Branched flow filtration and system

Apparatus for treating at least one pressurized fluid mixture comprising at least first and second entities using a plurality of fluid mixture separation elements in a container therefor to produce at least a first fluid effluent from said container substantially enriched in said first entity, at least a second fluid effluent from said container substantially enriched in said second entity, and at least a third fluid effluent from said container also substantially enriched in said first entity, said apparatus comprising at least one combination of components selected from the following groups A, B and C:

• Group A:
• A(1) one or more sources of a pressurized fluid mixture comprising at least first and second entities;
• A(2) a container having a plurality of fluid mixture separation elements in an interior region thereof, at least two of which are connected in a string along an axis of said container such that the separation elements feed a common collection manifold that extends through the interior region of the container and through said separation elements to collect a manifold fluid enriched in said first entity, said container including at least an inlet for said pressurized fluid mixture and separate permanent effluent outlets for recovering at least said first, second and third fluid effluents such that all of the effluent produced during normal operation is withdrawn from the apparatus through the permanent effluent outlets, each such fluid effluent characterized by having a ratio of said first entity to said second entity differing from the corresponding ratio in said pressurized fluid mixture, each said fluid mixture separation element characterized by having greater permeability for the first entity in said pressurized fluid mixture than for the second entity in said fluid mixture;
• A(3) one or more moveable fluid control elements in said common collection manifold within said container effective for disrupting the normal flow of permeate to produce said first and third fluid effluents from said manifold fluid;
• A(4) fluid inlet components for passing said pressurized fluid mixture into said inlet;
• and,
• A(5) fluid outlet components for recovering all of the first and third fluid effluents from said permanent effluent outlets;
• Group B:
• B(1) one or more sources of a pressurized fluid mixture comprising at least first and second entities;
• B(2) a container having two or more fluid mixture separation elements in an interior region thereof, at least two of which are connected in a string along an axis of said container such that the separation elements feed a common collection manifold that extends through the interior region of the container and through said separation elements to collect a manifold fluid enriched in said first entity, said common collection manifold including a moveable fluid control element effective for disrupting the normal flow of permeate to produce said first and third fluid effluents from said manifold fluid, said container including at least an inlet for said pressurized fluid mixture and separate permanent effluent outlets for recovering at least said first and second fluid effluents and a third fluid effluent such that all of the effluent produced during normal operation is withdrawn from the apparatus through the permanent effluent outlets, each such fluid effluent having a ratio of said first entity to said second entity differing from the corresponding ratio in said pressurized fluid mixture, each said fluid mixture separation element characterized by having greater permeability for the first entity in said pressurized fluid mixture than for the second entity in said fluid mixture, further wherein at least some of said fluid mixture separation elements are positioned in said container with a single anti-bypass seal, such seal substantially preventing bypass fluid flow in a first direction around said fluid mixture separation elements having such seals but not substantially preventing bypass fluid flow in a second direction generally opposite to said first direction, and further wherein at least some of the remainder of said fluid mixture separation elements are positioned in said container with a single anti-bypass seal, such seal substantially preventing bypass fluid flow in said second direction around those remaining fluid mixture separation elements which have such a seal but not substantially preventing bypass fluid flow in said first direction;
• B(3) fluid inlet components for passing said pressurized fluid mixture into said inlet whereby said mixture flows through said fluid mixture separation elements without substantial bypass fluid flow around any of said fluid mixture separation elements having bypass seals;
• and,
• B(4) fluid outlet components for recovering all of the fluid effluents from said permanent effluent outlets, each said effluent having a ratio of first entity to second entity differing from the corresponding ratio in said pressurized fluid mixture;
• and,
• Group C:
• C(1) one or more sources of a pressurized fluid mixture containing at least first and second entities;
• C(2) a container having a plurality of fluid mixture separation elements in an interior region thereof, at least two of which are connected in a string along an axis of said container such that the separation elements feed a common collection manifold that extends through the interior region of the container and through said separation elements to collect a manifold fluid enriched in said first entity, said common collection manifold including a moveable fluid control element effective for disrupting the normal flow of permeate to produce said first and third fluid effluents from said manifold fluid, said container including at least an inlet for said pressurized fluid mixture and permanent effluent outlets for recovering said first and second fluid effluents and a third fluid effluent such that all of the effluent produced during normal operation is withdrawn from the apparatus through the permanent effluent outlets, each said fluid mixture separation element characterized by having greater permeability for a first entity in said pressurized fluid mixture than for a second entity in said fluid mixture, further wherein at least some of said fluid mixture separation elements are positioned in said container with an anti-bypass seal, such seal effective substantially to prevent bypass fluid flow in at least one fluid flow direction around said fluid mixture separation element having such seal, and further comprising a band effective to compress said seal, said band being readily removable after inserting said fluid mixture separation element in said container;
• C(3) fluid inlet components for passing said pressurized fluid mixture into said inlet whereby said fluid mixture flows through said fluid mixture separation elements without substantial bypass fluid flow around said fluid mixture separation elements having anti-bypass seals, whereby fluid effluents pass out of outlets, each such fluid effluent having a ratio of first entity to second entity differing from the corresponding ratio in said pressurized fluid mixture;
• and,
• C(4) fluid outlet components for recovering at least one of said fluid effluents.

