Membrane separation apparatus

An apparatus for the separation of a fluid mixture into a permeate and a retentate, said separation apparatus comprising:

• a separation module defining a substantially horizontal primary axis, a substantially vertical fluid inlet axis and a fluid outlet axis parallel to said fluid inlet axis and spaced apart therefrom along the primary axis, said separation module comprising:
• a fluid mixture inlet;
• a retentate outlet;
• a permeate outlet;
• a plurality of pairs of substantially planar, horizontally extending fluid separation membranes, with each pair of separation membranes comprising a first fluid separation membrane and a second fluid separation membrane with each fluid separation membrane having an active surface and an oppositely facing secondary surface, with said active surfaces facing one another;
• an equal plurality of fluid containment gaskets interposed one each between each pair of fluid separation membranes in sealing engagement with the active surfaces of both membranes of the respective pair so as to form, in combination with the first and second fluid separation membranes of the respective pair, an equal plurality of fluid containment chambers, with the first fluid separation membrane of each pair forming a lower end of the respective fluid containment chamber and the second fluid separation membrane of each pair forming an upper end of the respective fluid containment chamber, said fluid containment gaskets each having, respectively, an inlet wall normal to the primary axis and adjacent to the outlet axis, an outlet wall, adjacent to the outlet axis, substantially parallel to the inlet wall and spaced therefrom along the primary axis, and two opposed sidewalls extending between said inlet wall and said outlet wall in substantially parallel relation to said primary axis, each of said fluid containment chambers also having a respective inlet area thereof adjacent the inlet wall thereof and a respective outlet area adjacent the outlet wall thereof;
• a second plurality of substantially planar, horizontally extending membrane support plates comprising one or more first membrane support plates and one or more second membrane support plates, with said first membrane support plates being vertically spaced from the second membrane support plates, and with each membrane support plate having a central body portion, a substantially quadrilateral outer perimeter portion having one or more lateral edge portions, said central body portion further having an upper surface, a lower surface and each of said membrane support plates further having defined therethrough a plurality of elongate horizontal channels, each elongate channel extending between the central body portion of the respective membrane support plate to a terminus of said each elongate channel located in one or more of said lateral edge portions of the respective membrane support plate;
• said plurality of fluid containment chambers being disposed in vertically-stacked relation within said separation module, with said membrane support plates being interleaved one each in alternating order between said fluid containment chambers, with each of said first separation membranes being positioned in adjacent overlying relation to the upper surface of the central body portion of each first membrane support plate and with the secondary surface of each second separation membrane being positioned in the separation module in adjacent underlying relation to the lower surface of the central body portion of each second membrane support plate, such that the termini of the elongate channels extend laterally beyond the lateral extent of the fluid containment chambers;
• with each of said membrane support plates being oversized relative to said first and second separation membranes and to said fluid containment gaskets, such that each of said lateral edge portions of the membrane support plates extend laterally beyond adjacent ones of said fluid containment chambers, thereby to expose said termini contained therein to ambient atmosphere external to said fluid containment chambers;
• a fluid delivery means for egress of the fluid mixture from the fluid mixture inlet into the inlet area of each of said fluid containment chambers;
• a permeate collecting means for collection of the permeate from the terminus of each of said plurality of elongate channels for delivery to the permeate outlet;
• a retentate collection means for collection of the retentate from the outlet area of each of the fluid containment chambers for delivery to the retentate outlet;
• and
• a feeding means for selectively feeding the fluid mixture to the fluid mixture inlet of said separation module.