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 feed gas and a residue gas within the inner lumen of the membrane from mixing with a permeate gas in the tube interior. The module also contains a gas distribution pipe for withdrawing the permeate gas out of, or introducing a sweep gas into, 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.

A diafiltration system comprises a fluid treatment assembly comprising two or more fluid treatment modules, the fluid treatment assembly comprising a feed inlet, a permeate outlet, and a retentate outlet; each module comprising a cross flow treatment assembly including an ultrafiltration membrane and having a feed side and a permeate side, and a diafiltration fluid distribution plate comprising a diafiltration fluid feed inlet and a common feed permeate/diafiltration fluid permeate outlet port; two or more diafiltration fluid conduits, each conduit in fluid communication with a respective single diafiltration fluid feed inlet; and, a diafiltration fluid pump comprising at least a first multiple channel pump head having at least two channels including separate channels for separate conduits in fluid communication with respective single diafiltration fluid feed inlets, wherein the pump provides simultaneously controlled diafiltration fluid flow rates through each of the conduits to the respective diafiltration fluid feed inlets.

Disclosed are a method and a membrane module for the separation of oxygen from air during biomass gasification. The method comprises employing a membrane module as disclosed herein and using gas exiting the membrane module to heat incoming fresh air, more than 50% of heat energy contained in the gas exiting the membrane module being utilized to preheat the fresh air. The fresh air is further heated to a temperature of from 800° C. to 900° C. by directly feeding combustion gas or synthesis gas from the biomass gasification into a combustion space of the membrane module.

A process for producing nitrogen-rich air by feeding high temperature air at 150° C. or more to an air separation membrane module is described. After being placed at 175° C. for two hours, the air separation module exhibits a shape-retention ratio of 95% or more in one embodiment. The nitrogen-rich air can be fed to a fuel tank for an aircraft, for example.

A separation-membrane module 1 includes an element block 2 that is formed by arranging, in parallel, a plurality of separation-membrane elements 4 that are formed by arranging a pair of separation-membranes with their respective permeate surfaces in opposition to each other and sealing the edges of the pair of the membranes; and an aeration block 3 that includes an aeration pipe 31 and that is disposed under the element block 2. In the element block 2, at least one upper spacer 8 is disposed in the upper portion of each space between the adjacent separation-membrane elements 4, and a lower spacer 9 is disposed under the upper spacer 8 in each space between the adjacent separation-membrane elements 4. And the leftmost and the rightmost separation-membrane elements 4 of the plurality of the separation-membrane elements 4 are secured to a frame 12 at the lower spacers 9.

Embodiments provide a filter with a generally rectangular, non-cylindrical profile. The filter may have multiple pleat packs positioned between pleat covers that define regions and flow channels in a cavity of the filter body. The pleat covers have openings that allow a fluid to flow through the multiple pleat packs via parallel flows or series flows. End caps bonded to the body define flow passages for directing the fluid from an inlet to an outlet via the pleat packs for series or parallel filtration. The pleat packs may be made of the same or different materials and may be configured with the same or different heights based on flow requirements. A cage or a separator may be positioned between the pleat packs. The pleat packs may be made of a continuous pleated membrane with bridges defining a space between the pleat packs to accommodate the cage or separator.

A membrane capsule for biological and chemical separations comprising a cassette comprising an upper surface and a lower surface adjoined by a cassette sidewall, an inlet and an outlet located on the upper and lower surfaces of the cassette, tubes fluidly connected to the inlet and the outlet, holes or slots in the tubes to facilitate separation, and a membrane wrapped, pleated, and/or spiral wound around each of the tubes. Methods of separation comprising flowing fluid flow through the inlet of the membrane capsule, allowing the fluid to permeate through the holes or slots of the tubes, separating biological and/or non-biological substances, collecting the fluid within a reservoir, and draining fluid from the reservoir.

A semipermeable membrane includes a holding body with a low water absorption property having a lattice structure and having a semipermeable property in a liquid phase. A cell-culturing device is provided with the semipermeable membrane at least at a portion thereof. A tissue-type chip is provided with the cell-culturing device including one type of cells. An organ-type chip is provided with the cell-culturing device including at least two types of cells. A kit for providing a multicellular structure is provided with an openable and closable sealed container including the tissue-type chip or, and a culture medium. An organ-type chip system is provided with at least two of the tissue-type chips or the organ-type chips, and the tissue-type chips or the organ-type chips are connected while maintaining a sealing property. A cell-culturing method is a method of using the cell-culturing device.

A hollow-fiber membrane module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a rectangular tubular outer casing with at least one sidewall being open, the outer casing having a plurality of open ports, and an inner casing configured such that a plurality of hollow-fiber membranes aligned in a longitudinal direction of the outer casing are placeable in the inner casing and configured to be insertable into the one sidewall.

A hollow fiber membrane element, comprising: a core tube comprising a side face having a plurality of pores; and a hollow fiber membrane group consisting of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes disposed around the core tube, the hollow fiber membrane element being a both open-ended type hollow fiber membrane element in which both ends of the core tube and the plurality of hollow fiber membranes are open. The hollow fiber membrane group includes a first hollow fiber membrane layer composed of a plurality of first hollow fiber membranes disposed so as to surround the core tube and a second hollow fiber membrane layer composed of a plurality of second hollow fiber membranes disposed so as to surround the first hollow fiber membrane layer, and a permeability coefficient of the plurality of first hollow fiber membranes is smaller than a permeability coefficient of the plurality of second hollow fiber membranes.