# US 2014/0360365 A1 · Parallel Feed Gas Separation Membrane Element Assembly

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- Number: US 2014/0360365 A1
- Document ID: US20140360365A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/912,610
- Filed: 2013-06-07
- Published: 2014-12-11
- Earliest claimed: 2013-06-07
- Assignees: Membrane Technology and Research, Inc.
- Inventors: Nicholas P. Wynn
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140360365A1

## CPC

- B01D 53/227: {in parallel connexion}
- B01D 53/22: by diffusion (manufacturing semi-permeable membranes B01D67/00; form, structure or properties of semi-permeable membranes B01D69/00; material for semi-permeable membranes B01D71/00)
- B01D 53/228: {characterised by specific membranes}
- B01D 63/043: {with separate tube sheets}
- B01D 63/12: comprising multiple spiral-wound assemblies
- B01D 2053/223: {with hollow tubes}
- B01D 2053/224: {with hollow fibres}
- B01D 2256/245: Methane
- B01D 2257/102: Nitrogen
- B01D 2257/504: Carbon dioxide
- B01D 2257/702: Hydrocarbons
- B01D 2319/04: Elements in parallel
- C10L 3/101: {Removal of contaminants}
- Y02C 20/20: of methane
- Y02C 20/40: of CO2
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- C10L: FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G OR C10K; LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS; USE OF ADDITIVES TO FUELS OR FIRES; FIRE-LIGHTERS
- Y02C: CAPTURE, STORAGE, SEQUESTRATION OR DISPOSAL OF GREENHOUSE GASES [GHG]

## Abstract

A gas-separation membrane module assembly and a gas-separation process using the assembly. The assembly includes sets of manifolds, between which are mounted arrays of membrane modules, the manifolds and membrane modules forming a stack within a pressure vessel or housing. The stacked, manifolded arrangement enables many membrane elements to be fed in parallel with the gas to be treated.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gas separation assembly, comprising:
(a) a housing comprising first and second ends and a cylindrical shell connecting the ends, at least one of the ends being a removable head;
(b) a set of at least 10 gas separation membrane elements, each element being equipped to accept a feed gas from within the housing, and to discharge a permeate gas at a permeate end and a residue gas at a residue end;
(c) a stack of alternating permeate and residue gas-collection manifolds, the stack being aligned lengthwise within the shell, the manifolds being spaced apart with a sub-set of the membrane elements mounted between sequential manifolds, each membrane element within the subset being (i) aligned with its permeate end adjacent to the permeate manifold and its residue end adjacent to the residue manifold, and (ii) connected in gas-transferring relationship to the manifolds such that the permeate gas may enter only the permeate manifold and the residue gas may enter only the residue manifold;
(d) a permeate collector element aligned lengthwise within the shell, passing through the residue and permeate manifolds, and being connected in gas-transferring relationship to the manifolds such that permeate gas from the permeate gas-collection manifolds may enter the permeate collector element but residue gas from the residue gas-collection manifolds may not enter the permeate collector element;
(e) a residue collector element aligned lengthwise within the shell, passing through the residue and permeate manifolds, and being connected in gas-transferring relationship to the manifolds such that residue gas from the residue gas-collection manifolds may enter the residue collector element but permeate gas from the permeate gas-collection manifolds may not enter the residue collector element;
(f) a feed inlet in the housing adapted to introduce a feed gas stream into the housing;
(g) a permeate outlet in the housing adapted to enable permeate gas from the permeate collector element to be withdrawn from the housing;
(h) a residue outlet in the housing adapted to enable residue gas from the residue collector element to be withdrawn from the housing.

### Claim 2

A gas separation assembly, comprising:
(a) a housing comprising first and second ends and a cylindrical shell connecting the ends, at least one of the ends being a removable head;
(b) a set of at least 10 gas separation membrane elements, each element being equipped to accept a feed gas at a feed end, and to discharge a permeate gas at a permeate end and a residue gas into the housing;
(c) a stack of alternating feed and permeate manifolds, the stack being aligned lengthwise within the shell, the manifolds being spaced apart with a sub-set of the membrane elements mounted between sequential manifolds, each membrane element within the subset being (i) aligned with its permeate end adjacent to the permeate manifold and its feed end adjacent to the feed manifold, and (ii) connected in gas-transferring relationship to the manifolds such that the permeate gas may enter only the permeate manifold and the feed gas may exit only the feed manifold;
(d) a permeate collector element aligned lengthwise within the shell, passing through the feed and permeate manifolds, and being connected in gas-transferring relationship to the manifolds such that permeate gas from the permeate manifolds may enter the permeate collector element but feed gas from the feed manifolds may not enter the permeate collector element;
(e) a feed distribution element aligned lengthwise within the shell, passing through the feed and permeate manifolds, and being connected in gas-transferring relationship to the manifolds such that feed gas from the feed distribution element may enter the feed manifolds but permeate gas from the permeate manifolds may not enter the feed distribution element;
(f) a residue outlet in the housing adapted to enable residue gas to be withdrawn from the housing;
(g) a permeate outlet in the housing adapted to enable permeate gas from the permeate collector element to be withdrawn from the housing;
(h) a feed inlet in the housing adapted to enable feed gas to be introduced through the feed distribution element to the feed manifolds.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2)

The assembly of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the stack includes at least two permeate manifolds and two residue manifolds.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1, 2)

The assembly of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the membrane elements are spiral-wound modules.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1, 2)

The assembly of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the membrane elements are hollow-fiber modules.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1, 2)

The assembly of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the housing has a length and a diameter, having dimensions in a ratio of length:diameter of between 3 and 8.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1, 2)

A gas separation process using the assembly of claim 1 or claim 2 and comprising the following steps:
(a) feeding a mixed gas stream comprising at least a first component and a second component to the feed inlet;
(b) providing a driving force for transmembrane permeation;
(c) withdrawing from the residue outlet a residue stream depleted in the first component compared with the mixed gas stream;
(d) withdrawing from the permeate outlet a permeate stream enriched in the first component compared with the mixed gas stream.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7, wherein the mixed gas stream comprises a hydrocarbon.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7, wherein the mixed gas stream comprises natural gas.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7, wherein the mixed gas stream comprises a refinery off-gas stream.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7, wherein the mixed gas stream comprises a petrochemical process stream.