A fuel filter for a fuel system includes a cylindrical frame having a pair of circular openings at longitudinal ends of the frame and a filter membrane, with the frame including a circumferential wall having an aperture and the filter membrane being disposed about an outwardly facing side of the wall and over the aperture. The frame includes tabs, such as deformable tabs, disposed adjacent at the openings for retaining the filter membrane on the frame, and the filter membrane overlaps itself when circumferentially disposed about the wall.

A monolithic membrane-type filtration structure for filtering liquids, includes a support formed of a porous inorganic material of permeability K.sub.s, the support having a tubular overall shape with a main axis, an upstream base, a downstream base, a peripheral wall delimiting an internal part and a plurality of passages parallel to the main axis of the support, formed in the internal part of the support, a membrane of permeability K.sub.m and of mean thickness t.sub.m covering the internal surface of the passages; the external hydraulic diameter of the structure satisfying the relationship Ø.sub.f=α×[A+B×log.sub.10 (K.sub.s×t.sub.m/K.sub.m)]; in which α is a coefficient between 0.85 and 1.15, and A=−21570×ent.sub.int.sup.2−18.6×D.sub.h+19.0×e.sub.int−2.5×e.sub.ext+0.1244 B=−11760×D.sub.h×e.sub.int+9.7×e.sub.int+3.1×e.sub.ext+0.04517. D.sub.h is the mean hydraulic diameter of the passages, e.sub.int is the minimum thickness of the internal walls between the passages, e.sub.ext is the minimum thickness of the peripheral wall of the filter.

A device for separating a gas, such as air, into components, includes a plurality of modules, each module having one or more polymeric membranes capable of gas separation. A set of valves, pipes, and manifolds together arrange the modules in one of two possible configurations. In a first configuration, the modules are arranged in parallel. In a second configuration, the modules are divided into two groups which are arranged in series. The device can be switched from parallel to series, or from series to parallel, simply by changing the positions of a small number of valves, typically three valves. The device can therefore produce gas either of higher purity, or moderate purity, depending on the settings of the valves. The device also includes improved structures for connecting the modules to inlet and outlet manifolds, and also includes devices for temporarily isolating one or more modules from the system.

A device for separating a gas, such as air, into components, includes a plurality of modules, each module having one or more polymeric membranes capable of gas separation. A set of valves, pipes, and manifolds together arrange the modules in one of two possible configurations. In a first configuration, the modules are arranged in parallel. In a second configuration, the modules are divided into two groups which are arranged in series. The device can be switched from parallel to series, or from series to parallel, simply by changing the positions of a small number of valves, typically three valves. The device can therefore produce gas either of higher purity, or moderate purity, depending on the settings of the valves. The device also includes improved structures for connecting the modules to inlet and outlet manifolds, and also includes devices for temporarily isolating one or more modules from the system.

The present invention provides a novel floating and renewable energy-powered desalination vessel, which also functions as a wind turbine generator and wave energy generator platform. With energy derived from the wind and waves, the vessel performs reverse osmosis within a vertically positioned cylindrical section extending below a buoyancy chamber. The cylindrical section contains reverse osmosis membranes located above a seawater screening and filtration system, which serve as ballast. The entire vessel and power systems are configured to have the center of mass below the center of buoyancy, forming a vertically stable floating structure with minimum pitch, roll, and wave heave in high sea states. The electric power generated is utilized internally to produce desalinated water or hydrogen from the desalinated water's electrolysis, power an onboard data center, or power delivery to a shoreside power grid. In addition to a wind turbine generator and a wave energy generator, a photovoltaic array or a marine current generator may be utilized to power these applications. Alternatively, the desalination vessel operates with the assistance of shore-based power provided by cable.

The present invention provides a novel floating and renewable energy-powered desalination vessel, which also functions as a wind turbine generator and wave energy generator platform. With energy derived from the wind and waves, the vessel performs reverse osmosis within a vertically positioned cylindrical section extending below a buoyancy chamber. The cylindrical section contains reverse osmosis membranes located above a seawater screening and filtration system, which serve as ballast. The entire vessel and power systems are configured to have the center of mass below the center of buoyancy, forming a vertically stable floating structure with minimum pitch, roll, and wave heave in high sea states. The electric power generated is utilized internally to produce desalinated water or hydrogen from the desalinated water's electrolysis, power an onboard data center, or power delivery to a shoreside power grid. In addition to a wind turbine generator and a wave energy generator, a photovoltaic array or a marine current generator may be utilized to power these applications. Alternatively, the desalination vessel operates with the assistance of shore-based power provided by cable.

A separation membrane complex includes a porous support and a separation membrane formed on the support and used to separate fluid. A supply/permeation area ratio obtained by dividing a supply-side surface area by a permeation-side surface area is higher than or equal to 1.1 and lower than or equal to 5.0, the supply-side surface area being the area of a region of the surface of the separation membrane to which fluid is supplied, the permeation-side surface area being the area of a region of the surface of the support from which fluid that has permeated through the separation membrane and the support flows off.

The degassing device includes a degassing flow path, a vacuum chamber, a vacuum pump, an inlet flow path, an outlet flow path, a drain flow path, a downstream side switching unit, and a controller. The degassing flow path is made of a gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable tube, and is accommodated in the vacuum chamber. The inlet flow path is for introducing a mobile phase to the degassing flow path, and the outlet flow path is for causing a mobile phase which has passed through the degassing flow path to flow out. The drain flow path is provided separately from the outlet flow path and is configured to drain the mobile phase in the degassing flow path from the degassing flow path. The downstream side switching unit is configured to switch the downstream end of the degassing flow path so as to be connected to either the outlet flow path or the drain flow path. The controller controls the operation of the downstream side switching unit, and is configured to connect the downstream end of the degassing flow path to the drain flow path at a predetermined timing when feeding of the mobile phase by the liquid feeding pump is stopped to drain the mobile phase in the degassing flow path through the drain flow path.

A tube unit includes multiple tubes and bundling portions that bundle end portions of respective tubes at opposite ends of the tubes. At least one of the end portions of respective tubes has a tube wall portion that tubularly extends in an extension direction of the tubes and also has a protrusion protruding radially outward from the tube wall portion.

A method of continuous filtration of contaminants from a contaminated viscous fluid, the method may include: pumping the contaminated viscous fluid between a non-perforated surface being a first cylinder and a second perforated surface being a second cylinder disposed substantially parallel to each other at a defined first gap, moving the non-perforated surface and the perforated surface with respect to each other includes one or more longitudinal fins protruding from second cylindrical body into the first gap towards the perforated surface of the first cylindrical body thereby forming a second gap between the distal tips of the fins and the perforated surface, thereby forcing movement of the contaminated viscous fluid in a direction substantially parallel to the relative speed thereby generating a shear rate in the contaminated viscous fluid near the perforated surface in the direction substantially parallel to the relative speed.