MEMBRANE FILTER AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A MEMBRANE FILTER

Abstract

A membrane filter for filtering a liquid by submerged operation, the membrane filter comprising membrane elements arranged horizontally adjacent to one another and including headers, each membrane element including membranes arranged in a vertical longitudinal direction and filtering a liquid permeate from the liquid, a header of the headers that is arranged at a uniform header level and includes a permeate collection cavity, wherein the membranes are connected at a permeate side of the permeate collection cavity, a permeate outlet draining the liquid permeate in an outlet direction horizontally from the permeate collection cavity, and a tube connected at a top of the header and laterally enveloping the membranes of the membrane element, wherein the permeate outlet of each of the membrane elements is connected at a horizontally extending common permeate collector that drains the liquid permeate from the membrane filter.

Claims

1. A membrane filter for filtering a liquid by submerged operation, the membrane filter comprising: membrane elements arranged horizontally adjacent to one another and including headers, each membrane element including: membranes arranged in a vertical longitudinal direction and filtering a liquid permeate from the liquid, a header of the headers that is arranged at a uniform header level and includes a permeate collection cavity, wherein the membranes are connected at a permeate side of the permeate collection cavity, a permeate outlet draining the liquid permeate in an outlet direction horizontally from the permeate collection cavity, and a tube connected at a top of the header and laterally enveloping the membranes of the membrane element, wherein the permeate outlet of each of the membrane elements is connected at a horizontally extending common permeate collector that drains the liquid permeate from the membrane filter, and wherein the common permeate collector is arranged at the uniform header level and laterally adjacent to the headers.

2. The membrane filter according to claim 1, further comprising: protrusions and recesses arranged at the headers and at the common permeate collector, wherein the protrusions protrude into the recesses and fix the headers in the longitudinal direction at the common permeate collector.

3. The membrane filter according to claim 1, further comprising: bars extending in the outlet direction and arranged at the common permeate collector, wherein two of the bars support one of the headers horizontally and transversal to the outlet direction at the common permeate collector.

4. The membrane filter according to claim 3, further comprising: interlocking connections between the bars and the headers, wherein the interlocking connections fix the headers in the outlet direction at the common permeate collector.

5. The membrane filter according to claim 1, wherein the membranes are configured as hollow fiber membranes individually closed on top.

6. The membrane filter according to claim 1, further comprising: additional headers connected at a permeate side of an additional common permeate collector, wherein the additional headers are connected above the uniform header level at an additional uniform header level.

7. The membrane filter according to claim 1, further comprising: geyser elements arranged at bases of the headers and respectively including a downward open gas collection cavity configured to collect an inflowing gas; and an outlet device configured for pulsating exhaust of the gas into a respective header of the headers.

8. A method for producing a membrane filter for submerged operation for filtering a liquid, the method comprising: arranging membrane elements horizontally adjacent to one another that include headers, each of the membrane elements including: membranes arranged in a vertical longitudinal direction and configured to filter a liquid permeate from the liquid, a header of the headers arranged at a uniform header level and including a permeate collection cavity, wherein the membranes are connected at a permeate side of the permeate collection cavity, a permeate outlet configured to drain the permeate in an outlet direction transversal to the longitudinal direction from the permeate collection cavity, and a tube connected at a top of the header and laterally enveloping the membranes of the membrane element; connecting the permeate outlets at a horizontally extending common permeate collector that drains the permeate from the membrane filter, wherein the common permeate collector is arranged at the uniform header level and laterally adjacent to the headers.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the headers are connected at the common permeate collector exclusively by form locking.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein protrusions and recesses at the headers and at the common permeate collector are inserted into one another horizontally.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the headers are inserted at the common permeate collector in the outlet direction between two respective bars, and thus the protrusions are inserted into the recesses.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein interlocking connections between the bars and the headers interlock upon insertion.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the membrane elements are initially inserted with an upper support into a top of a frame and a respective header is connected at the common permeate collector thereafter.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: arranging geyser elements at the common permeate collector below the headers between two respective bars, wherein the geyser elements respectively include a downward open gas collection cavity configured to collect an inflowing gas and an outlet device configured for pulsating exhausting of the gas into a respective header.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The invention is subsequently described based on embodiments with reference to drawing figures, wherein:

