Abstract: A water treatment system provides treated or softened water to a point of use by removing a portion of any hardness-causing species contained in water from a point of entry coming from a water source, such as municipal water, well water, brackish water and water containing foulants. The water treatment system typically treats the water containing at least some undesirable species before delivering the treated water to a point of use. The water treatment system has a reservoir system in line with an electrochemical device. The electrochemical device of the water treatment system is operated at a low current and low flow rate to minimize water splitting or polarization, which minimizes scale formation.

Abstract: Aspects and embodiments of the present application are direction to systems and methods for treating fluids and to systems and methods for cleaning membrane modules used in the treatment of fluids. Disclosed herein is a membrane filtration system and a method of operating same. The membrane filtration system comprises a plurality of membrane modules positioned in a feed tank, at least one of the membrane modules having a gas slug generator positioned below a lower header thereof, the gas slug generator configured and arranged to deliver a gas slug along surfaces of membranes within the at least one of the membrane modules and a global aeration system configured to operate independently from an aeration system providing a gas to the gas slug generator, the global aeration system configured and arranged to induce a global circulatory flow of fluid throughout the feed tank.

Abstract: Systems and methods for metering fluid flow are disclosed. A valve may generally include an orifice plate, and a disc positioned adjacent to the orifice plate. An orientation of the disc relative to the orifice plate is adjustable to regulate a fluid flow rate through the valve. An effective area of an aperture in the orifice plate may be manipulated to adjust the fluid flow rate. In some configurations, the valve may provide sonic flow control or differential pressure regulation. In some applications, a controller may adjust the orientation of the disc relative to the orifice plate to maintain a substantially constant pressure drop across the orifice plate in order to determine a fluid flow rate through the valve.

Abstract: The disclosed techniques involve electrical separation systems that allow recovery of species from feedstreams, typically aqueous solutions. The disclosed techniques can also provide electrical separation systems having reduced tendency to form scale especially when water is being purified to reduce the concentration of hardness-causing species.

Abstract: Porous polymeric membranes formed from a hydrophobic polymer, such as halar having membrane pores of a size sufficient to permit gas and/or vapor permeation 0.05 ?m to 5 ?m without permitting the flow of a hydrophilic fluid across the membrane. Pore distribution is uniform and porosity is high, in some cases up to 80%. Membranes may be in the form of a flay sheet or hollow fibre for example and can be used in a variety of applications such as stripping HF gas, degassing of caustic solution, chlorine gas/alkaline filtration, degassing tap water to remove dissolved chlorine. Processes used to make such membranes can be carried out using relatively non toxic solvents such as citric acid ethyl ester or glycerol triacetate.

Abstract: Systems and methods for wastewater treatment. A nitrate source may be dosed to a collection tank, such as a wet well, for downstream control of hydrogen sulfide levels in the wastewater. A source of a strong oxidizer may also be dosed to the wet well. The oxidizer, such as chlorite, may temporarily interrupt denitrification processes in the wet well to prevent floatation of undesirable constituents therein. The oxidizer dosage may be generally consistent with the nitrate dosage. An ORP sensor may facilitate regulation of dosing. The nitrate and the oxidizer may be present in a single mixture to be dosed to the wet well.

Abstract: Systems and methods for wastewater treatment. A nitrate source may be dosed to a collection tank, such as a wet well, for downstream control of hydrogen sulfide levels in the wastewater. A source of a strong oxidizer may also be dosed to the wet well. The oxidizer, such as chlorite, may temporarily interrupt denitrification processes in the wet well to prevent floatation of undesirable constituents therein. The oxidizer dosage may be generally consistent with the nitrate dosage. An ORP sensor may facilitate regulation of dosing. The nitrate and the oxidizer may be present in a single mixture to be dosed to the wet well.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating components of a fluid mixture. The apparatus includes a vortex generation zone shaped as an inverse truncated cone, a solids collection zone, a separation zone, one or more fluid inlets, one or more gas inlets, one or more fluid outlets, and one or more gas outlets. Gas is introduced into fluid in the vortex separation zone to facilitate the separation of components of the fluid mixture.

Abstract: A composting system for promoting aerobic microbial activity in a composting bed. The system includes at least one composting bay for receiving composting material and an agitator for aerating and displacing composting material as it travels through the composting bay. Compost produced by the system is used in place of traditional woody amendment material for mixing with incoming material to be composted.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for purifying water are provided. A feed water such as seawater can be fed to a filter such as a nanofiltration membrane to produce a permeate that can, in turn, be fed to an electrodeionization system to produce fresh water.

