Claims
- 1. An apparatus for withdrawing permeate from a liquid, the apparatus comprising:
a multiplicity of hollow fiber membranes; and a first header and a second header, the first and second headers having a displacement between them and the first and second headers having respective opposed ends of each membrane sealingly secured therein, the insides of the membranes open to a permeate collection means connected to at least one of the headers, wherein the displacement between the first and second headers is adjustable in relation to the lengths of the fiber membranes such that, in use, the fiber membranes have a length that is between 0.1% and 5% greater than the displacement between the first and second headers.
- 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a spacer means connectable to the headers and for fixing the displacement between the first and second headers.
- 3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the spacer means is one of a wall, a frame-structure, a tube-structure and a trellis structure.
- 4. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the displacement between the first and second headers can be changed.
- 5. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the spacer means further comprises a number of mounting holes usable to change the displacement between the headers.
- 6. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a spacer means connected to the headers, the connection between the spacer means and one of the headers further comprising mounting holes, mounting holes spaced apart such that:
there is available a first connection defining a first displacement between the first and second headers at which first displacement fiber membranes have a length that is 0.1% to 5% greater than the first displacement between the first and second headers; and there is available a second connection defining a second displacement between the first and second headers usable after a period of use during which the membranes have shrunk at which second displacement the shrunk membranes have a length that is 0.1% to 5% greater than the second displacement between the first and second headers.
- 7. An apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising:
a plate connected to the spacer means, the plate including a number of mounting holes usable to connect a header to the spacer means.
- 8. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the mounting holes are spaced apart such that:
there is available a first connection between the first header and one of the mounting holes defining a first displacement between the first and second headers where the majority of the fiber membranes each have a length that is 0.1% to 5% greater than the first displacement between the first and second headers; and after a period of use during which the membranes have shrunk, there is available a second connection between the first header and another one of the mounting holes defining a second displacement between the first and second headers where the membranes each have a length that is 0.1% to 5% greater than the second displacement between the first and second headers.
- 9. A process for maintaining a desired length of the membranes relative to the displacement between the first and second headers of an apparatus according to claim 1, the process comprising:
spacing the headers at a first displacement between the first and second headers wherein the membranes have a length that is 0.1% to 5% greater than the first displacement between the first and second headers; using the apparatus until the membranes shrink; and changing the displacement between the first and second headers to a second displacement wherein the shrunk membranes have a length that is 0.1% to 5% greater than the second displacement between the first and second headers.
- 10. A process for maintaining a desired length of hollow fiber membranes secured between first and second headers relative to the displacement between the first header and the second header, the process comprising:
spacing the headers at a first displacement between the first and second headers wherein the membranes have a length that is 0.1% to 5% greater than the first displacement between the first and second headers; using the apparatus until the membranes shrink; and changing the displacement between the first and second headers to a second displacement wherein the shrunk fiber membranes have a length that is 0.1% to 5% greater than the second displacement between the first and second headers.
- 11. A process according to claim 9 wherein the apparatus includes a spacer means and changing the displacement between the first and second headers to the second displacement further comprises:
releasing a connection between the first header and the spacer means, moving the first header relative to the spacer means; and re-connecting the first header and the spacer means.
- 12. A process according to claim 11 wherein the connections are made through a series of mounting holes usable to support a plurality of displacements between the first and second headers.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This is (a) a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 10/661,519, filed Sep. 15, 2003 which is a continuation of Ser. No. 09/849,573; filed May 4, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,620,319, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 09/507,438, filed Feb. 19, 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,039, which is a division of Ser. No. 09/258,999, filed Feb. 26, 1999, U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,677, which is a division of Ser. No. 08/896,517, filed Jun. 16, 1997, U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,250, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 08/514,119, filed Aug. 11, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,373, and a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 08/690,045, filed Jul. 31, 1996, U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,083, which is an application claiming the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of provisional Ser. No. 60/012,921, filed Mar. 5, 1996, and (b) a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 10/146,934, filed May 17, 2002 which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/889,352 filed Jul. 17, 2001 which is a continuation-in-part of 09/848,012 filed May 3, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,356, which is an application claiming the benefit under 35 USC 119 (e) of Ser. No. 60/201,725 filed May 4, 2000. The disclosure of all the patents and applications listed above are hereby incorporated, in their entirety, by this reference to them.
Provisional Applications (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60012921 |
Mar 1996 |
US |
|
60201725 |
May 2000 |
US |
Divisions (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09258999 |
Feb 1999 |
US |
Child |
09507438 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
Parent |
08896517 |
Jun 1997 |
US |
Child |
09258999 |
Feb 1999 |
US |
Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
09849573 |
May 2001 |
US |
Child |
10661519 |
Sep 2003 |
US |
Parent |
09507438 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
Child |
09849573 |
May 2001 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (6)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10661519 |
Sep 2003 |
US |
Child |
10865928 |
Jun 2004 |
US |
Parent |
08514119 |
Aug 1995 |
US |
Child |
08896517 |
Jun 1997 |
US |
Parent |
08690045 |
Jul 1996 |
US |
Child |
08896517 |
Jun 1997 |
US |
Parent |
10146934 |
May 2002 |
US |
Child |
10865928 |
Jun 2004 |
US |
Parent |
09889352 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10146934 |
May 2002 |
US |
Parent |
09848012 |
May 2001 |
US |
Child |
09889352 |
Jul 2001 |
US |