Hollow fiber membrane gas separation cartridge and gas purification assembly

A concentric multiple zone hollow fiber membrane cartridge adapted for shell side feed comprising:

• (a) an elongated tubular inner core member in communication with said feed gas inlet port or said nonpermeate gas outlet port,
• (b) a substantially cylindrical hollow fiber membrane bundle positioned coaxially to and at least partially surrounding said inner core member constructed from hollow fiber membranes having permeate and nonpermeate sides, said bundle being characterized as having a substantially countercurrent flow arrangement between the gas flow on said permeate side and the gas flow on said nonpermeate side,
• (c) a first and second tubesheet encapsulating the opposite ends of said hollow fiber bundle in a fluid-tight arrangement with one end of the inner core member opening out of one of the said tubesheets to permit the flow of gas in or out of said inner core member, said tubesheets are severed to permit unobstructed flow of gas in and out of the hollow fiber lumens,
• (d) at least one impermeable wall member extending longitudinally through said bundle and partitioning said bundle into at least the first and second section with the hollow fiber membranes partitioned between said sections, wherein said impermeable wall member contains a passageway in close proximity to one of said tubesheets,
• (e) the first and second end closure attached to said tubesheets in a fluid-tight manner wherein said first closure is in fluid-tight communication with said permeate gas exit port.

A hollow fiber membrane gas separation apparatus comprising (i) a housing body defined by an essentially cylindrical bowl connected in a sealed and removable manner in correspondence with its axial end portion to a lid wherein said lid having formed therethrough a feed gas inlet port and a nonpermeate gas outlet product port, and wherein said bowl being provided with a permeate gas exit port placed coaxially to said housing body, and (ii)a concentric multiple zone hollow fiber membrane cartridge adapted for shell side feed placed coaxially in said housing body and connected in a sealed and removable manner with its first axial end to said feed gas inlet port or said nonpermeate outlet port in the lid and with its second axial end to said permeate gas outlet port in the bowl, said cartridge includes:

• (a) an elongated tubular inner core member in communication with said feed gas inlet port or said nonpermeate gas outlet port,
• (b) a substantially cylindrical hollow fiber membrane bundle positioned coaxially to and at least partially surrounding said inner core member constructed from hollow fiber membranes having permeate and nonpermeate sides, said bundle being characterized as having a substantially countercurrent flow arrangement between the gas flow on said permeate side and the gas flow on said nonpermeate side,
• (c) a first and second tubesheet encapsulating the opposite ends of said hollow fiber bundle in a fluid-tight arrangement with one end of the inner core member opening out of one of the said tubesheets to permit the flow of gas in or out of said inner core member, said tubesheets are severed to permit unobstructed flow of gas in and out of the hollow fiber lumens,
• (d) at least one impermeable wall member extending longitudinally through said bundle and partitioning said bundle into at least the first and second section with the hollow fiber membranes partitioned between the said sections, wherein said impermeable wall contains a passageway in close proximity to one of said tubesheets,
• (e) the first and second end closure attached to said tubesheets in a fluid-tight manner wherein said first closure is in fluid communication with said permeate gas exit port.

A hollow fiber membrane gas separation apparatus comprising (i) a housing body defined by an essentially cylindrical bowl connected in a sealed and removable manner in correspondence with its axial end portion to a lid, wherein said lid having formed therethrough a feed gas inlet port and an outlet nonpermeate gas port and wherein said bowl being provided with a permeate gas exit port placed coaxially to said housing body, and (ii) a substantially cylindrical hollow fiber membrane gas separation cartridge placed coaxially in said housing body and connected in a sealed and removable manner with its first axial end to said feed gas inlet port or said nonpermeate gas outlet port in the said lid, and with its second axial end to said permeate gas outlet port in the bowl, said cartridge includes:

• (a) an elongated tubular inner core member in communication with said feed gas inlet port or said outlet nonpermeate gas port,
• (b) a substantially cylindrical hollow fiber membrane bundle positioned coaxially to and at least partially surrounding said inner core member constructed from hollow fiber membranes having permeate and nonpermeate sides, said bundle being characterized as having a substantially countercurrent flow arrangement between the gas flow on said permeate side and the gas flow on said nonpermeate side.
• (c) a first and second tubesheet encapsulating the opposite ends of said hollow fiber bundle in a fluid-tight arrangement with one end of the inner core member opening out of said second tubesheet to permit the flow of gas in or out of said inner core member and said first tubesheet severed to permit unobstructed flow of gas out of the hollow fiber lumens,
• (d) an end closure attached to said first tubesheet in a fluid-tight arrangement wherein said end closure is in fluid communication with said permeate gas exit port, and wherein said hollow fibers in said bundle are coated except for a narrow region adjacent to said second tubesheet, the uncoated region allowing a fraction of the nonpermeate gas to be used as a sweep on the permeate side of the hollow fiber membranes.