Abstract: An assembly includes a housing with opposite first and second layers. The first and second layers are spaced apart to define a confined interior space. A semi-permeable membrane is attached to the first layer, the semi-permeable membrane covering a porous area portion of the first layer. An outlet port and an inlet port are in fluid communication with the interior space. The assembly includes a first circulator for circulating a first fluid between the outlet port and the inlet port, and a second circulator for circulating a second fluid along an exterior surface of the semi-permeable membrane. The second circulator includes a fluid duct attached to or integrated within the housing. The fluid duct is isolated from the interior space and is porous to provide fluid access to an exterior surface of the semi-permeable membrane. The semi-permeable membrane forms a barrier allowing exchange of compounds across the membrane.

Abstract: A planar membrane cartridge includes a support and a semi-permeable membrane layer. The support includes a first layer attached to a second layer and defining a front face and a back face of the support. At least one of the first layer and the second layer form a first embossment and a second embossment. Respective back faces of the first layer and the second layer are attached to each other along edges of the first embossment and of the second embossment, such that the first embossment defines a fluid compartment between the first layer and the second layer and the second embossment defines an internal channel between the first layer and the second layer which is isolated from the fluid compartment. An area of the first layer corresponding to the first embossment is covered by the semi-permeable membrane layer.

Abstract: Methods use a catalytic composition built up from a ceramic material including a catalytic material and a first inorganic binder and a second inorganic binder and a catalytic structure made thereof. Preferably, the structure is made by a colloidal ceramic shaping technique. The structure is used for catalytic or ion exchange applications. The catalytic structures have excellent mechanical, physicochemical and catalytic properties.

Abstract: A catalytic composition is built up from a ceramic material including a catalytic material and a first inorganic binder and a second inorganic binder and a catalytic structure made thereof. Preferably, the structure is made by a colloidal ceramic shaping technique. The structure is usable for catalytic or ion exchange applications as well. It is demonstrated that the catalytic structures have excellent mechanical, physicochemical and catalytic properties.

Abstract: A system is for producing products, advantageously solvents, by fermentation, advantageously multi-stage fermentation. The fermentation is complemented with pervaporation as in situ product recovery technology, combined with a multistage condensation of the permeate. The condensates are separately introduced in the downstream processing of the system to recover the produced products, advantageously solvents. The system for producing products, advantageously solvents, by fermentation is simplified and has an overall improved energy efficiency, compared to systems described in the art.

Abstract: A method for producing products, advantageously solvents, is by fermentation, advantageously multi-stage fermentation. The fermentation is complemented with pervaporation as in situ product recovery technology, combined with a multistage condensation of the permeate. The condensates are separately introduced in the downstream processing to recover the produced products, advantageously solvents. The method for producing products, advantageously solvents, by fermentation is simplified and has an overall improved energy efficiency. A related system uses method for producing products, advantageously solvents, is by fermentation.

Abstract: A multi-stage heat engine having an evaporator, a condenser, expander stages; vapour compression stages; tanks for holding gaseous phases of a fluid. The compressor stages is adapted to compress the gaseous phase in the adjacent tank with a higher pressure than which occurred at expansion and to move the compressed fluid to the next adjacent tank at a higher pressure, the expander stages are adapted to expand a part of the compressed fluid in each tank, to expand the fluid in the adjacent tank at a lower pressure, the compressor and expander sections are adapted to output the gaseous phase at the highest pressure to the condenser and the liquid phase at the lowest pressure to the evaporator, where the output of the condenser are fed back to the tank at the highest pressure and the output of the evaporator is fed back to the tank at the lowest pressure.

