Three-dimensional printing on a membrane of a filtration device is described herein. Forming the filtration device involves receiving a membrane comprising a porous material, depositing an ink into pores of the porous material, causing the ink to solidify, and continuously building three-dimensional printed structures via micro-stereolithographic three-dimensional printing. Solidifying the ink causes the ink to bond with the membrane.

The invention relates to the field of biomimetic membranes with artificial water channels, notably the use thereof in the context of the production and management of drinking water. The present invention relates to a biomimetic membrane with artificial water channels, the method of synthesis thereof, as well as the use thereof for desalination of brackish water and seawater, production of ultra-pure water or filtration of contaminants.

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 zwitterionic polysulfone formed from an allyl-containing monomer, a phenol-containing monomer, and an aryl-halide-containing monomer. The zwitterionic polysulfone may be incorporated into a desalination membrane.

A cleaning method of a membrane filtration system in which a plurality of modules including an inlet side region and an outlet side region separated by a filtration membrane are connected in parallel by a common blow header pipe in the inlet side region, the method including backwashing and blowing in which after the backwashing is started, gas is introduced into the plurality of modules through a blow header pipe. The method further includes forming, before the blowing is started, a gas layer across an entire longitudinal direction of the blow header pipe.

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.

The present invention relates to a chemical product and process for cleaning nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes, based on enzymatic action aiming to remove biofouling and inorganic scale quickly. The product mentioned in present invention also proposes elimination of the neutralization step of the chemical product used, given that the enzymatic action allows an adequate pH for disposal to be maintained, which fact increases the speed and efficiency of the process.

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.

An assembly for reverse osmotically desalinating water, including a source containing feed water to be desalinated, a high-pressure tank having a first portion and a second portion and a movable piston wall operationally connected therebetween, a first portion inlet operationally connected to the first portion and a second portion inlet operationally connected to the second portion, a first portion outlet operationally connected to the first portion and a second portion outlet operationally connected to the second portion, a first valve having a first first valve inlet, a second first valve inlet, a first first valve outlet in fluidic communication with the first portion inlet and a second first valve outlet in fluidic communication with the second portion inlet, a high-pressure pump operationally connected to the source and to the first first valve inlet, a second valve having a first second valve inlet in fluidic communication with the first portion outlet and a second second valve inlet in fluidic communication with the second portion outlet and a second valve outlet, at least one reverse osmosis module having at least one reverse osmosis module inlet connected in fluidic communication with the second valve outlet, at least one brine outlet and at least one desalinated water outlet, a circulation pump having a circulation pump inlet port connected in fluidic communication with the brine outlet and a circulation pump outlet connected in fluidic communication with the second first valve inlet, andan electronic controller operationally connected to the first valve, to the second valve, to the high-pressure pump and to the circulation pump.

A method of desalinating water, including the steps of when electricity costs between a first predetermined price and a second predetermined price, fill water is pumped into a reverse osmosis desalination unit to yield desalinated permeate and saltwater having a first salinity, when electricity costs less than the first predetermined price, fill water is pumped into a reverse osmosis desalination unit to yield desalinated permeate and saltwater having a second salinity, and when electricity costs greater than the second predetermined price, pure water is flowed into a reverse osmosis unit to yield pressurized saltwater which is run through a turbine to generate electricity. The first salinity is lower than the second salinity.