Abstract: A distillation apparatus includes a distillation unit for distilling feed water. The distillation unit includes an evaporation part, a condensation part and a hydrophobic porous membrane interposed between the evaporation part and the condensation part, which are integrated with one another. A heating unit for heating the feed water and a cooling portion for cooling distillate produced by distillation of the feed water are provided apart from the distillation unit. One or both of the heating unit and the cooling unit are provided with a heat pump. With this construction, an additional heater does not need to be provided, and the distillation unit and both of the heating unit and the cooling unit can be changed in size and performance independently of each other, so that the overall size of the distillation apparatus can be reduced.

Abstract: An unit-type air conditioning system is provided to enable low-load operation of an absorption chiller heater, to thereby improve the load responsiveness, and to use such a chiller heater as an outdoor unit. A plurality of burners are provided in a high temperature generator of the absorption chiller heater, thereby enabling the low-load operation. A refrigerant return valve is provided so as to speed up the stop operation. Flow rates of pumps are controlled in accordance with detected values of temperatures in the chiller heater and a load change, thus improving the load responsiveness. Further, in the air conditioning system with this chiller heater serving as an outdoor unit, required operation prediction is performed on the basis of outer signals from load units and the like, and prediction control according to its result is conducted, further improving the load responsiveness.

Abstract: An absorption air conditioner having a regenerating chamber for heating and condensing a portion of a dilute solution generated in an absorber and an absorption chamber for causing refrigerant vapor generated in the regenerating chamber to be absorbed into said dilute solution which is at an intermediate position in the passage connected from the absorber to the regenerator so that the size of the absorber is reduced and the overall size of the absorption air conditioner is reduced.

Abstract: Vapor is separated from mist accompanying the vapor by passing the vapor through a porous membrane. The vapor having passed through the membrane is brought into contact with an object to be washed and condenses thereon, whereby the object is washed.

Abstract: A cooling energy generator with a cooling energy accumulator comprises a refrigerant, absorbent liquid, and a container having a first chamber receiving the absorbent liquid, a second chamber receiving the liquid refrigerant and a vapor passage communicating with a space over the absorbent liquid in the first chamber and with a space over the liquid refrigerant in the second chamber. The absorbent liquid is sprayed in the first chamber, and the absorbent liquid is cooled during an accelerated cooling operation. The absorbent liquid is heated during the cooling energy accumulation operation, and liquid refrigerant is sprayed in the second chamber during the accelerated cooling operation and during the normal cooling operation. An air conditioning heat exchanger supplies the cooling energy to a cooling device for air conditioning, and a heat pump is provided.

Abstract: A coldness generating apparatus comprising: an absorption type refrigerator having an evaporator for evaporating refrigerant, an absorber in which an absorbent for absorbing the thus-evaporated refrigerant steam is contained, a regenerator for heating and condensing the absorbent which has been diluted by the refrigerant steam, and a condenser for condensing and liquidizing the refrigerant steam which has been evaporated by heating and condensing the absorbent. A regenerating tank regenerates coldness generated by the evaporator, and the refrigerant comprises refrigerant having the solidification temperature lower than the freezing point so that coldness which is lower than the freezing point and which has been generated in the evaporator is regenerated in the form of ice or ice slurry. Since coldness can be regenerated at high density, cooling performance can be improved.

Abstract: A distilling apparatus includes an evaporation section which heats raw water and causes the generation of vapor from said raw water, and a hydrophobic porous film through which the thus generated vapor is filtered. Because vapor separated from the raw water is supplied to one surface of the hydrophobic porous film, the proportion of the vapor relative to the fluid supplied to that surface of the film can be increased, thereby enabling the efficient filtering of a large amount of vapor through the film. In addition, because the temperature of condensed water obtained by cooling the vapor can be kept in the vicinity of the boiling point thereof, any gases and volatile substances contained in the raw water are prevented from dissolving in the distilled water, thereby enabling the production of extremely pure distilled water.

Abstract: A fuel cell electrode having a catalyst layer comprising electroconductive particles carrying a catalytically active component and a binder on a water-repellent baked plate comprising a carbon paper comprising carbon fiber and an organic binder and polytetrafluoroethylene infiltrated into voids of said carbon paper, characterized in that the carbon fiber of said baked plate has at least 20 cutting edges per square millimeter, and said polytetrafluoroethylene is infiltrated into at least one of said cutting edges to render the plate flexible.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing ultra-pure water, an apparatus for producing said ultra-pure water and a process for using the ultra-pure water produced according to said process. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for producing ultra-pure water which comprises boiling a raw water to vaporize off the volatile components from the raw water, subsequently generating steam from the water, contacting the steam with a hydrophobic, porous, gas-permeable and liquid-impermeable membrane to make the steam permeate the membrane, and then condensing the steam, as well as to an apparatus for producing said ultra-pure water and a process for using said ultra-pure water.

