1004.

[0062] pass Figure 7 The results presented further confirm the improved flow characteristics provided by the flow, specifically for a membrane filtration system comprising 25 membrane filtration units M1 to M25 arranged in parallel, specifically for a system 1000 including a simple T-shaped tubular connecting member 1' according to the prior art, i.e., having a circular cross-section for all corresponding outlets, and including systems such as Figures 2-5 The system shown with the T-shaped connecting member 1 determines the average axial flow velocity of each membrane filtration unit. Each membrane filtration unit indicates a normalized result, wherein the corresponding left bar R1 indicates the average axial flow velocity according to the prior art system, and the corresponding right bar R2 indicates the average axial flow velocity according to the invention. Clearly, the use of the T-shaped tubular connecting member according to the invention results in more uniform and therefore improved flow.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown, but extends to other embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A tubular connection member arranged for interconnecting a plurality of tubular members in a fluid flow system, the tubular connection member comprising: - at least one primary outlet having a primary flow in / out direction, wherein the primary outlet is arranged for connecting a primary tubular element to an outer end of the primary outlet, the primary tubular element having a cylindrical cross section at least at an outer end of the primary tubular element; - at least one secondary outlet having a secondary flow in / out direction, wherein the secondary outlet is arranged for connecting a secondary tubular element to an outer end of the secondary outlet, the secondary tubular element having a cylindrical cross section at least at an outer end of the secondary tubular element; wherein the secondary flow in / out direction is arranged at a non-zero angle relative to the primary flow in / out direction; and wherein the secondary outlet further comprises an inner section having a non-circular cross section when viewed in a plane perpendicular to the secondary flow in / out direction.

2. The tubular connection member of claim 1, wherein, The non-circular cross section of the inner section has a long axis and a short axis, wherein the non-circular cross section has a maximum width along the long axis, and wherein the long axis of the non-circular cross section is arranged at a non-zero angle relative to the primary flow in / out direction.

3. The tubular connection member of claim 2, wherein, The non-circular cross section of the inner section is a substantially elliptical cross section having a long axis substantially perpendicular to the primary flow in / out direction and a short axis substantially parallel to the primary flow in / out direction.

4. The tubular connection member of claim 3, wherein, The non-circular cross section of the inner section is an inner cross section of the secondary outlet.

5. The tubular connection member according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The secondary outlet comprises an outer section, wherein the inner section of the secondary outlet is located between the primary outlet and the outer section of the secondary outlet when viewed along a flow path from the primary outlet through the tubular connection member to the secondary outlet.

6. The tubular connection member of claim 5, wherein, The outer section of the secondary outlet has a circular cross section, wherein the primary outlet comprises an outer section having a circular cross section, wherein a diameter of the circular cross section of the outer section of the primary outlet is smaller than a diameter of the circular cross section of the outer section of the secondary outlet.

7. The tubular connection member according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The primary outlet comprises an inner section extending inwardly relative to the outer section, wherein the inner section comprises a circumferential wall, and wherein the inner section of the secondary outlet is formed as a through hole through the circumferential wall of the inner section of the primary outlet.

8. The tubular connection member of claim 1 or 2 and claim 7, wherein, A width of the long axis of the non-circular cross section of the inner section of the secondary outlet is not larger than the maximum width of the inner section of the primary outlet through which the inner section of the secondary outlet extends, preferably wherein the inner section of the primary outlet has a substantially circular cross section when viewed in a plane perpendicular to the primary flow in / out direction, and wherein the long axis of the non-circular cross section of the inner section of the secondary outlet is not larger than a diameter of the circular cross section of the inner section of the primary outlet.

9. Tubular connection member according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a tertiary outlet for connecting a tertiary tubular element to an outer section of the tertiary outlet.

10. The tubular connection member of claim 9, wherein, The tertiary outlet is a second primary outlet having a second primary inflow / outflow direction, wherein the second primary outlet is arranged for connecting to a primary tubular element having a cylindrical cross section at least at its outer end, wherein the second primary inflow / outflow direction is substantially parallel or identical to the primary inflow / outflow direction, and / or wherein a central axis of the outer section of the primary outlet is substantially parallel to, in particular coaxial with, a central axis of the outer section of the second primary outlet.

11. The tubular connection member according to any of the preceding claims, having a plurality of secondary outlets, wherein, Each secondary outlet has a respective secondary inflow / outflow direction, wherein each secondary outlet is arranged for connecting to a respective secondary tubular element having a cylindrical cross section at least at its outer end; wherein each respective secondary inflow / outflow direction is arranged at a non-zero angle with respect to the primary inflow / outflow direction; and wherein each secondary outlet further comprises a respective inner section having a non-circular cross section when viewed in a plane perpendicular to the secondary inflow / outflow direction.