Abstract: Soil treatment device for treating a contaminated soil and/or groundwater contained therein, comprising measuring means for measuring contamination of the soil, injecting means for injecting soil decontamination agents in the soil and a longitudinal soil penetration rod provided with a rod tip at an end of the soil penetration rod for moving the soil penetration rod into the soil, the outer surface of the soil penetration rod comprising a measuring section comprising at least one sensor of the measuring means for measuring contamination of the soil adjacent to the measuring section when moved into the soil and an injection section comprising at least one injection nozzle of the injecting means for injecting decontamination agent in the soil adjacent to the injection section, wherein the measuring section and the injection section are provided at longitudinally distinct locations of the soil penetration rod and in that the measuring section is closer to the rod tip than the injection section, characterized in

Abstract: Device for simultaneously determining a mass transport of a fluid and a mass transport of a substance dissolved in the fluid, comprising at least two cartridges filled with a porous matrix, and assembly means, configured to keep the cartridges together, characterized in that the top side and the bottom side of each cartridge are non-permeable and the side wall is permeable, and in that the assembly means are configured to keep the cartridges together according to a stack, in which the cartridges may be flowed through in parallel without cross-contamination.

Abstract: An assembly includes a housing with opposite first and second layers. The first and second layers are spaced apart to define a confined interior space. A semi-permeable membrane is attached to the first layer, the semi-permeable membrane covering a porous area portion of the first layer. An outlet port and an inlet port are in fluid communication with the interior space. The assembly includes a first circulator for circulating a first fluid between the outlet port and the inlet port, and a second circulator for circulating a second fluid along an exterior surface of the semi-permeable membrane. The second circulator includes a fluid duct attached to or integrated within the housing. The fluid duct is isolated from the interior space and is porous to provide fluid access to an exterior surface of the semi-permeable membrane. The semi-permeable membrane forms a barrier allowing exchange of compounds across the membrane.

Abstract: Assembly for treating fluids, comprising a support (12) having a first and second oppositely arranged surfaces (121) for backing support of a semi permeable membrane (11), a first fluid conveying compartments (124) interposed between the first and second surfaces, a plurality of first fluid passages (126) extending from the first surface (121) and being in fluid communication with the first compartments (124), and a first duct attached to the support (12) and in fluid communication with the first compartments. The assembly comprises a second compartment (125) arranged for conveying fluid and different from the first compartment, and a second duct attached to the support (12) and configured to be in fluid communication with the second compartment (125).

Abstract: A method and corresponding device, for monitoring a charge of a battery. The method obtains a battery current measurement value and a battery voltage measurement value, and applies a current integration method to update a primary charge estimate value representative of the charge stored in the battery by taking into account the battery current measurement value. The method further determines an ancillary charge estimate value representative of the charge stored in the battery using a battery model taking into account the battery voltage measurement value, and determines an error value for the ancillary charge estimate value, in which the error value expresses the reliability of the battery model. The method also applies a correction to the primary charge estimate value as function of the ancillary charge estimate value and the error value. Interpretation of the correction applied in this manner allows determination of current sensor offset and battery capacity change.

Abstract: A planar membrane cartridge includes a support and a semi-permeable membrane layer. The support includes a first layer attached to a second layer and defining a front face and a back face of the support. At least one of the first layer and the second layer form a first embossment and a second embossment. Respective back faces of the first layer and the second layer are attached to each other along edges of the first embossment and of the second embossment, such that the first embossment defines a fluid compartment between the first layer and the second layer and the second embossment defines an internal channel between the first layer and the second layer which is isolated from the fluid compartment. An area of the first layer corresponding to the first embossment is covered by the semi-permeable membrane layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for carrying out a cyclization reaction, a polymerization reaction, an enzymatic reaction showing substrate inhibition, an enzymatic reaction showing product inhibition, a reaction showing precipitation of the substrate or of a reactant, the process comprising the steps of a) diluting a fresh substrate with solvent to form a diluted substrate-solvent mixture, and supplying this mixture to a reactor, b) causing the reaction medium in the reactor to react, c) discharging reaction mixture comprising reaction product, solvent, and substrate that has not reacted, to a first filtration membrane which is permeable to the solvent and impermeable to the substrate and to the catalyst or at least one of the reactants, d) returning solvent from the permeate side of the first membrane to dilute the fresh substrate, and e) returning retentate comprising substrate which has not reacted, from the first filtration membrane to the reactor.

