Membrane module for selective gas separation

A method of separating a gas from a gaseous mixture, comprising:

• flowing a gaseous mixture through one or membrane separation units of a membrane module, thereby separating the gas;
• and
• obtaining the gas from the first and second gas-separation connection channel structures,
• wherein said membrane module comprises:
• one or more separation units, each separating unit comprising a support plate;
• a gas-receiving structure;
• and at least one gas-separation membrane;
• frame plates connected to said one or more separation units and defining one or more gas-mixture flow chambers;
• first gas-mixture connection openings disposed in a first side area, which overlap one another in a stacking direction, forming a first gas-mixture connecting channel structure;
• second gas-mixture connection openings disposed in a second side area, which overlap one another in the stacking direction, forming a second gas-mixture connecting channel structure;
• first separation-gas connection openings disposed in a third side area, which overlap one another in the stacking direction, forming a first separation-gas connecting channel structure;
• and
• second separation-gas connection openings disposed in a fourth side area, which overlap one another in the stacking direction, forming a second separation-gas connection channel structure,
• wherein the first and second gas-mixture connection channel structures are configured to allow the gaseous mixture to be fed in parallel from the first gas-mixture connection channel structure to the second gas-mixture connection channel structure over an entire surface of the at least one gas-separation membrane facing the one or more gas-mixture flow chambers,
• wherein the first and second separation-gas connecting channel structures are in fluid connection with the gas-receiving structure,
• wherein each separation unit and the frame plates are rectangular and the first and second gas-mixture connection channel structures are situated at the two short rectangle sides of the membrane module and the first and second separation-gas connecting channel structures are situated at the two long rectangle sides of the membrane module.

A membrane module for selective gas separation, comprising:

• (A) a rectangular separation unit comprising a support plate having a gas-receiving structure and at least one gas-separation membrane on a surface of the support plate;
• (B) rectangular frame plates adjoining said separation unit, each frame plate having a gas-mixture flow chamber having a side facing the at least one gas-separation membrane;
• (C) first gas-mixture connection openings disposed in a first short side area of each rectangular frame plate, which overlap one another in a stacking direction, thereby forming a first gas-mixture connecting channel structure;
• (D) second gas-mixture connection openings disposed in a second short side area of each rectangular frame plate, which overlap one another in the stacking direction, thereby forming a second gas-mixture connecting channel structure,
• wherein the first and second gas-mixture connection channel structures are configured to allow a gas mixture to be fed in parallel from the first gas-mixture connection channel structure to the second gas-mixture connection channel structure over an entire surface of the at least one gas-separation membrane facing the one or more gas-mixture flow chambers along a length of the rectangular frame plates;
• (E) first separation-gas connection openings disposed in a first long side area of each rectangular frame plate, which overlap one another in the stacking direction, thereby forming a first separation-gas connecting channel structure;
• and
• (F) second separation-gas connection openings disposed in a second long side area of each rectangular frame plate, which overlap one another in the stacking direction, thereby forming a second separation-gas connection channel structure,
• wherein the first and second separation-gas connection channel structures are configured to allow a separation gas to be fed in parallel through the gas receiving structures of the support plates along a width of the rectangular frame plates.