Patent US2110069A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US1209374A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US2863466A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3735558A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3735558A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for separating fluids and apparatus
Assignee: Perma Pure LLC
•
Filing: 1971-06-29
•
Granted: 1973-05-29
•
Expires: 1991-06-29
Abstract
Abstract A continuous process is provided for separating key components from mixed fluids, for example, separating water vapor from air, wherein a mixed fluid feed including a key component, at a preselected initial relatively high pressure is passed through a single or a series of hollow tube(s), the walls of which are selectively permeable to the key components of the mixed feed. At the produce end of the tubes, a portion of the product and/or an external purge fluid is expanded or flashed to a lower pressure than the mixed feed and caused to flow as reflux counter-current along the outside of the tubes toward the feed end. In this manner, a pressure gradient is created across the walls of the permeable tubes to induce permeation. The counter-current reflux flow induces a longitudinal concentration gradient along the walls of the permeable tubes which enhances permeation of key components through the walls of the tubes thereby separating them from the mixed fluid feed. Apparatus is also provided for carrying out the above-described fluid separation process.
Inventors
- 👤 C Skarstrom
- 👤 J Kertzman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 10:52
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/26; B01D53/268; B01D53/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
41 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 further including a pressure regulating means located in said conduit means for maintaining the pressure of said reflux or purge lower than said feed whereby a portion of the retentate may be recycled as reflux.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the external purge fluid inlet means is positioned in communication with said second fluid inlet means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
87 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 further including a guard shell means surrounding and closely fitting said outer shell whereby an open area is defined between said guard and said outer shell; second conduit means located in close proximity to the retentate end in communication with said open area defined by said guard means and said outer shell and connected to either the external purge source or the retentate outlet means or the reflux inlet means; outlet means located in close proximity to said feed inlet means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hollow member comprises a plurality of tubes formed as a tube bundle wherein the tubes of said bundle are longer in length than in cross-section.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said tube bundle is bent into any convenient shape.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 further including a sealing means located at each end of said hollow member for sealing said internal channels of said hollow membeR from said passage area defined by said hollow member and the internal walls of said shell means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
120 words
A system for separating moisture from fluid wet with water, said system comprising wet fluid compressing means to raise the pressure of wet fluid feed to a preselected relatively high pressure; an apparatus according to claim 1 for separating moisture from said wet fluid connected to said compressing means; a relatively dry fluid product storage means connected to the outlet means of said apparatus; dry fluid expander means connected to said outlet means of said apparatus; a pressure sensing means responsive to said pressure of the dry fluid in the storage means for controlling said compressing means; check valve means positioned in said dry fluid storage means for preventing flow of dry fluid back from said dry fluid storage means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
190 words
A process for selectively separating key components from multiple component fluid mixtures, said process comprising the steps of passing a multicomponent fluid feed including one or more of said key components under a preselected, initially relatively high pressure along and in contact with a wall of a permeable perfluoro sulfonic acid polymeric membranous hollow member, said hollow member being longer in length than in cross section and said permeable polymeric membranous material being selectively permeable to said key components contained in said feed; countercurrently passing a second fluid stream relatively free of said key components under a lower pressure and having a different composition than the feed and separated therefrom by the wall of said polymeric permeable membranous hollow member; controlling the flow rates of both the feed stream and the second fluid stream so as to maintain a concentration gradient along the entire length of said permeable polymeric hollow member thereby enabling key permeable components of the feed to permeate through the walls of said polymeric hollow member and into said second fluid stream; recovering fluid retentate containing substantially less selective permeable components than present in the feed stream.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
A process according to claim 9 wherein the actual volumetric flow rate of the second fluid stream is maintained at least substantially equal to the actual volumetric flow rate of the feed stream.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process according to claim 9 wherein the second fluid feed actual volumetric flow ratio employed is within the range of from 1 to total reflux.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process according to claim 9 further including the step of employing either a portion or all of the retentate stream as the second fluid stream.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process according to claim 9 further including the step of employing an external purge fluid stream as the second fluid stream.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
12 words
A process according to claim 9 for separating carbon dioxide from fluids.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process according to claim 9 for separating water and carbon dioxide from hydrocarbon fluids.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
158 words
A continuous process for separating moisture from wet fluids which comprises the step of passing a compressed wet fluid feed through either one or a plurality of permeable perfluoro sulfonic acid polymeric membranous hollow tubes, said hollow tubes being longer in length than in cross-section and being permeable to water-vapor; countercurrently passing a second relatively dry fluid stream past said feed stream and separated therefrom by said permeable volumetric walls of said tubes; controlling the flow rate of the second fluid stream so that the actual volumetric flow is at least substantially equal to that of the actual volumetric flow of said wet fluid feed whereby any water vapor from the feed is swept away so as to establish a water vapor pressure gradient and a water vapor concentration across and along the entire length of said walls of said tubes; recovering as retentate substantially dry fluid containing substantially less water vapor than present in wet fluid feed.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process according to claim 16 further including the steps of recovering spent reflux and Removing highly concentrated permeated components therefrom.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
50 words
A process in accordance with claim 16 further including the steps of feeding spent reflux to a stripping stage whereby the permeates are yielded in richer concentration in the more permeable component or feeding the retentate to another permeation stage to yield a product poorer in the more permeable component.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process according to claim 16 wherein the multiple component fluid feed mixture is gaseous.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
11 words
A process according to claim 16 wherein the fluid is air.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
159 words
A process according to claim 16 using self purge wherein the process is carried out in a manner such that P/F in the following equation is equal to or greater than 1; that is, P/F R/(R+D) . PHi/PLo > or = 1 wherein R designates reflux flow rate measure in standard volumetric units per unit of time, D designates the part of the total product flow rate removed from the system for external use, measured in the same standard units as R, PHi designates the full pressure in the high pressure phase at the product end of the system and is measured in absolute pressure units, PLo designates the pressure in the low pressure phase at the end of the system into which the reflux flows and is measured in the same absolute pressure units as PHi, and P/F designates the ratio of reflux or purge actual volumetric flow to feed actual volumetric flow and is greater than 1.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3144313A
Cited
US3228877A
Cited
US3303105A
Cited
US3292346A
Cited
US3367850A
Cited
US3307330A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-05-28 | 1976-11-27 | 1977-05-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-05-28 | 1980-11-27 | 1981-05-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-05-28 | 1984-11-27 | 1985-05-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |