Analysis and Characterization of

Membrane-Based Gas
Separation
04/20/2015
Rodrigo Telles, Matt Miller, and Guoxin Li

Membrane Background

Governing Equations
=

[ ]

Henrys Law:
=
= [ ]
=

Experimental Apparatus
Membrane Properties:
Generon 210 asymmetric polycarbonate
membrane
Effective Area => 5.76 m2
Length

=> 50.8 cm

# of Fibers

=> 38,000

Adjustable Parameters:
Inlet feed pressure (Pf)
Retentate flow rate (Vr)

Co-current operation
3

Determination of Permeability

O2,N2 = kpO2/kpN2 = 5.98 (0.19)

From literature:
O2,N2 ~ 2 7 [1]

J_o2
J_N2
0.003

Ji [mol/m2-s]

From pure O2 feed

kpO2 = 5.28x10-4 (1.6x10-5)mol/m2-s-atm
From pure N2 feed
kpN2 = 8.83x10-5 (1.2x10-7)mol/m2-s-atm
Ideal Membrane Selectivity

0.004

0.002

y = 5.277E-04x + 1.848E-04

0.001
y = 8.832E-05x - 3.220E-06

0.000
0

4
P [atm]

[1] Robeson, Lloyd M., doi:10.1016/0376-7388(91)80060-J

Pressure and Flow Rate Effects

N2 Composition = (1-xr)

1.000

0.80

0.980

0.70

0.960

N2 Recovery

N2 Composition

N2 Recovery = Vr(1-xr)/Vf(1-xf)

0.90

0.940
0.920
90 ShoRate

0.900
0.880

0.60

0.50
0.40
0.30

60 ShoRate

0.20

30 ShoRate

0.10

0.860

90 ShoRate
60 ShoRate
30 ShoRate

0.00
0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

R (Pp/Pf)

0.40

0.50

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

R (Pp/Pf)

Models
Cross Flow
Vp yp

= 2 (2 + 2 )

Vr
xr

Vf
xf

= [ ]
Assuming homogenous tube side composition (i.e. ym=y)
1 1

1 2 + 1

=0

Co-Current

Vp yp
Vf
xf

Vr
xr
z

B.C.s
Vp

yp

Counter Current
Vr
xr

Vf
xf

+ = 0

= 0

x(z=0)=xf and y(z=0)=0.21

Assumptions:

+ = 0

+ = 0

x(z=0)=xf and y(z=L)=0.21

B.C.s

Vf = Vr

Vf, Vr, and Vp are constant

Negligible pressure drop

Model Comparison
Co-current operation

0.5

R=0.2

0.4

0.4

0.3
exp
0.3

CrossFlow
CoCurrent

0.2
0.000

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.010

Retentate Flow Rate (Vr [mol/s])

O2 Permeate Composition (yp)

O2 Permeate Composition (yp)

0.5

Counter current operation

R=0.2

0.4

0.4

0.3
Exp
CrossFlow
CounterCurrent

0.3

0.2
0.000

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.010

Retentate Flow Rate (Vr [mol/s])

Cost Analysis
Tradeoffs

Economics

Pf N2 Purity N2
Recovery

Operational Costs

Vr N2 Purity N2
Recovery

Capital Costs

() = 354

2
1

0.2857

Membrane surface area

Summary
Ideal membrane selectivity
O2,N2 = 5.98 (0.19)

Counter-current proved most efficient

Percent difference = 36 %

Cross-flow configuration model was not suitable for most accurate

description
Tradeoffs between pressure, purity, and costs