Hollow fiber membrane module for use in a tubular pressure vessel

A hollow fiber membrane module comprising,

• a) a generally tubular pressure vessel;
• b) at least two hollow fiber elements located inside of the vessel, each of the hollow fiber elements having a pair of opposed potting heads with a plurality of hollow fiber membranes extending between the potting heads, the ends of the hollow fiber membranes being open to an outer face of at least one of the potting heads, the element having at least one cross flow tube for fluid flow from the outer face of one of the potting heads to the outer face of the other potting head;
• and
• c) a connector located inside of the vessel between the at least two hollow fiber elements, the connector having a tubular body spaced from the inside of the pressure vessel by a gap;
• d) a port into the vessel adapted to provided fluid communication between the outside of the vessel and the outer surfaces of the membranes;
• e) an opening into the vessel adapted to permit communication between the outside of the vessel and the lumens of the membranes;
• and,
• f) an aerator at the bottom of the tubular pressure vessel, wherein an inlet of the aerator is located in the gap below the body of the connector, and the module comprises an air inlet adapted to permit compressed air to be discharged into the gap near the inlet of the aerator,
• wherein
• g) each of the at least two hollow fiber elements has one of its potting heads sealed to the inside of the tubular body of the connector such that the ends of the hollow fiber membranes of one of the hollow fiber elements are in fluid communication with the cross flow tube of the other hollow fiber element through the connector.