Fluid separation assembly and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9566553-B2
Application number	US-201514803026-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2015
Priority date	Jun 8, 2011
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A fluid separation assembly and method are provided. The assembly has a hollow fiber bundle with a plurality of hollow fiber membranes. The assembly further has a pair of tubesheets, each encapsulating respective ends of the hollow fiber bundle. The assembly further has a plurality of radial through openings formed along a circumference of one or both of the tubesheets and radially through a body portion in one or both of the tubesheets. The radial through openings include center connected radial through openings and partial radial through openings, and intersect each, or substantially each, of the hollow fiber membranes. The assembly further has a housing surrounding the hollow fiber bundle and the tubesheets. The housing has a feed inlet port, a permeate outlet port, and a non-permeate outlet port. The feed inlet port and the non-permeate outlet port are in parallel alignment with a longitudinal central axis of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid separation assembly comprising:
a hollow fiber bundle comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes;
a pair of tubesheets, each encapsulating respective ends of the hollow fiber bundle;
a plurality of radial through openings formed along a circumference of one or both of the tubesheets and radially through a body portion in one or both of the tubesheets, the plurality of radial through openings comprising both center connected radial through openings and partial radial through openings both formed along the circumference and through the body portion in one or both of the pair of tubesheets, and the plurality of radial through openings intersecting each, or substantially each, of the hollow fiber membranes; and,
a housing surrounding the hollow fiber bundle and the pair of tubesheets, the housing having a feed inlet port, a permeate outlet port, and a non-permeate outlet port, wherein the feed inlet port and the non-permeate outlet port are in parallel alignment with a longitudinal central axis of the housing,
wherein a feed gas, a permeate gas, or a non-permeate gas are introduced into or removed from the plurality of hollow fiber membranes via the plurality of radial through openings formed in one or both of the tubesheets.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one first seal adjacent one tubesheet of the pair of tubesheets, and at least one second seal adjacent the other tubesheet of the pair of tubesheets, wherein the first and second seals are fluid tight.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a first end cap coupled to the feed inlet port, and a second end cap coupled to the non-permeate outlet port.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the feed inlet port is in flow communication with the center connected radial through openings, so that a first portion of the feed gas flows into a first portion of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, and a second portion of the feed gas flows around the circumference of one tubesheet of the pair of tubesheets into the partial radial through openings and flows into a second portion of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the non-permeate outlet port is in flow communication with one of the tubesheets, so that the non-permeate gas can flow out of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes and out of the housing.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the permeate outlet port is in flow communication with an interior of the housing, so that the permeate gas can permeate out of the hollow fiber membranes that have been intersected and flow out of the housing.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the feed gas, permeate gas, and non-permeate gas are introduced into or removed from the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, and wherein the feed gas comprises air, natural gas, or flue gas; the non-permeate gas comprises nitrogen enriched air (NEA), nitrogen, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, or sulfur oxide; and the permeate gas comprises methane or one or more of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the partial radial through openings are formed in a repeating four opening pattern, each repeating four opening pattern consisting of four partial radial through openings in a substantially square configuration.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the assembly is part of an inert gas generating system in an aircraft.

10. An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage;
at least one fuel tank mounted to the fuselage;
at least one fuel tank vent operatively connected to the fuel tank; and,
an inert gas generating system for generating a non-permeate gas on board the aircraft, the inert gas generating system comprising:
a fluid separation assembly comprising:
a hollow fiber bundle comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes;
a pair of tubesheets, each encapsulating respective ends of the hollow fiber bundle;
a plurality of radial through openings formed along a circumference of one or both of the tubesheets and radially through a body portion in one or both of the tubesheets, the plurality of radial through openings comprising both center connected radial through openings and partial radial through openings both formed along the circumference and through the body portion in one or both of the pair of tubesheets, and the plurality of radial through openings intersecting each, or substantially each, of the hollow fiber membranes; and,
a housing surrounding the hollow fiber bundle and the pair of tubesheets, the housing having a feed inlet port, a permeate outlet port, and a non-permeate outlet port, wherein the feed inlet port and the non-permeate outlet port are in parallel alignment with a longitudinal central axis of the housing,
wherein a feed gas, a permeate gas, or a non-permeate gas are introduced into or removed from the plurality of hollow fiber membranes via the plurality of radial through openings formed in one or both of the tubesheets.

11. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the feed inlet port of the assembly is in flow communication with the center connected radial through openings, so that a first portion of the feed gas flows into a first portion of the hollow fiber membranes, and a second portion of the feed gas flows around the circumference of one tubesheet of the pair of tubesheets into the partial radial through openings and flows into a second portion of the hollow fiber membranes.

12. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein one or more of the feed gas, permeate gas, and non-permeate gas are introduced into or removed from the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, and wherein the feed gas comprises air, natural gas, or flue gas; the non-permeate gas comprises nitrogen enriched air (NEA), nitrogen, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, or sulfur oxide; and the permeate gas comprises methane or one or more of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water.

13. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the partial radial through openings of the assembly are formed in a repeating four opening pattern, each repeating four opening pattern consisting of four partial radial through openings in a substantially square configuration.

14. A method for reducing pressure drop in a fluid separation assembly, the method comprising:
providing a fluid separation assembly comprising:
a hollow fiber bundle consisting of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes;
a pair of tubesheets, each encapsulating respective ends of the hollow fiber bundle;
a housing surrounding the hollow fiber bundle and the pair of tubesheets, the housing having a feed inlet port, a permeate outlet port, and a non-permeate outlet port, wherein the feed inlet port and the non-permeate outlet port are in parallel alignment with a longitudinal central axis of the housing;

forming a plurality of radial through openings along a circumference of one or both of the tubesheets and radially through a body portion in one or both of the tubesheets, such that the plurality of radial through openings intersect each, or substantially each, of the hollow fiber membranes, and wherein the plurality of radial through openings comprise both center connected radial through openings and partial radial through openings both formed along the circumference and through the body portion in one or both of the pair of tubesheets;
introducing a feed gas into the fluid separation assembly via the feed inlet port;
flowing the feed gas through the center connected radial through openings, around the circumference of the one or both tubesheets, and into the partial radial through openings, thereby reducing pressure drop in the fl

Assignees

• Boeing Co
• Porogen Corp

Inventors

• Theodore Brent Kenneth
• Snow Jr Donald Ray
• Huang James P
• Robinson Michael J
• Jojic Ivana
• Bikson Benjamin

Classifications

• B01D2313/10

  Specific supply elements · CPC title

• B01D2257/502

  Carbon monoxide · CPC title

• B01D2313/38

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01D63/02

  Hollow fibre modules · CPC title

• B64D2013/0677

  comprising on board oxygen generator systems · CPC title