[0028] FIG. 1A illustrates a first membrane filter according to the invention;

[0029] FIG. 1B illustrates a membrane element of the first membrane filter;

[0030] FIG. 1C illustrates a detail sectional view of the membrane element;

[0031] FIG. 1D illustrates three steps for producing the first membrane filter;

[0032] FIG. 2A illustrates a second membrane filter according to the invention;

[0033] FIG. 2B illustrates a membrane element of the second membrane filter;

[0034] FIG. 2C illustrates a sectional view of the membrane element;

[0035] FIG. 3A illustrates a third membrane filter according to the invention;

[0036] FIG. 3B illustrate a permeate collector of the third membrane filter;

[0037] FIG. 4 illustrates a fourth membrane filter according to the invention;

[0038] FIG. 5A illustrate illustrates a fifth membrane filter according to the invention;

[0039] FIG. 5B illustrates a membrane element of the fifth membrane filter; and

[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates a sixth membrane filter according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] The drawing figures illustrate schematic and not to scale representations showing the underlying principle of the invention.

[0042] The first membrane filter 1 according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 1A and configured to filter a liquid includes membrane elements 2 arranged horizontally adjacent to one another and a common permeate collector 3, wherein the membrane elements 2 are connected are connected at the common permeate collector 3.

[0043] The permeate collector 3 of the first membrane filter 1 has a cuboid basic shape and includes a longitudinally extending continuous oval channel 5 at a header level 4 and circular permeate openings 6 in the channel 5, two bars 7 for each header 12, and a recess 8. The bars 7 respectively include a groove 9.

[0044] The membrane element 2 of the first membrane filter 1 illustrated in FIG. 1B includes membranes 10 individually closed on top and a tube 11 laterally enveloping the individually closed membranes 10, and a header 12 at a bottom.

[0045] The header 12 shown in a sectional view in FIG. 1C, includes an essentially tubular housing 13 and a permeate outlet 14 arranged at the housing 13 in front at the membrane element 2 and configured to let the permeate out horizontally in an outlet direction 15 into the permeate collector 3, and a protrusion 16 and a laterally arranged lobe 17 respectively beveled towards the front side. The header 12 includes a membrane block 18 arranged in an interior of the housing 13, wherein the membranes 10 are fixed in the membrane block 18.

[0046] The membranes 10 penetrate a seal layer 19 in the membrane block 18 and lead into a permeate collection cavity 20. The permeate outlet 14 from the permeate collection cavity, is configured as a tubular spout, and includes an integrally formed collar 21 and a seal ring 22 made from a polymeric material. The header 12 includes an inlet opening 23 below the membrane block 18 wherein the liquid and a non-illustrated gas is conductible through the inlet opening 23 into an interior of the membrane element 2 for flushing the membranes 10.

[0047] FIG. 1D illustrates a partial sectional view of the assembly of a membrane element 2 during production of the first membrane filter 1 in three steps: the bars 7 center the header 12 at the permeate collector 3, so that the permeate outlet 14 is run into the permeate opening 6 and the protrusion 16 is run into the recess 8. The seal ring seals the permeate outlet 14 against the permeate opening 6 in the end position, the protrusion 16 rests in the recess 8 with positive form locking and the two cams 17 of the header 12 engage grooves 9 of the bars 7. The headers 12 and the permeate collector 3 are produced from ABS by injection molding and coloured in a uniform green (Pantone 2287 C).

