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Apparatus for separating one gas from a mixture of gases wherein a cylindrical shell having openings for admitting and discharging a mixture of gases surrounds a bundle of hollow fiber membranes which extend through a tube sheet mounted in one end of the cylindrical shell. A resilient sheet in the f

Apparatus for separating one gas from a mixture of gases wherein a cylindrical shell having openings for admitting and discharging a mixture of gases surrounds a bundle of hollow fiber membranes which extend through a tube sheet mounted in one end of the cylindrical shell. A resilient sheet in the form of a slit tube surrounds the bundle of fibers and is attached at one end thereof to the tube sheet. The remainder of the slit tube is free of restraint such that it is expanded into contact with the inner surface of the shell. In a preferred embodiment, the slit tube is secured to a tubular distribution element having one end thereof positioned inside the slit tube and the other end thereof secured to the tube sheet, the distribution element being provided with ports for allowing the gas mixture to enter the bundle of fibers.

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1. Apparatus for separating one gas from a mixture of gases, comprising a. a cylindrical shell having an inlet for admitting a gas mixture into the shell and an outlet for discharge of unpermeated gases from the shell, b. a bundle of hollow fiber membranes positioned in the shell, said membranes

1. Apparatus for separating one gas from a mixture of gases, comprising a. a cylindrical shell having an inlet for admitting a gas mixture into the shell and an outlet for discharge of unpermeated gases from the shell, b. a bundle of hollow fiber membranes positioned in the shell, said membranes being more permeable to one of the gases of the mixture than the others, c. a tube sheet positioned in the shell at one end of the bundle of hollow fibers, said fibers extending through the tube sheet, and d. a resilient sheet having the form of a slit tube positioned in the shell in a position surrounding the bundle of fibers, one end of said slit tube being secured to the tube sheet, the remainder of said slit tube being free of restraint and expanded into contact with the inner surface of the shell. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the slit tube normally has a diameter greater than the inner diameter of the shell. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical shell has an enlarged portion at one end thereof, said tube sheet being positioned in said enlarged portion, a tubular distribution element secured to the tube sheet and extending into the end of the slit tube, said slit tube being secured to the tubular distribution element, said tubular distribution element having therein a port for admitting the gas mixture from the shell into the bundle of fibers, said inlet in the shell being in said enlarged portion. 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the length of the tubular element is less than the length of the enlarged portion of the shell. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the outer diameter of the tubular element is at least as great as the inner diameter of the shell such that the slit tube is held in contact with the inner surface of said one end of said cylindrical shell. 6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the outer diameter of the tubular element is greater than the inner diameter of the cylindrical shell. 7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the edges of the resilient sheet from which the slit tube is formed are overlapped. 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the port is positioned such that ##EQU##0.4≤l/D≤1.3 ##EQU##0.2≤d/D≤0.6 where d is the distance from the tube sheet to said port, l is the distance from the tube sheet to the inlet in the shell and D is the diameter of the bundle of fibers. 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said tubular element is provided with a plurality of said ports arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said tubular element. 10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said outlet is at the end of the shell remote from said enlarged end portion. 11. Apparatus for separating one gas from a mixture of gases, comprising a. a cylindrical shell having an enlarged end portion, said end portion having therein an inlet for admitting the gas mixture into the shell, b. a bundle of hollow fiber membranes positioned in the shell, said membranes being more permeable to one of the gases of the mixture than the other, c. a tube sheet positioned in said enlarged end portion, said fibers extending through said tube sheet, the opposite ends of said fibers being sealed, d. a first cover plate secured to the enlarged end portion for closing said end portion, said cover plate having therein an outlet opening for permeated gas, e. an annular element secured to the tube sheet at the end of the shell and having a flange positioned between the cover plate and the enlarged end portion for holding the tube sheet, f. a ring secured to the tube sheet inside said enlarged end portion, g. a tube secured to the ring in a position surrounding the tube sheet, h. a tubular distribution element secured to the ring and extending into said enlarged end portion, said distribution element having therein a port for admitting the gas mixture from the shell into the bundle of fibers, i. a resilient sheet having the form of a slit tube positioned in the shell in a position surrounding the bundle of fibers, the end of the slit tube surrounding the end of the tubular distribution element, j. a clamp for holding the end of the slit tube on the end of the distribution element, the remainder of the slit tube being free and expanded into contact with the inner surface of the shell, and k. a second cover plate secured to the cylindrical shell adjacent to the sealed ends of the fibers and having therein an outlet for discharging unpermeated gases from the shell.