Abstract: This invention provides a process for easily recovering nearly white starch and protein having a high commercial value by depressing darkening of crushed slurry and juice in producing starch and protein of a subterranean stem.The above-mentioned process is characterized by adding at least one member selected from the group consisting of sodium thiosulfate, potassium thiosulfate, sodium hydrogen sulfite, sodium sulfite and potassium sulfite at the time of crushing the subterranean stem.

Abstract: An absorbent in a solution which comprises at least one of bromides taking a dihydrate form at room temperature and at least one of halides taking a hexahydrate form at room temperature has a high solubility and a low cost, and is used in a closed, cyclic absorption-type refrigerator.

Abstract: The method and apparatus for concentration aqueous solution in accordance with the present invention is characterized in that a hydrophobic porous membrane through which vapor can permeate, but not liquid, is brought into contact with an aqueous solution containing a solute at a concentration of at least 30%, and the water contained in the aqueous solution at the interface with the membrane is evaporated and permeates through the membrane. A method and an apparatus of recovering temperature of an aqueous solution comprising an aqueous solution concentration step in which the aqueous solution contact with the membrane, the water being evaporated; and a dilution step in which the resultant concentrated solution is diluted; wherein a temperature is obtained higher or lower than that of said aqueous solution.

Abstract: Projections are removed from the surfaces of ion exchange resin particles by contacting the resin particles with a liquefied gas or supercritical gas in advance. The ion exchange resin thus prepared can remove ions from raw water so thoroughly that the water quality can be improved to that of ultra-pure water.

Abstract: An impurity detector atomizes a liquid sample by injecting the sample into a chamber with a gas. In the chamber the liquid is heated, preferably by heating the gas prior to injection, to cause all the liquid to evaporate. The solid impurities contained in the liquid are thus entrained in the gas and carried to a detector region. The chamber is arranged so that all the gas and all the particles arrive at the detector region. A particle detector measures the number and size of the particles and from that measurement, the concentration of impurities in the sample can be determined. The system permits on-line operation, and produces accurate results.

Abstract: An apparatus for storing heat energy in the form of chemical energy comprises a first container for a liquid medium containing a non-volatile solute and a second container for a liquid medium containing the solute in a different concentration from that of the medium in the first container. The containers are communicated through a pair of liquid repellent, porous membranes, so that only the vapor can enter the opposite container, while transferring heat energy.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to a method for removing crude oil sludge, which is convenient for removing sludge while the crude oil is transported. The method for removing crude oil sludge from crude oil includes the steps of:(a) classifying grains of sludge into coarse grains and small grains;(b) settling the sludge in the crude oil discharged from the classification step to separate the coarse grains from the crude oil;(c) sending the crude oil which is the supernatant constituent in the settling step to a filter in order to separate the remaining sludge in the crude oil; and(d) introducing a part of the above crude oil to a reverse washing liquid inlet of the filter, in order to wash reversely the filter medium of the above filter.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for purifying a liquid which contains magnetic solid particles therein, includes a system for feeding the liquid to a container of an electromagnetic filter including a matrix disposed inside the container and a coil disposed so as to encompass the outer circumference of the container and generating a line of magnetic force to magnetize the matrix when a current is applied thereto. The coil is cooled by diverting the purified liquid from a downstream side of the matrix.

Abstract: In discarding the used ion exchange resin by the demineralizer provided in the cooling system of an atomic reactor, the radioactivity-rich ion exchange resin and the radioactivity-rich crud can be treated separately by introducing 0.5% by weight of sodium hexamethaphosphate into a slurry of the ion exchange resin, irradiating supersonic of 20 to 60 kHz in frequency to the slurry of the ion exchange resin and removing the radioactive crud from the ion exchange resin.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for tubular membrane separation, such as reverse osmosis or ultrafiltration, with an arrangement for removing undesirable deposits from the semipermeable membrane surfaces. For the removal of the deposits, elastic elements are passed, together with the feed solution being treated, through the tubular modules lined with semipermeable membranes, separated from the solution, and are recycled with a fresh supply of the solution from a tank, so that the semipermeable membranes are continuously cleaned while separating a part of the solution by permeation therethrough.

Abstract: A tubular membrane separation apparatus and process, for reverse osmosis or ultrafiltration, with an arrangement for removing undesirable deposit from semipermeable membrane surfaces. The apparatus is of the multiple-stage type wherein the number of tubular modules per stage gradually decreases in a pattern like a Christmas tree laid on its side. Elastic elements are forced through the tubular modules lined with the semipermeable membrane, the number of the elements being gradually decreased stage by stage, so that the deposit is mechanically rubbed off from the membrane surfaces with an optimum number of elastic elements for each stage.