Hollow Fiber Membrane Module, Hollow Fiber Membrane Module Unit, Membrane Filtration Device Using the Same, and Method of Operating the Same

Abstract

A hollow fiber membrane module using a sheet-form hollow fiber membrane having excellent cleaning properties in which the pressure resistance of a hollow fiber membrane anchor section does not deteriorate, even when the membrane area increases; a hollow fiber membrane module unit using the module; a membrane filtration device using the unit; and an operation method therefor are provided. The hollow fiber membrane module comprises sheet-form hollow fiber membranes and an anchoring member which anchors the sheet-form hollow fiber membranes in a roughly parallel manner while maintaining in an open state at least one end portion of the sheet-form hollow fiber membranes. The shape of an end face of a side of the anchoring member from which the hollow fiber membranes are exposed is roughly rectangular, and the shape of an end face of a side of the anchoring member toward which the hollow fiber membranes open is roughly circular.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
   
   
       12 . A method of operating a membrane filtration device comprising a membrane module unit disposed in a water tank, the method comprising the steps of:
 forming the membrane module unit by a plurality of hollow fiber membrane modules;   forming the hollow fiber membrane modules such that a plurality of sheet-form hollow fiber membranes are fastened substantially parallel to each other by an anchoring member with at least one end of the sheet-form hollow fiber membranes being left open, the anchoring member having a first side and an opposing second side, a first end face that is substantially rectangular on said first side where outer surfaces of the hollow fiber membranes are exposed at said first end face, and a second end face that is substantially circular on said second side of said anchoring member where the at least one end of the hollow fiber membranes left open is at said second face;   setting S (m 2 ), being a membrane area of the membrane module unit, J (m/d), being a filtration flux, T (h), being a filtration time, N, being the number of cycles per draining of water, D (m 3 ), being the volume of draining, J′ (m/d), being the backwash flux, and T′(h), being the backwash time so as to satisfy the following relationship
     N≧ 22.8 D/{S (0.05 JT−J′T ′)}  Equation (4); 
   
     and
 operating the membrane filtration device.