A membrane filter module configured to treat a liquid contained in a tank at an ambient pressure. The module may have a header, with a bundle containing a plurality of substantially vertical hollow fiber membranes, wherein a lower end of each hollow fiber membrane is fixed in the header. The module may also have a gasification device adapted to periodically generate a gaseous bubble and configured to release the gaseous bubble within the bundle. The module may further have an enclosure that substantially surrounds the bundle that extends from a lower region to an upper region of the membrane bundle, wherein the enclosure is configured to retain the liquid introduced into the enclosure such that the liquid surrounds the membrane bundle. The gaseous bubble has a cross-sectional area that corresponds with a cross-sectional area of the enclosure, such that the cross-sectional area of the gaseous bubble occupies substantially the entire cross-sectional area of the enclosure as it flows along the bundle.

A purge air regulating unit for a drying device for compressed air, the purge air regulating unit being connectable to a housing in which a membrane filter, such as a bundle of hollow fiber membranes, is arranged such that a sub-flow of dried compressed air flowing out of the housing from an outlet channel can be conducted back to the hollow fiber membranes as purge air by the purge air regulating unit. A method for regulating the flow of dried compressed air flowing out of a membrane dryer back into a housing of the membrane dryer, the membrane dryer being equipped with a membrane filter, such as a bundle of hollow fiber membranes, is also provided.

Provided is a hollow fiber membrane module that allows reducing pressure loss of a dry gas and a moist gas. A hollow fiber membrane module has: a hollow fiber membrane bundle; a case in which the hollow fiber membrane bundle is accommodated; a pair of sealing and fixing parts that fixes the hollow fiber membrane bundle to the case; intra-membrane channels; and extra-membrane channels. Moisture in the moist gas is supplied into the dry gas by virtue of the membrane separation effect of the hollow fiber membranes. A first channel is provided, which runs through the case from one end side to the other end side and through which part of the dry gas flows without passing through the intra-membrane channels.

In a first membrane filtration module comprises a membrane module comprising a plurality of permeable hollow membranes; a fluid distribution device adapted to removably surround at least a portion of the membranes of the membrane module, the fluid distribution device comprising a plurality of through-hole openings for distributing a fluid, and the fluid distribution device adapted to distribute a flow of fluid along a surface of the permeable hollow membranes. In a second membrane filtration device comprises a membrane module comprising a plurality of permeable hollow membranes, each of the permeable hollow membranes having a surface; and a gas distribution device: adapted to distribute gas bubbles to the surface of the permeable hollow membrane, adapted to removably surround at least a portion of the plurality of permeable hollow membranes, and defining a plurality of through openings for distributing the gas bubbles to the membranes.

The invention relates to a membrane separation process for energy-efficient generation of oxygen from fresh air. In the process, mixed conducting membranes in vacuum operation are used, the fresh air is discharged as waste air after separation of the oxygen, at least 85% of the thermal energy required for heating the fresh air is acquired by utilizing the waste heat of the waste air and/or of the obtained oxygen, the rest of the heating of the fresh air being realized through external energy supply, and a ratio of fresh air to generated oxygen in normal operation is adjusted to a range of from 6:1 to 25:1.

A nanoflotation system used to separate suspended solids or large settling or floating solids from water, waste water or liquids. This is accomplished through the use of submerged membranes, in combination with a number of design components comprising froth flotation, gravity settling, pre coating of the submerged membranes, spacing, of the membranes to facilitate flotation of solids to the surface or to the bottom of the containment chamber holding the submerged membranes, and membrane structures which use large diameter hollow fiber or tubular membranes and/or large pore opening membrane materials.

A bioreactor has a biofilm that receives a gas through a supporting membrane and another biofilm attached to an inert support. The first biofilm is aerated through the membrane and provides nitrification. The other biofilm has an anoxic or anaerobic zone and provides denitrification. A module useful in the bioreactor has cords potted in at least one potting head. Optionally, some or all of the cords have a gas transfer membrane. The module may provide inert supports, active gas transfer supports or a combination of both types of support. Multiple modules may be assembled together into a cassette, the cassette providing inert supports, active supports or a combination. The module or cassette may have an aerator for mixing or biofilm control.

A water treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a tank that stores water to be treated, a crossflow filtration membrane module that filters the water to be treated, a supply passage through which the water to be treated is supplied from the tank to the filtration membrane module by using a supply pump, and a recirculation passage through which the water to be treated, the water having passed through a membrane upstream side of the filtration membrane module, is recirculated to the tank. The tank has an upper space above a liquid surface of the stored water to be treated, the upper space being hermetically filled with an inert gas. The water treatment system further includes a gas transport passage through which the inert gas is introduced from the upper space into the supply passage or the filtration membrane module, and a compressor that is disposed in the gas transport passage and that pressurizes the inert gas. The compressor is preferably a water-sealed compressor.

A filtration unit includes a plurality of filtration modules and a piping unit. Each filtration module includes a plurality of hollow fiber membranes extending in a vertical direction and arranged side by side in a form of a plate, and a first water collector having a linear shape that is connected to upper openings of the hollow fiber membranes and through which filtered liquid that has permeated into each hollow fiber membrane flows. The piping unit is connected to the first water collectors of the filtration modules. The filtration modules are arranged in two rows and in a striped pattern in each row. The piping unit includes two combining pipes that are arranged parallel to each other and that are connected to outer end portions of the first water collectors of the filtration modules in each row by first connection pipes.

An apparatus has a plurality of gas transfer membranes. The apparatus floats in water with the membranes submerged in the water. To treat the water, a gas is supplied to the membranes and is transferred to a biofilm supported on the membranes or to the water. Gas is also used to supply mixing or membrane scouring bubbles to the water. The mixing or scouring bubbles can be provided by a cyclic aeration or other gas supply system, which optionally provides gas at a variable pressure to the membranes in parallel or series with an aerator. Condensates can be removed from the membranes, and exhaust gasses from the membranes can be monitored, optionally through one or more dedicated pipes.