[0048] FIG. 2A shows a second membrane filter 24 according to the invention. The second membrane filter 24 essentially corresponds to the first membrane filter 1, however, it includes an additional permeate collector 27 arranged in a non-illustrated frame above the first permeate collector 25 at an additional header level 26. FIG. 2B shows a view of a membrane element 28 of the second membrane filter 24 according to the invention and FIG. 2C shows a sectional view of the membrane element 28.

[0049] Differently from the first membrane filter 1 according to the invention the membranes 29 are not closed on top but lead into an additional header 30. The housing 31 of the additional header 30 including the permeate outlet 32 and the protrusion 33 in front and the laterally arranged cam 24 corresponds to the first header 35 arranged at a bottom.

[0050] The membrane block 36 in which the membranes 29 are fixed in the additional header 30 is arranged mirror symmetrical to the membrane block of the first header 35. The permeate outlets 32 of the additional headers 30 are connected with the additional permeate collector 27 by non-illustrated permeate openings. The membranes 29 are not enveloped by a tube in the membrane element 28 of the second membrane filter 24.

[0051] The third membrane filter 37 according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 3A essentially corresponds to the first membrane filter 1. However, the third membrane filter 37 includes a respective geyser element 39, at a bottom of the headers 38 which differs from the first membrane filter.

[0052] The geyser element 39 includes a tubular housing 40 with a rectangular cross section, a downward open collection cavity 41 and an outlet device 42 configured for a pulsed outlet of a non-illustrated gas from the gas collection cavity 41.

[0053] The outlet device 42 of the geyser element 39 includes a gas lifting channel 43 for flowing the gas out of the gas collection cavity 41 in a downward direction and in a deflection portion 44 arranged at a bottom of the gas lifting channel and configured to deflect the outflowing gas in an upward direction. A flow out channel 45 adjoins the deflection portion 44 on top and is configured to let the gas out in upward direction from the geyser element 39 into the header 38 of the membrane element 46.

[0054] When filling the gas collection cavity 41 with the gas, a non-illustrated liquid level in the gas collection cavity 41 goes down until the liquid level drops below the flow out channel 45. Then the gas flows from above through the gas lifting channel 43 in a downward direction into the deflection portion 44, is deflected in the deflection portion in the upward direction and subsequently flows out of the gas collection cavity 41 through the flow out channel 45 from a top of the geyser element 39 until the gas collection cavity 41 and the outlet device 42 are filled with liquid again from below. Then, the filling process with the gas starts again. This creates a pulsing gas outflow from a top of the geyser element 39 into the membrane element from the continuous gas inflow into a bottom of the geyser element 39.

[0055] The bars 47 of the permeate collector 48 illustrated in FIG. 3B are divided in the outlet direction 49 and include a respective groove 52 in each component 50, 51 which differs from the first membrane filter 1. The upper parts 50 support the headers 38 and the lower parts 50 support the geyser elements 39.

[0056] FIG. 4 shows a fourth membrane filter 53 according to the invention. The fourth membrane filter 53 essentially corresponds to the third membrane filter 37. The fourth membrane filter 53 includes additional membrane elements 55 above the first membrane elements 54 which differs from the third membrane filter 37. The additional membrane elements 55 correspond to the first membrane elements 54. Thus, the additional membrane elements 55 are connected at an additional header level 56 above a header level 57 with additional headers 58 at an additional permeate collector 59. Geyser elements 61 are connected below headers 60 arranged at the header level 57, wherein the geyser elements are configured for pulsating inflow of a non-illustrated gas from below into the membrane elements 54.

[0057] FIG. 5A shows a fifth membrane filter 63 according to the invention arranged in a frame 62. The fifth membrane filter 63 essentially corresponds to the third membrane filter 37.

[0058] The frame 62 welded from stainless steel profiles has a rectangular basic shape including two vertical supports 64 and an upper transversal beam 65 made from a U-profile. A downward open tub 66 made from bent sheet metal plates forms a lower transversal strut. The tub 66 includes lateral downward open wedge-shaped gas outlets 67 configured for flowing a gas out of the tub 66 into membrane elements 68 of the fifth membrane filter 63.

