Gas separation module and assembly

摘要

A gas separation module and assembly for housing ceramic tubular membranes. The module includes a plurality of tubes containing the ceramic tubular membranes. The tubes are arranged parallel to one another and are supported by tube sheet plates at each end. Gas-tight seals surround each membrane, preventing a permeate gas within the inner lumen of the membrane from mixing with a feed or residue gas in the tube interior. The module also contains a gas distribution pipe for introducing feed gas into, and withdrawing residue out of, the module. This configuration allows for ceramic tubular membranes to be modularized for use in an assembly that carries out many types of gas separations.

主权项

1. A gas separation module, comprising:
(a) a plurality of tubes each having a longitudinal tube wall and a tube interior containing a ceramic tubular membrane that has an outside surface and an inner lumen, each tube wall containing at least one feed gas opening at one end and at least one residue gas opening at the other end; (b) a first tube sheet plate and a second tube sheet plate each positioned at opposite ends of the module, each tube sheet plate containing a gas distribution pipe opening and at least one of the tube sheet plates having a plurality of permeate gas openings, one permeate gas opening for each tube, the tubes being aligned with the permeate gas openings to provide gas-transferring communication between the permeate gas openings and the inner lumens; (c) a gas distribution pipe that runs the length of the module through the gas distribution pipe openings, having a pipe interior that is divided into a feed section and a residue section, and having at least one feed aperture in the feed section to provide gas-transferring communication with the feed gas openings, and at least one residue aperture in the residue section to provide gas-transferring communication with the residue gas openings; and (d) a gas-tight seal at each end of each ceramic tubular membrane for holding the membrane in gas-tight relationship against the first and second tube sheet plates.