The invention relates to an apparatus for separating hydrogen from a gas mixture, comprising a vessel which defines an inlet collection space for the gas mixture and an offtake collection space for hydrogen, where the inlet collection space is separated from the offtake collection space by means of a hydrogen-permeable membrane. The invention is also directed to a process for producing an apparatus for separating hydrogen from a gas mixture, which comprises a hydrogen-permeable membrane, a gas mixture inlet, a hydrogen offtake and a residual gas outlet.

A flow path spacer (13) of the present disclosure includes a plurality of first linear portions (21) and a plurality of second linear portions (22). There are a first pair (P1), a second pair (P2), and a third pair (P3), the first pair (P1) is at least one selected from a pair of the first linear portions (21) adjacent to each other and disposed at a first interval (W1) and a pair of the second linear portions (22) adjacent to each other and disposed at a first interval (W1), the second pair (P2) is at least one selected from a pair of the first linear portions (21) adjacent to each other and disposed at a second interval (W2) narrower than the first interval (W1) and a pair of the second linear portions (22) adjacent to each other and disposed at a second interval (W2) narrower than the first interval (W1), and the third pair (P3) is at least one selected from a pair of the first linear portions (21) adjacent to each other and disposed at a third interval (W3) narrower than the second interval (W2) and a pair of the second linear portions (22) adjacent to each other and disposed at a third interval (W3) narrower than the second interval (W2).

The present disclosure relates to a vacuum filter that incorporates a large area pleated filter element having pleated hydrophilic membrane configured along slanting surface in pyramid shape and incorporated with in a filter housing that can be accommodated in neck of a filtrate container. The disclosed configuration reduces overall height of the filtering system improving its stability and reducing space requirement. Further, top portion of the filter housing is configured to receive either a feed cup for direct feeding of feed liquid by pouring in the cup or a fitting with tube that can be used to suck the feed from a feed solution container under action of a vacuum thus allowing universal use. In another embodiment, a single hydrophobic membrane is provided to avoid problems of low flow due to bubbles coming with the feed solution and also to allow restart of filtration without air lock.

The present invention relates to a tangential flow separator element for separating a fluid medium for treatment into a filtrate and a retentate, said separator element having a monolithic rigid porous support (2) of rectilinear structure and having a single channel (3) arranged therein for passing the flow of the fluid medium for treatment, the outside surface (5) of the support presenting a profile that is constant. According to the invention, the monolithic rigid porous support (2) defines obstacles (9) to the flow of the fluid for filtering, which obstacles extend from the inside wall (3.sub.1) of said channel (3), are identical in material and porous texture to the support, and present continuity of material and of porous texture with the support, said obstacles (9) generating variations in the flow section of the channel.

A flat ceramic membrane 1 has a plate-shaped porous support 21 made of ceramics and a filtration membrane 22 formed on an outer surface of the porous support 21. A plurality of water collection channels 2 where filtrate water obtained by permeation of water-to-be-treated through the filtration membrane 22 flows are formed inside the porous support 21. Further, a region where a thickness between a membrane surface 20 of the filtration membrane 22 and the water collection passage 2 is different is ensured inside the porous support 21.

The present invention relates to a hollow fiber membrane module provided with: a tubular casing having a first end and a second end in the axial direction; a plurality of hollow fiber membranes; a first potting part; and a second potting part, the hollow fiber membrane module further having a flow regulation structure in which a fluid flowing outside the hollow fiber membranes from the second end side toward the first end side forms a flow directed to the radial center on the second end side of the first potting part, and further forms a radial flow directed from the radial center to the radially outer peripheral side on the second end side of the first potting part.

A flow path spacer (13) of the present disclosure includes a plurality of first linear portions (21) and a plurality of second linear portions (22). There are a first pair (P1), a second pair (P2), and a third pair (P3), the first pair (P1) is at least one selected from a pair of the first linear portions (21) adjacent to each other and disposed at a first interval (W1) and a pair of the second linear portions (22) adjacent to each other and disposed at a first interval (W1), the second pair (P2) is at least one selected from a pair of the first linear portions (21) adjacent to each other and disposed at a second interval (W2) narrower than the first interval (W1) and a pair of the second linear portions (22) adjacent to each other and disposed at a second interval (W2) narrower than the first interval (W1), and the third pair (P3) is at least one selected from a pair of the first linear portions (21) adjacent to each other and disposed at a third interval (W3) narrower than the second interval (W2) and a pair of the second linear portions (22) adjacent to each other and disposed at a third interval (W3) narrower than the second interval (W2).

A spacer (13) of the present disclosure includes a plurality of first linear portions (21) and a plurality of second linear portions (22). The plurality of first linear portions (21) and the plurality of second linear portions (22) intersect each other to form a first opening portion (31) and a second opening portion (32) each having a diagonal line (31a or 32a) parallel to a predetermined direction, an opening area of the second opening portion (32) is smaller than an opening area of the first opening portion (31), and the difference between the length of the diagonal line (31a) of the first opening portion (31) and the length of the diagonal line (32a) of the second opening portion (32) is in the range of 10 to 35% of the length of the diagonal line (31a) of the first opening portion (31).

Membrane cell stack arrangement comprising a housing, a stack of membranes defining flow compartments and a fluid manifold system, wherein the direction of flow through the flow compartments is different to the direction of flow through entry and exit openings and the width of the entry and exit openings are each larger than 45% of the width of the flow compartment.

The present invention relates to a hollow fiber membrane module provided with: a tubular casing having a first end and a second end in the axial direction; a plurality of hollow fiber membranes; a first potting part; and a second potting part, the hollow fiber membrane module further having a flow regulation structure in which a fluid flowing outside the hollow fiber membranes from the second end side toward the first end side forms a flow directed to the radial center on the second end side of the first potting part, and further forms a radial flow directed from the radial center to the radially outer peripheral side on the second end side of the first potting part.