Apparatus for treating at least one pressurized fluid mixture comprising at least first and second entities using a plurality of fluid mixture separation elements in a container therefor to produce at least a first fluid effluent from said container substantially enriched in said first entity and at least a second fluid effluent from said container substantially enriched in said second entity, said apparatus comprising at least one combination of components selected from the following groups A, B and C:

• Group A:
• A(1) one or more sources of a pressurized fluid mixture comprising at least first and second entities;
• A(2) a container having a plurality of fluid mixture separation elements, at least two of which are connected such that they feed a common collection manifold that collects manifold fluid enriched in said first entity, said container including at least an inlet for said pressurized fluid mixture and separate outlets for recovering at least said first, second and third fluid effluents, each such fluid effluent characterized by having a ratio of said first entity to said second entity differing from the corresponding ratio in said pressurized fluid mixture, each said fluid mixture separation element characterized by having greater penetrability for the first entity in said pressurized fluid mixture than for the second entity in said fluid mixture;
• A(3) one or more moveable fluid control elements consisting of a tapered plug with a maximum diameter equal to or less than the internal diameter of the common collection manifold or a branch divider ball or spherical element in said manifold within said container effective for producing said first and third fluid effluents from said manifold fluid;
• A(4) one or more fluid inlet components for passing said pressurized fluid mixture into said inlet;
• and,
• A(5) one or more fluid outlet components for recovering fluid effluents from said outlets;
• Group B:
• B(1) one or more sources of a pressurized fluid mixture comprising at least first and second entities;
• B(2) a container having two or more fluid mixture separation elements, at least two of which are connected such that they feed a common collection manifold that collects manifold fluid enriched in said first entity, said manifold including a moveable fluid control element consisting of a tapered plug with a maximum diameter equal to or less than the internal diameter of the permeate collection manifold or a branch divider ball or spherical element effective for producing said first and third effluents from said manifold fluid, said container including at least an inlet for said pressurized fluid mixture and separate outlets for recovering at least said first and second fluid effluents and a third fluid effluent, each such fluid effluent having a ratio of said first entity to said second entity differing from the corresponding ratio in said pressurized fluid mixture, each said fluid mixture separation element characterized by having greater permeability for the first entity in said pressurized fluid mixture than for the second entity in said fluid mixture, further wherein at least some of said fluid mixture separation elements are positioned in said container with a single anti-bypass seal, such seal substantially preventing bypass fluid flow in a first direction around said fluid mixture separation elements having such seals but not substantially preventing bypass fluid flow in a second direction generally opposite to said first direction, and further wherein at least some of the remainder of said fluid mixture separation elements are positioned in said container with a single anti-bypass seal, such seal substantially preventing bypass fluid flow in said second direction around those remaining fluid mixture separation elements which have such a seal but not substantially preventing bypass fluid flow in said first direction;
• B(3) one or more fluid inlet components for passing said pressurized fluid mixture into said inlet whereby said mixture flows through said fluid mixture separation elements without substantial bypass fluid flow around any of said fluid mixture separation elements having bypass seals;
• and,
• B(4) one or more fluid outlet components for recovering fluid effluents from said outlets, each said effluent having a ratio of first entity to second entity differing from the corresponding ratio in said pressurized fluid mixture;
• and,
• Group C:
• C(1) one or more sources of a pressurized fluid mixture containing at least first and second entities;
• C(2) a container having a plurality of fluid mixture separation elements, at least two of which are connected such that they feed a common collection manifold that collects manifold fluid enriched in said first entity, said manifold including a moveable fluid control element consisting of a tapered plug with a maximum diameter equal to or less than the internal diameter of the permeate collection manifold or a branch divider ball or spherical element effective for producing said first and third effluents from said manifold fluid, said container including at least an inlet for said pressurized fluid mixture and outlets for recovering said first and second fluid effluents and a third fluid effluent, each said fluid mixture separation element characterized by having greater permeability for a first entity in said pressurized fluid mixture than for a second entity in said fluid mixture, further wherein at least some of said fluid mixture separation elements are positioned in said container with an anti-bypass seal, such seal effective substantially to prevent bypass fluid flow in at least one fluid flow direction around said fluid mixture separation element having such seal, and further comprising a band effective to compress said seal, said band being readily removable after inserting said fluid mixture separation element in said container;
• C(3) one or more fluid inlet components for passing said pressurized fluid mixture into said inlet whereby said fluid mixture flows through said fluid mixture separation elements without substantial bypass fluid flow around said fluid mixture separation elements having anti-bypass seals, whereby fluid effluents pass out of outlets, each such fluid effluent having a ratio of first entity to second entity differing from the corresponding ratio in said pressurized fluid mixture;
• and,
• C(4) one or more fluid outlet components for recovering at least one of said fluid effluents.