Abstract: A filter and a device including the filter may include a filter and a plurality of pores arranged two-dimensionally on the filter. The plurality of pores may include a plurality of first pores having a longer structure in a certain direction and a plurality of second pores having a longer structure in a direction different from that of the first pore. The first and second pores may have a two-dimensional arrangement in order to suppress or prevent the occurrence of cracks in the filter due to stress.

Abstract: A water filter system with a filter housing, a filter media, a filter coupling, and a dynamic seal. The filter housing has a top plate and a bottom plate which are both water-permeable, as well as a cavity between the top plate and the bottom plate. The filter media is within the cavity of the filter housing and extends through the bottom plate of the filter housing. The filter coupling extends upward from the top plate and is configured to attach to a float with at least one air chamber. The dynamic seal is coupled to the filter housing along a perimeter of the filter housing and is configured to extend beyond a perimeter of the float, maintain contact with a wall of a water container, and restrict water from passing between the dynamic seal and the wall of the water container.

Abstract: A portable liquid filtration device includes a GPS tracking unit, a portable housing, an inlet configured to receive non-potable water, and an ozone chamber positioned within the portable housing. The ozone chamber is configured to generate an ozone gas from received air. The device also includes a filtration duct positioned within the portable housing and downstream from the inlet. The filtration duct includes at least one oxidation chamber configured to mix the received water with the ozone gas, and at least one ultraviolet (UV) chamber downstream from the at least one oxidation chamber and including a UV lamp positioned adjacent the water within the filtration duct. The device further includes an outlet positioned on the portable housing and downstream from the filtration duct. The filtration duct is operable to output at least 150 liters per hour of the received water from the outlet as potable water.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for treating waste generated from manufacturing operations including at least one of Printed Circuit Boards Fabrication (PCB FAB), General Metal Finishing (GMF), semiconductors manufacturing, chemical milling, and Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD). The method and system are used to create zero liquid discharge recycling.

Abstract: A method for filtering a protein-containing liquid containing protein at a concentration of 20 mg/mL or more and 100 mg/mL or less, the method including a prefiltration step of filtering the protein-containing liquid by a prefilter having a pore size of 0.08 ?m to 0.25 ?m and including a hydrophobic resin, and a virus removal step of filtering the protein-containing liquid by a virus removal membrane including a synthetic polymer, after the prefiltration step, wherein the protein-containing liquid before conducting the prefiltration step includes 0.25 g or more of a trimer or higher multimer of the proteins having an average diameter of less than 100 nm, per 1 m2 of the virus removal membrane.

Abstract: A high salinity water purification system and process, including a forward osmosis system and a reverse osmosis or nanofiltration system. A concentrated brine of a zinc or iron complex combined with a salt or acid draws pure water across the FO membrane from the influent water. The diluted brine is pumped through a vessel holding an anionic adsorption media to remove the zinc or iron complex and the resultant brine is passed through the RO or nanofiltration system to obtain purified water and a concentrated brine stream. The adsorption media is regenerated by a rinse cycle using fresh water or water from the RO system, removing the zinc or iron complex adhered to the media. The resultant brine is stored and mixed with the output of the RO system. Charged membrane can be used as a standalone membrane in FO process or in combination with resin or resin embedded membrane.

Abstract: A high-performance thin-film composite polyamide membrane upcycled from a substrate fouled with a biopolymer and a preparation method thereof are provided. The method includes fouling the substrate preferably with the biopolymer to obtain a composite of the substrate and a biopolymer foulant layer; then immersing the composite into a first solution formed by dissolving a polyamine monomer in water, followed by taking the composite out of the first solution and removing excess droplets from a surface of the composite; then immersing the composite treated in the previous step into a second solution formed by dissolving an acyl chloride monomer in n-hexane for interfacial polymerization to form a rejection layer on the surface of the composite; and after completion of the reaction, taking the composite out of the second solution, followed by drying and heat treatment, to obtain the target polyamide membrane.

Abstract: A non-oxidizing, buffered disinfectant concentrate is provided to be included in a solution used to disinfect a membrane. The solution applied to the membrane is configured to have a pH that is compatible with the membrane. The disinfectant concentrate includes an aqueous solvent; a hydrotrope; a strong acid surface cleanser; a biocidal active, preferably, at least two biocidal actives; a buffer agent; and, optionally, an anionic surfactant. The biodical active may be selected to function both as a biocide and as a weak acid/buffer combination. A disinfectant solution applied to the membrane includes from about 0.1 wt % to about 3.5 wt % of this disinfectant concentrate.

Abstract: A reactor that operates with ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) to attain UV photoreactions or UV photo-initiated reaction in a fluid flow for various applications, including water purification. The UV-LED reactor is comprised of a conduit means for passing fluid flow, an ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED), and a radiation-focusing element to focus the UV-LED radiation to the fluid in the longitudinal direction of the conduit. The UV-LED reactor may include photocatalysts or chemical oxidants, which are activated by UV emitted by UV-LEDs for photocatalytic and photo-initiated reactions.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed ion-exchange systems and devices that include composite ion-exchange membranes having 3D printed spacers on them. These 3D printed spacers can drastically reduce the total intermembrane spacing within the system/device while maintaining a reliable sealing surface around the exterior border of the membrane. By adding the spacers directly to the membrane using additive manufacturing, the amount of material used can be reduced without adversely impacting the manufacturability of the composite membrane as well as allow for complex spacer geometries that can reduce the restrictions to flow resulting in less pressure drop associated with the flow in the active area of the membranes.

