Water discharged from a circulating cooling water system is treated by a water recovery system including a clarification equipment and an RO membrane, and treated water is returned to the circulating cooling water system. A dispersant is added to the circulating cooling water system for dispersing scale components. The dispersant includes a polymer having a carboxyl group and having a weight average molecular weight of 5,000 or less, and permeates through the clarification equipment. The polymer having a carboxyl group and having a weight average molecular weight of 5,000 or less permeates through the clarification equipment, and performs as a scale dispersing agent for the RO membrane, preventing precipitation of scale. Since the polymer intrinsically has an anticorrosion effect, it becomes unnecessary to add a phosphoric acid compound to the cooling water system as an anticorrosion agent, or the required amount of the compound to be added can be reduced.

Water discharged from a circulating cooling water system is treated by a water recovery system including a clarification equipment and an RO membrane, and treated water is returned to the circulating cooling water system. A dispersant is added to the circulating cooling water system for dispersing scale components. The dispersant includes a polymer having a carboxyl group and having a weight average molecular weight of 5,000 or less, and permeates through the clarification equipment. The polymer having a carboxyl group and having a weight average molecular weight of 5,000 or less permeates through the clarification equipment, and performs as a scale dispersing agent for the RO membrane, preventing precipitation of scale. Since the polymer intrinsically has an anticorrosion effect, it becomes unnecessary to add a phosphoric acid compound to the cooling water system as an anticorrosion agent, or the required amount of the compound to be added can be reduced.

A heatsink comprising a heat exchange device having a plurality of heat exchange elements each having a surface boundary with respect to a heat transfer fluid, having successive elements or regions having varying size scales. According to one embodiment, an accumulation of dust or particles on a surface of the heatsink is reduced by a removal mechanism. The mechanism can be thermal pyrolysis, vibration, blowing, etc. In the case of vibration, adverse effects on the system to be cooled may be minimized by an active or passive vibration suppression system.

Provided herein is a universally applicable biofouling mitigation technology using acoustically excited encapsulated microbubbles that disrupt biofilm or biofilm formation. For example, a method of reducing biofilm formation or removing biofilm in a membrane filtration system is provided in which a feed solution comprising encapsulated microbubbles is provided to the membrane under conditions that allow the encapsulated microbubbles to embed in a biofilm. Sonication of the embedded, encapsulated microbubbles disrupts the biofilm. Thus, provided herein is a membrane filtration system for performing the methods and encapsulated microbubbles specifically selected for binding to extracellular polymeric substances (EFS) in a biofilm.

A system for cleaning a tube is provided. The system includes an enclosure, a laser, and an actuator. The enclosure receives the tube. The laser is disposed within the enclosure and operative to ablate a substance disposed on a surface of the tube. The actuator is operative to move the tube relative to the laser.

A system for cleaning a tube is provided. The system includes an enclosure, a laser, and an actuator. The enclosure receives the tube. The laser is disposed within the enclosure and operative to ablate a substance disposed on a surface of the tube. The actuator is operative to move the tube relative to the laser.

A heatsink comprising a heat exchange device having a plurality of heat exchange elements each having a surface boundary with respect to a heat transfer fluid, having successive elements or regions having varying size scales. According to one embodiment, an accumulation of dust or particles on a surface of the heatsink is reduced by a removal mechanism. The mechanism can be thermal pyrolysis, vibration, blowing, etc. In the case of vibration, adverse effects on the system to be cooled may be minimized by an active or passive vibration suppression system.

A heatsink comprising a heat exchange device having a plurality of heat exchange elements each having a surface boundary with respect to a heat transfer fluid, having successive elements or regions having varying size scales. According to one embodiment, an accumulation of dust or particles on a surface of the heatsink is reduced by a removal mechanism. The mechanism can be thermal pyrolysis, vibration, blowing, etc. In the case of vibration, adverse effects on the system to be cooled may be minimized by an active or passive vibration suppression system.

A heat and mass transfer system configured to be a passive system using gravitational force to form a thin liquid film flow on an outer surface of a flow distribution head and downstream conduit member to subject the thin liquid film to heat transfer mediums. The at least partially spherical flow distribution head creates a uniform thin flow of liquid on the outer surface increasing the efficiency of the heat and mass transfer system. The heat and mass transfer system may include a heat transfer medium supply system in fluid communication with internal aspects of the downstream conduit such that a heat transfer medium flows within the downstream conduit while the liquid film flows on the outer surface of the downstream conduit. Rather than conventional sheet flow on inner surfaces of a conduit, the flow distribution head enables sheet flow to be formed on an outside surface of a component.

A heat and mass transfer system configured to be a passive system using gravitational force to form a thin liquid film flow on an outer surface of a flow distribution head and downstream conduit member to subject the thin liquid film to heat transfer mediums. The at least partially spherical flow distribution head creates a uniform thin flow of liquid on the outer surface increasing the efficiency of the heat and mass transfer system. The heat and mass transfer system may include a heat transfer medium supply system in fluid communication with internal aspects of the downstream conduit such that a heat transfer medium flows within the downstream conduit while the liquid film flows on the outer surface of the downstream conduit. Rather than conventional sheet flow on inner surfaces of a conduit, the flow distribution head enables sheet flow to be formed on an outside surface of a component.