Uop Lcc

A William Schwartz

Mark E Schott

C Glen Wensley

Roman Myrna

A separation system including a pressure vessel containing a plurality of membrane cartridge assemblies is provided for the separation of a fluid feed. The separation system typically includes an elongated pressure vessel having a feed stream inlet, a residual stream and at least one permeate stream outlet. Disposed within the pressure vessel are a first tube sheet assembly defining a first permeate reservoir, a first fluid reservoir, and a plurality of membrane cartridge assemblies. The first tube sheet assembly includes a first pair of tube sheets, which define the first permeate reservoir therebetween, and a plurality of first sleeves disposed between the first pair of tube sheets. The first permeate reservoir is in fluid communication with the at least one permeate stream outlet. The at least one membrane cartridge assembly includes a membrane cartridge and a first permeate adapter joined to a first end of the membrane cartridge.

Multi-tube pressure vessel

Assemblies for use in separation of a fluid feed. Assemblies typically include an elongated housing having a fluid feed stream inlet, a residual stream outlet and a permeate stream outlet. The housing contains at least one membrane separation element to form a membrane separation element linear string that at least in part defines a linear permeate passage tube. A permeate adapter is joined with an end of the linear permeate passage tube. The permeate adapter includes a receiving opening for receiving an end of the linear permeate passage tube. The adapter defines a permeate passageway extending therethrough and includes a plurality of permeate discharge openings disposed such as to place the receiving opening and the permeate discharge openings in fluid flow communication.

Membrane separation assemblies

A separation module uses a series of separation elements with interconnecting hardware that greatly reduces the time necessary for assembly of interconnected elements and the machining or preparation of an extended part of the module inside diameter for acceptance of the elements. The elements use an interconnection between the modules that provides a sliding seal for first engaging adjacent modules and allowing alignment while a secondary seal is brought into contact and locked to provide a rigid axial attachment between the separation elements. The module arrangement further uses a single outer seal near the end of the module into which the separation elements are inserted to reduce the amount of machining, honing, or sleeving necessary to seal the module against by-passing of feed or impermeable components.

Seal arrangement for rapid interconnection or axially arranged

A stacked membrane disk module has a number of membrane disks interleaved with seal rings and includes a biasing subassembly for maintaining a compressive force between the membrane disks and interleaved seal rings so that the module can be repeatedly pressurized/depressurized. The membrane disks preferably include a central first aperture and a pair of second apertures which are radially spaced from the central first aperture. These apertures will thus be respectively registered when a number of such membrane disks are stacked between a pair of end plates so as to establish a central fluid passageway and a pair of second fluid passageways. A rigid perforated tube is positioned within the central fluid aperture and is connected to the end plates so that at least one of the end plates is capable of being axially displaced relative to the perforated tube. A biasing member (e.g., a compression spring, stack of truncated conically shaped washers or the like) may thus be concentrically positioned around the perforated tube so as to exert a bias force onto one of the end plates capable of axial displacements and thereby cause a compressive force to be exerted against the membrane disks in the stack.

Stacked fluid-separation membrane disk module assemblies

A module for separating at least one component from a flowing mixture containing the same, includes a pair of end plates between which a plurality of stacked separation disks are positioned. The separation disks separate at least one component from the flowing mixture and defines a central passageway therethrough. A tensionable conduit is disposed in the fluid passageway to define a pathway for the separated component through at least one of said end plates and cause the end plates to exert a compressive force to the stacked separation disks in response to the conduit being tensioned. In preferred embodiments, the tensionable conduit includes a single or double helix spring which is machined along a major axial extent of its length. An adjustment nut may thus be threadably coupled to at least one (nonmachined) end portion of the conduit so as to adjustably tension the conduit and translate such tension into compressive force exerted to the stack of membranes by the end plates.

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Upland, CA, United States of America

A William Schwartz