Constant pressure high throughput membrane permeation testing system

摘要

The disclosure relates to a membrane testing system for individual evaluation of a plurality of planar membranes subjected to a feed gas on one side and a sweep gas on a second side. The membrane testing system provides a pressurized flow of a feed and sweep gas to each membrane testing cell in a plurality of membrane testing cells while a stream of retentate gas from each membrane testing cell is ported by a retentate multiport valve for sampling or venting, and a stream of permeate gas from each membrane testing cell is ported by a permeate multiport valve for sampling or venting. Back pressure regulators and mass flow controllers act to maintain substantially equivalent gas pressures and flow rates on each side of the planar membrane throughout a sampling cycle. A digital controller may be utilized to position the retentate and permeate multiport valves cyclically, allowing for gas sampling of different membrane cells over an extended period of time.

主权项

1. A membrane testing system comprising:
a plurality of membrane testing configurations, where each membrane testing configuration in the plurality of membrane testing configurations is comprised of, a membrane testing cell, where the membrane testing cell is comprised of,
a feed volume comprised of a feed volume boundary, where a longitudinal axis passes through the feed volume such that a segment of the longitudinal axis resides within the feed volume boundary, and where the feed volume defines a longitudinal distance of the feed volume, where the longitudinal distance of the feed volume is the segment of the longitudinal axis residing within the feed volume boundary,a membrane holder for restraining a planar membrane comprised of a first planar membrane surface and a second planar membrane surface, where the first planar membrane surface is substantially parallel to the second planar membrane surface, and where the membrane holder restrains the planar membrane such that the longitudinal axis intersects the first planar membrane surface and the second planar membrane surface, and where the membrane holder is in fluid communication with the feed volume boundary;a feed gas supply port penetrating the feed volume boundary and in fluid communication with the feed volume,a retentate conduit intersecting the feed volume boundary and comprised of a retentate suction at a first end of the retentate conduit and a retentate discharge at a second end of the retentate conduit, where the retentate suction is in fluid communication with the feed volume,a sweep volume comprised of a sweep volume boundary, where the sweep volume boundary is in fluid communication with the membrane holder, and where the longitudinal axis passes through the sweep volume such that a segment of the longitudinal axis resides within the sweep volume boundary, and where the sweep volume defines a longitudinal distance of the sweep volume, where the longitudinal distance of the sweep volume is the segment of the longitudinal axis residing within the sweep volume boundary;a sweep gas supply port penetrating the sweep volume boundary and in fluid communication with the sweep volume,a permeate conduit intersecting the sweep volume boundary and comprised of a permeate suction at a first end of the permeate conduit and a permeate discharge at a second end of the permeate conduit, where the permeate suction is in fluid communication with the sweep volume,a membrane cell feed line comprised of a cell feed inlet and a cell feed outlet, where the cell feed inlet is in fluid communication with the cell feed outlet, and where the cell feed outlet is in fluid communication with the feed gas supply port of the membrane testing cell,a membrane cell retentate line comprised of a cell retentate inlet and a cell retentate outlet, where the cell retentate inlet is in fluid communication with the cell retentate outlet, and where the cell retentate inlet is in fluid communication with the retentate discharge of the membrane testing cell,a membrane cell sweep line comprised of a cell sweep inlet and a cell sweep outlet, where the cell sweep inlet is in fluid communication with the cell sweep outlet, and where the cell sweep outlet is in fluid communication with the sweep gas supply port of the membrane testing cell and,a membrane cell permeate line comprised of a cell permeate inlet and a cell permeate outlet, where the cell permeate inlet is in fluid communication with the cell permeate outlet, and where the cell permeate inlet is in fluid communication with the permeate discharge of the membrane testing cell; a feed supply configuration comprised of,
a main feed line comprised of a main feed inlet and a plurality of main feed outlets, where each main feed outlet is in fluid communication with a single membrane cell feed line in the plurality of membrane testing configurations, and such that a singular membrane cell feed line in the plurality of membrane testing configurations is in fluid communication with one main feed outlet in the plurality of main feed outlets and,a feed mass flow controller in fluid communication with the main feed inlet; a retentate collection configuration comprised of,
a retentate multiport valve comprised of a plurality of retentate inlet ports, a retentate sampling port, and a retentate venting port, where each retentate inlet port in the plurality of retentate inlet ports is in fluid communication with a single cell retentate outlet in the plurality of membrane testing configurations, and such that a singular cell retentate outlet in the plurality of membrane testing configurations is in fluid communication with one retentate inlet port in the plurality of retentate inlet ports,a retentate mass flow controller in fluid communication with the retentate sampling port of the retentate multiport valve and,a retentate back pressure regulator in fluid communication with the retentate venting port of the retentate multiport valve; and a sweep supply configuration comprised of,
a main sweep line comprised of a main sweep inlet and a plurality of main sweep outlets, where each main sweep outlet is in fluid communication with a single membrane cell sweep line in the plurality of membrane testing configurations, and such that a singular membrane cell sweep line in the plurality of membrane testing configurations is in fluid communication with one main sweep outlet in the plurality of main sweep outlets and,a sweep mass flow controller in fluid communication with the main sweep inlet; a permeate collection configuration comprised of,
a permeate multiport valve comprised of a plurality of permeate inlet ports, a permeate sampling port, and a permeate venting port, where each permeate inlet port in the plurality of permeate inlet ports is in fluid communication with a single cell permeate outlet in the plurality of membrane testing configurations, and such that a singular cell permeate outlet in the plurality of membrane testing configurations is in fluid communication with one permeate inlet port in the plurality of permeate inlet ports,a permeate mass flow controller in fluid communication with the permeate sampling port of the permeate multiport valve and,a permeate back pressure regulator in fluid communication with the permeate venting port of the permeate multiport valve.