Patent ID: 7037426

Claim:
An apparatus for filtering a liquid in a tank comprising, a) a plurality of elements, each having, (i) an upper header; (ii) a lower header; (iii) a plurality of hollow fibre membranes attached to and suspended between the headers, the membranes having each at least one open end and an outer surface, the outer surface of the open ends of the membranes connected to at least one header with a water impermeable connection; and, (iv) one or more permeate channels in at least one of the headers in fluid communication with the interior of the hollow fibre membranes for collecting permeate; b) a frame for holding the plurality of elements while the membranes are immersed in the liquid in the tank; and, c) releasable attachments between the headers of the elements and the frame allowing the frame to releasably hold the elements by their headers, wherein the size and configuration of the frame determines the positions of the upper headers of each element relative to the lower headers of each element.