Hollow Fiber Membrane Module Sealing Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hollow fiber membrane modules face issues with leakage and contamination during steam sterilization due to the separation of potting materials from the housing, leading to inefficient fermentation processes and reduced productivity in industries like pharmaceuticals and water treatment.
Innovation Solution
A cartridge-type hollow fiber membrane module is designed with a multilayer potting structure, where the inner and outer potting parts are formed using specific materials like epoxy resin with a curing agent, ensuring a sealing material is used to fix the potting parts to the housing without direct bonding, thus preventing separation during heat sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If potting material is used to fix hollow fiber membranes to the housing, then the membranes are secured in place, but the potting material separates from the housing during steam sterilization causing leakage and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing ring made of elastomer material is introduced as an intermediary component between the potting material and the housing. This sealing ring maintains continuous contact with both surfaces during thermal expansion and contraction in steam sterilization, preventing separation and leakage while allowing the potting material to perform its primary function of securing the hollow fiber membranes.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing ring is designed with specific material properties (elastomer) and geometric parameters (cross-sectional shape, hardness between 40-90 durometer) that enable it to deform and maintain sealing contact under thermal stress. The material's elasticity and dimensional stability change with temperature but remain within ranges that ensure continuous sealing during sterilization cycles.
2Ease of manufacture
If direct bonding between potting material and housing is used, then fixation is achieved, but separation occurs during heat sterilization leading to feed leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring acts as a mediator that prevents direct bonding between the potting material and housing while ensuring fixation. The ring's elastomeric properties allow it to deform and maintain contact during thermal cycling, preventing leakage without requiring the potting material to directly bond to the housing surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is segmented from the fixation function. The potting material handles membrane securing while the separate sealing ring handles the sealing function, allowing each component to be optimized for its specific purpose and preventing the failures that occur when a single material must perform both functions.
3Strength
If potting material bonds to housing, then structural integrity is maintained, but contamination occurs due to separation during sterilization
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring serves as a protective intermediary that maintains the seal between the potting material and housing during sterilization. By preventing separation, it eliminates the source of contamination while allowing the potting material to maintain its structural role in securing the membrane bundle.
Solution Approach 2:
The design accepts that potting materials may have limited thermal stability but converts this potential harm into a benefit by using the sealing ring to compensate for thermal expansion and contraction. The ring's elasticity transforms the thermal stress that would cause separation into a mechanism that maintains sealing contact.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The module prevents leakage and contamination, ensuring long-term sealability and stability during steam sterilization, enabling continuous high-productivity fermentation and filtration processes in various industries.
Implementation Method 1
both ends of the hollow-fiber membrane bundle are fixed to the cylindrical case with a potting material
Implementation Method 2
the first potting part comprises an inner potting part and an outer potting part, wherein the inner potting part and the outer potting part are both formed of a potting material
Implementation Method 3
ensuring long-term sealability and stability during steam sterilization
Implementation Method 4
the sealing material is used to fix the potting parts to the housing without direct bonding
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A cartridge type hollow fiber membrane module including a housing, a hollow-fiber membrane bundle having a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, a first potting part that bonds the hollow fiber membranes at at least one end of the bundle of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes such that the hollow fiber membranes are open, and a sealing material that fixes the first potting part to the housing liquid-tightly, wherein the first potting part comprises an inner potting part and an outer potting part, wherein the inner potting part and the outer potting part are both formed of a potting material, wherein the sealing material is in contact with the outer potting part, and wherein both the inner potting part and the outer potting part are formed in a sealing direction of the sealing material. The cartridge type hollow fiber membrane module is free of leakage and contamination due to separation of a potting material even when steam sterilization is performed.