The present invention relates to systems for removing gas bubbles from fluid streams generally, and more particularly to the removal of gas bubbles from a liquid through the use of a single degassing chamber incorporating one or more gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable membranes.
The removal of entrained gases from liquids is an important exercise in a variety of manufacturing and/or analytical processes. An example process in which liquid degassing is widely utilized is in liquid chromatography applications.
It is well known that liquid chromatography pumping systems can be prone to ingesting gas such as air into the pumping mechanism. In some cases, such gas can form bubbles that can cause a liquid chromatography pump to deliver chromatographic solvent inaccurately where one or more gas bubbles occupy volume within a positive displacement pump instead of the desired solvent fluid. In addition, gas bubbles may interfere with the proper operation of check valves which may be disposed on the inlet side of the pump. Moreover, the presence of even small amounts of dissolved gases, and in particular oxygen, interferes with the accuracy and sensitivity of chromatographic analysis. The existence of bubbles can manifest itself as erroneous absorption signatures at the chromatographic detector.
Gas infiltration into, for example, liquid chromatography solvents may originate from a variety of sources. For example, switching solvent reservoirs in a given chromatographic system can result in gas bubble formation in the solvent inlet filter, and subsequently transfer to the pump inlet during pump operation. In addition, solvent supply reservoirs and the supply lines for chromatographic systems may also be a source for gas infiltration and bubble formation. A number of other sources for gasification of fluids utilized in manufacturing and/or analytical applications are also known.
While systems for degassing liquids have been developed and implemented, such conventional systems are typically incapable of efficiently removing gas bubbles from the host liquids. For example, when a bubble is entrained in one or more lumens of a tube degassing system, the effective surface area of such degasser is decreased, thereby substantially decreasing the degassing efficiency. In addition, typical degassing systems involve a relatively low fluid flow rate therethrough, such that a gas bubble may be entrained in the degassing system for a substantial period of time. In some cases, the gas bubbles remain intact throughout the degassing system residence time, and are accordingly not removed prior to utilization of the solvent by, for example, a chromatographic system.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a degassing system that is capable of efficiently removing gas bubbles from a liquid stream.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an integrated apparatus capable of simultaneously degassing a liquid and efficiently removing gas bubbles from such liquid.
By means of the present invention, apparatus and methods are provided for efficiently removing gas bubbles from a mixed fluid having both liquid and gas species present. The apparatus of the present invention utilizes gravitationally-oriented separation chambers, which enable relatively lower density gas bubbles to separate from the relatively higher density host liquid through relative buoyancy forces. Once such gravitational separation has occurred, gas is removed from the separation chamber through a gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable membrane having a partial pressure gradient of the target gas thereacross.
In some embodiments, such partial pressure gradient is enabled by evacuation of the environment on a permeate side of the separation membrane. In some embodiments, an additional degassing chamber is provided with a separate membrane, such that an integrated debubbling/degassing apparatus is provided.
In a particular embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention includes a fluid inlet and a separation chamber that is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet. The separation chamber has first and second end portions, with the first end portion being operably oriented gravitationally above the second end portion. The apparatus preferably further includes a first gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable membrane disposed in the separation chamber and extending substantially along a first axis defined as extending between the first and second end portions. A permeate side of the membrane is exposed to an environment having a second partial pressure of a target gas, which second partial pressure is lower than a first partial pressure of the gas found in the fluid being treated.
In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a second gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable membrane having a retentate side and a permeate side, with the retentate side of the second membrane being in fluid communication with the fluid outlet. The permeate side of the second membrane may be exposed to an environment having a third partial pressure of the gas, which third partial pressure is lower than an outlet partial pressure of the gas in the fluid at the fluid outlet. Such first and second membranes may be disposed in a single module.
In another embodiment, the fluid degassing apparatus of the present invention includes a fluid inlet and a separation chamber that is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet. The separation chamber has first and second end portions, with the first end portion being operably oriented gravitationally above the second end portion. The apparatus preferably further includes a first gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable membrane having a permeate side and a retentate side, and is disposed in the separation chamber. The apparatus also includes a second gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable membrane having a permeate side and a retentate side, and is disposed in a degassing chamber that is fluidly disconnected from the separation chamber. The retentate sides of the first and second membranes are preferably fluidly coupled to one another.
In a further aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for removing gas bubbles from a fluid, wherein the method includes providing a module having a fluid inlet and a separation chamber that is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet. The separation chamber has first and second end portions, with the first end portion being operably oriented gravitationally above the second end portion. The module also includes a first gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable membrane disposed in the separation chamber and extending substantially along a first axis defined as extending between the first and second end portions. The method involves fluidly coupling a permeate side of the first membrane to a vacuum source and contacting a retentate side of the first membrane with the fluid.
The degassing and debubbling apparatus 10 of the present invention as illustrated in
Degassing chamber 14 is configured and provided to cause gaseous species being transported therethrough in conveyance members 16, 18 to be drawn out through the gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable membranes formed by respective walls of conveyance members 16, 18. The so-removed gaseous species are subsequently expelled from degassing chamber 14 through outlet 22. In some embodiments, such gas removal is effected by holding degassing chamber 14 at a reduced internal pressure by coupling degassing chamber 14 to a vacuum source (not shown). The vacuum source is preferably operably connected to outlet 22, such that gaseous species removed from the fluid through the respective gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable membranes of conveyance members 16, 18 may be expelled from degassing chamber 14. In addition, the connection of a vacuum source to outlet 22 maintains degassing chamber 14 at a lower partial pressure of a target gaseous species than the corresponding gaseous species partial pressure within the fluid being transported by conveyance members 16, 18. Through such a partial pressure gradient, the target gas is caused to be removed from the fluid.
