JP7261134B2 - Hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module and a method for producing the same.

As a gas dehumidifier, a dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module that separates water vapor in gas using hollow fiber membranes is known. In the hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification, hollow fiber membrane bundles are filled in a cylindrical module main body, and both end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundles are sealed by a sealing material in a state where the end surfaces of the hollow fiber membranes are open. fixed to A wet gas is passed through the hollow fiber membrane from the gas supply port, and a dry purge gas is passed between the hollow fiber membranes in the module main body, so that the water vapor contained in the wet gas is permeated outside the membrane and separated, and the gas exhaust port A dry gas is obtained from

Since the flow of the purge gas inside the module body greatly affects the contact efficiency between the purge gas and the membrane, it also greatly affects the dehumidification performance of the module. For example, if the bundle of hollow fiber membranes in the module main body is biased, a dead space in which no hollow fiber membranes exist is created in the module main body. In such a dead space, the purge gas does not come into contact with the hollow fiber membranes and flows in one direction. As a result, purge gas that does not contribute to dehumidification is generated, resulting in a decrease in dehumidification performance. Therefore, in the hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification, various ideas have been devised for a form in which the hollow fiber membrane bundles are evenly filled without any dead space.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a hollow fiber membrane module in which hollow fiber membranes are fixed to a cloth-like porous carrier, spirally formed, and packed in a module main body. In Patent Document 2, a plurality of guide plates are arranged radially in the module body when viewed from the axial direction and extend in the axial direction, and hollow fiber membrane bundles are provided in each region divided by the guide plates in the module body. A hollow fiber membrane module filled with is disclosed. Patent Literature 3 discloses a hollow fiber membrane module in which interlocking braided hollow fiber membrane bundles (fabric) with warp threads are spirally packed in a module main body.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-137669 JP 2018-75513 A JP 2014-34019 A

However, since the hollow fiber membranes of the hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification expand and contract due to swelling and drying, if a porous carrier or a guide plate is used as in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the hollow fiber membranes will be damaged by rubbing against them. Easy to wear and less durable. In addition, when warp yarns are used as in Patent Document 3, force is likely to be applied to the crossing portions of the hollow fiber membranes with the warp yarns, so the hollow fiber membranes are easily damaged and the durability is lowered.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can provide a dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module having high dehumidifying performance and excellent durability, and a method for producing the same.

The present invention has the following configurations.
[1] A cylindrical module body having a gas supply port at a first end and a gas exhaust port at a second end;
a hollow fiber membrane bundle, which is filled in the module body and which is made up of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes and extends from a first end to a second end in the axial direction of the module body. hand,
The hollow fiber membrane bundle is sealed and fixed by a sealing material at the first end and the second end of the module body,
The hollow fiber membrane module is sealed with a sealing material at the first end and the second end to define the position of the hollow fiber membrane bundle inside the module body, in addition to the fixed portions. having no means,
At each of the first end and the second end, the ratio of the number of hollow fiber membranes contained in an arbitrarily selected surface occupying 10% of the sealing surface of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is A hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification, which accounts for 5 to 15% of the total number of hollow fiber membranes contained in the sealing surface of the fiber membrane bundle.
[2] In a cross-sectional X-ray image including the axis along the axial direction of the module body, the ratio of the area occupied by the hollow fiber membranes to the area of the region filled with the hollow fiber membrane bundle is 20 to 60%. The hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification according to [1].
[3] The hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification according to [1] or [2], wherein the filling rate of the hollow fiber membranes with respect to the module body is 30 to 50%.
[4] A plurality of hollow fiber membranes are arranged parallel to each other in a sheet form, and the ends of the hollow fiber membranes are fixed at the respective ends of the sheet-like hollow fiber membranes to form a sheet-like product, wherein the sheet is obtained. forming a bundle of hollow fiber membranes by winding the hollow fiber membrane bundle,
The hollow fiber membrane bundle is inserted into a tubular member, only both end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle are fixed and sealed to the tubular member, and only both end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle are fixed and sealed to the module main body. A method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification, which obtains a hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification that is stopped.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module with high dehumidification performance and excellent durability, and its manufacturing method can be provided.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view cut along the axial direction of the module main body. 1. It is the front view which looked at the 1st end side of the module main body of the hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification of FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing one step of the manufacturing method of the dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing one step of a method for manufacturing a dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing one step of the manufacturing method of the dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention.

