Importance

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Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a membrane separation apparatus and a membrane separation process that are unlikely to cause membrane fouling and plugging, capable of achieving membrane separation even with relatively low flow rate of water, have an excellent membrane packing density, and are unlikely to cause deposition of foreign components in the apparatus. In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, vessel-type inner casings are disposed in a pressure vessel along the longitudinal axis thereof, in which the pressure vessel has a water inlet at a first end and a concentrate outlet at a second end. A flow-regulating plate is disposed on the side of the water inlet of the pressure vessel. Stacks of membrane separation units are respectively disposed in the inner casings, and spacers are disposed between the adjacent membrane separation elements. The spacers also serve as sealing members. Each stack of the membrane separation units and the spacers together define a through-hole extending from a first side to a second side, of the stack of the membrane separation elements. The inner casings have permeate discharge passages along the longitudinal axis thereof. The permeate discharge passages are communicated with the through-hole of each stack of the membrane separation elements. Water that has been fed into the pressure vessel via the flow-regulating plate permeates through the membrane separation elements and is discharged to the outside via the through-holes and the permeate discharge passages.

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First Claim