Pall Corporation

Seitz-filter-werke Gmbh Und Co.

Siemens Water Technologies Pte. Ltd.

U.S. Filter Wastewater Group, Inc.

Seitzschenk Filtersystems Gmbh

Pall Seitzschenk Filtersystems Gmbh

Georg Schnieder

Gerhard Strohm

Wolfgang Hepp

Fufang Zha

Wolfgang Diemer

Martin Zeiler

David John Cox

Joachim Muller

Wilfried Kaul

Cinzia Lea

Ralph Heusslein

Paul Duckek

Paul Duchek

Reinhold Rohr

The invention relates to a filter element comprising one or more fluid-pervious layers of a fluid-pervious sheet material having first and second surfaces in a substantially parallel arrangement, a fluid-impervious layer arranged in fluid tight contact with at least one of said first and second surfaces of said layer(s) of fluid-pervious sheet material to substantially fully cover the first and/or second surfaces thereof, one or more first and second edge portions, said first and second edge portions being arranged at a predefined distance and separated from one another by a predefined area of the fluid-pervious sheet material, a fluid flow path limited to and extending essentially parallel to the first and second surfaces from the first edge portion(s) to the second edge portion(s) within each of said layers of fluid-pervious sheet material, said first and second edge portions providing a fluid intake and a fluid drainage at the upstream and downstream ends of said fluid flow path, respectively. The invention further relates to filter modules comprising one or more of said filter elements.

Filter element and filter module comprising same

A filter module comprises a non-filtrate draining spacer element, a filter layer, a filtrate draining spacer element, a filter layer, a non-filtrate draining spacer element, a filter layer, and a filtrate draining spacer layer stacked on one another in an axial direction, wherein at least some of the draining spacer elements comprise connecting means around the outer circumference to compress and seal off the filter layers between the draining spacer elements.

Filter module

An apparatus for potting membranes. The apparatus may include a mould for receiving ends of the membranes, means for forming a first layer of a curable resin material around the ends in the mould, and means for applying a second layer of a flexible resin material to the first layer prior to full curing of the first layer. The flexible resin material may be chemically reactive with the curable resin material to form an adhesive bond therebetween. A potting sleeve may be positioned within the mould. A centrifuge may receive the curable resin and/or the flexible resin material upstream of the mould.

Apparatus for potting membranes

A filter module has layers of a filter medium between which are draining elements. The draining layers and the filter layers are stacked on one another, and the draining layers are sealed on alternate sides by sealing elements.

The invention relates to a filter module () comprising filters layers () made of a filter medium, especially comprising filter layers made of filter strata. Said filter layers alternate with layers made of draining spacer elements), the first and last layer of the filter module () consisting respectively of a draining spacer element (). The draining spacer elements respectively and mutually comprise flow elements () and sealing elements () for the filtrate chamber and the non-filtrate chamber (). Means are provided for the mutual connection thereof. The aim of the filter module () is to combine the advantages of known filter modules with improved sealing at the edges of the filter layers, and to make the filter module backwashable. The filter module () comprises draining spacer elements () which are embodied in such a way that they enable the filter layers to be pressed in a sealing manner. At least some of the draining spacer elements () comprise connecting means in the region of at least one filtrate chamber or non-filtrate chamber (), which co-operate with the connecting means of at least one other spacer element. The connecting means include lugs, stirrup straps (), and T and arrow-shaped catch elements. In this way, a stable and both backwashable filter module () is created.

A method of forming a pot for an array of hollow fiber membranes () is provided, including the steps of placing the ends () of the fiber membranes () in a mould (); forming a first layer () of curable resin material in a non-cured state around the fiber membrane ends (), applying a second layer () of a polyurethane resin material to the first layer () prior to full curing of the first layer, the polyurethane resin material layer being chemically reactive with the first layer material to form an adhesive bond therebetween; at least partially curing both layers and removing the pot formed from the mould (), wherein the second layer material is of higher flexibility than the first layer material when each layer is fully cured. Apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.

Potting method

The invention relates to a filter module ( ) with a simplified design which allows for the manufacturing of a step filter, Each ply of filter medium is composed of a deep-bed filter material layer ( ) and the packing is composed of draining layers ( ). The draining layers ( ) and filter layers ( ) are mutually sealed to the filtrate/non-filtrate chamber ( ). The filter layers ( ) can be arranged according to any pattern.

