Abstract: In one aspect the invention provides a fluid treatment apparatus for treating contaminated fluid. The apparatus comprises a container having base member and a peripheral containment wall and defining a total interior volume. The apparatus further comprises at least one container inlet to receive said contaminated fluid, at least one container outlet to discharge water separated from said contaminated fluid, a separation region suitable to receive said contaminated fluid, to allow separation of said contaminated fluids into less dense contaminants, water and denser contaminants, and to store said denser contaminants as a sediment layer on the base member. The apparatus further comprises a water collection region suitable to receive water from the separation region and direct said water to said at least one container outlet, and an oil collection region, suitable to receive less dense contaminants from the separation region.

Abstract: A process for dewatering biomass material comprising polysaccharide and water. The process comprises wetting the biomass material with a wetting composition comprising an alcohol to form a biomass slurry comprising wetted biomass material and a liquid component, mechanically separating a portion of the liquid component from the biomass slurry, and mechanically separating at least a portion of the water from the wetted biomass material. A process for extracting polysaccharide from the biomass material and a dewatered biomass material are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for reacting and separating solid and fluid components includes a series of sequential simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography columns connected to form a circulation loop. Each SMB chromatography column includes an inlet and an outlet. A reactor is configured to receive a solid reactant and has an inlet and an outlet, and the reactor inlet is fluidly connected to an outlet of a first SMB chromatography column of the series of sequential SMB chromatography columns. The reactor outlet is fluidly connected to an inlet of a second SMB chromatography column of the series of sequential SMB chromatography columns.

Abstract: A method of pre-treating a cellulosic material before hydrolysis is provided. The method comprises the steps of: impregnating the cellulosic material with a reactive water-soluble gas, such as sulphur dioxide (SO2) or carbon dioxide (CO2), in an impregnation chamber to obtain impregnated material; and heating the impregnated material to obtain pre-treated material, wherein the cellulosic material is compressed right before or when it is transferred to the impregnation chamber. A corresponding system is also provided.

Abstract: A hydroclone comprising: a tank (12) including a fluid inlet (14), a filtered fluid outlet (16) and an inner peripheral wall (22) enclosing at least one chamber (24); a filter assembly (26) located within the chamber (24) and comprising a circular filter screen (27) centered about an axis (X); and a cleaning assembly (48) comprising at least one cleaning member (52) biased against and adapted to rotate about the periphery (29) of the filter screen (27); and at least one of: a) the filter screen (27) is reversibly deformable a radial distance (D) of from 0.1 to 10 times the average pore size by the cleaning member (52) biased against the periphery (29) of the filter screen (27); and b) a compressive member (58) providing a continuous radially inward force that biases the cleaning member (52) against the periphery (29) of the filter screen (27).

Abstract: Magnetic filter systems may be constructed with various arrangements of permanent magnets, including but not limited to checkerboard and spiral arrangements. When coupled to a conventional filter, exemplary magnetic filter systems capture ferrous particulates against the outer wall of the conventional filter by magnetic attraction, thereby reducing the number of particulates in a fluid stream and improving the quality of the filtered fluid.

Abstract: A magnetic filter includes a stack of magnetic filter elements having a central flow channel comprising at least one flow opening in the magnetic filter elements and a series of flow gaps between adjacent magnetic filter elements, each magnetic filter element comprising one or more magnets enclosed within a non-magnetic housing. There is an end cap at a second end of the stack of magnetic filter elements, the end cap closing the central flow channel at the second end such that flow is redirected in parallel flows through the flow gaps between the magnetic filter elements. There is an attachment at a second end of the stack of magnetic filter elements, the attachment attaching the stack of magnetic filter elements to a fluid port of a fluid system to define a flow path between the fluid port and the outer fluid environment.

Abstract: A piece of substrate material is formed under heat and pressure against a cavity into a shaped substrate sheet having one or more depressions. Two substrate sheets are bonded together to form a substrate wherein the one or more depressions form one or more interior channels. The substrate, if not formed with pre-coated substrate material, is coated with a dope and quenched to form a filtering membrane. A plurality of membranes may be placed side by side to form a bundle with permeating ends of the membrane, which are open to the one or more interior channels, separated by gaps or spacers. The bundle is connected to a header to produce a module. The module can be assembled into a cassette.

Abstract: A combination of a single-station reverse-osmosis (RO) device comprising a hemodialysis device (HD device) is characterized in that a connection line is provided with a buffer chamber for permeate which serves on the one hand a faster permeate supply into the HD device and on the other hand a generation of a negative transmembrane pressure, and that upon request by the HD device the permeate flows either via the water inlet valve into the HD device or via a flushing valve of the HD device to an outlet.

Abstract: A method comprising: (a) providing a partially processed sucrose crop product containing at least 2% optionally at least 5% of the sucrose content of said crop at harvest on a dry solids basis, cellulose and lignin; (b) hydrolyzing said partially processed crop product with HCl to produce an acid hydrolyzate stream and a lignin stream; and (c) de-acidifying said hydrolyzate stream to produce a de-acidified sugar solution and an HCl recovery stream. Additional, methods, systems and sugar mixtures are also disclosed.

