Patent ID: 8496731

Claim:
A method for transporting a fluid, comprising steps of: dehydrating some of the transportation fluid during transportation by using a dehydration system comprising a separation membrane through which water permeates, and returning the dehydrated fluid to the transportation fluid so as to keep water content in the transportation fluid in a fixed range, wherein said transportation fluid is a liquid, and said dehydration system comprises a heater for heating the liquid to a temperature in a range in which the liquid does not boil, and a membrane separation apparatus for dehydrating the heated liquid, wherein the membrane separation apparatus is a pervaporation method apparatus comprising a primary side chamber extending in an up and down direction to introduce the liquid from a lower portion thereof and discharge the liquid from an upper portion thereof, a separation membrane in contact with the primary side chamber to allow water in the liquid to permeate through as a gas, and a secondary side chamber being located on the opposite side to the primary side chamber with the separation membrane held therebetween and being under a pressure lower than that in the primary side chamber, and a heater for heating the liquid to a temperature in a range in which the liquid does not boil is arranged in an upper portion of said secondary side chamber, and a suction port of a vacuum producer for reducing a pressure is connected to a lower portion of said secondary side chamber, whereby heat convection from the upper portion to the lower portion is formed in said secondary side chamber to heat said separation membrane.