Concentric radial flow hollow fiber module and method of manufacture

Abstract

A concentric radial flow hollow fiber module includes internal and external annular-shaped spaced apart bodies disposed in a concentric arrangement and hollow fibers extending across an annular interspace extending through the module between the bodies and connected with the bodies. The internal body surrounds an inner space while the external body is surrounded by an outer space. Each body includes an annular wall made of a non-permeable plastic material having adhesive properties and an elongated strengthening element contained within and extending circumferentially about the annular wall. Each hollow fiber includes an tubular wall having spaced opposite inner and outer end portions encapsulated respectively in the internal and external bodies and open respectively to at least one of the inner and outer spaces. Each hollow fiber also includes an elongated main portion interconnecting the opposite ends portions and extending across the interspace and defining an elongated internal bore providing flow communication with at least one of the inner and outer spaces of the module. A method of manufacturing the module includes laying out hollow fibers forming a pair of strips of non-permeable adhesive material on the hollow fibers in a transverse relationship thereto and in a spaced relationship from one another, and lengthening one strip relative to the other strip to thereby transform the strips into spaced inner and outer strips defined in a concentric relationship surrounding a longitudinal axis and interconnected by the hollow fibers extending across the interspace between the inner and outer strips.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.