A raw material solution concentration system that has: a first unit for obtaining a concentrated raw material solution and a diluted induction solution by bringing a raw material solution containing a solvent and a solute into contact with an induction solution containing an induction solute through a forward osmosis membrane and transferring the solvent in the raw material solution into the induction solution and the induction solute in the induction solution into the raw material solution; and a second unit for performing a freeze-dry treatment on the concentrated raw material solution and obtaining a further-concentrated product.

A reverse osmosis water system including a housing, a reverse osmosis cartridge, an unfiltered waterline, and a blend waterline. The housing includes an inlet and an outlet. A medial waterline transports pretreated water to the reverse osmosis cartridge. An unfiltered waterline includes a flow restrictor. A blend waterline transports a blended water mixture to the outlet. The blended waterline receives filtered water at a first flowrate from the medial waterline and unfiltered water at a second flowrate downstream of the flow restrictor. The flow restrictor provides the second flowrate at a substantially equal rate to the first flowrate.

The present invention relates to a method for purifying an aqueous liquid comprising inulin, in particular chicory root inulin, and one or more impurities, said method comprising filtration of said aqueous liquid employing a nanofiltration membrane having a molecular weight cut-off value of less than 2 kDa, without employing ion-exchange treatment. The invention further relates to the inulin composition obtainable by the method and to inulin compositions which comprise low concentrations of impurities while comprising significant amounts of short-chain (low DP) inulin.

A high gravity non-alcoholic beverage is disclosed having an ABV between about 0.1% to about 0.8% or between about 3% to about 6%, a real extract by weight between about 15% to about 70%, and an ethyl acetate amount between about 1 to about 500 mg/l. A method for producing the high gravity non-alcoholic beverage from a starting liquid includes providing a set of reverse osmosis pressure vessels, each pressure vessel having a feed inlet, a retentate outlet, and a permeate outlet, the set having a first pressure vessel, providing the starting liquid to the feed inlet of the first pressure vessel, adding water at a blend point when ABV content in a selected one of the permeate streams exceeds ABV content of a retentate stream at the blend point, and obtaining the high gravity non-alcoholic beverage from a selected one of the retentate streams.

A high gravity non-alcoholic beverage is disclosed having an ABV between about 0.1% to about 0.8% or between about 3% to about 6%, a real extract by weight between about 15% to about 70%, and an ethyl acetate amount between about 1 to about 500 mg/l. A method for producing the high gravity non-alcoholic beverage from a starting liquid includes providing a set of reverse osmosis pressure vessels, each pressure vessel having a feed inlet, a retentate outlet, and a permeate outlet, the set having a first pressure vessel, providing the starting liquid to the feed inlet of the first pressure vessel, adding water at a blend point when ABV content in a selected one of the permeate streams exceeds ABV content of a retentate stream at the blend point, and obtaining the high gravity non-alcoholic beverage from a selected one of the retentate streams.

A pure-water production device including: a first reverse osmosis membrane device to which water to be treated is supplied; a second reverse osmosis membrane device to which permeated water from the first reverse osmosis membrane device is supplied; an electrodeionization device to which permeated water from the second reverse osmosis membrane device is supplied; a brine tank to which concentrated water from the first reverse osmosis membrane device is supplied; and a third reverse osmosis membrane device connected to the brine tank, wherein the second reverse osmosis membrane device is a high-pressure reverse osmosis membrane device, the brine tank is supplied with at least one concentrated water selected from the group consisting of concentrated water from the second reverse osmosis membrane device and concentrated water from the electrodeionization device, wherein permeated water from the third reverse osmosis membrane device is supplied to water to be treated, is used.

A method includes supplying a supersaturated brine stream having a plurality of minerals and anti-scalant from a water treatment system to a gypsum removal system disposed within a mineral removal system. The gypsum removal system includes a gypsum reactor that may receive the supersaturated brine, may deactivate the anti-scalant such that gypsum precipitates from the supersaturated brine, and may generate a gypsum slurry having a mixture of desupersaturated brine, precipitated gypsum, and the anti-scalant in solution with the desupersaturated brine. The method also includes supplying gypsum seed crystals to the gypsum reactor. The gypsum seed crystals may precipitate the gypsum from the supersaturated brine to generate the gypsum slurry. The method also includes directing a first portion of the gypsum slurry from the gypsum reactor to a gypsum settler. The gypsum settler may reactivate the anti-scalant such that the anti-scalant absorbs onto the precipitated gypsum to remove the anti-scalant from the desupersaturated brine and may generate anti-scalant-gypsum crystals and a desupersaturated overflow having at least a portion of the plurality of minerals. The method further includes generating the gypsum seed crystals supplied to the gypsum reactor using the anti-scalant-gypsum crystals.

A method includes supplying a supersaturated brine stream having a plurality of minerals and anti-scalant from a water treatment system to a gypsum removal system disposed within a mineral removal system. The gypsum removal system includes a gypsum reactor that may receive the supersaturated brine, may deactivate the anti-scalant such that gypsum precipitates from the supersaturated brine, and may generate a gypsum slurry having a mixture of desupersaturated brine, precipitated gypsum, and the anti-scalant in solution with the desupersaturated brine. The method also includes supplying gypsum seed crystals to the gypsum reactor. The gypsum seed crystals may precipitate the gypsum from the supersaturated brine to generate the gypsum slurry. The method also includes directing a first portion of the gypsum slurry from the gypsum reactor to a gypsum settler. The gypsum settler may reactivate the anti-scalant such that the anti-scalant absorbs onto the precipitated gypsum to remove the anti-scalant from the desupersaturated brine and may generate anti-scalant-gypsum crystals and a desupersaturated overflow having at least a portion of the plurality of minerals. The method further includes generating the gypsum seed crystals supplied to the gypsum reactor using the anti-scalant-gypsum crystals.

A method is disclosed for concentrating and purifying an eluate brine and producing a purified lithium compound. An extraction eluate, rich in lithium, is directed to a nanofiltration unit or a softening process that removes sulfate and/or calcium and magnesium. Permeate from the nanofiltration unit or the effluent from the softening process is directed through an electrodialysis unit. As the lithium-rich solution moves through the electrodialysis unit, lithium, sodium and chloride ions pass from the solution through a cation-transfer membrane and an anion-transfer membrane to concentrate compartments. A dilute stream is directed through the concentrate compartments and collects the lithium, sodium and chloride ions. The electrodialysis unit also produces a product stream which contains non-ionized impurities, such as silica and/or boron. Concentrate from the electrodialysis unit is subject to a precipitation process that produces a lithium compound that is subsequently subjected to a purification process.

A desalination brine dispersal apparatus and method employ airlift to remove, oxygenate and disperse brine from a desalination apparatus. The apparatus includes a brine removal conduit having a brine inlet that receives brine from the desalination apparatus, a plurality of brine outlets submerged in seawater and one or more air introduction points located at depths below the brine outlets. The supplied air oxygenates and moves brine through the brine removal conduit and outlets via airlift and disperses the brine into seawater away from the brine removal conduit. The apparatus avoids the formation of concentrated, high shear brine plumes and can disperse brine into seawater over a wide area well away from the brine removal conduit.