High pressure liquid degassing membrane contactors and methods of manufacturing and use
View Patent ↗In accordance with at least selected embodiments of the present invention, an improved liquid degassing membrane contactor or module includes a high pressure housing and at least one degassing cartridge therein. It may be preferred that the high pressure housing is a standard, ASME certified, reverse osmosis (RO) or water purification pressure housing or vessel (made of, for example, polypropylene, polycarbonate, stainless steel, corrosion resistant filament wound fiberglass reinforced epoxy tubing, with pressure ratings of for example, 150, 250, 300, 400, or 600 psi, and with, for example 4 or 6 ports, and an end cap at each end) and that the degassing cartridge is a self-contained, hollow-fiber membrane cartridge adapted to fit in the RO high pressure housing.
1. A high pressure degassing module comprising: a high pressure housing and at least one self-contained membrane cartridge, the high pressure housing being a standard reverse osmosis (RO) pressure vessel, made of at least one of polypropylene, polycarbonate, stainless steel, and corrosion resistant filament wound fiberglass reinforced epoxy tubing, and having a pressure rating of at least 150 psi, and the self-contained membrane cartridge is adapted to fit in the high pressure housing.
2. The high pressure degassing module of claim 1 including a plurality of said membrane cartridges.
3. The high pressure degassing module of claim 1 wherein said standard RO pressure vessel has a pressure rating of at least 300 psi.
4. The high pressure degassing module of claim 1 wherein said at least one self-contained membrane cartridge includes a plurality of hollow fibers and at least one baffle.
5. A system for degassing high pressure liquids, comprising:
at least one high pressure liquid degassing module comprising a high pressure housing and at least one self-contained membrane cartridge, the high pressure housing being a standard reverse osmosis (RO) pressure vessel, made of at least one of polypropylene, polycarbonate, stainless steel, and corrosion resistant filament wound fiberglass reinforced epoxy tubing, and having a pressure rating of at least 150 psi, and wherein the self-contained membrane cartridge is adapted to fit in the high pressure housing.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein said high pressure housing including a plurality of said membrane cartridges.
7. The system of claim 5 wherein said standard RO pressure vessel and has a pressure rating of at least 300 psi.
8. The system of claim 5 wherein said at least on membrane cartridge includes at least one baffle therein.
9. A method of degassing seawater comprising the steps of providing the system of claim 5 , and passing seawater through said system.
10. A method for treating seawater comprising:
directing the seawater having a relatively high oxygen concentration into a membrane module separated into first and second sections by a hydrophobic membrane, the membrane module having a high pressure housing being a standard reverse osmosis (RO) pressure vessel with a pressure rating of at least 100 psi, such that the seawater flows through the first section of the membrane module; directing a scavenging gas having a relatively low oxygen concentration into the second section of the membrane module; decreasing the pressure in the second section of the membrane module relative to the pressure in the first section of the membrane module; reducing the oxygen concentration of the seawater by inducing the oxygen to flow from the seawater through the hydrophobic membrane and into the second section of the membrane module to mix with the scavenging gas; and wherein seawater having the reduced concentration of oxygen is formed.
11. A system for treating seawater comprising:
a plurality of membrane modules, each membrane module separated into a first and second portion by a hydrophobic membrane; at least one of the membrane modules having a high pressure housing being a standard reverse osmosis (RO) pressure vessel with a pressure rating of at least 100 psi, a seawater supply inlet operatively connected to the plurality of membrane modules for directing seawater having a relatively high oxygen concentration to the first portion of one of the membrane modules; a treated water outlet operatively connected to the membrane modules for directing treated water from the membrane modules; a scavenging gas supply inlet operatively connected to the membrane modules for directing scavenging gas having a relatively low oxygen concentration to the second portion of one of the membrane modules; and a scavenging gas outlet operatively connected to the membrane modules for directing scavenging gas from the membrane modules.
12. A system for treating seawater comprising:
a membrane module, the membrane module having a high pressure housing being a standard reverse osmosis (RO) pressure vessel with a pressure rating of at least 100 psi; a hydrophobic membrane extending across the membrane module and dividing the membrane module into first and second sections; a seawater inlet for directing seawater into the first section of the membrane module; a scavenging gas inlet operatively connected to the second section of the membrane module for directing a scavenging gas into the second section of the membrane module; the seawater inlet and the scavenging gas inlet configured with respect to the membrane module to cause the seawater and scavenging gas to flow through the membrane module on opposite sides of the hydrophobic membrane in counter directions; a vacuum source or pressure reducer operatively associated with the second section of the membrane module for reducing the pressure in the second section of the membrane module relative to the pressure in the first section of the membrane module; and wherein the hydrophobic membrane generally prevents water from passing therethrough, but does permit oxygen contained in the seawater to pass from the seawater through the hydrophobic membrane and into the second section of the membrane module where the oxygen mixes with the reduced pressure scavenging gas.
13. The high pressure degassing module of claim 2 having a gas mixing chamber between at least one pair of said cartridges.
14. The high pressure degassing module of claim 6 having a gas mixing chamber between at least one pair of said cartridges.