Device for the separation of water from a fluid flow containing water

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10105642-B2
Application number	US-201415038022-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2014
Priority date	Nov 19, 2013
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A device for the separation of water, in particular water vapor, from a fluid flow containing water, in particular water vapor, may include at least a water-permeable membrane body that delimits at least one membrane body interior space, wherein at least one hydrophobic fluid is located in the membrane body interior space for receiving water, in particular water vapor, which exits the fluid flow and passes through the membrane body into the membrane body interior space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for separating water vapor from a fluid flow containing water vapor, the device comprising:
a water-permeable membrane body comprising a hollow cylinder arranged in the fluid flow, the water-permeable membrane body defining a membrane body interior space inside the hollow cylinder, wherein the water-permeable membrane body has a porous structure configured to allow water vapor to pass through the water-permeable membrane body from the fluid flow to the membrane body interior space,
a supply channel delivering a hydrophobic fluid to the membrane body interior space along a central longitudinal axis of the hollow cylinder through a first axial end of the water-permeable membrane body,
wherein the hydrophobic fluid flows through the supply channel into the membrane body interior space in a first axial direction and then flows in a reverse axial direction through an annulus defined by the water-permeable membrane body around the supply channel to exit the membrane body interior space through the first axial end,
wherein an outer surface of the water-permeable membrane body facing away from the membrane body interior space is exposed to the fluid flow, and an inner surface of the water-permeable membrane body facing the membrane body interior space is exposed to the hydrophobic fluid, and
wherein the hydrophobic fluid at the inner surface of the water-permeable membrane body has a lower concentration of water vapor than the fluid flow at the outer surface of the water-permeable membrane, which difference in water vapor concentration defines a propulsive force for a permeation of water vapor contained in the fluid flow through the water-permeable membrane body and into the membrane body interior space, wherein the hydrophobic fluid takes up the water vapor having permeated into the membrane body interior space, and
an outlet configured to carry a flow of the hydrophobic fluid containing the water vapor out of the device, the outlet receiving the hydrophobic fluid from the annulus.

2. The device of claim 1 , including a supply system configured to supply the hydrophobic fluid into the membrane body interior space and a removal system configured to remove the hydrophobic fluid from the membrane body interior space.

3. The device of claim 1 , including at least one of:
at least one condensation system arranged downstream of the water-permeable membrane body and configured to condense gaseous water contained in the hydrophobic fluid, or
at least one cooling system arranged downstream of the water-permeable membrane body and configured to cool hydrophobic fluid that has been heated by condensation of water vapor.

4. The device of claim 1 , including a separating system arranged downstream of the water-permeable membrane body and configured to provide a chemical and/or physical separation of the water that is taken up in the hydrophobic fluid from the hydrophobic fluid.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic fluid is at least one of a natural or synthetic organic gas, or a natural or synthetic organic liquid.

6. A method for separating water vapor from a fluid flow containing water vapor, the method comprising:
providing the fluid flow through a conduit of a water vapor separation device in which a water-permeable membrane body comprising a hollow cylinder is located, such that the fluid flow passes outside the hollow cylinder;
providing a flow of a hydrophobic fluid through a first axial end of the water-permeable membrane body in a supply channel aligned along a central longitudinal axis of the hollow cylinder;
transferring the water vapor to be separated from the fluid flow through the water-permeable membrane body into the hydrophobic fluid after it exits the supply channel and is located within an annulus defined between the supply channel and the hollow cylinder, such that the hydrophobic fluid takes up the water vapor having transferred through the hollow cylinder, allowing the hydrophobic fluid containing the water vapor to travel through the annulus to the first axial end of the hollow cylinder and then from the water vapor separation device to a downstream condensing device for condensing the water vapor to liquid water.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the hydrophobic fluid flows through a fluid circuit that passes through an interior space of the hollow cylinder.

8. The method of claim 6 , comprising applying a negative pressure is within an interior space of the hollow cylinder.

9. The method of claim 6 , comprising elevating a pressure of gaseous water contained in the hydrophobic fluid before condensation.

10. The method of claim 6 , comprising chemically and/or physically separating water contained in the hydrophobic fluid from the hydrophobic fluid.

11. The method of claim 6 , the hydrophobic fluid comprises at least one of a natural or synthetic organic gas or a natural or synthetic organic liquid.

12. A system for separating water vapor from a fluid flow containing water vapor, the system comprising:
a water-permeable separator arranged in the fluid flow, the water-permeable separator comprising a water-permeable membrane with a tubular body defining a hollow cylinder with an interior space,
a hydrophobic fluid supply channel extending longitudinally within the interior space of the hollow cylinder, the hydrophobic fluid supply channel configured to supply hydrophobic fluid into the water-permeable separator along a central longitudinal axis of the hollow cylinder;
wherein the water-permeable separator is configured to carry the supplied hydrophobic fluid through a first region of the interior space of the hollow cylinder outside of and coaxial to the hydrophobic fluid supply channel in a longitudinal removal direction opposite central longitudinal axis;
wherein an outer surface of the water-permeable membrane facing away from the separator interior space is exposed to the fluid flow, and an inner surface of the water-permeable membrane facing the separator interior space is exposed to the hydrophobic fluid in the first region of the separator interior space;
wherein the hydrophobic fluid at the inner surface of the water-permeable membrane has a lower concentration of water vapor than the fluid flow at the outer surface of the water-permeable membrane, which difference in water vapor concentration defines a propulsive force for a permeation of water vapor contained in the fluid flow through the water-permeable membrane and into the first region of the separator interior space outside the supply channel, wherein the hydrophobic fluid in the first region takes up the water vapor having permeated through the water-permeable membrane and carries the water vapor along the longitudinal removal direction opposite the central longitudinal axis; and
a hydrophobic fluid removal channel configured to remove the hydrophobic fluid containing the water vapor from the water-permeable separator.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Tremel Alexander
• Lenk Uwe
• Ziegmann Markus

Classifications

• B01D63/06

  Tubular membrane modules · CPC title

• B01D53/28

  Selection of materials for use as drying agents · CPC title

• B01D5/0075

  with heat exchanging (B01D5/0039 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D2311/106

  Cooling · CPC title

• B01D53/265

  by refrigeration (condensation) · CPC title