Device for Separating Components of a Gas Mixture

A device for separating components of a gas mixture, the device comprising:

• a. a hollow housing having a first end wall at a first end, a second end wall at a second end opposite to the first end, and at least one side wall, in which the housing has a body portion which provides the first end, and an end cap which provides the second end and can be separated from the body portion to allow access to the interior of the body portion, and in which the housing has (a) an inlet port for the gas mixture, (b) a permeate outlet port for gas mixture which is enriched with a first component of the mixture, and (c) a retentate outlet port for gas mixture which is enriched with a second component of the mixture, and the inlet port and the retentate outlet port are provided in the body portion of the housing,
• b. an insert located within the housing, the insert comprising a plurality of hollow fibres of a material which is more permeable to the first component of the mixture than to the second component of the mixture, in which the fibres extend along the insert between a first and second end of the insert,
• in which the housing defines a space at the housing first end which communicates with ends of the fibres at the first end of the insert, and the insert defines at least one passageway for gas to flow between the said space and one of (a) the inlet port for the gas mixture to flow from the inlet port to the space, and (b) the retentate outlet port for gas mixture enriched with the first component to flow from the space to the retentate outlet port,
• and in which the insert is fastened to the end cap at least temporarily so that the insert is withdrawn from within the body portion of the housing when the end cap is separated from the body portion.