A sterilization water discharge device is disclosed. A sterilization water discharge device includes: a tray part, which is movably disposed under a discharge member for discharging water and allows sterilization water discharged from the discharge member to be received therein and discharged; and a movement driving part for moving the tray part.

A housing of a separation apparatus includes therein a zeolite membrane complex. A sheath includes therein the housing. A fluid supplied to the inside of the housing has a temperature higher than the temperature around the sheath. A second exhaust port is used to exhaust a permeated substance that has permeated through the zeolite membrane complex in the fluid to the outside of the housing. The permeated substance exhausted from the housing can be led into an exterior space between the sheath and the housing through the second exhaust port and can be exhausted through an exterior exhaust port. At least part of the zeolite membrane complex is included in an inter-port space surrounded by the sheath, the second exhaust port, and the exterior exhaust port. This structure reduces energy required for fluid separation performed under high temperatures.

The invention provides a water-alcohol separation system and a method for water-alcohol separation for producing a high purity alcohol while achieving energy saving as the whole process. Namely, a water-alcohol separation system including plural separation membrane modules connected in series, a vacuum apparatus for reducing a pressure at a permeated side of each of the separation membrane modules, and a condenser for condensing a vapor that has passed through a membrane, in which plural independent vacuum systems reduce the pressure at the permeated side of the membrane of the separation membrane modules.

A gas separation apparatus includes a separation membrane module including at least one gas separation membrane element in a housing, a casing for blocking external air, and a heat source unit for adjusting a temperature of a heat medium with which the casing is filled. The casing holds greater than or equal to two separation membrane modules.

Radiative heating and radiative feed modification systems and methods using microwave, radio frequency, magnetic field and ultrasound in membrane separation processes including membrane distillation (MD), reverse osmosis, forward osmosis and pervaporation are disclosed. Membrane distillation systems include at least one MD module, the MD module having at least one membrane, a feed inlet operable to receive a feed media and a feed outlet, and a radiative energy source operable to apply radiation to a feed media entering the feed inlet.

Techniques for solar thermal water purification by recycling photovoltaic reflection losses are provided. In one aspect, a solar thermal water purification system includes: a water purification component for desalinating salt water, the water purification component having multiple stages through which the salt water passes, and condensers in each of the stages; and a photovoltaic component configured to heat the salt water prior to the salt water entering a first stage of the water purification component, wherein desalinated water evaporates and condenses in each of the stages to be collected as pure water. A system using reverse osmosis and a heat-driven water pump is also provided. Methods for water purification are also provided.

A water purifier includes a hot water tank for receiving and heating received water by induction heating, a water outlet portion that is at least partially exposed to an outside of the water purifier for discharging hot water, a hot water line that is connected to the water outlet portion to communicate the hot water from the hot water tank to the water outlet portion, a hot water outlet valve that is located at the hot water line and that opens or closes the hot water line based on a control command, a connector that includes a hot water inlet connected to a water outlet pipe of the hot water tank and a hot water outlet connected to the hot water line, and a temperature sensor that is connected to the connector and that is configured to measure a temperature of the hot water that passes through the connector.

In a method for manufacturing an oxygenator, an intermediate spacer is disposed between a cylindrical heat exchange unit configured by winding a first hollow fiber membrane and a cylindrical gas exchange unit configured by winding a second hollow fiber membrane so that a first gap is formed between one end portions of the heat exchange unit and the gas exchange unit, and a first partition section of a first cover member is inserted into the first gap. In such an oxygenator, a first end portion of the intermediate spacer is located at a part that does not overlap the first partition section in a radial direction in the heat exchange unit and the gas exchange unit. The intermediate spacer is formed by winding an intermediate hollow fiber membrane.

A microchannel-membrane device comprises a microchannel extending through at least one electrode, the microchannel having a predetermined depth; an ionic permselective medium, such as a membrane, across the microchannel between the electrodes; and a heater, or array of heaters, embedded below the microchannel on at least one side of the permselective membrane. The heaters can be either prefabricated or dynamically patterned using laser illumination with/without photoconductive coating. The heaters are on the depletion side of the membrane and induce a vortex which limits the growth of the diffusion area. Operation of the heaters allows for controlled positioning of the end of the diffusion area and with it also the position of the preconcentrated molecule plug.

A membrane evaporative condenser (MEC) includes a repeating sequence of channels for evaporation and/or condensation are arranged, each sequence of channels includes a condensation channel for condensation of a vapor to a liquid, an evaporation channel, and zero to one hundred evaporation-condensation channels. The condensation channel has walls of a non-permeable material which exterior to the condensation channel share the wall with a liquid evaporative medium (LEM) conduit that contains a LEM. The LEM conduit includes a moisture transfer membrane (MTM), where the LEM can evaporate into an evaporation channel or an evaporation-condensation channel that can amplify the effect of the heat transfer for additional mass transfer.