Abstract: A temperature transfer filter plate assembly for a filter press includes a temperature transfer filter plate in a filter plate assembly having a plate chamber for receiving heating or cooling fluid. A plurality of apertures extend through the filter plate to enable the flow of liquid therethrough. A filter frame includes a web or divider wall that receives temperature transfer filter plates on opposing sides thereof. The apertures of each temperature transfer filter plate open into respective collecting chambers defined by the inner wall of the temperature transfer filter plate and the divider wall. A flow path arrangement allows removal of the liquid from the collecting chambers in the temperature transfer filter plate assembly. The temperature transfer filter plates generally have inner and outer walls with a wavy or undulating configuration to form the plate chamber therebetween.

Abstract: Electrochemical devices and methods for acid and base generation are disclosed. A source of purified water is fluidly connected to at least one compartment of the device. A source of an ionic species, such as an acid or base precursor, is also provided to at least one compartment of the device. An applied electrical field promotes ion transport across selective membranes which at least partially define the compartments. The purified water may be dissociated into hydronium and hydroxyl ions in an electrolyzing compartment of the device. Acid and/or base product streams may be recovered as desired at outlets of the various compartments. In some embodiments, a bipolar membrane may be used to split water in place of the electrolyzing compartment.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a wastewater treatment system having a fluidizable media carrying anoxic bacteria in a first treatment zone and a filter membrane positioned in a second treatment zone. A wastewater is contacted with the fluidizable media and further contacted with air and a filter membrane.

Abstract: The invention relates to a membrane bioreactor process combined with an advanced biological sludge digestion process that provides significant improvements in sludge digestion by reducing the costs and resources required for disposing of digested sludge. The offline treatment vessel is used to solubilize the organic material by operating in a very low oxygen environment. Digested process fluid is transferred back to the membrane bioreactor. The processes and apparatus substantially reduce the production of waste sludge.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a wastewater treatment system having a fluidizable media carrying anoxic bacteria in a first treatment zone and a filter membrane positioned in a second treatment zone. A wastewater is contacted with the fluidizable media and further contacted with air and a filter membrane.

Abstract: A process for treating biological oxygen demand (BOD), nitrogen and phosphorus containing wastewater, wherein the process includes providing wastewater influent to an oxygen-deficit aeration zone having activated sludge and mixing the wastewater influent with the activated sludge in the oxygen-deficit aeration zone to form a mixed liquor. The process further includes transferring the mixed liquor from the oxygen-deficit aeration zone to an oxygen-surplus aeration zone and transferring a portion of the mixed liquor from the oxygen-surplus aeration zone to a membrane filter wherein a filtrate is separated from sludge. In addition, the process includes recycling at least a portion of the sludge to the oxygen-deficit aeration zone as recycled activated sludge.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for combination membrane/biolytic filtration. In one embodiment a filtration system is operated under suction. The arrangement includes a feed tan (5) having a smaller filtrate vessel (6) positioned therein. The region within, the feed tank (5) not occupied by the filtrate vessel (6) is partially filled with layers of decomposing and decomposed solid organic waste material to form an aerobic filter bed (7) of the type used in biolytic filtration as described above. A further module vessel (8) is mounted within the filtrate vessel (6) to form a membrane chamber (9) containing a membrane filtration module (10).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for purifying water are provided. A feed water such as seawater can be fed to a filter such as a microporous or nanofiltration membrane to produce a permeate that can, in turn, be fed to an electrodeionization system to produce fresh water.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for treating wastewater. The wastewater treatment system includes a bioreactor including activated carbon and a first biological population. The wastewater treatment system may also include a membrane bioreactor and/or a wet oxidation unit.

Abstract: A phosphorus removal system is operable to remove phosphorus from an influent. The system includes a first section receiving the influent and discharging a first flow. A first coagulant inlet is positioned upstream of the first section and is in fluid communication with the influent to introduce a first coagulant selected to precipitate phosphorus. A second section receives the first flow and discharges a second flow, and a third section receives the second flow and discharges an effluent. A second coagulant inlet is positioned downstream of the first section and upstream of the third section to introduce a second coagulant selected to precipitate phosphorus.