The following terms used in the specification and claims have the following meanings.
A numerical range represented by "~" means a numerical range including the numerical values before and after ~ as lower and upper limits.
The “means for defining the position of the hollow fiber membrane bundle” is a means for limiting the movement of each hollow fiber membrane in the hollow fiber membrane bundle extending in the axial direction of the module body to define the position inside the module body. In addition to a member that defines the position of the hollow fiber membrane bundle, such as a sealing material, a fixing material that fixes the hollow fiber membrane bundle, a guide member, and a thread that connects and fixes the hollow fiber membranes, It also includes means such as knitting to restrict movement.
The “sealed surface of the hollow fiber membrane bundle” is a portion where the hollow fiber membrane bundle is sealed in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the sealed portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle in the module body. It is a portion where the thread bundle exists. In this embodiment, it is an area inside the module body 10 and outside the inner tube 12 .
The "filling ratio of hollow fiber membranes in the module main body" is the ratio of the volume occupied by the hollow fiber membranes to the volume of the region filled with the hollow fiber membrane bundles in the module main body, and is calculated by the formula described later.
"Hollow fiber membranes having crimps" means that the hollow fiber membranes have a curved shape such as a wavy shape or a helical shape.
The "effective length of the module body" is the length of the portion of the module body that contributes to separation, typically the length between the sealants in the module body.

[Hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification]
The dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention is a dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module that separates water vapor from wet gas to obtain dry gas. An example of the hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the dimensions and the like of the drawings illustrated in the following description are only examples, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to them, and can be implemented with appropriate changes within the scope of not changing the gist of the present invention. .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module 1 of the present embodiment includes a module body 10, an inner tube 12, a first connection joint 14, a second connection joint 16, and a hollow fiber membrane. It comprises a bundle 18, a first encapsulant 20a and a second encapsulant 20b.

The module main body 10 is a cylindrical container that is open at both ends. The module main body 10 has a gas supply port 13a on the end surface of the first end portion 10a and a gas exhaust port 13b on the end surface of the second end portion 10b. An exhaust port 11a is formed near the first sealing member 20a on the first end portion 10a side of the module main body 10 . An air supply port 11b is formed near the second sealing member 20b on the second end 10b side of the module main body 10 .

The module main body 10 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may have a rectangular cylindrical shape, a hexagonal cylindrical shape, or the like.
The length of the module main body 10 is not particularly limited, and for example, the effective length can be set to 100 to 800 mm.

The internal cross-sectional area of the module body 10 when the module body 10 is cut perpendicularly to the axial direction is preferably 7 to 31400 mm ² , more preferably 19 to 7850 mm ² . If the internal cross-sectional area of the module main body 10 is within the above range, the dehumidification performance is good.

The first connection joint 14 is airtightly attached to the first axial end 10 a of the module body 10 . The first connection joint 14 is provided with a supply portion 14a for supplying wet gas. The second connection joint 16 is airtightly attached to the axial second end 10 b of the module body 10 . The second connection joint 16 is provided with a discharge portion 16a for discharging gas.
The term "airtightly mounted" means a state in which gas is prevented from leaking from the mounting portion by means of an adhesive, a sealing material, or the like, and has the same meaning hereinafter.
Pipes or the like can be appropriately connected to the supply portion 14a of the first connection joint 14 and the discharge portion 16a of the second connection joint 16 .

Materials for the module body 10, the inner tube 12, the first connection joint 14, and the second connection joint 16 are not particularly limited, and acrylic resin, polycarbonate, polysulfone, polyolefin, and polyvinyl chloride can be exemplified. The material of the module body 10, the inner tube 12, the first connection joint 14, and the second connection joint 16 may be of one type or two or more types.

The hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 is formed by bundling a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 17 .
The hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 is filled in the module body 10 so as to extend from the first end 10a to the second end 10b in the axial direction of the module body 10 . The hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 is filled in a region outside the inner tube 12 inside the module body 10 .

