The present invention includes a method including providing an anode and a cathode; providing a desalination device operably coupled to establish an electrical potential between the anode and the cathode when the desalination device is operating; providing water containing dissolved solids; thereby establishing the electrical potential; reducing a salinity of the water by supplying the water to the desalination device; and generating electrical power by reducing the salinity of the water.

A method for desalination is provided. An electric potential difference is applied across a saline solution, where a salinity of the saline solution is in a range of 2.5 to 7.8 parts per thousand. The saline solution is separated, using electrodialysis, into a concentrated saline solution and a first diluate. The concentrated saline solution is transferred to a reverse osmosis chamber. The concentrated saline solution is pumped through a partially permeable membrane, thereby removing salt ions from the concentrated saline solution, and creating a second diluate and a brine solution. A pressure of the solution is then increased, using a pressure exchanger, by transferring water pressure from the brine solution to the concentrated saline solution. The first diluate and the second diluate are combined, where a first recovery ratio of the first diluate is greater than a second recovery ratio of the second diluate.

A mass propelled device is described. The mass propelled device includes an evaporation chamber. The evaporation chamber has at least one transparent substrate configured to receive light on a first surface and a plurality of nanostructures disposed on a second surface opposite the first surface. The plurality of nanostructures excite electrons in response to light being provided to the first surface. The mass propelled device also includes propellent storage to store propellent and a propellent delivery system to provide propellent from the propellent storage component to the evaporation chamber. The evaporation chamber is configured to heat the propellent using electrons. The mass propelled device also includes at least one nozzle configured to exhaust heated propellent from the evaporation chamber in order to produce thrust.

To offset waste heat generated by a photovoltaic cell during operation, a cooling system is coupled to the photovoltaic cell. The cooling system is coupled to a surface of the photovoltaic cell opposite another surface of the photovoltaic cell on which solar energy is incident. In various embodiments, the cooling system includes one or more tubes through which fluid is directed. The fluid for cooling the photovoltaic cell may be contaminated water that is directed to one or more solar desalination stills after absorbing heat from the photovoltaic cell to product distilled water. After being further heated by the solar desalination still, water may be directed to a membrane distillation module which produces additional distilled water from the water heated by the solar desalination still and by the photovoltaic cell.

A system to treat and desalinate wastewater using a low energy ejector desalination system (LEEDS), which employs a static liquid-gas ejector and maximum heat integration in the water treatment system.

A system and process for decontaminating a bio-contaminated wastewater fluid as from a slaughterhouse or similar facility. The system and process recovers purified vapor/steam through a decontamination unit having a plurality of alternating rotating trays and fixed baffles in a processing vessel producing separate purified and contaminant streams. One or more filter/strainer units are disposed in parallel before the decontamination unit, and may be used alternately while the other is cleaned. A rotating shaft connected to the rotating trays may also connected to an electrical generator to provide electricity for circuits and controls in the system.

A method of generating electrical power or hydrogen from thermal energy is disclosed. The method includes separating, by a selectively permeable membrane, a first saline solution from a second saline solution, receiving, by the first saline solution and/or the second saline solution, thermal energy from a heat source, and mixing the first saline solution and the second saline solution in a controlled manner, capturing at least some salinity-gradient energy as electrical power as the salinity difference between the first saline solution and the second saline solution decreases. The method further includes transferring, by a heat pump, thermal energy from the first saline solution to the second saline solution, causing the salinity difference between the first saline solution and the second saline solution to increase.

Provided are electrodialysis systems comprising a plurality of electrodialysis devices, wherein each electrodialysis device of the plurality of electrodialysis devices has a product inlet stream, a product outlet stream, a brine inlet stream, and a brine outlet stream. The product inlet stream for a first electrodialysis device comprises the brine outlet stream of a second electrodialysis device. Further, a first portion of a feed stream is the brine inlet stream for the first electrodialysis device and a second portion of the feed stream is the brine inlet stream for the second electrodialysis device or a third electrodialysis device.

A system includes an evaporator having sensors and selectable operational parameters and a controller configured to receive data and determine operational configuration for the evaporator. Selectable parameters relate to system heating, liquid flow rate, air flow rate, and environmental data.

A switching system has two inlet ends, two outlet ends, and an EDR membrane stack. Each inlet end and each outlet end are connected to both a primary branch and a secondary branch. Solenoid valves are mounted on each primary branch and each secondary branch to switch between opening and closing. The EDR membrane stack has two inlets, two outlets, and two electrodes. One inlet is connected to the primary branch of the two inlet ends while the other is connected to the secondary branch of the two inlet ends. One outlet is connected to the primary branch of the two outlet ends while the other is connected to the secondary branch of the two outlet ends. The polarity of the two electrodes is interchangeable to realize the reverse polarity of the electrodes. The two water flows that pass through the EDR membrane stack are interchangeable.