Abstract: A system, apparatus and method for concentrating a solution. The system includes a humidification device and a solution flow path for flow of a solution to be concentrated to the humidification device. The humidification device includes humidification media to facilitate evaporation of liquid from the solution to be concentrated to gas as the solution to be concentrated passes through the humidification media thereby concentrating the solution. The method includes flowing a solution to be concentrated along a flow path to a humidification device including humidification media, flowing a gas through the humidification media, and flowing the solution to be concentrated through the humidification media. There is evaporation of liquid from the solution to the gas as the solution passes through the humidification media thereby concentrating the solution and producing a humidified gas. The solution to be concentrated may be salt water and the gas may be air.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method for concentrating a solution. The system includes a humidification device and a solution flow path for flow of a solution to be concentrated to the humidification device. The humidification device includes humidification media to facilitate evaporation of liquid from the solution to be concentrated to gas as the solution to be concentrated passes through the humidification media thereby concentrating the solution. The method includes flowing a solution to be concentrated along a flow path to a humidification device including humidification media, flowing a gas through the humidification media, and flowing the solution to be concentrated through the humidification media. There is evaporation of liquid from the solution to the gas as the solution passes through the humidification media thereby concentrating the solution and producing a humidified gas. The solution to be concentrated may be salt water and the gas may be air.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method for concentrating a solution. The system includes a humidification device and a solution flow path for flow of a solution to be concentrated to the humidification device. The humidification device includes humidification media to facilitate evaporation of liquid from the solution to be concentrated to gas as the solution to be concentrated passes through the humidification media thereby concentrating the solution. The method includes flowing a solution to be concentrated along a flow path to a humidification device including humidification media, flowing a gas through the humidification media, and flowing the solution to be concentrated through the humidification media. There is evaporation of liquid from the solution to the gas as the solution passes through the humidification media thereby concentrating the solution and producing a humidified gas. The solution to be concentrated may be salt water and the gas may be air.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method for concentrating a solution. The system includes a humidification device and a solution flow path for flow of a solution to be concentrated to the humidification device. The humidification device includes humidification media to facilitate evaporation of liquid from the solution to be concentrated to gas as the solution to be concentrated passes through the humidification media thereby concentrating the solution. The method includes flowing a solution to be concentrated along a flow path to a humidification device including humidification media, flowing a gas through the humidification media, and flowing the solution to be concentrated through the humidification media. There is evaporation of liquid from the solution to the gas as the solution passes through the humidification media thereby concentrating the solution and producing a humidified gas. The solution to be concentrated may be salt water and the gas may be air.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and plant for desalinating saltwater and contaminated saltwater. The apparatus includes a stack and a manifolding assembly. The stack includes a product chamber, a first and second concentrate chamber, an anion exchange membrane forming a boundary between the first concentrate chamber and the product chamber and a cation exchange membrane forming a boundary between the second concentrate chamber and the product chamber. The manifolding assembly includes product and concentrate manifolding fluidly coupled to the product and concentrate chambers respectively, to convey a saltwater being desalinated to and away from the product chamber, and a concentrate to and away from the concentrate chambers. The stack may include a diluent chamber and adjacent anion or cation exchange membranes between the product chamber, diluent chamber and concentrate chamber to respectively convey anions or cations across multiple chambers.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed at a system, apparatus and method for concentrating a solution. The system includes a humidification device and a solution flow path for flow of a solution to be concentrated to the humidification device. The humidification device includes humidification media to facilitate evaporation of liquid from the solution to be concentrated to gas as the solution to be concentrated passes through the humidification media thereby concentrating the solution. The method includes flowing a solution to be concentrated along a flow path to a humidification device including humidification media, flowing a gas through the humidification media, and flowing the solution to be concentrated through the humidification media. There is evaporation of liquid from the solution to the gas as the solution passes through the humidification media thereby concentrating the solution and producing a humidified gas. The solution to be concentrated may be salt water and the gas may be air.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed at a system, apparatus and method for concentrating a solution. The system includes a humidification device and a solution flow path for flow of a solution to be concentrated to the humidification device. The humidification device includes humidification media to facilitate evaporation of liquid from the solution to be concentrated to gas as the solution to be concentrated passes through the humidification media thereby concentrating the solution. The method includes flowing a solution to be concentrated along a flow path to a humidification device including humidification media, flowing a gas through the humidification media, and flowing the solution to be concentrated through the humidification media. There is evaporation of liquid from the solution to the gas as the solution passes through the humidification media thereby concentrating the solution and producing a humidified gas. The solution to be concentrated may be salt water and the gas may be air.

