Equipment, systems, processes and techniques for conducting processing of solutions are described. The techniques can be applied to provide diluted solution (i.e. purified solvent), concentrate solution or each. A variety of specific equipment, example systems and processes are depicted and described.

Provided herein are membrane separation systems and methods suitable for use in separating carbonylation catalyst from a beta-lactone product stream. Such membrane separation systems utilize a cross flow separation technique and employ a sweep stream.

A gas separation system for controlling a concentration of a first gas species and a second gas species in an outlet gas comprises a splitter unit. The splitter unit comprises a gas membrane system having a gas inlet port. The gas inlet port is in fluid connection with an air intake. A membrane is a selective barrier and allows some things to pass through but stops others.

In one embodiment, a method for separating acidic gases from a gas mixture includes exposing the gas mixture to a separation membrane at an elevated temperature, where the separation membrane includes a porous support and at least one molten alkali metal hydroxide disposed within pores of the porous support.

A membrane distillation (MD) system includes a membrane module and reduced graphene oxide-carbon nanotube immobilized membrane for organic solvent separation. The MD module could include a feed inlet and outlet, a sweep gas inlet, and a sweep gas outlet. Thermostats are positioned at the feed inlet and outlet to measure the change in temperature. Preferential sorption of the organic, specifically tetrahydrofuran (THF), on a hybrid reduced graphene oxide-carbon nanotube immobilized membrane contributes to enhanced solvent removal of the MD system.

A device for exchange of water molecule and temperature between two fluids. The device comprises thin molecular sieve membrane sheets that allow water molecules to permeate through while blocking cross-over of the exchanging fluids. The device provides two sets of flow channels having a hydraulic diameter ranged from 0.5 to 2.0 mm for respective process and sweep fluid flows. The two sets of the channels are separated by a membrane sheet having a thickness less than 200 μm. The thin molecule sieve membrane may be prepared by forming an ultra-thin zeolite membrane layer on a porous metal-based support sheet which provides very high water permeance so that the exchange can be conducted in a compact membrane module at high throughput. The device can be used to remove water from a process stream of higher water content by use of a sweep fluid of lower water content or higher water affinity. For example, the device can be used to condition outdoor fresh air close to the temperature and humidity of indoor air by conducting humidity and heat exchange between the fresh air flow drawn from outdoors and waste air discharged indoors.

A device for exchange of water molecule and temperature between two fluids. The device comprises thin molecular sieve membrane sheets that allow water molecules to permeate through while blocking cross-over of the exchanging fluids. The device provides two sets of flow channels having a hydraulic diameter ranged from 0.5 to 2.0 mm for respective process and sweep fluid flows. The two sets of the channels are separated by a membrane sheet having a thickness less than 200 μm. The thin molecule sieve membrane may be prepared by forming an ultra-thin zeolite membrane layer on a porous metal-based support sheet which provides very high water permeance so that the exchange can be conducted in a compact membrane module at high throughput. The device can be used to remove water from a process stream of higher water content by use of a sweep fluid of lower water content or higher water affinity. For example, the device can be used to condition outdoor fresh air close to the temperature and humidity of indoor air by conducting humidity and heat exchange between the fresh air flow drawn from outdoors and waste air discharged indoors.

Method and apparatus for batch and semi-batch operation of membrane system using a sweep stream with essentially repeating process flows is disclosed. The method and apparatus are used for separating a source liquid into its constituent solvents and solutes. The method includes circulating a feed stream and sweep stream in a feed side circulation loop and a sweep side circulation loop, respectively, in a counter-current, or co-current or cross-flow configuration. The pressure in the feed loop is gradually increased to initiate flow of solvent from the feed loop to the sweep loop. The concentrate and diluate streams obtained may be continuously removed. The applied feed loop pressure is continually increased until maximum desired operating pressure is reached or maximum concentration of a solute is reached in the feed solution. The method extends the maximum achievable salt concentration of RO process to at least about 300 g/L NaCl.

A modular structure for a mitigating evaporative fuel emissions, such as for an automobile, is described. The structure may include a plurality of frames and membranes for flowing fuel vapor and reducing the emission of hydrocarbon therefrom. The structure may include flow guides that provide a meandering flow path for both the fuel vapor and a permeate. A flow guide providing parallel flow paths is also described.

Devices and techniques may improve the permeate productivity in membrane distillation separation by modifying the feed and/or coolant sides of a membrane distillation module depending on the membrane distillation configuration. The bubbling of a carrier gas through the feed liquid in the feed liquid side of the module can increase the turbulent dissipation rate and/or enhance mass transfer across the membrane pores.