Patent · US Expired

Cleaning of hollow fiber filters utilized in lumenal gas flow

US4767539A · kind A · utility

96Cited by
7References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 3, 1987
Grant dateAug 30, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 3, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB01D2321/185
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method of cleaning a filter having a plurality of elastic, porous hollow fibers with lumens within a shell or housing and in which filtration is carried out by applying a liquid suspension feedstock to the outer surface of the fibers whereby a portion of feedstock passes through the walls of the fiber to be drawn from the fiber lumens as a filtrate or permeate, and a portion of the solids in the feedstock are retained on or in the pores of the fibers, with the non-retained solids being removed from the shell or housing with the remainder of the feedstock, said method entailing introducing a pressurized gas into the fiber lumens which passes through the walls of the fibers to dislodge the retained solids, the gas being applied at a pressure which is sufficient to overcome the effect of the surface tension of the continuous phase of the feedstock within the pores of the membrane.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.