Abstract: Contaminating water and/or fuel material may be removed from a stream of internal combustion engine lubricating oil being circulated over parts of an operating engine. A suitable membrane material is supported in a suitable housing. At least a portion of the oil stream is flowed over one side of the membrane and water and/or fuel material diffuses through the membrane to its other side where they are gathered and removed from the housing. The water and fuel material may be recovered separately using different membranes or different regions of a membrane. They may be swept from the membranes and housings using streams of flowing air heated to a pre-selected temperatures using waste engine heat for disposition outside the housing. Application of this practice to other membrane-separable mixtures is described.

Abstract: A system for regulating a reverse osmosis system to obtain zero wastewater. A reverse osmosis apparatus filters water from the fresh water supply into a concentrate rinse stream and a permeate rinse stream. A concentrate storage tank and a permeate storage tank are downstream of the reverse osmosis apparatus and receive the concentrate rinse stream and the permeate rinse stream, respectively. A concentrate solenoid valve and a permeate solenoid valve control the flow of the concentrate rinse stream and the permeate rinse stream from their respective storage tank. An institutional dishmachine receives the concentrate rinse stream and the permeate rinse stream during a rinse cycle of the institutional dishmachine. A control system is operatively connected to the concentrate solenoid valve and the permeate solenoid valve and control flow of the rinse streams into the institutional dishmachine.

Abstract: SAPO-34 membranes and methods for their preparation and use are described. The SAPO-34 membranes are prepared by contacting at least one surface of a porous membrane support with a synthesis gel comprising a first and a second templating agent. SAPO-34 crystals having a narrow size distribution were applied to the surface of the support prior to synthesis. A layer of SAPO-34 crystals is formed on at least one surface of the support. SAPO-34 membranes of the invention can have improved selectivity for certain gas mixtures, including mixtures of carbon dioxide and methane.

Abstract: A filter includes a membrane having a plurality of nanochannels formed therein. Functionalized nanoparticles are deposited through self assembly onto surfaces defining the nanochannels so as to decrease the final diameter of the membrane. Methods for making and using the filter are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method of producing an integral multilayered porous membrane by simultaneously co-casting a plurality of polymer solutions onto a support to form a multilayered liquid sheet and immersing the sheet into a liquid coagulation bath to effect phase separation and form a porous membrane. The support can be a temporary support or form an integrated support for the membrane. The plurality of layers may be of the same polymer or different, same concentration or viscosity or different and may be subjected to the same processing conditions or different ones to form unique structures.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method of producing an integral multilayered porous membrane by simultaneously co-casting a plurality of polymer solutions onto a support to form a multilayered liquid sheet and immersing the sheet into a liquid coagulation bath to effect phase separation and form a porous membrane. The support can be a temporary support or form an integrated support for the membrane. The plurality of layers may be of the same polymer or different, same concentration or viscosity or different and may be subjected to the same processing conditions or different ones to form unique structures.

Abstract: A water supply system in accordance with the invention includes pumping in which there is a mechanical co-dependency between the generations of liquid-draw pressure and filtration-drive pressure, but a hydraulic dependency of the application of the filtration-drive pressure upon release of water from the liquid-draw pressure. In one preferred embodiment, the system is enabled by a retrofit assembly in which a second, filtration-drive pump is mechanically connected to the pump handle of a water intake pump. The retrofit assembly may include multiple arms and hinge points for coupling the second pump to the pump handle, as well as a flow path from the output of the water intake pump to the input of the second pump and a flow path from the second pump to a filtration system. The flow path between the two pumps typically includes an unfiltered water outlet.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for the purification of a liquid by membrane distillation comprising: passing a heated vapourising stream of a liquid (retentate stream) through a retentate channel along a porous hydrophobic membrane (10), whereby vapour of the liquid flows via the pores of the membrane to the other side of said membrane, and condensing said vapour on the other side of said membrane to give a distillate stream in a distillate channel (5) which distillate is created by passing the heat of condensation (latent heat) towards a condenser surface (3), said condenser surface forming a non-porous separation between a feed stream of the liquid to be purified and said distillate stream, which feed stream is passed through a feed channel (2) in counter-current with the retentate stream, in which feed channel a space material (4) is arranged whereby at least part of the latent heat is transferred via the condenser surface to the feed stream, and whereby a positive liquid pressure difference is applied be

Abstract: The invention discloses a nano-fiber material, wherein the nano-fiber material is formed by spinning an ionic polymer into a nano-fiber nonwoven, and the ionic polymer is represented by the formula: wherein: R1 includes phenyl sulfonate or alkyl sulfonate; R2 includes R3 includes and m/n is between 1/50 and 50/1, q?0.

Abstract: Devices and methods for producing purified water. The device includes a reverse osmosis subsystem, a dehumidification subsystem and a purified water storage tank fluidly coupled to the subsystems such that purified water produced by each can be locally stored. A vehicular platform, such as a ship, can be used to locate the device adjacent a supply of saline water and humid air. A saline water inlet, membrane and purified water outlet cooperate in the reverse osmosis subsystem to allow preferential passage of water relative to salt in a saline water supply, while the dehumidification subsystem includes a heat exchanger that extracts moisture from the ambient humid air. Purified water produced by each of the subsystems can be used as a potable water source.