12. The tubular connection member according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The primary outlet is formed by a substantially cylindrical tubular element, wherein the outer section is arranged at a respective end of the substantially cylindrical tubular element such that the primary inflow / outflow direction is substantially parallel to a central axis of the cylindrical tubular element.

13. The tubular connection member according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The respective outlet comprises a securing means for fixedly connecting a respective cylindrical tubular element to the respective outlet, wherein the securing means preferably comprises an engagement means, such as a circumferential protrusion or recess, arranged on or in an outer peripheral surface of the respective outlet, wherein the securing means preferably comprises a connection bracket arranged to be mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the respective outlet, and wherein the engagement means is preferably arranged for receiving the connection bracket thereon for interconnecting the outlet with a respective primary or secondary tubular element arranged to have a similar, mating engagement means.

14. The tubular connection member of any of the preceding claims, wherein, The tubular connection member is in particular made of a plastic material, in particular a reinforced plastic material, in particular by a casting process.

15. The tubular connection member of any of the preceding claims, wherein, The tubular connection member is an elbow connection member having only one primary outlet and only one secondary outlet, wherein preferably the primary inflow / outflow direction and the secondary inflow / outflow direction are arranged at an angle of 45° or 90° with respect to each other.

16. The tubular connection member according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 14, wherein, The tubular connection member is a T-shaped connection member having only two primary outlets and only one secondary outlet, wherein preferably the primary inflow / outflow directions and the secondary inflow / outflow direction are arranged at an angle of 45° or 90° with respect to each other.

17. The tubular connection member of any one of the preceding claims 1 to 16, wherein, The tubular connection member is monolithic.

18. A method of manufacturing a tubular connection member according to any of the preceding claims in a single piece by a casting process.

19. A fluid flow system comprising a supply line for supplying a fluid to be treated and a discharge line for discharging the fluid after it has been treated, the fluid flow system further comprising at least one fluid treatment unit arranged between the supply line and the discharge line and comprising an inlet and an outlet, wherein, the fluid handling unit is arranged such that, in use, fluid flows from the supply line to the discharge line, thereby through the fluid handling unit, and wherein at least one of the inlet and the outlet has a cylindrical cross section; the system further comprises at least one tubular connection member according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 17, wherein the tubular connection member interconnects at least one of the inlet and the outlet with the supply line or the discharge line, respectively.

20. The fluid flow system of claim 19, wherein, the secondary outlet of the tubular connection member is connected to at least one of the inlet and the outlet of the fluid handling unit and the primary outlet of the tubular connection member is connected to the supply line or the discharge line, respectively.

21. The fluid flow system of any of the preceding claims 19-20, wherein, the fluid handling unit is substantially tubular with a cylindrical cross section, wherein the inlet and the outlet are arranged at opposite ends of the respective tubular shaped fluid handling unit, wherein a first tubular connection member interconnects the inlet with the supply line and a second tubular connection member interconnects the outlet with the discharge line.

22. The fluid flow system according to any of the preceding claims 19 to 21, comprising a plurality of fluid handling units and a plurality of tubular connection members according to at least claim 9 or 10 for interconnecting the plurality of fluid handling units with the supply line and the discharge line arranged substantially parallel with respect to each other.

23. The fluid flow system of claim 22, wherein, each inlet of each fluid handling unit is connected to a secondary outlet of a respective first tubular connection member and wherein each outlet of each fluid handling unit is connected to a secondary outlet of a respective first tubular connection member and wherein adjacent first tubular connection members are coupled by the primary outlet to form the supply line and wherein adjacent second tubular connection members are coupled by the primary outlet to form the discharge line.

24. The fluid flow system of any of the preceding claims 19-23, wherein, the fluid flow system is a membrane filtration system, wherein the supply line is for supplying a liquid to be filtered, wherein each fluid handling unit is a membrane filtration unit comprising a housing having the inlet, the outlet and a filtration membrane located between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the membrane filtration unit is arranged such that, in use, liquid flows from the inlet to the outlet, thereby through the filtration membrane.

25. The fluid flow system of any of the preceding claims 19-23, wherein, the fluid flow system is a carbon capture system for capturing carbon dioxide from a gas mixture from a source such as an industrial source, wherein the supply line is for supplying a gas mixture from which carbon dioxide is to be captured, wherein each fluid handling unit is a carbon capture unit.

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