Inside the module main body 10, both end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 are arranged inside and inside the first end portion 10a and the second end portion 10b of the module main body 10 by the first sealing member 20a and the second sealing member 20b. A first end 10a and a second end 10b of the tube 12 are fixed in an air-tight manner to the outside thereof, respectively. The space in the first connection joint 14 on the side of the first end 10a of the module body 10, the space in the second connection joint 16 on the side of the second end 10b of the module body 10, and the hollow fibers in the module body 10 The space outside the film 17 is separated by a first sealing member 20a and a second sealing member 20b.

At the end faces of the first end portion 10a and the second end portion 10b of the module body 10, the end faces of the hollow fiber membranes 17 are open. That is, the space inside each hollow fiber membrane 17, the space inside the first connection joint 14 on the side of the first end 10a of the module body 10, and the space inside the second connection joint 16 on the side of the second end 10b of the module body 10 Each space communicates with each other.

The dehumidification hollow fiber membrane module 1 is sealed with a sealing material at the first end portion 10a and the second end portion 10b, and the module main body There is no means for defining the position of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 inside 10 . Specifically, between the first sealing member 20a and the second sealing member 20b in the module main body 10, hollow fiber membranes such as a sealing member, a fixing member, a guide plate, and a thread connecting the hollow fiber membranes are provided. There is no member that defines the position of the bundle 18, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 does not have position defining means such as weaving the hollow fiber membranes together. Only both ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 are fixed to the module body 10 and the inner tube 12 by the first sealing member 20a and the second sealing member 20b. The position of each hollow fiber membrane 17 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 is free without any particular restriction between them.

As a result, even if each hollow fiber membrane 17 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 expands and contracts due to swelling and drying between the first sealing member 20a and the second sealing member 20b in the module main body 10, the guide plate and the fibers do not move. Damage to the hollow fiber membranes 17 due to rubbing against a member that defines the position of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 or rubbing between the hollow fiber membranes is prevented. Therefore, the dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module 1 is excellent in durability.

At the first end portion 10a of the module body 10, the ratio Q _A of the number of the hollow fiber membranes 17 included in the arbitrarily selected surface occupying 10% of the sealing surface of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is the hollow fiber membrane It is 5 to 15% of the total number of 17. Similarly, at the second end portion 10b of the module body 10, the ratio _QB of the number of the hollow fiber membranes 17 included in the arbitrarily selected surface occupying 10% of the sealing surface of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is , 5 to 15% of the total number of hollow fiber membranes 17 . The difference between the ratio of the arbitrarily selected surface in the sealing surface of the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the ratio of the hollow fiber membranes contained in the arbitrarily selected surface to the total number of hollow fiber membranes contained in the sealing surface is small. means that the hollow fiber membranes are uniformly present on the sealing surface of the hollow fiber membrane bundle. As a result, the hollow fiber membranes 17 are less likely to be biased between the first sealing member 20a and the second sealing member 20b in the module body 10, and dead space is less likely to occur. Therefore, the purge gas is less likely to flow in one direction without coming into contact with the hollow fiber membranes, resulting in excellent dehumidification performance.

In addition, the "arbitrarily selected surface occupying 10% of the sealing surface of the hollow fiber membrane bundle" is an area of 10% of the total area of the sealing surface on the sealing surface of the hollow fiber membrane bundle. means an arbitrarily selected surface within the sealing surface so that

The proportion Q _A is preferably 5-15%, more preferably 7.5-12.5%.
The proportion _QB is preferably 5-15%, more preferably 7.5-12.5%.
The proportion Q _A and the proportion Q _B may be the same or different.
The proportion _QA and the proportion _QB can be adjusted by the hollow fiber membrane filling rate and the circumferential length of the sheet-like material described later.

The filling rate of the hollow fiber membranes 17 with respect to the module main body 10 is preferably 30-50%, more preferably 35-45%. If the filling rate of the hollow fiber membranes 17 is within the above range, the dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module 1 has high dehumidifying performance.

In a cross-sectional X-ray image including the axis along the axial direction of the module body 10, the ratio P of the area occupied by the hollow fiber membranes 17 to the area of the region filled with the hollow fiber membranes is preferably 20 to 60%, and 25 to 25%. 55% is more preferred. If the ratio P is within the above range, the dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module 1 has high dehumidifying performance.

