Membrane devices with controlled transmembrane pressure and method of use

1. A crossflow membrane device for receiving a feedstock and for separating the feedstock into permeate and retentate, comprising:

a) a membrane element that receives the feedstock at a feed end face, and separates the feedstock into permeate and retentate, the membrane element comprising:

i) a membrane support containing at least one monolith of porous material defining a plurality of passageways with passageway wall surfaces, the passageways extending longitudinally from the feed end face of the monolith to a retentate end face of the monolith;

ii) a permselective membrane coating applied to the passageway wall surfaces of at least the channels through which the feedstock flows; and

iii) at least one permeate conduit formed within the monolith, the conduit containing a plurality of longitudinal permeate chambers extending substantially the entire length of the monolith, transected proximate the feed end face by at least one permeate channel and proximate the retentate end face by at least one other permeate channel;

b) a housing assembly that contains the membrane element, the assembly comprising:

i) a housing that contains the element and is spaced from the element to define an annular space between the element and the housing;

ii) a feedstock inlet port in communication with the feed end face of the monolith, and a retentate outlet port in communication with the retentate end face of the monolith;

iii) a permeate circulation inlet port in fluid communication with the permeate channel or channels through the annular space proximate the feed end face, to allow for the introduction of circulated permeate into the permeate chambers and flow of substantially all of the circulated permeate along the length of the permeate chambers;

iv) a permeate outlet port in fluid communication with the permeate channel or channels through the annular space proximate the retentate end face, to allow for the withdrawal of the permeate from the permeate chambers;

v) a means of separating the permeate flow from the feed and retentate flows; and

vi) where at least one of the permeate channels communicates with the annular space between the membrane device and the housing, in which the annular space is filled with a flow resistance material to reduce permeate flow through the annular space from the feed end of the device to the retentate end of the device.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the membrane support is a single monolith.

3. The device of claim 1 in which the membrane support is a plurality of monolith segments.

4. The device of claim 1 in which the permselective membrane is a membrane with a mean pore size in the range of 10 nanometers to 1 micron and is suitable for an ultrafiltration or microfiltration process.

5. The device of claim 1 in which the flow resistance material is a constrained bed of granular material selected from the group of ceramic, glass, metallic or polymeric granular materials.

6. The device of claim 1 in which the flow resistance material is a metal or plastic mesh.

7. The device of claim 1 in which at least one permeate port communicates with a duct at an end face of the membrane element.

8. The devices of claim 1 in which the cross-sectional area of the permeate chambers is reduced from the cross-sectional area of the chambers that would otherwise exist for a monolith support with a uniform and unmodified passageway structure.

9. The devices of claim 8 in which the chamber cross-sectional area is reduced during the monolith support fabrication process.

10. The devices of claim 8 in which the chamber cross-sectional area is reduced by plugging chambers of the monolith support during the device fabrication process.