Systems and processes for purifying and concentrating a liquid feed stream are disclosed. In the systems, the concentrated liquid output from the high pressure side of a reverse osmosis stage is used as the draw solution in the low pressure side of the reverse osmosis stage in a configuration called osmotically assisted reverse osmosis. This reduces the osmotic pressure differential across the membrane, permitting high solute concentrations to be obtained, hastening the purification of the liquid. Reduced system pressures are also obtained by arranging multiple osmotically assisted reverse osmosis stages in a cross-current arrangement. Overall system energy consumption is reduced compared to conventional thermal processes for high concentration streams.

A process for solution mining of minerals is disclosed. The process comprises injecting an unsaturated stream (150) at an injection pressure into a mineral formation (130) to dissolve the mineral and extracting a high concentration stream (110) containing said dissolved mineral. The process comprising converting latent osmotic energy present in said high concentration stream into an increase in the total pressure of said stream by passage through an osmotic power unit (200) and generating electricity and reducing to the injection pressure the total pressure of a reduced concentration output stream (150) by passage through a power generating device (250) and using the reduced concentration output stream (150) at the injection pressure as the unsaturated stream (150). A process for storing a fuel in an underground formation is also disclosed.

An electrochemical system includes a first reservoir comprising a first fluid and a catalyst, wherein the first fluid comprises a reaction mixture that reacts to form first and second products, and a second reservoir comprises a second fluid. A first electrode contacts a redox-active electrolyte material solution and has a reversible redox reaction with the electrolyte material to accept at least one ion. A second electrode contacts a redox-active electrolyte material solution and has a reversible redox reaction with the electrolyte material to drive at least one ion into the second fluid as an electrical potential is supplied. A diluted effluent comprising the second product and the catalyst exits the second reservoir, wherein the second product is removed from the first reservoir via electroosmosis, and optionally concurrently via osmosis, and a product stream comprising the first product exits the first reservoir.

Stabilized surfactant-based membranes and methods of manufacture thereof. Membranes comprising a stabilized surfactant mesostructure on a porous support may be used for various separations, including reverse osmosis and forward osmosis. The membranes are stabilized after evaporation of solvents; in some embodiments no removal of the surfactant is required. The surfactant solution may or may not comprise a hydrophilic compound such as an acid or base. The surface of the porous support is preferably modified prior to formation of the stabilized surfactant mesostructure. The membrane is sufficiently stable to be utilized in commercial separations devices such as spiral wound modules. Also a stabilized surfactant mesostructure coating for a porous material and filters made therefrom. The coating can simultaneously improve both the permeability and the filtration characteristics of the porous material.

The invention generally relates to osmotically driven membrane systems and processes and more particularly to increased brine concentration for zero liquid discharge using osmotically driven membrane systems and processes and the related draw solute recovery techniques for the osmotically driven membrane systems and processes.

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for treatment of produced or process water from hydrocarbon production to reduce the volume of the produced or process water while simultaneously reducing the salinity of a highly saline stream, for example, the brine from a seawater desalination plant. The method includes causing a feed stream comprising produced or process water to flow through the lumen of a hollow fiber osmotic membrane 4 which is immersed in an open channel 2 or tank of flowing draw solution 6 which has high salinity. In this way, water from the feed stream is drawn through the osmotic membrane 4 by an osmotic pressure differential caused by the difference in salinity between the feed stream and the draw solution 6.

An ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) system that reduces atmospheric CO.sub.2 and mitigates ocean acidification by electrochemically processing feedstock solution (e.g., seawater or brine) to generate an alkalinity product that is then supplied to the ocean. The OAE system includes a base-generating device and a control circuit disposed within a modular system housing deployed near a salt feedstock. The base-generating device (e.g., a bipolar electrodialysis (BPED) system) generates a base substance that is then tested and processed (e.g., mixed/diluted with processed feedstock solution, seawater or another saltwater solution and/or reacted with CO.sub.2) to generate the ocean alkalinity product. The control circuit controls the base-generating device such that the alkalinity product is supplied to the ocean only when supplying the alkalinity product will not endanger sea life. Modified BPED systems include features that facilitate autonomous system operations including enhanced maintenance cycle operations and a reduced reliance on external fresh water sources.

The invention relates to 100% renewably-powered desalination/water purification stations for universal applications, the station is disruptive, scalable, amphibious and deportable to seawater, brackish or spill oil sites for simple wave-powered and autonomous operations, the station has a mooring assembly with pumping-purification-delivery subsystems powered by wave and solar energies, the pumping subsystems has the simplest, most efficient wave push/pull pump mechanisms powered by amplified wave centrifugal forces , the mechanical purifications has turbine filters, reverse-osmosis filters, forward-osmosis filters and relief valves to backwash buildups without releasing brine, release water through collecting spill oil, the solar thermal purifications are provided with distilling processes under vaccine conditions, the delivery subsystems with wave turbines and solar panels for generating electricity, propellering and transferring the stations for delivering fresh waters to destinations under GPS guide with the lowest LCOW.

A complete kit, including components to assemble a U-tube apparatus, materials, and methods of using thereof, for the purpose of osmosis pedagogy, is described. The self-contained kit makes possible hands-on osmosis experiments that may be conducted safely at home, and is well-suited for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. The kit supplies unmodified glycerin and unmodified dextran as solutes, and components to assemble a watertight U-tube apparatus capable of accurate, repeatable quantitative measurements and bidirectional osmosis. One method describes osmotic rate measurements using glycerin as solute under varying parameters of solute concentration, temperature, and osmosis direction. Another method describes the comparison of experimental measurement of osmotic pressure at equilibrium to theoretical prediction using dextran as solute.

A forward osmosis membrane for seawater desalination and a method for preparing the same. The forward osmosis membrane has a composite membrane structure including a nonwoven fabric layer; a hydrophilic polymer layer; and a polyamide layer. The hydrophilic polymer layer formed on the nonwoven fabric layer facilitates an inflow of water from the feed water to the draw solution to enhance flux and realize high water permeability in the direction of osmosis. The polyamide layer not only secures contamination resistance and chemical resistance but also minimizes the back diffusion of salts of the draw solution in the direction of reverse osmosis. Hence, the forward osmosis membrane of the present invention is greatly useful for desalination of high-concentration seawater.