A filtration system, having a filtration unit comprising a housing with a sample inlet, a sample outlet, one or more valves, a first actuator, and a second actuator and a third actuator; and a cassette adapted to fit the filtration unit, the cassette having a filter; a first reservoir in fluid communication with the filter, the first reservoir being arranged to couple to the first actuator for imparting flow to a cell-containing solution in a first direction through the filter; a second reservoir in fluid communication with the filter, the second reservoir being arranged to couple to the second actuator for imparting flow to a cell-containing solution in a second direction through said filter, wherein the second direction opposes the first direction; and a third reservoir.

The process of producing concentrated maple sap can include concentrating the maple sap using membrane filtration to a sugar content of approximately 30? Brix, circulating the maple through a maple sap passage of a membrane, wherein the membrane contains the maple sap in a vacuum cavity, and evaporating the water from the maple sap across the membrane into the cavity. The concentrated maple sap having a sugar content above 50? Brix.

A water purification system utilizes an ionomer membrane and mild vacuum to draw water from source water through the membrane. A water source may be salt water or a contaminated water source. The water drawn through the membrane passes across the condenser chamber to a condenser surface where it is condensed into purified water. The condenser surface may be metal or any other suitable surface and may be flat or pleated. In addition, the condenser surface may be maintained at a lower temperature than the water on the water source side of the membrane. The ionomer membrane may be configured in a cartridge, a pleated or flat plate configuration. A latent heat loop may be configured to carry the latent heat of vaporization from the condenser back to the water source side of the ionomer membrane. The source water may be heated by a solar water heater.

A membrane separation apparatus includes: a shell, wherein an inner surface of the shell is an arc surface, and at least one medium inlet and at least one medium outlet used for discharging a medium that is separated are arranged on the shell; a rotor arranged inside the shell, wherein at least two contact ends that are always in slidably contact with the inner surface of the shell are arranged on an outer surface of the rotor, the outer surface of the rotor and the inner surface of the shell form sealed separate cavities between the adjacent contact ends, and an empty part inside the rotor is used as a medium storage chamber; and separation chambers arranged inside the rotor.

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.

The present invention provides a syringe for filtering a liquid comprising: a housing with a plunger slidable therein; an inlet for taking in liquid from a liquid source into the housing; an outlet for expelling liquid from the inside of the housing; a filter; and a rotatable valve member being rotatable between a first position and a second position; wherein rotation of the valve member to the first position permits liquid that is drawn through the inlet into the housing by pulling the plunger to bypass the filter, and rotation of the valve member to the second position forces liquid that is expelled from the inside of the housing by pushing the plunger to pass through the filter and out of the outlet.

A subsea system is configured to inject seawater into a subterranean formation. The system includes a sub-micron filtration module and a plurality of pumps and a plurality of other filtering devices arranged in series.

A portable water conditioning system is provided that includes an incoming water inlet; a reverse osmosis stage in fluid communication with the incoming water inlet, the reverse osmosis stage having a permeate outlet and a concentrate outlet; a diversion device having a diversion valve, the diversion valve placing the concentrate outlet in fluid communication with a waste water outlet; a deionizing stage in fluid communication with a pure water outlet; a bypass valve configured to selectively place the permeate outlet in fluid communication with one or more of the waste water outlet, the deionizing stage, and the pure water outlet; and a controller configured to control the diversion device and the bypass valve to provide water at the pure water outlet of a desired condition.

A method of operating a pressure-retarded osmosis plant, the plant comprising at least one osmosis element having a semi-permeable membrane, the semi-permeable membrane defining a feed side and a permeate side of the osmosis element, the method comprising, in a first mode of operation, supplying a feed stream having a relatively high concentration of solute to the feed side, supplying a permeate stream having a relatively low concentration of solute to an inlet of the permeate side, and receiving a feed outlet stream from the feed side wherein permeate has passed through the semi-permeable membrane from the permeate side to the feed side, in a second mode of operation, supplying a backwash stream having a relatively low concentration to the feed side of the osmosis element such that water passes through the semi-permeable membrane, and receiving a permeate outlet stream from an outlet of the permeate side, the method further comprising alternately performing the first mode of operation, to perform a production step, and performing the second mode of operation, to reduce fouling of the semi-permeable membrane.

The invention relates to a method and means for diluting or concentrating solutions, applied to processes for the desalination of water, characterised by being carried out on the basis of a borehole (4) in permeable coastal land, where two internal wells (5, 6) are installed producing three channels that are interconnected at the bottom, by means of a membrane packet (9), disposed such that the supply flow towards the membranes and provided via the borehole (4) flows in a downward direction, generated, using the principle of communicating vessels, by the suction of a motor pump (7) installed at a shallow depth inside the well of the concentrate (5), with an ascending flow, pouring same to the marine outlet and the diluted flow (permeate) drains to the second well (6), which is hollow and at atmospheric pressure, where a motor pump (8) extracts the permeate for the use thereof. The method can be used for dilution and/or concentration with minimal energy costs, both on land and on the sea bed on a floating platform (11) or cliff.