Abstract: The present invention relates to a membrane separation system including a plurality of separation membrane elements connected to one another, each of the separation membrane elements including a plurality of separation membrane pairs, each separation membrane pair including separation membranes each having a feed-side surface and a permeate-side surface and disposed such that the feed-side surfaces face each other, in which the plurality of separation membrane elements include a first separation membrane element and a second separation membrane element, and at least one first separation membrane element serves as a stage preceding the second separation membrane element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a membrane separation system including a plurality of separation membrane elements connected to one another, each of the separation membrane elements including a plurality of separation membrane pairs, each separation membrane pair including separation membranes each having a feed-side surface and a permeate-side surface and disposed such that the feed-side surfaces face each other, in which the plurality of separation membrane elements include a first separation membrane element and a second separation membrane element, and at least one first separation membrane element serves as a stage preceding the second separation membrane element.

Abstract: A housing (30) of a hollow-fiber membrane module (101) is so configured as to have a small-diameter part (3B) having an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of a flow regulation cylinder (9) facing a part of the housing (30) on which a nozzle (8) is provided, and which is arranged on a lower side than a lower end of the flow regulation cylinder (9) in an axial direction of the hollow-fiber membrane module (101); or the flow regulation cylinder (9) is so configured as to have a small-diameter part (9G) which has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the flow regulation cylinder (9) facing the part of the housing (30) on which the nozzle (8) is provided, and which is arranged on a lower side than the existing region of the flow regulation holes (10) in the axial direction of the hollow-fiber membrane module (101).

Abstract: A hollow-fiber membrane module of the invention includes: a cylindrical case having a first end and a second end in a height direction thereof; a hollow-fiber membrane bundle being housed in the cylindrical case and having a plurality of hollow-fiber membranes each closed at an end part on the first end side and opened at an end part on the second end side; a first binding part binding the end parts on the first end side of the hollow-fiber membranes; a first flow channel guiding fluid to pass through the first binding part from the first end side to the second end side of the first binding part; and a channel material directing, at a terminal on the second end side of the first flow channel, a flow of at least a part of the fluid flowing out from the terminal on the second end side of the first flow channel toward a direction intersecting the height direction of the cylindrical case.

Abstract: A cartridge type hollow fiber membrane module including a housing, a hollow-fiber membrane bundle having a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, a first potting part that bonds the hollow fiber membranes at at least one end of the bundle of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes such that the hollow fiber membranes are open, and a sealing material that fixes the first potting part to the housing liquid-tightly, wherein the first potting part comprises an inner potting part and an outer potting part, wherein the inner potting part and the outer potting part are both formed of a potting material, wherein the sealing material is in contact with the outer potting part, and wherein both the inner potting part and the outer potting part are formed in a sealing direction of the sealing material. The cartridge type hollow fiber membrane module is free of leakage and contamination due to separation of a potting material even when steam sterilization is performed.

Abstract: In order to efficiently transport a filtration target liquid to a separation membrane module and to facilitate additional simplification of equipment in a filtration device including the separation membrane modules in which a plurality of lines thereof are disposed in series, a filtration device according to the present invention is a filtration device including a plurality of separation membrane modules each of which separates a liquid to be filtrated into a permeated liquid and a non-permeated liquid, in which the filtration device includes: a series non-permeated liquid flow channel that forms a series unit by connecting non-permeation sides of the plurality of separation membrane modules in series; and a parallel permeated liquid flow channel that forms a parallel unit by connecting permeation sides of the plurality of separation membrane modules in parallel.

Abstract: A cartridge type hollow-fiber membrane module of the present invention includes: a housing; a plurality of hollow fiber membranes housed in the housing; a first potting part which bundles first ends of the hollow fiber membranes while keeping the first ends open; a second potting part which bundles second ends of the hollow fiber membranes while keeping the second ends sealed; a fixing part which detachably fixes the first potting part to the housing; a sealing part which liquid-tightly seals a space between the first potting part and the housing; and a holding part which holds the second potting part so that the second potting part is detachable from the housing and so that liquids can pass through a space between the second potting part and the housing.