Abstract: A water treatment membrane washing apparatus includes two ozone dissolving tanks for storing filtrate generated by filtering raw water through a water treatment membrane and gas aspirators provided for the respective ozone dissolving tanks, for mixing the filtrate with ozone gas supplied from an ozone supply unit to generate ozone gas containing filtrate, and is configured such that waste ozone gas generated in one of the ozone dissolving tanks is aspirated by the gas aspirator provided for the other ozone dissolving tank. After the filtrate from the raw water is pretreated by being mixed with the waste ozone gas in the aspirator, the pretreated filtrate is mixed with the ozone gas in the other ozone dissolving tank until it reaches a predetermined concentration. The ozone gas containing filtrate is supplied from the secondary side of the water treatment membrane to the primary side thereof to wash the eater treatment membrane.

Abstract: Techniques and systems for neutralizing discharge waters from ballast and/or cooling water biocidal treatment and disinfection systems are provided. The systems utilize, inter alia, oxidation reduction potential control to regulate the dechlorination of an electrocatalytically generated biocidal agent to allowable discharge levels in ship buoyancy systems and ship cooling water systems.

Abstract: A sand separation system and method for operating a sand separation system, in which the method includes separating sand from a fluid using a separator. The method includes, signaling for a blowdown unit to blowdown the separator, opening one or more blowdown valves of the blowdown unit coupled to the separator in response to the signaling, so as to blowdown the separator, and receiving the sand from the separator into a sand disposal unit. The sand passes through the one or more blowdown valves that are opened. The method includes measuring a weight of at least some of the sand that was separated in the separator using a load cell of the separator, a load cell of the sand disposal unit, or both, and determining a blowdown interval for subsequent blowdown operations of the separator based in part on the weight of the sand.

Abstract: Provided are spacers, ion-exchange devices comprising spacers, and methods of preparing spacers for improved fluid distribution and sealing throughout an ion-exchange device. These spacers can include an internal cavity surrounded by a perimeter of the spacer. The perimeter can have a first opening and a second opening within the perimeter, and the first opening and the second opening can be located on opposite sides of the internal cavity. The spacers can also have a first and second plurality of channels located within the perimeter, wherein each channel of the first and second plurality of channels extends from the internal cavity towards the first opening or the second opening.

Abstract: A hemodialysis machine comprising a fluid pathway for delivering a dialysate solution, wherein the fluid pathway comprises a pre-dialysis pathway and a post-dialysis pathway, a dialyser for dialysing patient's blood using the dialysate solution, the dialyser connected between the pre-dialysis pathway and the post-dialysis pathway, a first sensor system configured to sense a characteristic of the dialysate solution at a first location on the pre-dialysis pathway, a second sensor system configured to sense a characteristic of the dialysate solution at a second location on the post-dialysis pathway, and a control system configured to make a comparative analysis of the measurements taken by the first sensor and the second sensor for monitoring the composition of the dialysate solution.

Abstract: An osmotic food production system designed to produce fruits, vegetables, and freshwater from urine or saltwater. In some embodiments the osmotic food production system also produces oxygen. In some embodiments, the osmotic food production system is portable and capable of transporting on a vehicle capable of space travel. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to address the existing problems of food production, waste disposal/utilization, oxygen generation, and water conservation in an efficient way to allow for prolonged space travel or colonization of distant planets and moons.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetic separator in which even when content of a magnetic sludge in a liquid to be treated increases, recovery performance of the magnetic sludge is less likely to degrade and a malfunction of the device is less likely to occur. A part of an outer peripheral surface of a magnet drum is immersed in a flow of the liquid to be treated containing the magnetic sludge. A removing mechanism removes the magnetic sludge on the outer peripheral surface of the magnet drum from the outer peripheral surface of the magnet drum. A magnetic sludge containing information acquisition device acquires magnetic sludge containing information relating to a content of the magnetic sludge contained in the liquid to be treated. A control device changes a magnetic sludge removal capability of the magnet drum depending on the magnetic sludge containing information acquired by the magnetic sludge containing information acquisition device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for extraction of oils from botanical material using high-pressure hydrocarbons such as propane, or butane, or mixtures thereof are described. A high-pressure propane or butane saturated liquid/vapor mixture formed by pressure reduction through a valve placed before an extraction column, thereby serving as an expansion port was employed. The apparatus is capable of both continuous liquid extraction or batch-style liquid operation through the use of a manifold valve, which directs the solvent liquid/vapor in the system to either a supply tank or an extraction column.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for carbon dioxide removal and sequestration from ambient air or point source emissions by integration of four self-sufficient systems including a PEO renewable energy generation system, a desalination system, a pH-swing hydration or a direct hydration system, and a bicarbonate fixed, and alkalinity enhanced dense brine sequestration system, in which, the synergy between the PEO energy generation system and other three systems including provision of all needed renewable energy for operation of other three systems, the synergy between the desalination and other systems including provision of freshwater needed for the PEO energy generation system and the pH-swing system, as well as provision of a dense brine fluid from the desalination system to the pH-swing or the direct hydration system, and in the case of available freshwater supply where the desalination system can be avoided.

Abstract: A membrane separation pretreatment apparatus including a membrane separation unit and a first underwater plasma discharge unit disposed in front of the membrane separation unit is provided. The membrane separation pretreatment apparatus includes a membrane separation unit configured to remove particulate matter contained in raw water, and a first underwater plasma discharge unit disposed in front of the membrane separation unit and configured to cause a portion of the raw water to be introduced into the membrane separation unit to perform underwater plasma discharging.