A method is provided for measuring the local hydraulic permeability, Lpi,
of a sub-group of hollow fibres of a bundle of hollow fibres mounted in a
tubular casing. The method comprises a step of placing the casing
containing the bundle in a vertical position, the lateral opening of the
casing being disposed toward the bottom, and sealing the lower end of the
casing. A graduated, calibrated tube is applied in a vertical position
over a portion of the upper cut surface of the bundle to form a sealed
connection there between. A liquid is passed through the lateral opening
of the casing at a defined flow rate, and the time required for the
liquid to pass from a first graduation to a second graduation of the tube
is measured. Lpi can then be calculated from the formula Lpi=V/tPSi in
which; V represents the volume of the tube between the two graduations; t
represents the time that the liquid takes to pass from the first
graduation to the second graduation of the tube; P represents the
transmembrane pressure; and Si represents the surface area of the hollow
fibres belonging to the sub-group under consideration for the
measurement.