FILTRATION DEVICE

Abstract

A filtration device (1, 1) has a housing (2, 2) with an inlet (3, 3) to supply fluid to be filtered and an outlet (4, 4) to discharge filtered permeate. A filter module (5, 5) is between the inlet and outlet and has membrane layers (9, 9) connected to the housing (2, 2) in a fluid-tight manner. An inflow channel (11, 11) is at the inlet side (3, 3) and an outflow channel (12, 12) is at the outlet side (4, 4). A compressible and flow-permeable intermediate layer (10, 10) is arranged between at least two membrane layers (9, 9). The intermediate layer (10, 10) is made of a nonwoven material with: a thickness corresponding to 20 to 200% of the thickness of the membrane layers (9, 9), a basis weight of 10 to 150 g/m.sup.2, and an air flow rate therethrough of 150 to 5000 L/(m.sup.2 * s).

Claims

1. A filtration device (1, 1) comprising: a housing (2, 2) with an inlet (3, 3) to supply fluid to be filtered and an outlet (4, 4) to discharge filtered permeate; a filter module (5, 5) arranged between the inlet (3, 3) and the outlet (4, 4) and having a plurality of membrane layers (9, 9) including at least one membrane, the membrane layers (9, 9) being connected to the housing (2, 2) in a fluid-tight manner; an inflow channel (11, 11) arranged upstream of the membrane layers (9, 9) and in proximity to the inlet (3, 3); an outflow channel (12, 12) arranged downstream of the membrane layers (9, 9) and in proximity to the outlet (4, 4) and; a compressible and flow-permeable intermediate layer (10, 10) arranged between at least two of the membrane layers (9, 9), the intermediate layer (10, 10) being made of a nonwoven material, a thickness of the intermediate layer (10, 10) corresponding to 20 to 200% of a thickness of the membrane layers (9, 9), a basis weight of the intermediate layer (10, 10) is 10 to 150 g/m.sup.2, and an air flow rate through the intermediate layer (10, 10) is 150 to 5000 L/(m.sup.2*s).

2. The filtration device of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the intermediate layer (10, 10) corresponds to 75 to 125% of the thickness of the membrane layers (9, 9), the basis weight of the intermediate layer (10, 10) is 30 to 80 g/m.sup.2, and the air flow rate through the intermediate layer (10, 10) is 2000 to 5000 L/(m.sup.2*s).

3. The filtration device of claim 1, wherein the nonwoven material of the intermediate layer (10, 10) is made of a synthetic polymer.

4. The filtration device any of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer (10, 10) has lower flow resistance than the membrane layers (9, 9).

5. The filtration device of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the intermediate layer (10, 10) is predetermined depending on a degree of swelling of the membrane layers (9, 9) and on physical properties of the intermediate layer (10, 10).

6. The filtration device of claim 1, wherein the inflow channel (11, 11) and/or the outflow channel (12, 12) has a compressible and flow-permeable intermediate layer (10, 10).

7. The filtration device of claim 1, wherein the filter module (5) is a flat filter module (13) with stacked flat membrane layers (9).

8. The filtration device of claim 1, wherein the filter module (5) is a spiral-wound module (15) with a web (17) of at least two membrane layers wound around a core (16).

9. The filtration device any of claim 1, wherein the membrane layers (9, 9) are adsorption filters with identical adsorption properties.

10. The filtration device of claim 1, wherein the filtration device (1, 1) is a sterile connectable component for pre-sterilized units with at least one flexible container.

11. (canceled)

12. The filtration device of claim 1, wherein the membrane layers (9, 9) are adsorption filters with different adsorption properties.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG. 1 a lateral cross-sectional view of a filtration device with a filter module designed as a flat filter module.

[0039] FIG. 2 a lateral cross-sectional view of a filtration device with a filter module designed as a spiral-wound module.

[0040] FIG. 3 a lateral cross-sectional view of the filtration device from FIG. 1 with throughflow illustrated schematically by means of arrows.