Abstract: A cartridge type hollow fiber membrane module includes: a cartridge type hollow fiber membrane element including a hollow fiber membrane bundle, a distribution cylinder, and an adhesive resin portion; a module case including a module case main body portion which has at least one port corresponding to a supply outlet of filtrate or an undiluted solution on a side surface, and a header which has a port corresponding to a supply outlet of filtrate or an undiluted solution, and accommodating the cartridge type hollow fiber membrane element; a first sealing member disposed to come into contact with the distribution cylinder and the header on an external side of a boundary surface between the supporting portion and the adhesive resin portion; and a second sealing member disposed to come into contact with an outer circumference portion of the distribution cylinder and the module case main body portion.

Abstract: A hollow-fiber membrane module of the invention includes: a cylindrical case having a first end and a second end in a height direction thereof; a hollow-fiber membrane bundle being housed in the cylindrical case and having a plurality of hollow-fiber membranes each closed at an end part on the first end side and opened at an end part on the second end side; a first binding part binding the end parts on the first end side of the hollow-fiber membranes; a first flow channel guiding fluid to pass through the first binding part from the first end side to the second end side of the first binding part; and a channel material directing, at a terminal on the second end side of the first flow channel, a flow of at least a part of the fluid flowing out from the terminal on the second end side of the first flow channel toward a direction intersecting the height direction of the cylindrical case.

Abstract: A method of producing a chemical includes culturing cells in a culture solution in a fermentor to ferment a feedstock to produce a chemical; supplying the culture solution containing the chemical produced in the culturing to a plurality of separation membrane units arranged in parallel; filtering the culture solution supplied in the supplying to separate a permeate containing the chemical; refluxing a retentate that is not filtered in the filtering to the fermentor; and supplying a gas containing oxygen to the plurality of separation membrane units while a supply amount is changed to at least two different values to perform scrubbing, wherein the supply amount and supply time of the gas containing oxygen supplied in the culturing and the supplying the gas are set so that a kLa value is within a predetermined range from an optimal kLa value for the cells cultured in the culturing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for operating a separation membrane module including a separation membrane having a first face and a second face, a liquid-to-be-filtrated flow channel along which liquid to be filtrated which is to be fed to the first face flows, and a permeated-liquid flow channel along which permeated liquid obtained from the second face flows, the method including: a filtration step of obtaining permeated liquid containing components that become insoluble when coming into contact with acids by feeding liquid to be filtrated to the liquid-to-be-filtrated flow channel; a first water substitution step of substituting liquid in the permeated-liquid flow channel with water, after the filtration step; a first chemical cleaning step of performing backwashing by causing an acidic chemical solution to flow from the second face toward the first face of the separation membrane, after the first water substitution step; and a second water substitution step of substituting liquid in the permeat

Abstract: A housing (30) of a hollow-fiber membrane module (101) is so configured as to have a small-diameter part (3B) having an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of a flow regulation cylinder (9) facing a part of the housing (30) on which a nozzle (8) is provided, and which is arranged on a lower side than a lower end of the flow regulation cylinder (9) in an axial direction of the hollow-fiber membrane module (101); or the flow regulation cylinder (9) is so configured as to have a small-diameter part (9G) which has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the flow regulation cylinder (9) facing the part of the housing (30) on which the nozzle (8) is provided, and which is arranged on a lower side than the existing region of the flow regulation holes (10) in the axial direction of the hollow-fiber membrane module (101).

Abstract: A cartridge type hollow fiber membrane module including a housing, a hollow-fiber membrane bundle having a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, a first potting part that bonds the hollow fiber membranes at at least one end of the bundle of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes such that the hollow fiber membranes are open, and a sealing material that fixes the first potting part to the housing liquid-tightly, wherein the first potting part comprises an inner potting part and an outer potting part, wherein the inner potting part and the outer potting part are both formed of a potting material, wherein the sealing material is in contact with the outer potting part, and wherein both the inner potting part and the outer potting part are formed in a sealing direction of the sealing material. The cartridge type hollow fiber membrane module is free of leakage and contamination due to separation of a potting material even when steam sterilization is performed.

Abstract: A method produces a chemical through continuous fermentation including: (a) culturing a cell in a culture medium in a fermentor to ferment a feedstock to produce a chemical; (b) conducting filtration of the culture medium with a separation membrane module; (c) separating a permeate containing the chemical from the culture medium while retaining a non-permeated liquid in the fermentor, and (d) supplying a gas from at least one of a lower portion of the separation membrane module and a pipe communicating between the fermentor and the separation membrane module to adjust a gas linear velocity in the separation membrane module to 0.15 cm/s to 70 cm/s while supplying the separation membrane module with a liquid.

