MEMBRANE SEPARATION UNIT, ARRANGEMENT OF MEMBRANE SEPARATION UNITS, AND MEMBRANE SEPARATION PROCESS

Abstract

A membrane separation unit wherein the membrane separation unit has a pressure vessel and a membrane provided inside the pressure vessel in a membrane arrangement, and wherein the pressure vessel has an inlet nozzle for a feed gas mixture, an outlet nozzle for a permeate and an outlet nozzle for a retentate. The membrane separation unit has in this case measurement means that are arranged at least partially inside the pressure vessel and/or inside the inlet nozzle for the feed gas mixture and/or inside the outlet nozzle for the permeate and/or inside the outlet nozzle for the retentate and are set up to record one or more parameters relevant to operation.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A membrane separation unit for a membrane separation process for separating a gas mixture, wherein the membrane separation unit has a pressure vessel and a membrane provided inside the pressure vessel in a membrane arrangement, and wherein the pressure vessel has an inlet nozzle for a feed gas mixture, an outlet nozzle for a permeate and an outlet nozzle for a retentate, wherein measurement means that are arranged at least partially inside the pressure vessel and/or inside the inlet nozzle for the feed gas mixture and/or inside the outlet nozzle for the permeate and/or inside the outlet nozzle for the retentate and are set up to record one or more parameters relevant to operation.

17. The membrane separation unit according to claim 16, comprising a documentation unit which is attached inside the pressure vessel or is permanently connected thereto and is designed to evaluate and/or store the one or more parameters relevant to operation.

18. The membrane separation unit according to claim 17, wherein the documentation unit is designed to provide, evaluate and/or store a time profile of the one or more parameters relevant to operation.

19. The membrane separation unit according to claim 18, wherein the documentation unit is designed to detect operation not conforming to specifications on the basis of the one or more parameters relevant to operation and/or one or more features of the time profile.

20. The membrane separation unit according to claim 17, wherein the documentation unit has a remotely readable storage device.

21. The membrane separation unit according to claim 16, wherein the measurement means comprise at least one pressure transducer, and wherein the one or more parameters relevant to operation comprise a pressure value.

22. The membrane separation unit according to claim 21, wherein the at least one pressure transducer is arranged on a permeate side and/or a retentate side of the membrane arrangement inside the pressure vessel and/or inside the inlet nozzle for the feed gas mixture and/or inside the outlet nozzle for the permeate and/or inside the outlet nozzle for the retentate.

23. The membrane separation unit according to claim 16, wherein the measurement means (19) comprise at least one temperature transducer, and wherein the one or more parameters relevant to operation comprise a temperature value.

24. The membrane separation unit according to claim 23, wherein the at least one temperature transducer is arranged inside the outlet nozzle for the permeate from the pressure vessel.

25. An arrangement for separating a gas mixture by means of a membrane separation process, wherein said arrangement includes a plurality of membrane separation units according to claim 16.

26. The arrangement according to claim 25, having a central evaluation unit which is configured to subject the one or more parameters relevant to operation that have been recorded by means of the measurement means of the plurality of membrane separation units to a comparative evaluation.

27. The arrangement according to claim 26, wherein the comparative evaluation comprises an outlier determination.

28. The arrangement according to claim 27, wherein the outlier determination relates to a plurality of temperatures determined by means of the measurement means of the plurality of membrane separation units.

29. A process for separating a gas mixture by means of a membrane separation process, wherein one or more membrane separation units according to claim 16.

30. The process according to claim 29, wherein the one or more parameters relevant to operation are detected by means of the measurement means.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates a membrane separation unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 2 illustrates an arrangement of membrane separation units according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] In the figures explained below, identical components are provided with identical reference signs and are not explained repeatedly for the sake of clarity. This also applies to components of different design but fulfilling the same purpose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates, in a highly simplified schematic way, a membrane separation unit according to a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is designated as a whole by 10.

[0037] The membrane separation unit 10 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a pressure vessel 11 which encloses a pressurizable internal space. A membrane arrangement 12 is provided in the internal space and thus inside the pressure vessel 11, which membrane arrangement can be designed in different ways, as explained above.

[0038] An inlet nozzle 13 for a feed gas mixture (feed) F is provided for charging the membrane separation unit 10 with the corresponding feed gas mixture F. Furthermore, the membrane separation unit 10 has an outlet nozzle 14 for a permeate P and an outlet nozzle 15 for a retentate R. FIG. 1 additionally illustrates an inlet nozzle 16 for a purge gas S, which does not necessarily have to be present.

[0039] In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1, measurement means 17, 18 in the form of corresponding sensors are provided inside the inlet nozzle 13 in the pressure vessel 11 and inside the outlet nozzle 14 for the permeate P, respectively. Another measurement means 19 in the form of a corresponding sensor is provided at the outlet nozzle 14 for the permeate P.

[0040] The measurement means 17 and 18 illustrated here are pressure sensors for detecting a transmembrane pressure or respective pressure values on both sides of the membrane arrangement 12, whereas the measurement means 19 can in particular be designed as a temperature sensor. In a corresponding membrane separation unit 10, not all of the measurement means shown need to be present and additional measurement means can be present, which can be arranged at any different locations.

[0041] Said measurement means 17, 18, 19 are connected via wireless or wired communication links 171, 181 and 191 to a documentation unit 20 which is designed to evaluate and/or store the parameters relevant to operation acquired via the measurement means 17, 18 and 19. In this case, the documentation unit 20 is attached, in particular, to the pressure vessel 11 or inside the pressure vessel 11 and permanently connected thereto. With regard to the functionality of the membrane separation unit 10 shown in FIG. 1, reference is expressly made to the above explanations. The documentation unit 20 comprises, in particular, a data remote transmission module 21 or a remotely readable storage device 21.

[0042] FIG. 2 shows an arrangement of a plurality of membrane separation units 10, in this case of identical design, which are designed according to an embodiment of the invention and have already been explained with respect to FIG. 1, the arrangement being designated as a whole by 100.

[0043] A feed gas stream F is distributed between the membrane separation units 10 and fed into the membrane separation units 10 via the inlet nozzles 13 not illustrated separately here. Accordingly, a permeate stream is respectively extracted from the membrane separation units 10 via the removal nozzles for permeate, not illustrated separately here, and combined to form a permeate collection stream P. The same applies to a retentate collection stream R, which is formed from retentate removed via the removal nozzles 15.

[0044] Furthermore, a measurement means 19 is illustrated in each case at the permeate outlet nozzles in the arrangement 100 according to FIG. 2, which measurement means is designed here as a temperature sensor. By means of a central evaluation unit 30, temperature values can be detected centrally and subjected to a comparative evaluation, as already explained above. The same applies to values of the measurement means 17 and (not shown) 18.