The ratio P is the ratio of the area occupied by the hollow fiber membranes to the area of the region filled with the hollow fiber membrane bundle in the module body in the cross-sectional X-ray image, and in the present embodiment, the cross-sectional X-ray image is the ratio of the area occupied by the hollow fiber membranes 17 to the area of the region outside the inner tube 12 in the module body 10 in .
The ratio P can be adjusted by the hollow fiber membrane filling rate and the circumferential length of the sheet-like material, which will be described later.

The shape of the hollow fiber membrane 17 is not particularly limited, and is typically cylindrical.
The number of hollow fiber membranes 17 forming the hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 is not particularly limited, and is set so as to satisfy the proportion Q _A , the proportion Q _B , the proportion P, and the filling rate of the hollow fiber membranes.
The cross-sectional area based on the outer edge of the hollow fiber membrane 17 is preferably 0.07-4 mm ² , more preferably 0.12-0.8 mm ² .

The outer diameter of the hollow fiber membrane 17 is preferably 0.3 to 2 mm, more preferably 0.4 to 1 mm.
The inner diameter of the hollow fiber membrane 17 is preferably 0.15 to 1.5 mm.
The thickness of the hollow fiber membrane 17 is preferably 0.075 to 0.3 mm.

The material of the hollow fiber membrane 17 is not particularly limited, and polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyimide, polyetherimide, silicon, cellulose acetate, polyvinylidene fluoride, and polytetrafluoroethylene can be exemplified. Among them, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyimide, and polyetherimide are preferable from the viewpoint of excellent water vapor permeability. The hollow fiber membrane 15 may be made of one material or two or more materials.

Hollow fiber membranes having crimps are preferable as the hollow fiber membranes 17 from the viewpoint of increasing the contact efficiency between the gas and the hollow fiber membranes. The shape of the crimped hollow fiber membrane is not particularly limited, and wavy and helical shapes can be exemplified. A crimped hollow fiber membrane can be produced, for example, by mechanical pressing or heat treatment.
In the present invention, all of the hollow fiber membranes forming the hollow fiber membrane bundle may be crimped hollow fiber membranes, and crimped hollow fiber membranes and non-crimped hollow fiber membranes are used in combination. may

The sealing material forming the first sealing material 20a and the second sealing material 20b is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include epoxy, polyurethane, and silicon. Among them, epoxy and polyurethane are preferable from the viewpoint of durability and moldability. The materials of the first sealing material 20a and the second sealing material 20b may be one kind or two or more kinds.

In the dehumidification hollow fiber membrane module 1, when the wet gas is supplied from the supply portion 14a of the first connection joint 14, each hollow fiber membrane 17 is supplied from the first end portion 10a side of the module body 10 toward the second end portion 10b. Wet gas passes through the interior of the A purge gas is supplied to the space outside the hollow fiber membranes 17 in the module body 10 from the air supply port 11b, passes between the hollow fiber membranes 17, and is discharged from the exhaust port 11a on the first end 10a side. . The water vapor contained in the wet gas passing through each hollow fiber membrane 17 permeates to the outside of the membrane, and the dry gas flows out from each hollow fiber membrane 17 toward the second end 10b of the module body 10 . The dry gas that has flowed into the space inside the second connection joint 16 is discharged from the discharge portion 16a. As the purge gas, for example, part of the dry gas discharged from the discharge part 16a can be returned and used.

As described above, in the dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention, in addition to the portion where the hollow fiber membrane bundle is fixed and sealed with the sealing material at the first end and the second end, the inside of the module body is hollow. It has no means for defining the position of the thread bundle. Also, the ratios Q _A and Q _B at each of the first end and the second end are controlled within specific ranges. As a result, even if the hollow fiber membranes expand and contract within the module body, the hollow fiber membranes are less likely to be damaged due to rubbing, and short-passing of the purge gas is less likely to occur within the module body, thereby achieving both dehumidification performance and durability.

The dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention is not limited to the dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module 1 described above.
For example, the dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention may be a dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module having no inner tube in the module body.

