Membrane module

Claim 2

A membrane module for use in purifying or concentrating liquid mixtures by reverse osmosis comprising: means defining a multiple honeycomb structure formed of a porous material incapable of withstanding high pressures; means defining a plurality of elongated, open centered, closed periphery membrane cells having a hexagonal cross-sectional configuration, each cell having a film-like wall formed of material semipermeable to the liquid in the liquid mixture and adapted to receive the liquid mixture under pressures in excess of the osmotic pressure of the liquid mixture, each said cell being disposed in a corresponding one of the cells of the honeycomb structure and in contact with the interior wall thereof; support means capable of withstanding high pressures surrounding the exterior of said honeycomb structure to support the same; means for directing a liquid mixture to the interior of each membrane cell and for providing a flow path along the length thereof; and liquid receiving means associated with the honeycomb structure to receive the liquid permeating through the film-like wall of each membrane cell to the porous material of the honeycomb structure.

Claim 3

The membrane module of claim 3 wherein the honeycomb structure is removably received within the support means.

Claim 4

The membrane module of claim 3 wheRein the honeycomb structure is formed of a plurality of porous tubes each having an outer, hexagonal cross section.

Claim 5

The membrane module for use in purifying or concentrating liquid mixtures by reverse osmosis comprising: means defining a multiple cell honeycomb structure formed of a porous material incapable of withstanding high pressures; means defining a plurality of elongated, open centered, closed periphery membrane cells, each having a film-like wall formed of material semipermeable to the liquid in the liquid mixture and adapted to receive the liquid mixture under pressures in excess of the osmotic pressure of the liquid mixture, each said cell being disposed in a corresponding one of the cells of the honeycomb structure and in contact with the interior wall thereof; support means capable of withstanding high pressures surrounding the exterior of said honeycomb structure to support the same; means for directing a liquid mixture to the interior of each membrane cell and for providing a flow path along the length thereof; and liquid receiving means associated with the honeycomb structure to receive the liquid permeating through the film-like wall of each membrane cell to the porous material of the honeycomb structure; said honeycomb structure being defined by a plurality of porous tubes held together in abutment.

Claim 6

The membrane module of claim 6 wherein the external surface of each of said tubes is textured.

Claim 7

The membrane module of claim 6 wherein said honeycomb structure is held together by tube sheets and removably received within said support means and further including removable end caps at each end of said honeycomb structure releasably secured within said support means in abutment with a corresponding one of said tube sheets.

Claim 8

A membrane module for use in separating dissolved substances from liquid by reverse osmosis comprising: a. a plurality of elongated, adjacent, open-centered, peripherally closed cells each of which is hexagonal in cross-section and has walls comprised of porous material that is incapable of withstanding high pressures, rupture of said cell walls which are adjacent being prevented by fluid pressure in the cells being in substantial equilibrium with each other, b. a peripherally closed semi-permeable membrane disposed on the respective interior surfaces of said cell walls and adapted to receive a liquid under high pressure in excess of its osmotic pressure, c. support means capable of withstanding high pressure surrounding the exterior or said plurality of cells to support the same and prevent rupture of those cell walls which are not adjacent each other, d. means for directing a liquid under pressure to the interior of each membrane, and e. liquid receiving means adapted to receive liquid that has permeated said membrane and said porous material.

Claim 9

The membrane module of claim 9, wherein the said plurality of cells are removably disposed within the support means.

Claim 10

The membrane module of claim 9 wherein the said plurality of porous cells are held together contiguously with each other by tube sheets of a cast plastic material.

Claim 11

The membrane module of claim 11 wherein said plurality of cells are unitarily removably disposed within said support means and further including removable end caps at each end of said cell releaseably secured within said support means in abutment with a corresponding one of said tube sheets.

Claim 12

The membrane module of claim 9 wherein the cells constituting said plurality of cells are individually formed and have their external contacting surfaces textured to augment conductivity of fluid that has permeated the porous cell walls.

Claim 13

A membrane module for use in purifying a liquid by reverse osmosis comprising porous means defining a plurality of elongated, open centered, closed periphery membrane cells, each cell having an outer surface which is polygonal in cross-section, said cells interfitting as in a honeycomb structure, a plurality of Said cells being arranged with each of its sides in abutment with a wall of an adjacent cell, said cell being composed of a porous material which is incapable of withstanding high pressure, each of said cells having an inner surface, a film of a material disposed on said inner surface and being semipermeable to the liquid to be purified, means for directing a liquid mixture to the interior of each membrane cell under pressure in excess of the osmotic pressure of the liquid mixture, the walls of said cell-like structure which define the margins of adjacent cells having a pressure thereacross balanced out obviating the need for support means for said walls, support means capable of withstanding high pressure in contact with and supporting those walls of each of said cells not engaged by the wall of an adjacent cell, and liquid receiving means associated with said porous means to receive the liquid permeating through the semipermeable membrane to the porous wall structure.

Claim 14

The membrane module of claim 14 wherein the polygonal cross-section is a hexagon, said plurality of membrane cells being arranged with respect to each other in the form of a honeycomb.

Claim 15

The module set forth in claim 14 wherein said polygonal cross-section is an equilateral triangle.

Claim 16

The module set forth in claim 14 wherein said polygonal cross-section is a rectangle.

Claim 17

The reverse osmosis membrane module set forth in claim 14 wherein the sum of the angles formed by the intersections of the walls of adjacent cells at the point of such intersection being equal to 360*.

Claim 18

The module set forth in claim 14 wherein said module is formed of a plurality of porous tubes each having an outer polygonal cross-section.

Claim 19

The module set forth in claim 19 wherein the internal surface of said tubes is generally circular in cross-section.