Patent ID: 7459084

Claim:
A fluid separation apparatus comprising: a. a hollow housing defining a separation chamber, having at least one permeate outlet to permit one or more permeate components of a feed fluid mixture to exit the housing; b. at least one feed inlet for feeding the feed fluid mixture into the housing; c. at least one bundle of hollow fiber membranes being supported along its length by at least two telescoping rods, contained within the housing having first and second open ends, the first ends being in fluid communication with a feed inlet, the ends of a bundle of hollow fiber membranes each being secured by a holding member comprising a tube sheet, such that the ends of the hollow fiber membranes are exposed to the feed inlet and retentate outlet, respectively; d. at least one retentate outlet to permit one or more non-permeate components of the feed fluid mixture to exit the housing; and e. the bundle of hollow fiber membranes being enclosed in a sleeve that has openings, the sleeve protecting the physical integrity of the hollow fiber membranes contained within said sleeve but allowing the passage of fluids through the sleeve; whereby the feed fluid mixture passes through the hollow fiber membranes such that the one or more permeate components of the feed fluid mixture migrate across the walls of the membranes to a permeate region defined between the fiber membranes and an interior wall of the housing, and the one or more retentate portions of the feed fluid mixture pass along the length of the membranes to the retentate outlet.