Abstract: In order to efficiently transport a filtration target liquid to a separation membrane module and to facilitate additional simplification of equipment in a filtration device including the separation membrane modules in which a plurality of lines thereof are disposed in series, a filtration device according to the present invention is a filtration device including a plurality of separation membrane modules each of which separates a liquid to be filtrated into a permeated liquid and a non-permeated liquid, in which the filtration device includes: a series non-permeated liquid flow channel that forms a series unit by connecting non-permeation sides of the plurality of separation membrane modules in series; and a parallel permeated liquid flow channel that forms a parallel unit by connecting permeation sides of the plurality of separation membrane modules in parallel.

Abstract: A cartridge type hollow-fiber membrane module of the present invention includes: a housing; a plurality of hollow fiber membranes housed in the housing; a first potting part which bundles first ends of the hollow fiber membranes while keeping the first ends open; a second potting part which bundles second ends of the hollow fiber membranes while keeping the second ends sealed; a fixing part which detachably fixes the first potting part to the housing; a sealing part which liquid-tightly seals a space between the first potting part and the housing; and a holding part which holds the second potting part so that the second potting part is detachable from the housing and so that liquids can pass through a space between the second potting part and the housing.

Abstract: A method of producing a chemical includes culturing cells in a culture solution in a fermentor to ferment a feedstock to produce a chemical; supplying the culture solution containing the chemical produced in the culturing to a plurality of separation membrane units arranged in parallel; filtering the culture solution supplied in the supplying to separate a permeate containing the chemical; refluxing a retentate that is not filtered in the filtering to the fermentor; and supplying a gas containing oxygen to the plurality of separation membrane units while a supply amount is changed to at least two different values to perform scrubbing, wherein the supply amount and supply time of the gas containing oxygen supplied in the culturing and the supplying the gas are set so that a kLa value is within a predetermined range from an optimal kLa value for the cells cultured in the culturing.

Abstract: A method of sterilizing a separation membrane module using water vapor includes: a liquid supplying step of supplying a liquid having a boiling point of 80° C. or higher at atmospheric pressure to a secondary side of the separation membrane module such that a filling ratio of the liquid in a space surrounded by a filtration portion of a separation membrane is 70% or more, the filtration portion being used for filtration; a liquid sealing step of isolating the secondary side of the separation membrane module such that the filling ratio of the liquid supplied to the secondary side in the liquid supplying step is 70% or more; and a sterilization step of sterilizing the separation membrane module by supplying water vapor to a primary side of the separation membrane module while the secondary side of the separation membrane module is isolated.

Abstract: A cartridge type hollow fiber membrane module includes: a cartridge type hollow fiber membrane element including a hollow fiber membrane bundle, a distribution cylinder, and an adhesive resin portion; a module case including a module case main body portion which has at least one port corresponding to a supply outlet of filtrate or an undiluted solution on a side surface, and a header which has a port corresponding to a supply outlet of filtrate or an undiluted solution, and accommodating the cartridge type hollow fiber membrane element; a first sealing member disposed to come into contact with the distribution cylinder and the header on an external side of a boundary surface between the supporting portion and the adhesive resin portion; and a second sealing member disposed to come into contact with an outer circumference portion of the distribution cylinder and the module case main body portion.

Abstract: A method produces a concentrated aqueous sugar solution using a cellulose-containing biomass as a raw material, including: (1) hydrolyzing a cellulose-containing biomass to produce an aqueous sugar solution; (2) filtering the aqueous sugar solution obtained in (1) through a microfiltration membrane and/or an ultrafiltration membrane, and recovering an aqueous sugar solution from the permeate side; and (3) filtering the aqueous sugar solution obtained in (2) through a nanofiltration membrane and/or a reverse osmosis membrane, recovering a permeate from the permeate side and recovering a concentrated aqueous sugar solution from the feed side; wherein at least a part of the permeate from the nanofiltration membrane and/or the reverse osmosis membrane is used as a washing liquid in (1) and/or (2).