The invention relates to a filter module comprising a number A of circular filter cell ( ), a number A&minus;1 of spacer rings ( ), and two end rings ( ), whereby the filter cells ( ) and the rings ( ) are combined to form a stack while forming a central continuous channel ( ) using tension elements ( ) which are interspaced in the circumferential direction of the channel wall and which, on the inner side, engage on the end rings ( ) in order to transmit axial tension forces. According to the invention, tensioning elements comprised of strips ( ) with hook-shaped ends ( ) are provided for securely combining the filter cell that are arranged in a stack. Said hook-shaped ends can be fixed in the end rings by effecting an essentially radial hooking-in or engaging movement, In addition, means ( ) are provided which prevent an unintentional radial hook-removal or disengaging movement of the hook-shaped ends ( ).

Filter module comprising tensioning elements

The invention relates to a filtration device for deep-bed filtration which is easier to handle and enables filter modules(s) to be changed and disposed of easily. The filtration device has a casing with at least one filter module inserted in the casing with filter elements made from deep-bed filter materials stacked on top of each other. The filter elements have at least one internal structure formed by a perforation wherein the boundary surface of the perforation formed by the deep-bed filter materials creates a through-flow surface for filtrates or non-filtrates. At least one end plate has at least one inlet and/or outlet.

Filtration device with stacked deep-bed filter elements

A process is described for filtration of fluids, particularly of heterodisperse fluids like beer, in which a cleaning cycle of the MF modules is always carried out when the transmembrane pressure exceeds a pre-set pressure which has been selected to be equal to the optimal trans-membrane pressure for the particular fluid to be filtered as regards its analytical appearance. In beer filtration this value is preferably set at 1.5 bar. The microfiltration facility is equipped with numerous MF modules 5, arrayed in series and parallel; with a device for cleansing the MF modules 5; and with a measuring device 3 for recording trans-membrane pressure, attached to a control device 7, which, upon attaining the pre-set trans-membrane pressure, interrupts the filtration process and starts a cleansing cycle going.

Procedure and device for filtration of fluids using MF modules

A process is described for filtration of fluids, particularly of beverages like beer, utilizing microfiltration membrane modules operated in alternating filtering cycles and cleansing cycles, in which the cleansing cycles are always carried out when the transmembrane pressure exceeds a pre-set pressure which has been set to equal to the optimum trans-membrane pressure for the particular fluid being filtered, based on an analysis of the fluid after it has been filtered. In beer filteration, this value is preferably set at 1.5 bar. The microfiltration facility is equipped with numerous MF modules, arrayed in series and parallel; with a device for cleansing the MF modules and a measuring device for recording trans-membrane pressure that is attached to a control device which, upon attaining the pre-set trans-membrane pressure, interrupts the filtering cycle and starts a cleansing cycle.

Procedure for filtration of fluids using MF modules

In known membrane filter modules the sealing of the inlet of the faces of the capillary or hollow fiber membranes relative to the inlet of the stainless steel filter housing suffers from loosening of the sealing compound from the housing and from ruptures within the sealing compound due to different extension coefficients of the materials employed. With the inventive membrane filter module the safe employment of stainless steel filter housings with sealings and fluid distributing heads made of plastic is possible. At least a portion of the outer mantle surface of the end of the membrane bundle which is enclosed by a sealing compound or fused with plastic material is exposed so that the exposed outer mantle surface of the end of the membrane bundle may cooperate with sealing elements. Due to the fact that the sealing no longer acts on the stainless steel housing a simple and safe combination of the membrane filter module with the fluid distributing heads made of plastic is achieved.

Membrane filter module for filtering fluids in a cross-flow

With known fluid distributing heads a change of the fluid path for a given fixedly mounted membrane filter apparatus is only possible by using special adapters, respectively, insert parts due to the varying geometry of the flow channels of the fluid distributing heads for outer, respectively, inner flow paths. The suggested fluid distributing heads specific to inner or outer flow path facilitate the use of a filter module with fluid distributing heads within a membrane filter apparatus. The suggested fluid distributing heads for the inner and outer flow path provide, while maintaining the arrangement and diameter of the fluid channels of the fluid distributing head with respect to the arrangement of the intermediate channels for the inner and outer flow path, different embodiments whereby the first fluid channel connects to the face of the bundle end of the membranes and the second fluid channel connects with the outside of the capillary or hollow fiber membranes, or the first fluid channel connects with the outside of the capillary or hollow fiber membranes and the second fluid channel connects with the face of the bundle end of the membranes. These suggested fluid distributing heads are preferably used with membrane filter modules in fixedly mounted membrane filter apparatus for the filtration of fluids, especially of beverages, in a cross-flow process.

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Bad Kreuznach, Germany

Georg Schnieder