A hyperfiltration system (10) and method for treating water including: a vessel (20) having a feed inlet (22), a permeate outlet (24), and a concentrate outlet (26); at least one spiral wound membrane element (28) located within the vessel (20); a pump (30) having a low pressure side (32) in fluid communication with a source of feed water (40) through a junction point (42) and a high pressure side (34) in fluid communication with the feed inlet (22); a permeate valve (50) connected to the permeate outlet (24) and adapted to selectively direct permeate flow between a treated water outlet (52) and the junction point (42); a flow path (60) between the concentrate outlet (26) and a discharge (62); and a flow restrictor (64) located along the flow path (60) and adapted to vary resistance to concentrate flow between a high and low value.

An apparatus includes a filtration skid configured to generate a filtrate through at least one of microfiltration and ultrafiltration. The apparatus further includes a desalination skid fluidly connected to the filtration skid. The desalination skid is configured to perform reverse osmosis desalination on the filtrate to generate a permeate, where the filtrate travels from the filtration skid to the desalination skid without traversing a storage tank. In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a controller, where the filtration skid and the desalination skid are integrated to provide self-adaptive operation of the filtration skid and the desalination skid in response to control by at least one of a supervisory controller and a local controller. In one embodiment, the control responds to at least one of temporal variability of feed water quality, a permeate production capacity target, and a permeate quality target.

Membrane-based method of washing and deacidification of oils, wherein a stream of oil is conveyed from an oil reservoir along one side of porous hydrophobic membrane, and washing aqueous solution is conveyed along another side of this membrane. The membranes form hollow fibers, and their total surface area and porosity are large enough for efficient removal of fatty acids, water, ions and hydrophilic organic impurities from oil. Membrane pore size is small enough, so that hydrodynamic mixing of oil and aqueous solution does not take place. Additional stabilization of oil/water meniscus in the pores is achieved by transmembrane pressure difference.

A water purification device, including a first pressure cylinder, a second pressure cylinder, a first connecting piece and a second cylinder block arranged successively from bottom to top, and further comprising a first cylinder block arranged inside the second cylinder block. The first pressure cylinder and the second pressure cylinder both are open at one end and formed with a first through-hole at the other end; the first cylinder block and the second cylinder block both are open at two ends and arranged in a hollow shape. A water inlet, which is communicated with first flow passages formed between the first cylinder block and the second cylinder block, is formed on the second cylinder block, and a water outlet pipe, communicated with the first cylinder block, is inserted into an outer wall of the water purification device.

A device for separating gases comprises the following components: a source for the gases and flow adjustment means; a membrane unit for the production of a permeate gas and a retentate gas, one of which is the product gas; purity determining means for the product gas; a first control unit for the device; a retentate control system and a product gas pressure measurement, whereby the source has a second control unit for the flow adjustment means as a function of a target value of the gases and the first control unit is connected to the second control unit and to the retentate control system, whereby the first control unit can determine the target value and can control the retentate control system.

A feed of at least one of (a) a source liquid including a solvent with a dissolved impurity and (b) a retentate of the source liquid is pumped in a substantially closed loop through a liquid-separation module. The liquid-separation module includes a membrane that passes at least partially purified solvent to a permeate side of the membrane while diverting the impurity in a retentate on the retentate side of the membrane. The purified solvent is extracted from the permeate side of the membrane; and the retentate from the liquid-separation module is pumped to or through a pressurized reservoir with a variable volume for the feed component and recirculated as a component of the feed. Over time, the volume for the feed is reduced and the pressure applied to the feed in the reservoir is increased to balance against an increasing difference in osmotic pressure across the membrane.

Methods are disclosed for monitoring, controlling and optimizing fouling of a two side membrane fouling process. The method for monitoring fouling of a two side membrane fouling process can include determining the process model for the two side membrane fouling process. The parameters of the process model can be grouped based on the interactions thereof between the parameters so as to form one or more groups of parameters. At least one key performance index is estimated in relation to one or more groups of parameters. The fouling of the two side membrane fouling process is monitored correspondingly in relation to at least one key performance index.

A filtration system suitable for recovering base stock from used lubricating oil and other applications pass feedstock over nano-filtration membranes assembled as a stack of membranes all experiencing parallel flow. On exiting a first stack of membranes the feedstock passes through an opening in a pressure-sustaining separator plate to flow in the reverse direction past a second stack of membranes and subsequently establish a serpentine flow of feedstock through multiple stacks of membranes. The stacks of membranes all share a common pressure containment vessel. Pressure boosters installed in the flow-through openings of separator plates separating consecutive stacks can serve to restore lost pressure of the feedstock and maintain effective permeation of permeate through the membranes. A pressure control valve at the outlet to the permeate-receiving cavities of a stack can be used to adjust the trans-membrane pressure.

An ocean wave-driven sea water desalination plant employs ocean bottom mounted and hinged flaps driven in oscillating motion by wave surge force to drive rotary pumps which directly pressurize filtered sea water for use by a reverse osmosis (RO) plant and a hydraulic motor-generator set which provides electrical power to RO plant peripheral devices. Means are provided to control the filtered sea water pressure presented to the RO membranes to a preferred set point value. Means are also provided to control the pump reaction torque presented to the flap independently of water pressure by adjusting the effective pump displacement with a pulse width modulated valve shunting the pump ports to maximize captured wave power. Control of pump reaction torque may be effected slowly according to average sea state conditions or in real-time to further enhance captured wave power.

Systems for counter top and under the counter use having a self contained reverse osmosis filter system having a manifold assemble under which parts of the self contained reverse osmosis filter system are attached, and a raw water pressure regulator also attached under the manifold assembly, the raw water pressure regulator having an inlet for coupling to a source of raw water and an outlet coupled to the inlet for the self contained reverse osmosis filter system, whereby the ratio of product water to waste water may be maximized under normal operating conditions without clogging the self contained reverse osmosis filter system if the pressure of the source of raw water is high.