In this paper, aligned single wall carbon nanotubes/Polyacrylonitrile (SWNTs/PAN) nano fiber membranes were fabricated by a modified parallel electrode method (MPEM), in which a positively charged copper ring was placed between the needle and the parallel electrode collector. The permeability, thermal and wetting properties of aligned SWNTs/PAN membranes obtained by MPEM were investigated. And the experimental results showed that the addition of the SDBS-modified SWNTs could enhance hydrophilicity of PAN nanofiber membranes, and the alignment of composite membranes could improve the permeability and wetting properties. In addition, an illustration of wetting property was given through the geometric potential. The illustration was in good agreement with the experimental data, and showed the MPEM could make hydrophobic materials more hydrophobic and make hydrophilic materials more hydrophilic. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.