Multi-zoned hollow fiber permeator

Claim 1

A permeator for separating by the selective permeation of at least one fluid from a fluid mixture containing at least one other fluid comprising an elongated, fluid impermeable shell having at least one end adapted to receive a tube sheet; a plurality of selectively permeable hollow fibers, said hollow fibers having an exterior surface and a bore and said hollow fibers being generally parallelly positioned within the shell to form an elongated bundle of hollow fibers; at least one tube sheet, said tube sheet being in fluid tight relationship with the shell wherein at least one end of each of said hollow fibers is embedded in a fluid tight relationship in said at least one tube sheet and wherein the bores of said hollow fibers communicate through said tube sheet; at least one essentially fluid impermeable partition in said shell transverse to the longitudinal orientation of the hollow fibers to provide zones in said shell, there being provided an initial zone and at least one subsequent zone; means to enable fluid flow between adjacent zones wherein said means and said partition are adapted to provide the fluid flow in each of said zones which is primarily transverse to the orientation of the hollow fibers in the zone; fluid ingress means adapted to provide fluid flow into said shell to the exterior of said hollow fibers in said initial zone; longitudinally distant fluid egress means adapted to provide fluid flow from the exterior of said hollow fibers out of said sheel from a subsequent zone wherein said initial zone is significantly smaller in available membrane surface area to effect said fluid separation than the available membrane surface area in an at least one subsequent zone.