[0059] The membrane element 68 are connected with headers 69 at a permeate collector 70. A permeate outlet tube 71 is connected at the permeate collector 70 on top and configured for letting the permeate out of the permeate collector 70.

[0060] FIG. 5B shows a detail of the membrane element 68 of the fifth membrane filter 63. The membrane element 68 includes a tube 72 that envelops membranes 73 of the membrane element 68 and a terminal ring 74 arranged on top that includes a hook shaped support 75 at a front of the membrane element 68. The membranes 73 are hollow fiber membranes also in this embodiment.

[0061] The preassembled membrane element 68 is engaged with the support 75 at a top of the transversal strut 65 at a preassembled frame 62 in order to mount the fifth membrane filter 63. The header 69 then automatically swings in front of the permeate collector 70, and is slidable almost horizontally between the bars 76 with little force application.

[0062] FIG. 6 shows a sixth membrane filter 77 according to the invention having a basic configuration which corresponds to the first membrane filter 1. Differently from the first membrane filter 1, the headers 78 are only made from the membrane blocks 79 and do not include an enveloping housing.

[0063] For additional differentiation the membrane elements 80 are enveloped by a common longitudinal continuous tube 81, which includes the inflow opening 82 for the liquid and the gas at a bottom of the tube.

[0064] The permeate outlets 83 at the headers 78 penetrate the tube 81 and lead into a tubular permeate collector 85 that is arranged adjacent to the tubes 81 at a header level 84 of the headers 78 and that extends horizontally.

[0065] REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS [0066] 1 membrane filter [0067] 2 membrane element [0068] 3 permeate collector [0069] 4 header level [0070] 5 channel [0071] 6 permeate opening [0072] 7 bar [0073] 8 recess [0074] 9 groove [0075] 10 membrane [0076] 11 tube [0077] 12 header [0078] 13 housing [0079] 14 permeate outlet [0080] 15 outlet direction [0081] 16 protrusion [0082] 17 cam [0083] 18 membrane block [0084] 19 seal layer [0085] 20 permeate collection cavity [0086] 21 shoulder [0087] 22 seal ring [0088] 23 flow in opening [0089] 24 membrane filter [0090] 25 permeate collector [0091] 26 additional header level [0092] 27 additional permeate collector [0093] 28 membrane element [0094] 29 membrane [0095] 30 additional header [0096] 31 housing [0097] 32 permeate outlet [0098] 33 protrusion [0099] 34 cam [0100] 35 header [0101] 36 membrane block [0102] 37 membrane filter [0103] 38 header [0104] 39 geyser element [0105] 40 housing [0106] 41 gas collection cavity [0107] 42 outlet direction [0108] 43 gas lifting channel [0109] 44 deflection portion [0110] 45 flow out channel [0111] 46 membrane element [0112] 47 bar [0113] 48 permeate collector [0114] 49 outlet direction [0115] 50 upper part [0116] 51 lower part [0117] 52 groove [0118] 53 membrane filter [0119] 54 membrane element [0120] 55 additional membrane element [0121] 56 additional header level [0122] 57 header level [0123] 58 additional header [0124] 59 additional permeate collector [0125] 60 header [0126] 61 geyser element [0127] 62 frame [0128] 63 membrane filter [0129] 64 support [0130] 65 transversal strut [0131] 66 tub [0132] 67 gas outlet [0133] 68 membrane element [0134] 69 header [0135] 70 permeate collector [0136] 71 permeate outlet tube [0137] 72 tube [0138] 73 hollow fiber membrane [0139] 74 terminal ring [0140] 75 support [0141] 76 bar [0142] 77 membrane filter [0143] 78 header [0144] 79 membrane block [0145] 80 membrane element [0146] 81 tube [0147] 82 inflow opening [0148] 83 permeate outlet [0149] 84 header level [0150] 85 permeate collector