[Manufacturing method of hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification]
The method for producing the hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification of the present invention is a method for producing the above-described hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification of the present invention. The method for producing a dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention includes the following steps (a) and (b).
(a) A plurality of hollow fiber membranes are arranged parallel to each other in a sheet form, and the ends of the hollow fiber membranes are fixed at the respective ends of the sheet-like hollow fiber membranes to form a sheet-like article, wherein the sheet is to form a bundle of hollow fiber membranes.
(b) inserting the hollow fiber membrane bundle into the tubular member, fixing and sealing only both end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle to the tubular member, and fixing and sealing only the both end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle to the module main body; A dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module is obtained. If necessary, the dehumidifying hollow fiber module may be cut at the fixed and sealed portion to trim both ends.
Each step will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Step (a))
As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 17 are arranged parallel to each other in a sheet form. The first ends 17a in the fiber axis direction of the sheet-shaped hollow fiber membranes 17 are fixed to each other, and the second ends 17b are fixed to each other to form the sheet-like material 30 .

Examples of a method for fixing the first ends 17a or the second ends 17b of the hollow fiber membranes 17 include a method of fixing with an adhesive and a method of fixing with a tape. As an adhesive for fixing the ends of the hollow fiber membranes, for example, Cemedine Super X can be exemplified. As will be described later, the fixed portion is cut and removed when the dehumidifying hollow fiber module is cut at the fixed and sealed portion and both ends are arranged.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4 , the sheet-like material 30 is wound around the inner tubes 12 with the inner tubes 12 parallel to the hollow fiber membranes 17 to form the hollow fiber membrane bundles 18 . A first end portion 17 a and a second end portion 17 b of each hollow fiber membrane 17 are arranged at opposite ends of the wound hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 .

(Step (b))
As shown in FIG. 5, the hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 wound around the inner tube 12 is inserted into the tubular member 10A for forming the module main body 10 (FIG. 1), and the first sealing member 20a and the second sealing member 20a are inserted. 2. Only the end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 are fixed and sealed to the cylindrical member 10A by the sealing material 20b.

As a method for sealing the ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 in the tubular member 10A with the sealing material, for example, a method using a centrifuge can be exemplified. In the method using a centrifugal machine, the open end of each hollow fiber membrane 17 is likely to be blocked with a sealing material. Therefore, at both end portions in the axial direction of the tubular member 10A after sealing, the tip portions where the hollow fiber membranes 17 are blocked are cut off. As a result, only both end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 18 are fixed and sealed to the module main body 10 with both ends of each hollow fiber membrane 17 being open.

Next, the first connection joint 14 is airtightly attached to the first axial end 10 a of the module body 10 , and the second connection joint 16 is airtightly attached to the second axial end 10 b of the module body 10 . Thereby, the hollow fiber membrane module 1 for dehumidification is obtained.

As described above, in the manufacturing method of the hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification of the present invention, a hollow fiber membrane bundle is obtained by winding a sheet-like material in which both ends of the hollow fiber membranes arranged in parallel are fixed to each other. , into the tubular member to fix and seal only the end portions. As a result, the unevenness of the hollow fiber membranes in the module body is suppressed, making short-passing of the purge gas less likely to occur. It is possible to obtain a dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module in which the hollow fiber membranes are not easily damaged. Therefore, the dehumidification hollow fiber membrane module manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention is excellent in dehumidification performance and durability.

The method for manufacturing the hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification of the present invention is not limited to the method for manufacturing the hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification 1 described above.
For example, the manufacturing method of the hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification of the present invention is a method in which the sheet-like material is not wound around the inner pipe, but only the sheet-like material is wound and inserted into the tubular member, fixed and sealed. There may be.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited by the following description. Examples 1 and 2 are working examples, and examples 3 to 6 are comparative examples.

[Ratio Q _A , Q _B ]
Each of the first end and the second end of the module body of the dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module was cut in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. In each of these cross-sections, four regions with an area that is 10% of the total area of the filling region of the hollow fiber membrane bundle are selected at intervals of about 90 degrees of the central angle of the cross section in the filling region, and The number of hollow fiber membranes contained was measured, and the average values of the ratios of four points to the total number of hollow fiber membranes were calculated as ratios Q _A and Q _B .