Abstract: A demand response adaptor is provided such that, depending on the device connected to the demand response adapter, the demand response control system can be provided with the second constraints corresponding to the device connected to the demand response adapter, wherein the demand response control system comprises software components for making the decision based on the first constraints, the second constraints and the third constraints, wherein the controller comprises software components for detecting the start of a program by analyzing the amount of electrical power used by the device in function of time detected by the sensor and wherein the controller of the adaptor comprises software components for switching the relay to the nonconductive state when the start of the program is detected until, based on the decision of the demand response control system, the controller switches the relay switch to the conductive state.

Abstract: The system comprises a controller comprising software components for determining the difference between the amount of energy determined by the smart grid agent to be delivered to and from the cluster over a predetermined period of time and the amount of energy measured by the meter actually delivered to the cluster over the predetermined period of time, the controller comprising software components for simulating a virtual smart grid participating device based on the determined difference and for providing the smart grid agent with information based on the determined difference such that the smart grid agent is configured to determine the amount of electrical energy in function of time to be delivered to and from the electrical grid for both the smart grid participating and non-participating devices of the cluster based on information of both the devices of the cluster and the smart grid and such that the difference is reduced.

Abstract: A method for determining in a sample solution the presence of a target nucleic acid of interest, where the target nucleic acid of interest differs from one or more other target nucleic acids by only one or two nucleotides. The method comprises providing a first plurality of different probes and a second plurality of different probes, performing hybridization, where the hybridization includes contacting the sample solution with each probe of the first and second plurality of probes, and detecting a hybridization signal for each probe with the sample solution, determining the hybridization free energy for the hybridization between each probe of the first and second plurality of probes and the target nucleic acid of interest, and determining the presence of the target nucleic acid of interest based on the relationship between the hybridization signals detected for the plurality of probes.

Abstract: A method of enhancing hydrophilicity of a hydrophobic polymer material includes pre-treating the hydrophobic polymer material. The pre-treating includes treating the hydrophobic polymer material with a first atmospheric pressure plasma discharge in a first atmosphere including carbon dioxide to obtain a pre-treated polymer material. The method includes treating the pre-treated polymer material with a second atmospheric pressure plasma discharge in a second atmosphere in which an aerosol of an amine is introduced; the amine includes at least one hydrocarbon substituent. A substrate is provided that includes a hydrophobic polymer material having a modified interface. The modified interface includes amine functional groups grafted on the hydrophobic polymer material, the modified interface having a surface energy, which, measured after immersion in water at 20° C. for 3 days, differs from a surface energy of the hydrophobic polymer material by 20 mN/m or less.

Abstract: A planar filtration element includes a planar support structure (11) and at least one filtration layer (12, 13) made of a membrane material. The planar support structure has first and second opposite outer surfaces (111, 112) spaced apart and secured by spacing members (113) to define a drainage compartment (114) between the first and second outer surfaces. At least one of the first and second outer surfaces includes through-openings (115) for fluid connection with the drainage compartment (114), and wherein the outer surfaces (111, 112), when one disregards the through-openings, are formed of a material extending continuously throughout the outer surfaces. The filtration layer (12, 13) coats the outer surface such that the membrane material penetrates the through-openings (115) to anchor the filtration layer (12, 13) to the support structure (11).

Abstract: A method of enhancing hydrophilicity of a hydrophobic polymer material includes pre-treating the hydrophobic polymer material, comprising treating the hydrophobic polymer material with a first atmospheric pressure plasma discharge in a first atmosphere. The first atmosphere includes ammonia to obtain a pre-treated polymer material. The method includes treating the pre-treated polymer material with a second atmospheric pressure plasma discharge in a second atmosphere in which an aerosol of a carboxylic acid is introduced. A substrate is provided as well, the substrate including a hydrophobic polymer material having a modified interface, wherein the modified interface includes carboxylic functional groups grafted on the hydrophobic polymer material, the modified interface having a contact angle with water, which, measured after immersion in water at 20° C. for 3 days, is at least 25° less than a contact angle with water of the hydrophobic polymer material.