In other embodiments of the present invention, the gas removal is effected by passing a sweep fluid over and about fluid conveyance members 16, 18 in degassing chamber 14, with fresh sweep fluid being continuously or periodically introduced and expelled from degassing chamber 14. In the embodiment illustrated in
In the embodiment illustrated in
In order to further effectuate separation of gas bubbles from the liquid, fluid conveyance member 18 may have an inside diameter that is smaller than the inside diameter of fluid conveyance member 16. The relatively small inside diameter of fluid conveyance member 18 acts to inhibit entry of liquid therein due to surface tension characteristics of the liquid. Accordingly, the liquid is preferentially directed into fluid conveyance member 16, while the gas bubbles may freely enter fluid conveyance member 18. In a particular embodiment, the inside diameter of fluid conveyance member 18 is about 0.02 mm, while the inside diameter of fluid conveyance member 16 is about 5 mm. The dimensions identified above, however, are not intended to be restrictive of the actual or relative dimensions utilized in apparatus 10 of the present invention.
As described above, the respective fluids being transported by fluid conveyance members 16, 18 through degassing chamber 14 are degassed of at least target gaseous species. To effectively do so, such conveyance members 16, 18 may be of any desired length to provide for adequate exposure time of the fluid to the environment within degassing chamber 14 prior to exiting therefrom at degassed fluid outlet 36. Accordingly, fluid conveyance members 16, 18 may be formed into coils or other configurations which increase total residence time of the respective fluids within degassing chamber 14, and surface area exposure of the gas-permeable membranes to the environment within degassing chamber 14. In preferred embodiments, therefore, the fluid exiting from module 12 at outlet 36 is primarily degassed liquid.
Another embodiment of the integrated degassing and debubbling apparatus of the present invention is illustrated in
As in the orientation criticality of apparatus 10 as shown in
Separation chamber 134 preferably includes a membrane 116 disposed therein for separating gas from the fluid. As described above, membrane 116 is preferably a gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable body so that gaseous species may be drawn through membrane 116 into an environment having a lower gaseous species partial pressure than the corresponding partial pressure on the retentate side 125 of membrane 116. Membrane 116 may be variously configured, including in the form of tubing of various diameters and wall thicknesses, which tubing may be defined in a straight line, spiraled, or other desired configurations.
To effectuate a partial pressure gradient as between retentate side 125 of membrane 116 and permeate side 127 thereof, permeate side 127 may be operably coupled to reduced pressure environment, such as within degassing chamber 114. In such an embodiment, membrane 116 forms a permeate side chamber that is open to degassing chamber 114 at gas outlet 139. In the embodiment illustrated in
Through the arrangement illustrated in
Separation chamber 134 is preferably formed with a sufficient volume so as to accommodate a retentate side 125 that maintains a fluid level gravitationally above degassing inlet 131. The volume of retentate side 125 is therefore dependent upon the mixed fluid flow rate through separation chamber 134, the surface area and degassing efficiency of membrane 116, and the concentration of a target gas in the mixed fluid entering module 112 at fluid inlet 132. In one embodiment of the invention, separation chamber 134 has a diameter of about 6 mm and a length of about 50 mm. In such embodiment, membrane 116 is formed as a tube having a closed end at end 129, and an outer diameter of about 1.5 mm. Such dimensions have proven useful for removing gas bubbles from fluids at a flow rate of up to about 10 ml per minute, but possibly more depending upon the volumetric concentration of gas desired to be removed from the fluid.
As further illustrated in
A still further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
In the embodiment illustrated in
Module 212 may be operably coupled to a transfer line degassing apparatus 242, such as the apparatus described in our co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/702,013 entitled “AXIAL DEGASSING TRANSFER LINES”, and Ser. No. 10/981,934 entitled “AXIAL TRANSFER LINE DEGASSING”, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. By operably coupling module 212 to such a transfer line degassing apparatus, gas bubbles entrained within the mixed fluid are primarily removed prior to being delivered to the transfer line degassing apparatus. As such, the degassing efficiency of the transfer line degassing apparatus is substantially enhanced.
In the embodiment illustrated in
Outer member 244 may be fabricated from a variety of materials. Example materials useful in the production of outer member 244 include Tefzel®, PEEK, PTFE and the like. In some embodiments, outer member 244 is both gas and liquid impermeable. Such impermeability, however, is not a required characteristic of outer member 244. As described in our co-pending patent applications, transfer line degassing apparatus 242 may preferably be sufficiently flexible so as to be readily manipulatable into desired configurations. To do so, therefore, both outer member 242 and membrane 216 are desirably operationally flexible.
Additional example embodiments of the degassing/debubbling apparatus of the present invention are illustrated in
In the embodiment illustrated in
Separation chamber 334 may have a diameter of at least about 3 mm, while degassing chamber bore 362 may have a diameter utilizing the clearances described herein. In the embodiment illustrated in
An additional alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
Module 612 is illustrated in
The invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes, and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use embodiments of the invention as required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different methods/devices and that various modifications can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/698,729, filed on Jul. 13, 2005 and entitled “Integrated Degassing and Debubbling Apparatus”, the content of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60698729 | Jul 2005 | US |