Journal of Membrane Science, Vol.202, No.1-2, 195-204, 2002
Development of hollow fiber membrane systems for nitrogen generation from combustion exhaust gas - Part II: Full-scale module test and membrane stability
This is a continuation of the development of a hollow fiber membrane system to generate nitrogen from combustion exhaust gas. A full-scale membrane module containing several hundred thousand hollow fiber membranes was successfully developed and tested for nitrogen separation from carbon dioxide, having the ultimate objective of generating nitrogen from combustion exhaust gas. The separation efficiency of this module was demonstrated experimentally using synthetic combustion exhaust gas consisting of N-2 and CO2. It was shown that at a feed pressure of 2.07 MPa gauge (300 psig). about 2 Nm(3)/min (4236 SCFH) nitrogen could be produced per module at a purity of 98.5% N-2. This module has a proprietary design that offers many advantageous features related to module fabrication and tube sheet support. Results of a long-term test showed that there was no significant change in the membrane performance after exposure to CO2 for a period of over 4 months under an operating pressure of 2.07 MPa gauge (300 psig), even with interrupted feed admission, and shut downs. This article summarizes the results obtained in the full-scale module test and the long-term stability test.