Abstract: A magnetic inline filter is provided. A piston rod of a fluid cylinder is retracted to the top to locate an inner circumferential surface side magnet and an outer circumferential surface side magnet in filtration positions opposed to a space. In this state, a solenoid of a changeover valve is actuated to shut off a discharge port. A coolant is introduced into the space from an introduction port in the vicinity of the lower end of an outer pipe. Since a magnetic field in a radiation direction is intense, chips in the coolant are attracted to wall surfaces on both sides of the space and the coolant is filtrated. When the supply of the coolant is continued, the chips attracted to the wall surfaces are accumulated and bridged. As a result, since the coolant passes through gaps of the bridged chips, it is possible to perform precise filtration.

Abstract: The invention in at least one embodiment includes a system for treating water having an intake module, a vortex module, a disk-pack module, and a motor module. In a further embodiment, a housing is provided over at least the intake module and the vortex module and sits above the disk-pack module. In at least one further embodiment, the disk-pack module includes a disk-pack turbine having a plurality of disks having at least one waveform present on at least one of the disks.

Abstract: In at least one embodiment, the invention provides a retrofit for existing water treatment systems where the retrofit includes at least one of the following: a particulate separator, a supplementary inlet, and a waveform disk-pack turbine. In a further embodiment, the invention includes a water treatment system combined with at least one of the following: a particulate separator, a supplementary inlet, and a waveform disk-pack turbine.

Abstract: Means for Solving the Problem According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magnetic-separation filter device that removes contaminants of fine ferromagnetic particles from a fluid containing such contaminants, comprising: a substantially cylindrical housing; two partition plates that are disposed in an inside of the housing so as to extend in a vertical direction of the housing, dividing the inside of the housing by being disposed in parallel to each other; a filter medium that includes a fine amorphous-alloy wire bundle filled in a first region defined by the housing and the two partition plates; and plural permanent magnets that are provided on both sides of the first region outside the housing, wherein the contaminants of fine ferromagnetic particles are adsorbed on the filter media by flowing the fluid containing such contaminants through the first region in which the magnetic field has been formed by these plural permanent magnets.

Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a process for removing one or more sulfur compounds from a first liquid. The process can include passing the first liquid through a first inlet and a second liquid through a second inlet of a vessel, passing the first and second liquids through the passageway for facilitating contacting of the first and second liquids to extract the one or more sulfur compounds from the first liquid to the second liquid, and passing the first liquid through the first outlet and the second liquid through the second outlet. Often, the vessel has a plurality of vortex contactors, and a first outlet and a second outlet. The plurality of vortex contactors can include a first vortex contactor, in turn having at least one wall forming a perimeter about an interior region and including a first side and a second side forming a passageway communicating the first liquid from an exterior to the interior region, and a frustum positioned proximate to the passageway and abutting the at least one wall.

Abstract: A separator is indicated, which is arranged in a container having a circular or ellipsoidal cross section and having a container wall, for separating a light liquid-water mixture, for example oil-polluted water, comprising: a feed arranged on a first side of the container having a feed chicane, which directs the supplied mixture downward and divides it into two first flow parts that are substantially of equal size, an outlet having an outlet tube, a circular or ellipsoidal flow wall having an internal wall side and an external wall side, wherein the flow wall passes through at least half of a full circle, preferably at least three quarters of a full circle, and has an opening, which is facing a second side of the container opposite the feed, wherein the flow wall between the external wall side of the flow wall and the container wall forms two flow channels at two opposite sides of the container wall in each case from the feed to the second side of the container, wherein in the flow channels in each case one o

Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a process for removing one or more sulfur compounds from a first liquid. The process can include passing the first liquid through a first inlet and a second liquid through a second inlet, and passing the first liquid through a first outlet and the second liquid through a second outlet of a vessel. The vessel may further have a plurality of vortex contactors. Often, the plurality of vortex contactors has a first vortex contactor, in turn including at least one wall and a frustum. The at least one wall can form a perimeter about an interior space and include a first side and a second side forming a passageway communicating the first liquid from an exterior to the interior space, and a frustum positioned proximate to the passageway and abutting the at least one wall for facilitating contacting of the first and second liquids to extract the one or more sulfur compounds from the first liquid to the second liquid.

Abstract: A kit for reagents for use in an acoustic apparatus includes a first fluid that is a lysis fluid, a second fluid having an acoustic contrast that is greater than that of the first fluid, and a reagent for labeling a particle.

Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be an apparatus for contacting a first liquid and a second liquid. The apparatus can include a vessel. The vessel can include a wall and a funnical frustum. The wall may form a perimeter about an interior space and include a first side and a second side forming a passageway communicating at least one of the first and second liquids to the interior space. The funnical frustum may be positioned proximate to the passageway and abut the wall for facilitating contacting of the first and second liquids.

Abstract: A system for producing maple syrup or birch syrup from maple or birch water, comprising an evaporating pan under controlled pressure, a condenser immersed in maple or birch water in the evaporating pan, and a compressor, pressurizing vapor generated by evaporation of maple or birch water in the evaporating pan, the condenser directing the pressurized vapor provided by the compressor to the maple or birch water within the evaporating pan, thereby further evaporating the maple or birch water and further generating vapor.