Abstract: A process for producing a resilient ion exchange membrane. The process comprises the steps of (1) selecting a porous matrix, (2) saturating the porous matrix with a homogenous solution comprising a mixture of: (i) a hydrophilic ionic monomer, (ii) a hydrophobic cross-linking oligomer and/or a comonomer, (iii) a free radical initiator, and (iii) a solvent for solubilizing the hydrophilic ionic monomer, the hydrophobic cross-linking oligomer and/or comonomer, and the free radical initiator into a homogenous mixture.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed at a compression device for compressing a stack to prevent leaks and at an apparatus including the stack and the compression device. The stack includes a pair of rigid end plates located at opposing ends of the stack, a plurality of membrane bounded compartments layered between one of the rigid end plates and the other of the rigid end plates and fluid manifolds extending through the membrane bound compartments. The compression device is fixedly coupled to opposing ends of the pair of rigid end plates and includes compression members movable to compress one of the rigid end plates towards the other of the rigid end plates. The compression members are positioned to apply force to the stack in the vicinity of the fluid manifolds.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed at a modular apparatus for a saltwater desalinating system, and a method for using same. The apparatus includes multiple internal modules that are compressively coupled to each other. Each of the internal modules includes a pair of rigid end plates located at opposing ends of the internal module, and a stack of membrane bounded compartments that are layered from one of the end plates to the other. The modular apparatus can be used in a membrane based desalination system, which includes concentration difference energy systems, electrodialysis reversal systems, and membrane distillation systems. The modular apparatus helps to mitigate problems such as leakage and buckling in such systems, and can be used to increase membrane packing density and, accordingly, desalination efficiency.

Abstract: Described herein are a method and system for desalinating saltwater using concentration difference energy. A “five stream” dialytic stack is described that can be used to desalinate saltwater at a relatively high recovery ratio. The dialytic stack may include, for example, one or more drive cells having a paired concentrate and a diluent-c chamber in ionic communication with a product chamber that is adjacent to an anion and a cation discharge chamber each filled with diluent-p. The drive cell applies a drive voltage across the product chamber, and when the drive voltage exceeds a desalination voltage of the product chamber, the saltwater in the product chamber is desalinated. The dialytic stack may accept brine discharged from a first desalination plant as saltwater to be desalinated. Processing the brine in the dialytic stack may decrease its volume, decreasing costs associated with treating or otherwise disposing of the brine.

Abstract: Described herein are a method and system for desalinating saltwater using concentration difference energy. A “five stream” dialytic stack is described that can be used to desalinate saltwater at a relatively high recovery ratio. The dialytic stack may include, for example, one or more drive cells having a paired concentrate and a diluent-c chamber in ionic communication with a product chamber that is adjacent to an anion and a cation discharge chamber each filled with diluent-p. The drive cell applies a drive voltage across the product chamber, and when the drive voltage exceeds a desalination voltage of the product chamber, the saltwater in the product chamber is desalinated. The diluent-p may be at a lower ionic concentration than the diluent-c, which may be at a lower concentration than the concentrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for desalinating saltwater using concentration difference energy is disclosed. In order to desalinate saltwater that is contained within a product chamber, a drive cell is used to generate a drive voltage. The product chamber has a desalination voltage such that when a sufficient voltage is applied to the product chamber, anions and cations migrate out of the product chamber, thereby desalinating the water. The sufficient voltage, which includes the drive voltage and which is equal to or greater than the desalination voltage, is applied to the product chamber, consequently effecting desalination. Beneficially, concentration difference energy can be generated using a concentrated solution, which can be generated using, for example, solar energy.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed at a modular apparatus for a saltwater desalinating system, and a method for using same. The apparatus includes multiple internal modules that are compressively coupled to each other. Each of the internal modules includes a pair of rigid end plates located at opposing ends of the internal module, and a stack of membrane bounded compartments that are layered from one of the end plates to the other. The modular apparatus can be used in a membrane based desalination system, which includes concentration difference energy systems, electrodialysis reversal systems, and membrane distillation systems. The modular apparatus helps to mitigate problems such as leakage and buckling in such systems, and can be used to increase membrane packing density and, accordingly, desalination efficiency.

Abstract: Described herein are a method and system for desalinating saltwater using concentration difference energy. A “five stream” dialytic stack is described that can be used to desalinate saltwater at a relatively high recovery ratio. The dialytic stack may include, for example, one or more drive cells having a paired concentrate and a diluent-c chamber in ionic communication with a product chamber that is adjacent to an anion and a cation discharge chamber each filled with diluent-p. The drive cell applies a drive voltage across the product chamber, and when the drive voltage exceeds a desalination voltage of the product chamber, the saltwater in the product chamber is desalinated. The diluent-p may be at a lower ionic concentration than the diluent-c, which may be at a lower concentration than the concentrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for desalinating saltwater using concentration difference energy is disclosed. In order to desalinate saltwater that is contained within a product chamber, a drive cell is used to generate a drive voltage. The product chamber has a desalination voltage such that when a sufficient voltage is applied to the product chamber, anions and cations migrate out of the product chamber, thereby desalinating the water. The sufficient voltage, which includes the drive voltage and which is equal to or greater than the desalination voltage, is applied to the product chamber, consequently effecting desalination. Beneficially, concentration difference energy can be generated using a concentrated solution, which can be generated using, for example, solar energy.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for desalinating saltwater using concentration difference energy is disclosed. In order to desalinate saltwater that is contained within a product chamber, a drive cell is used to generate a drive voltage. The product chamber has a desalination voltage such that when a sufficient voltage is applied to the product chamber, anions and cations migrate out of the product chamber, thereby desalinating the water. The sufficient voltage, which includes the drive voltage and which is equal to or greater than the desalination voltage, is applied to the product chamber, consequently effecting desalination. Beneficially, concentration difference energy can be generated using a concentrated solution, which can be generated using, for example, solar energy.