Membrane filtration manifold system

Abstract

A membrane filtration manifold ( 1 ) for connecting a filter submodule ( 2 ) including one or more elongate bundles of semipermeable polymeric fibers. The manifold ( 1 ) includes a housing ( 3 ) and connecting collar ( 4 ) connected with said housing ( 3 ). The collar ( 4 ) is adapted to receive and locate the submodule ( 2 ), where the submodule has a connecting sleeve ( 5 ) with a locking formation ( 6 ). The submodule ( 2 ) can be secured at one end to the collar ( 4 ) by a clip ( 7 ) adapted to engage both the collar and the locking formation to prevent axial withdrawal of the submodule from the collar. Also disclosed is a membrane filtration apparatus ( 25 ) including a filter submodule ( 2 ) including one or more elongate bundles of semipermeable polymeric fibers. The apparatus further includes a membrane filtration manifold removably connected at one end of said filter submodule ( 2 ) and a basepiece ( 27 ) removably connected to the other end of said filter submodule.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A membrane filtration manifold for connecting a filter submodule comprising one or more elongate bundles of semipermeable polymeric fibers, said manifold comprising: 
 a housing; and    at least one submodule connecting collar connected with said housing, said collar being adapted to receive and locate said submodule having a connecting sleeve with a locking formation whereby the submodule can be secured at an end with the collar by a clip adapted to engage both said collar and said locking formation to prevent axial withdrawal of said submodule from said collar.    
     
     
         2 . A manifold according to  claim 1 , wherein said housing is in fluid communication with said collar.  
     
     
         3 . A manifold according to  claim 1 , wherein said collar has an internal stepped seat for bearing engagement with said end of said submodule.  
     
     
         4 . A manifold according to  claim 1  wherein said locking formation comprises a radially outwardly directed circumferential flange formed on said sleeve.  
     
     
         5 . A manifold according to  claim 1  wherein said clip is cylindrical having a side wall split to define opposed wall edges, said side wall having a top and a bottom.  
     
     
         6 . A manifold according to  claim 5 , wherein said clip comprises a top radially inwardly directed circumferential flange adjacent the top of said side wall for bearing engagement with said radially outwardly directed flange formed on said sleeve.  
     
     
         7 . A manifold according to  claim 5 , wherein said side wall comprises a bottom radially inwardly directed circumferential flange at or adjacent the bottom of said side wall for bearing engagement with a complementary step on said collar.  
     
     
         8 . A manifold according to  claim 6 , wherein said clip comprises projections on said side wall adjacent respective said opposed edges.  
     
     
         9 . A manifold according to  claim 8 , wherein said projections extend longitudinally from said top flange.  
     
     
         10 . A manifold according to  claim 6 , wherein said top flange is partially circumferential.  
     
     
         11 . A manifold according to  claim 1  wherein said clip is hingedly connectable to said collar.  
     
     
         12 . A manifold according to  claim 1  wherein said clip is mutually interengageable with said collar.  
     
     
         13 . A manifold according to  claim 1  wherein said clip is adapted for overcentered circumferential locking engagement with a said collar.  
     
     
         14 . A manifold according to  claim 1  comprising four submodule connecting collars.  
     
     
         15 . A manifold according to  claim 14 , wherein said collars are disposed in a common plane and have parallel axes.  
     
     
         16 . A manifold according to  claim 15 , wherein one end of said housing is adjacent each collar and an axis of said housing is parallel to the axes of said collars.  
     
     
         17 . A membrane filtration apparatus comprising: 
 a filter submodule comprising one or more elongate bundles of semipermeable polymeric fibers;    a headpiece removably connected at one end of said filter submodule; and    a basepiece removably connected to the other end of said filter submodule; and    at least one of said basepiece and said headpiece being a membrane filtration manifold for connecting said filter submodule, said manifold comprising: 
 a housing; and  
 at least one submodule connecting collar connected with said housing, said collar being adapted to receive and locate said submodule having a connecting sleeve with a locking formation whereby the submodule can be secured at one end with the collar by a clip adapted to engage both said collar and said locking formation to prevent axial withdrawal of said submodule from said collar.  
   
     
     
         18 . A membrane filtration apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein said basepiece is said membrane filtration manifold.  
     
     
         19 . A membrane filtration apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein said headpiece is adapted for connection to a filtrate conduit allowing fluid communication between said headpiece and said filtrate conduit and said basepiece is adapted for connection to a cleaning fluid conduit allowing fluid communication between said basepiece and said cleaning fluid conduit.  
     
     
         20 . A membrane filtration apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein said collars are configured to allow placement of said cleaning fluid conduit at least partially between two pairs of said collars.  
     
     
         21 . A membrane filtration apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein said basepiece comprises a removable cap for fluid-tight sealing engagement with an end of said housing.  
     
     
         22 . A membrane filtration apparatus bank comprising: 
 a plurality of membrane filtration apparatuses, each membrane filtration apparatus comprising: 
 a filter submodule comprising one or more elongate bundles of semipermeable polymeric fibers;  
 a headpiece removably connected at one end of said filter submodule; and  
 a basepiece removably connected to the other end of said filter submodule;  
 at least one of said basepiece and said headpiece being a membrane filtration manifold;  
   a filtrate conduit connected to at least one membrane filtration apparatus; and    a cleaning fluid conduit connected to at least one membrane filtration apparatus.    
     
     
         23 . A membrane filtration apparatus bank according to  claim 22 , wherein said membrane filtration apparatuses are arranged in an upright position, said filtrate conduit being proximally above said headpieces and said cleaning fluid conduit being proximally above said basepieces.  
     
     
         24 . A membrane filtration apparatus bank according to  claim 23 , wherein said cleaning fluid conduit is at least partially disposed between two pairs of submodule collars and is in fluid communication with said housing.  
     
     
         25 . A membrane filtration apparatus bank according to  claim 22 , wherein said cleaning fluid conduit is in fluid communication with said basepiece via an aperture in said cleaning fluid conduit to allow a cleaning fluid to pass from said cleaning fluid conduit to said submodules via said basepiece.  
     
     
         26 . A membrane filtration apparatus bank according to  claim 22 , wherein said housing is in fluid communication with said filtrate conduit.  
     
     
         27 . A membrane filtration apparatus array comprising a plurality of membrane filtration apparatus banks according to  claim 22  connected in parallel by an array filtrate conduit.  
     
     
         28 . A membrane filtration apparatus array according to  claim 27 , wherein said array is adapted for insertion into an open feed tank.  
     
     
         29 . A membrane filtration apparatus array train comprising: 
 a train conduit; and    a plurality of membrane filtration apparatus arrays according to  claim 27  connected in fluid communication with said train conduit.    
     
     
         30 . A membrane filtration apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein said headpiece is said membrane filtration manifold.