[Proportion P]
Using an X-ray CT scan, a cross-sectional X-ray image including the axis along the axial direction of the module body in the dehumidification hollow fiber membrane module was obtained. Next, image processing was performed using ImageJ to calculate the ratio P of the area occupied by the hollow fiber membranes in the area of the region filled with the hollow fiber membrane bundles in the module body in the cross-sectional X-ray image.

[Filling rate of hollow fiber membrane]
The filling rate of the hollow fiber membrane was calculated by the following formula.
Filling rate (%) = {(D _mo /2) ² ×N _m }/{(D _ci /2) ² -(D _in /2) ² } × 100
However, in the above formula, D _ci is the inner diameter of the module case, D _in is the outer diameter of the inner tube, D _mo is the outer diameter of the hollow fiber membranes, and N _m is the number of hollow fiber membranes.

[Evaluation of dehumidification performance]
For the hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification of each example, 0.7 MPa (gauge) 20 ° C. air (atmospheric pressure dew point -8.4 ° C.) containing moisture of saturated water vapor content was applied to the first end side of the module main body. The dew point of the air that was supplied and flowed out to the second end side was measured. The dew point was measured with a mirror-cooled dew point meter. A lower dew point indicates better dehumidification performance.
For a dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module having a total number of 1500 hollow fiber membranes, air was supplied to the first end side of the module body at 750 L/min, and air was supplied from the second end side at 600 L/min. was flowed out, and part of the air flowed out from the second end side was returned as purge gas at 150 L/min.
For a dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module having a total number of 2000 hollow fiber membranes, air was supplied to the first end side of the module body at 900 L/min, and air was supplied from the second end side at 750 L/min. was flowed out, and part of the air flowed out from the second end side was returned as purge gas at 150 L/min.

[An endurance test]
After the dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module was immersed in warm water of 80° C. for 24 hours, the first end side of the module body was supplied with pressurized air of 0.1 MPa to check for leaks. If no leak was found, the sample was immersed again in hot water at 80° C. for 24 hours, then checked for leaks, and the time until leaks were found was investigated.

[Example 1]
A dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module having a form similar to the dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 was produced.
As the module main body, a cylindrical member made of acrylic resin and having a length of 250 mm and an inner diameter of 46 mm was used. As the hollow fiber membrane, a fluororesin hollow fiber membrane (Sunsep membrane, manufactured by AGC Engineering Co., Ltd.) having an outer diameter of 0.58 mm and an inner diameter of 0.36 mm was used.
1,500 hollow fiber membranes were arranged in parallel to form a sheet, and the ends of the hollow fiber membranes were fixed to each other with a silicone adhesive to form a sheet. . The sheet-like material was wound around an inner tube to form a hollow fiber membrane bundle, inserted into a tubular member, and only both end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle were fixed and sealed to the tubular member with polyurethane and epoxy resin. . Table 1 shows the ratio Q _A , the ratio Q _B , and the filling ratio of the hollow fiber membrane. Both Q _A and Q _B measurement points were within the range of 7.5 to 12.5%.

[Example 2]
A dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 2000 hollow fiber membranes were used. Table 1 shows the ratio Q _A , the ratio Q _B , and the filling ratio of the hollow fiber membrane. Both Q _A and Q _B measurement points were within the range of 7.5 to 12.5%.

[Example 3]
A hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a blind-like sheet (fabric) in which the warp yarns were crossed was used for the 1500 hollow fiber membranes arranged in a sheet in parallel to each other. was made. Table 1 shows the ratio Q _A , the ratio Q _B , and the filling ratio of the hollow fiber membrane. Both Q _A and Q _B measurement points were within the range of 7.5 to 12.5%.

[Example 4]
A hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a blind-like sheet (fabric) in which the warp yarns were crossed was used for the 2000 hollow fiber membranes arranged in a sheet in parallel to each other. was made. Table 1 shows the ratio Q _A , the ratio Q _B , and the filling ratio of the hollow fiber membrane. Both Q _A and Q _B measurement points were within the range of 7.5 to 12.5%.