Abstract: A hydrothermally stable, microporous organic-inorganic hybrid membrane based on silica, having an mean pore diameter of between 0.2 and 1.5 nm, is characterised in that between 5 and 40 mole % of the Si—O—Si bonds have been replaced by moieties having the one of the formulas: Si—{[CmH(n-1)X]—Si—}q, Si—[CmH(n-2)X2]—Si or Si—CmHn—Si{(CmHn)—Si—}y in which m=1-8, n=2m, 2m?2, 2m?4, 2m?6 or 2m?8; provided that n?2, X=H or (CH2)pSi, p=0 or 1, and q=1, 2, 3 or 4. The membrane can be produced by acid-catalysed hydrolysis of suitable bis-silane precursors such as bis(trialkoxysily)alkanes, preferably in the presence of monoorganyl-silane precursors such as trialkoxy-alkylsilanes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a water-proof sound-transmitting membrane including a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) porous membrane, in which the waterproofness is enhanced further with little lowering of the sound transmittance. The water-proof sound-transmitting membrane includes the PTFE porous membrane. The PTFE porous membrane includes a first porous layer, and a second porous layer stacked on and integrated with the first porous layer by a binding force acting between PTFE matrices. The first porous layer and the second porous layer each are composed of PTFE with a number-average molecular weight of 5.0×107 or more determined by a standard specific gravity method. At least one layer selected from the first porous layer and the second porous layer has an average pore diameter of 1 ?m or less. The water-proof sound-transmitting membrane has a surface density of 1 g/m2 to 10 g/m2.

Abstract: A fluid separation method for performing fluid analysis of an unfiltered fluid. The fluid separation method includes providing a structure with a fluid analyzer and a power supply. Using a substrate for receiving a fluid flow stream of a multiphase mixture through a fluid sample inlet, wherein the substrate interconnects with the structure. Providing a membrane disposed across the fluid sample inlet for separating a fluid of interest from the multiphase mixture, wherein the fluid flow stream of the multiphase mixture has a shear rate that prevents a fouling of the membrane. Finally, the fluid separation method includes the substrate having fabricated channels, such that the fabricated channels are arranged substantially tangent to the fluid stream downstream of the porous membrane.

Abstract: A hollow fiber membrane module characterized by having a tubular module case; a bundle of a multiplicity of hollow fiber membranes housed in the module case; adhesively fixing parts for fixing both side edge portions of the bundle in the module case in such a fashion that raw fluid can pass through the interior of the hollow fiber membranes; a permeated fluid communication part adapted for passable connection between both end faces outside the adhesively fixing parts by a pipe of diameter significantly larger than that of the hollow fiber membranes; and a raw fluid distribution supply part capable of feeding the raw fluid into the module case at one of the adhesively fixing parts, wherein the raw fluid distribution supply part has multiple raw fluid introduction holes made in hollow fiber membrane interspaces so as to be able to supply the raw fluid along the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membranes.

Abstract: A hollow-fiber membrane assembly having the function of preventing the membrane filaments from cracking, which comprises: hollow-fiber membrane filaments (1), protective film(s) (2) and fastening material (3), wherein the protective film (2) enwraps the outside of the hollow-fiber membrane filament(s) (1) near the end head (5), and a portion of the protective film (2) is immobilized in the fastening material (3), while the rest portion of the protective film (2) outside of the fastening material (3) is left free.

Abstract: Water treatment method and apparatus according to which supply water containing dissolved matter is delivered to at least one treatment surface. An electric field is created in the vicinity of the treatment surface to cause a hydration layer to be established due to the bipolar nature of the water molecules. Water is then extracted from the hydration layer. Such extraction may be effected by osmosis or by removal of the element (s) from the supply water with the hydration layer water thereon, dehydration layer water subsequently being extracted from the element (s). The method has been devised to reduce energy consumption for the purpose of providing potable water from seawater.

Abstract: A method of forming an energy storage device includes forming a fill hole in a wall of the energy storage device. The method also includes deforming the wall of the energy storage device to reduce a width of the fill hole. Moreover, the method includes sealing the fill hole.

Abstract: A nano-hole array for improving contact conductance of a conductor element that consists of a first layer and a second layer is provided. The nano-hole array formed between the first and second layers comprises a plurality of holes. The contact conductance of the conductor element is enhanced by reducing the hole size of the hole array, increasing the occupation rate of the hole array, and performing thermal annealing.

Abstract: A system, method and device are disclosed for bio-processing a feed stream providing a constant output by operating a continuous single-pass tangential-flow process. Embodiments are operated without large circulation pumps. Other embodiments use components which can be disposed after a single use. The system, method and device can also be used to provide constant output diafiltration.

Abstract: A separation module and method are disclosed for processing a liquid sample and providing high conversion by operating a single-pass tangential-flow process without a recirculation loop. In one embodiment, the separation module includes three reservoirs and has at least one long, thin channel with a large ratio of channel membrane area to: channel void volume; volume of a sample feed reservoir; and volume of the feed sample. In another embodiment, the separation module includes two reservoirs and a hydrophobic vent. The single-pass process provides high conversion while operating with relatively low pressure sources.