A solution treatment apparatus connected to a supply nozzle that supplies a treatment solution to a substrate, includes: a supply pipeline connecting a treatment solution storage container and the supply nozzle; a filter apparatus provided in the supply pipeline; a pump on a secondary side of the filter apparatus; a circulation pipeline connecting a discharge side of the pump and an intake side of the filter apparatus; a supply control valve provided in the supply pipeline on a secondary side of the pump; a circulation control valve provided in the circulation pipeline; and a control unit, wherein the control unit opens the circulation control valve and drives the pump when supply of the treatment solution from the supply nozzle to the substrate is stopped by closing the supply control valve, to thereby circulate the treatment solution between the supply pipeline having the filter apparatus and the circulation pipeline.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a sulfur trap comprising an inlet, a first chamber, a divider, a second chamber, an outlet, and a float assembly. The float assembly may have many different configurations, but generally comprises a float and plug, is configured to float within liquid sulfur, and is operatively coupled to a seal seat in the divider for sealing and unsealing the first chamber from the second chamber. Generally, only liquid sulfur is allowed to pass from the first chamber into the second chamber. However, the sulfur trap may be configured to allow for pressure relief, such that during an overpressure event the plug and seal seat disengage and allow the liquid-gas mixture to flow into the second chamber to prevent damage within the system. In some embodiments a filter and/or the flow of liquid sulfur is directed to collect debris from the liquid sulfur.

An appliance comprising an air flow path extending from an air inlet, by which water and air are introduced to the appliance, to an air outlet. A water separator is positioned in the air flow path, which, when in operation, separates the water from the air. A water storage chamber is in fluid flow communication with the water separator, which stores the water separated from the air. The appliance also comprises an automatic closure member movable between an open position and a closed position. When the automatic closure member is in the open position, the water storage chamber is in fluid flow communication with the water separator; when in the closed position, the water storage chamber is isolated from the water separator. The automatic closure member moves from the open position to the closed position when the pressure in the water separator increases above a predetermined level.

To enable efficient substance measurement, this invention is characterized in that the invention comprises a first hollow fiber (131) for allowing a first processing liquid to flow from a first introduction port (121a) to a first exit port (121b) and allowing the membrane permeation of gas in the processing liquid, a second hollow fiber (132) for allowing a second processing liquid to flow from a second introduction port (122a) to a second exit port (122b) and allowing the membrane permeation of gas in the processing liquid, a container (110) for accommodating the first hollow fiber (131) and second hollow fiber (132) therein, and a vacuum pump (201) connected to the space (S) inside the container (110), and inside the container (110), the hollow fibers (130) consisting of the first hollow fiber (131) and second hollow fiber (132) are in contact with each other across a prescribed length.

This gas-liquid separator is provided with: a tank part which stores and separates a refrigerant; and a pipe connection part forming outlet/inlet ports for the refrigerant from the tank part. The pipe connection part has: a first connection part having a first connection pipe which guides the refrigerant to an expansion valve; a second connection part having a second connection pipe through which the cooled refrigerant returns; a third connection part having a third connection pipe which guides the refrigerant to a compressor; a fourth connection part having a fourth connection pipe which guides the refrigerant into the tank part from an outdoor heat exchanger; and a first flow path switching valve which allows the inside of the tank part to communicate with the third connection pipe during heating operations, and allows the second connection pipe to communicate with the third connection pipe during cooling operations.

A precision pump system having a motor driver for accurately and repeatedly delivering process fluid, (e.g., photo chemicals) using a pumping fluid with minimal process fluid loss to a fabrication process and whereby the motor driver can be easily and quickly replaced without interrupting the fluid flow path. This is accomplished with the use of a process fluid reservoir and a pumping fluid reservoir that are associated with the pump, either integrated with the pump or closely adjacent. In addition, this precision pump system can be remotely monitored, viewed and controlled over the Internet. In addition, trapped process fluid within a downstream filtering block can be recirculated to the process fluid reservoir when trapped gas in the filter is removed. Furthermore, a nitrogen gas source is connected to the process fluid reservoir via a valve in case a need to insert a gas is required.

In a method for deaerating a liquid the liquid is pressurized to a pressure above atmospheric, after which it is guided to an upstream end of a nucleation valve. A low pressure resides on the downstream end of the nucleation valve and as the liquid passes the valve, bubble nucleation is initiated, forming the first step in a deaeration process. According to the method the temperature and pressure on the downstream side of the valve is controlled such that the static pressure is above the saturation pressure, while the lowest pressure as the liquid passes the valve is below or equal to the saturation pressure.

Described is a method for vacuum degassing of a liquid such as a solvent for a liquid chromatography system. The method includes modulating application of a vacuum to a fluid channel of a degasser so that each volume of a liquid drawn from the degasser experiences a residence time that is equal to the residence times of the other volumes. The residence time is determined as a time that the volume resides in the fluid channel under application of the vacuum and to a magnitude of the applied vacuum. The method is advantageous for use with liquid chromatography systems where differences in the diffusion rates of solvents into the degasser vacuum can otherwise introduce error into the composition gradient of a mobile phase.

A multi-phase separation apparatus shapes fluid flow in a flow shaping line preferably shaped to have a plurality of loops with consecutively decreasing diameters. Shaping the two-phase flow drives the heavier, denser fluids to the outside wall of the flow shaping line and allows the lighter, less dense fluids such as gas to occupy the inner wall of the flow shaping line. With the gas positioned on the inner wall, an exit port on the inner wall permits a majority, if not all, of the gas, along with a minimal amount of liquid, to be diverted to a conventional gas-liquid separator at a flow rate much lower than the total flow rate within the flow shaping line. The remaining liquid flow in the flow shaping line is subsequently introduced into an adjustable phase splitter to separate different liquid components from one another.

A method for treating produced water or a feedwater stream with an evaporator. The feedwater stream or produced water is directed to and through a deaerator located upstream of the evaporator. Steam produced by the evaporator is utilized to strip dissolved gases from the produced water or feedwater stream passing through the deaerator. To efficiently strip dissolved gases, the vapor pressure in the deaerator is maintained at below atmospheric pressure and the produced water or feedwater stream is heated to a temperature greater than the saturated vapor temperature in the deaerator.