[Example 5]
1500 hollow fiber membranes were divided into 5 and each bundled, and the ends of the hollow fiber membranes were fixed to each other with a sealing tape to obtain 5 hollow fiber membrane bundles. These five hollow fiber membrane bundles were arranged around the inner tube at equal angular intervals and inserted into the tubular member, and only both end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundles were fixed and sealed to the tubular member with polyurethane and epoxy resin. Then, a dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module was produced. Table 1 shows the ratio Q _A , the ratio Q _B , and the filling ratio of the hollow fiber membrane. In addition, some points of Q _A and Q _B were out of the range of 5 to 15%.

[Example 6]
Dehumidification was carried out in the same manner as in Example 5 except that 2000 hollow fiber membranes were divided into 5 bundles and each bundled, and the ends of the hollow fiber membranes were fixed at each end to form 5 hollow fiber membrane bundles. A hollow fiber membrane module for Table 1 shows the ratio Q _A , the ratio Q _B , and the filling ratio of the hollow fiber membrane. In addition, some points of Q _A and Q _B were out of the range of 5 to 15%.

Table 1 shows the evaluation results of each example.

As shown in Table 1, the dehumidification of Examples 1 and 2, in which there is no means for defining the position of the hollow fiber membrane bundle inside the module main body, other than the sealed portions at the first end and the second end with the sealing material In the hollow fiber membrane module for , the dew point of the air that flowed out to the second end side was low, and the dehumidification performance was excellent. In addition, the immersion time in the durability test was long, and the durability was also excellent. The final leakage in the endurance test was caused by the breakage of the sealing portion by the sealing material.
On the other hand, the hollow fiber membrane modules for dehumidification of Examples 3 and 4 using hollow fiber membrane bundles having warp yarns had a short immersion time in the durability test and were inferior in durability. The final leak in the durability test was caused by thread breakage at the portion of the hollow fiber membrane in contact with the warp in the module body.
The dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane modules of Examples 5 and 6, in which the ratio Q _A and the ratio Q _B did not satisfy the conditions, had a higher dew point of the air that flowed out to the second end side compared to Examples 1 and 2, and were inferior in dehumidification performance. was The final leakage in the endurance test was caused by the breakage of the sealing portion by the sealing material.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification, 10... Module main body, 10A... Cylindrical member, 12... Inner tube, 14... First connection joint, 16... Second connection joint, 17... Hollow fiber membrane, 18... Hollow fiber membrane Bundle, 20a... First sealing material, 20b... Second sealing material, 30... Sheet material.

Claims (3)

a cylindrical module body having a gas supply port at a first end and a gas exhaust port at a second end;
a hollow fiber membrane bundle filled in the module body and made up of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes extending from a first end to a second end in the axial direction of the module body ;
The hollow fiber membrane bundle is sealed and fixed with a sealing material in a state where the end faces of the hollow fiber membranes are open at the first end and the second end of the module body,
To dehumidify by passing a wet gas through each of the hollow fiber membranes, supplying a purge gas to the outside of the hollow fiber membranes in the module body, and permeating the water vapor contained in the wet gas out of the membranes. A hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification of
The hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification is sealed with a sealing material at the first end and the second end, and the position of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is changed inside the module main body in addition to the fixed portion. having no means of prescribing
At each of the first end and the second end, the ratio of the number of hollow fiber membranes contained in an arbitrarily selected surface occupying 10% of the sealing surface of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is 5 to 15% of the total number of hollow fiber membranes contained in the sealing surface of the fiber membrane bundle ,
In a cross-sectional X-ray image including the axis along the axial direction of the module body, the ratio of the area occupied by the hollow fiber membranes to the area of the region filled with the hollow fiber membrane bundle is 20 to 60%. thread membrane module. 2. The dehumidifying hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1 , wherein the filling ratio of the hollow fiber membranes to the module body is 30 to 50%. A method for producing the hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification according to claim 1,
A plurality of hollow fiber membranes are arranged parallel to each other in a sheet form, and the ends of the hollow fiber membranes are fixed at the respective ends of the sheet-like hollow fiber membranes to form a sheet-like material, and the sheet-like material is Winding to form a hollow fiber membrane bundle,
The hollow fiber membrane bundle is inserted into a tubular member, only both end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle are fixed and sealed to the tubular member, and only both end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle are fixed and sealed to the module main body. A method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification, which obtains a hollow fiber membrane module for dehumidification that is stopped.

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