A gas separation module and assembly for housing ceramic tubular membranes. The module includes a plurality of tubes containing the ceramic tubular membranes. The tubes are arranged parallel to one another and are supported by tube sheet plates at each end. Gas-tight seals surround each membrane, preventing a feed gas and a residue gas within the inner lumen of the membrane from mixing with a permeate gas in the tube interior. The module also contains a gas distribution pipe for withdrawing the permeate gas out of, or introducing a sweep gas into, the module. This configuration allows for ceramic tubular membranes to be modularized for use in an assembly that carries out many types of gas separations.

An aeration diffuser (12) for a pressurized liquid treatment module includes a base having a gas passageway (32) and a liquid passageway (50) fluidically separated from the gas passageway. Liquid is injectable into the liquid passageway of the base of the diffuser. Liquid flows through the base of the diffuser and into the module to be filtered by filtration membrane(s) within the module. Gas is injectable into the gas passageway of the base of the diffuser. Gas flowes through the base of the diffuser separately from the liquid to aerate the filtration membrane(s) within the module. Further a module including one or more diffusers and a method of filtration is disclosed.

Disclosed herein are aspects and embodiments of an apparatus for providing gas slugs in a liquid. In one example, the apparatus comprises a housing defining a chamber, a bell tube including a wall and an open upper end disposed within the chamber, a riser tube including a wall, an open lower end, and a flared open upper end disposed within the bell tube, and a conduit defined between the wall of the bell tube and the wall of the riser tube and in fluid communication with an internal volume of the riser tube.

Algae harvesting and cultivating systems and methods for producing high concentrations of algae product with minimal energy. In an embodiment, a dead-end filtration system and method includes at least one tank and a plurality hollow fiber membranes positioned in the at least one tank. An algae medium is pulled through the hollow fiber membranes such that a retentate and a permeate are produced.

In accordance with aspects and embodiments, a filtration system is provided comprising a membrane module comprising an upper header and a lower header, a plurality of hollow fiber membranes having an upper end potted in the upper header and a lower end potted in the lower head, a cage at least partially surrounding the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, and a screen in contact with and surrounding the cage, the filtration system further comprising an aeration cap coupled to the lower header of the membrane module. The screen may protect the hollow fiber membranes from damage from coarse contaminants contained in the feed liquid, may improve module integrity, and may improve the efficiency of the filtration system.

A gas exchange system, said system comprising: a plurality of cartridges, each having a casing, said casing having a cartridge inlet adjacent to a first end and a cartridge outlet adjacent to an opposed second end; each casing having a bore in which is placed a gas permeable, liquid impermeable, hollow membrane; each hollow membrane having a membrane inlet arranged to receive a gas from an inlet chamber and a membrane outlet for venting said gas; each cartridge inlet in communication with a concentration zone, and arranged to receive a solvent from said concentration zone, so as to exit said solvent through said cartridge outlet; wherein said bore is arranged to flow said solvent adjacent to said hollow membrane so as to permit the exchange of gas through said gas permeable, liquid impermeable membrane.

Provided is a method for washing a hollow fiber membrane module which comprises a hollow fiber membrane for filtering raw water containing a suspended component, said method comprising, in the following order, a first washing step for removing a suspended component that is accumulated on the hollow fiber membrane and a second washing step for carrying out an air scrubbing process in which gas is caused to pass through at least to the raw water side of the hollow fiber membrane, wherein, out of water that existed in the hollow fiber membrane module before washing, water in an amount corresponding to not less than 50 vol % of the capacity of the hollow fiber membrane module is removed in the first washing step.

A device for decomplexation and enhanced removal of copper based on self-induced Fenton-like reaction constructed by electrochemistry coupled with membrane separation is disclosed. The device includes a reactor, two electrocatalytic anodes capable of generating hydroxyl radicals, an electrocatalytic cathode membrane assembly, a direct current power supply, an aeration system, an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. The device of the present invention has a simple construction. Using this device to treat industrial wastewater containing copper complexes under specific conditions allows the decomplexation and the removal of the industrial wastewater containing the copper complexes to be simultaneously realized at a low consumption and a high efficiency. The coupling of electrochemistry with membrane separation can be achieved to protect the cathode from being contaminated by pollutants in the sewage and prolong the service life of the electrode.

A cord for supporting a biofilm has a plurality of yarns. At least one of the yarns comprises a plurality of hollow fiber gas transfer membranes. At least one of the yarns extends along the length of the cord generally in the shape of a spiral. Optionally, one or more of the yarns may comprise one or more reinforcing filaments. In some examples, a reinforcing yarn is wrapped around a core. A module may be made by potting a plurality of the cords in at least one header. A reactor may be made and operated by placing the module in a tank fed with water to be treated and supplying a gas to the module. In use, a biofilm covers the cords to form a membrane biofilm assembly.

A device including a housing having a first side, a second side opposed to the first side, and a wall disposed between the first side and the second side. The wall forms at least a partially enclosed space inside the housing. The device also includes a membrane mounted to the wall inside the housing. The device also includes a drop pipe disposed inside the housing and through or around the membrane, the drop pipe having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being closer to the second side than the proximal end. The device also includes a diffuser connected to the distal end of the drop pipe.