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.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to methods of separating a volatile siloxane from a liquid mixture. In various embodiments, the method includes contacting a first side of a first hydrophobic membrane with a liquid feed mixture including a polymer and at least one volatile siloxane. The method can also include contacting a second side of the membrane with a sweep medium including at least one of a sweep gas, a sweep liquid, and a vacuum, to produce a permeate mixture on the second side of the membrane and a retentate mixture on the first side of the membrane, wherein the permeate mixture is enriched in the volatile siloxane, and the retentate mixture is depleted in the volatile siloxane.

This disclosure provides water processing apparatuses, systems, and methods for recovering purified water and concentrated brine from wastewater. The water processing apparatuses, systems, and methods utilize ionomer membrane technology to separate water vapor from volatiles of a wastewater stream. The wastewater stream is evaporated into a gas stream including water vapor and volatiles of the wastewater stream in an evaporation container. The gas stream is delivered to a water separation module spatially separated from and fluidly coupled to the evaporation container. The water vapor of the gas stream is separated out in the water separation module while the volatiles are rejected. The water vapor can be collected into purified water while concentrated brine from the wastewater stream is left behind in the evaporation container.

Plate-and-frame membrane modules, assemblies and processes for separating components of a fluid mixture. The assemblies comprise of a pressure vessel filled with, and able to hold, pressurized fluid being processed. Lightweight membrane plate-and-frame modules are contained inside the vessel. Fluid directing conduits direct the fluid streams being processed into and out of the vessel and across the surface of the separating membrane. Because the modules are surrounded by high pressure fluid, the forces acting on the module are small. This means the modules can be made of lightweight, inexpensive materials, such as plastic. The design of the assemblies is such that it allows for modules to be easily replaced as needed. The assemblies are also designed for pressurized feed fluid separations and separation using a sweep fluid on the permeate side of the membrane. The pressure vessel can contain one or several membrane modules.

The present invention relates to a crossflow membrane module configured to separate a feed fluid into a permeate fluid and a residue fluid across one or more membrane sheet(s). The crossflow module comprises a second end offset from a first end along the first direction where an inlet is provided at the first end and an outlet is provided at the second end. The one or more membrane sheet(s) each have a first portion and a second portion. A conduit is adjacent to the first side of each membrane sheet and is configured to receive and output the permeate fluid separated from the feed fluid. The second portion of the membrane sheet has a greater permeance for a major component than the first portion such that the second part of the permeate fluid, which is generated by separation across the second portion of the membrane sheet, has a higher concentration of the major component than the first part of the permeate fluid, which is generated by separation across the first portion. The second portion is spaced apart from the first side of the membrane sheet along the second direction thereby causing the second part of the permeate gas to flow towards the first side of the membrane sheet such that the second part of the permeate gas mixes with the first part of the permeate gas thereby reducing the concentration of the minor component in the first part of the permeate gas.

A multi-stage sweeping gas membrane distillation (MS-SGMD) system and a method of use are provided. The MS-SGMD includes a plurality of modules, wherein each module includes a feed chamber fluidically coupled to a feed line and a carrier gas line, wherein the feed line introduces a liquid feed into the feed chamber from a liquid feed tank, and wherein the carrier gas line introduces a carrier gas into the feed chamber. Each module includes a sweeping gas chamber fluidically coupled to a sweeping gas line and a sweeping gas return line, wherein a sweeping gas is passed through the sweeping gas chamber. Each module further includes a membrane separating the feed chamber from the sweeping gas chamber, wherein the membrane allows transportation of vapor from the feed chamber to the sweeping gas chamber while blocking liquid from moving from the feed chamber to the sweeping gas chamber.

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.

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.

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.

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.