A vacuum membrane distillation module includes a center core; a plurality of hollow fiber membranes; an shell which cylindrically houses the bundle of hollow fiber membranes and the center core; at least one circumferential retaining structures retaining the ends of the plurality of hollow fiber membrane; at least one end cap housing the at least one circumferential retaining structures; at least one supporting rod extending in a longitudinal direction; a potting material, which is contained between (i) an inner boundary formed by the outer surface of the center core, and (ii) a peripheral boundary formed by the inner surface of the least one circumferential retaining structure; and at least one of (i) the outer surface of the at least one end section of the center core and (ii) the inner surface of the least one circumferential retaining structure comprises an adaptation to enhance strength of bonding with the potting material.

A hollow fiber membrane module (100) of the present invention includes: a plurality of hollow fiber membranes (10); a binding portion (20) binding the plurality of hollow fiber membranes (10) at one end portions thereof; and a cap (30) having an internal space (30s) that communicates with each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes (10), the cap (30) being integrated with the binding portion (20); and a housing (40) that houses the plurality of hollow fiber membranes (10) and the binding portion (20), and that has one end portion to which the cap (30) is attached. A unit (70) including the plurality of hollow fiber membranes (10), the binding portion (20), and the cap (30) is detached from the housing (40) and the unit (70) is attached to the housing (40) while integration of the binding portion (20) and the cap (30) is maintained.

A separation membrane module includes a tubular housing, a columnar membrane structure housed in the housing, an annular first flange surrounding a first end portion of the membrane structure, and a first bonding material interposed between the first flange and the first end portion. The housing has a first facing surface and an inner circumferential surface, the first facing surface facing an end surface of the first flange, and the inner circumferential surface facing an outer circumferential surface of the first flange. A coefficient of thermal expansion of the first bonding material is smaller than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the first flange. A coefficient of thermal expansion of the membrane structure is smaller than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first flange.

A submersible water desalination apparatus includes a plurality of water separation membrane elements, a product water collector that receives product water from the membrane elements, and a variable output motorized submersible pump having a suction side that receives product water from the product water collector and a discharge side that pumps product water away from the apparatus through a product water conduit for surface or subsurface use. At least a portion of the product water is used to cool the motor.

The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to systems, apparatus, and methods for fluid purification (e.g., water) with a ceramic membrane. For example, the present disclosure relates, in some embodiments, to a cross-flow fluid filtration assembly comprising (a) membrane housing comprising a plurality of hexagonal prism shaped membranes (b) an inlet configured to receive the contaminated fluid and to channel a contaminated fluid to the first end of the plurality of hexagonal prism shaped membranes, and (c) an outlet configured to receive a permeate released from the second end of the plurality of hexagonal shaped membranes. The present disclosure also relates to a cross-flow fluid filtration module comprising a fluid path defined by a contaminated media inlet chamber, a fluid filtration assembly positioned in a permeate chamber and a concentrate chamber.

A water-proof air-permeable filter (1) includes: a resin film (2) having formed therein a plurality of through pores (21); a treated layer (3) having hydrophobicity and oil repellency, and formed on at least one of both surfaces in the thickness direction of the resin film (2) such that the treated layer (3) has openings (31) at positions corresponding to the through pores (21); and a loop-shaped double-sided tape (4) stuck to an edge region of one of both surfaces in the thickness direction of the resin film (2), with the treated layer (3) interposed therebetween.

A humidifier for transferring water vapour from a first gas stream to a second gas stream in a fuel cell system has a stack of thin plates joined together at their edges by planar sealing surfaces, with water permeable membranes between the plates. Each plate defines a gas flow passage along its top and bottom surfaces, with an inlet and outlet defined along edges of the plate, and a flow field extending between the inlet and outlet openings. Inlet and outlet passages connect the inlet and outlet openings to the flow field, with the planar sealing surfaces including bridging portions extending across these passages. Support structures are provided throughout the flow field to support the membrane and diffusion medium layer(s). Each support structure comprises a porous material which is sufficiently porous to permit gas flow through the flow field.

Parallel membrane elements are arranged in parallel within a pressure vessel. A sealing body is disposed within the pressure vessel and is compressed against an inner surface of the pressure vessel to provide a leak-right seal in between a feed gas side of the sealing body and a non-permeate side of the sealing body. The sealing body may be slid within the pressure vessel without damaging the sealing body and in all cases without requiring mechanical assistance.

A complex for acid gas separation includes an acid gas separation membrane, a permeated gas flow path member, and a sealing portion. The acid gas separation membrane includes a porous support with pores having an average pore diameter of 0.5 m or less, and an acid gas separation layer disposed on the porous support. The permeated gas flow path member allows acid gas, which has permeated through the acid gas separation layer, to pass therethrough. The sealing portion seals a region required to be sealed with resin, the region being on the periphery of the permeated gas flow path member and the porous support. The sealing portion is made of epoxy resin, the Tg of epoxy resin is 90 C. or higher and the content of an inorganic filling material is less than or equal to 30% by mass.

This disclosure provides water processing apparatuses, systems, and methods for recovering water from wastewater such as urine. The water processing apparatuses, systems, and methods can utilize membrane technology for extracting purified water in a single step. A containment unit can include an ionomer membrane, such as Nafion, over a hydrophobic microporous membrane, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The containment unit can be filled with wastewater, and the hydrophobic microporous membrane can be impermeable to liquids and solids of the wastewater but permeable to gases and vapors of the wastewater, and the ionomer membrane can be permeable to water vapor but impermeable to one or more contaminants of the gases and vapors. The containment unit can be exposed to a dry purge gas to maintain a water vapor partial pressure differential to drive permeation of the water vapor, and the water vapor can be collected and processed into potable water.