[0041] FIG. 4 a lateral cross-sectional view of the filtration device from FIG. 2 with throughflow illustrated schematically by means of arrows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] A filtration device 1 essentially comprising a housing 2, an inlet 3, an outlet 4 and a filter module 5.

[0043] At the top, in the vertical direction, the housing 2 has the inlet 3 in the area of a lid 6 and, at the bottom in the vertical direction, it has the outlet 4 in the area of a base 7. In the vertical direction at the top, the lateral housing wall 8 is sealed by the lid 6 and in the vertical direction at the bottom, it is sealed by the base 7.

[0044] The filter module 5 is arranged between the inlet 3 and the outlet 4 of the housing 2. The filter module 5 has a plurality of membrane layers 9 which are connected in a fluid-tight manner to the housing 2 in order to ensure that all of the fluid supplied through the inlet 3 must pass through the membrane layers 9 and cannot circumvent them without being filtered. In the exemplary embodiments, a flow-permeable and compressible intermediate layer 10 is arranged between each of the membrane layers 9. Relative to the membrane filter module 5, an inflow channel 11 is located upstream at the inlet side 3 and an outflow channel 12 is arranged downstream at the outlet side 4.

[0045] According to the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 3, the filter module 5 is designed as a flat filter module 13 with stacked flat membrane layers 9. The intermediate layers 10 are arranged between the membrane layers 9. The flat membrane layers 9 are connected at their circumferential lateral surfaces 14 with the lateral housing wall 8 in a fluid-tight manner. The inflow channel 11 and the outflow channel 12 run parallel to the horizontally arranged membrane layers 9 and are therefore arranged perpendicular to the lateral housing wall 8. FIG. 3 shows an example of the flow distribution within the flat filter module 13.

[0046] According to the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 2 and 4, the filter module 5 is designed as a spiral-wound module 15 with a web 17 wound onto a vertically arranged core 16. The web 17 consists of a web-shaped membrane layer 9 and a web-shaped intermediate layer 10. With reference to the cross-section, the winding also results in a plurality of membrane layers 9 between which the intermediate layers 10 are arranged. The spiral-wound module 15 is capped, in a fluid-tight manner, in the vertical direction at the top, by an upper end cap 18 and, in the vertical direction at the bottom, by a lower end cap 19. The lower end cap 19 is additionally connected in a fluid-tight manner to the base 7 of the housing 2.

[0047] The inflow channel 11 is formed from an outer annular gap between the lateral housing wall 8 and the vertical outer surface 20 of the spiral-wound module 15. The inflow channel 11 is connected to the inlet 3 via a horizontal channel space 21 formed between the upper end cap 18 and lid 6.

[0048] The outflow channel 12 is formed by an inner annular gap between the vertical inner surface 22 of the spiral-wound module 15 and the lateral outer wall 23 of the core 16. The outflow channel 12 is connected to the outlet 4 at the lower end of the core 16.

[0049] Of course, the embodiments discussed in the specific description and shown in the figures are merely illustrative exemplary embodiments of the present invention. In light of this disclosure, a person skilled in the art is given a wide range of possible variations.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0050] 1, 1 filtration device

[0051] 2, 2 housing

[0052] 3, 3 inlet

[0053] 4, 4 outlet

[0054] 5, 5 filter module

[0055] 6 lid

[0056] 7, T base

[0057] 8, 8 lateral housing wall

[0058] 9, 9 membrane layers

[0059] 10, 10 intermediate layer

[0060] 11, 11 inflow channel

[0061] 12, 12 outflow channel

[0062] 13 flat filter module

[0063] 14 lateral surface of 9

[0064] 15 spiral-wound module

[0065] 16 core

[0066] 17 web

[0067] 18 upper end cap

[0068] 19 lower end cap

[0069] 20 vertical outer surface of 15

[0070] 21 horizontal channel space

[0071] 22 vertical inner surface of 15

[0072] 23 lateral outer wall of 16