A reverse osmosis system and method includes a pump pressurizing a feed stream, a first and second membrane array that generates permeate and brine streams. A first energy recovery device uses first energy from the second brine stream to pressurize the first brine stream. A first and second auxiliary and bypass valves are associated with the first and second energy recovery device. A second energy recovery device uses second energy from the second brine stream to increase a second pressure of the feed stream. A first flowmeter generates a first flow signal for the first permeate stream. A second flowmeter generates a second flow signal for of the second permeate stream. A third flowmeter generates a third flow signal for the second brine stream. A motor drives the first energy recovery device. A controller controls the in response to the flow signals.

The present disclosure relates to a water purification apparatus that comprises a reverse osmosis device, RO-device, producing a purified water flow and to a corresponding method. The proposed method comprises detecting at least one fluid property of purified water in the purified water path and regulating a flow rate of water in the recirculation path to fulfill one or more predetermined criteria of the purified water in the purified water path, based on the at least one detected fluid property. The present disclosure also relates to a computer program and a computer program product implementing the method.

The present disclosure is directed to ion-exchange systems and devices that can monitor key parameters related to the performance of the ion-exchange device. Specifically, the ion-exchange systems and devices disclosed herein can provide real time voltage drop across groups of membrane pairs using diagnostic spacer borders between the pairs. In addition, the ion-exchange systems and devices disclosed herein can monitor the compression force applied by the compression plates holding the ion-exchange systems and devices together.

Systems, methods and apparatuses to concentrate lithium containing solutions using forward osmosis units are provided, which, for example, can include providing at least one forward osmosis unit having at least one lithium containing solution chamber having at least one first inlet and at least one first outlet, at least one brine chamber having at least one second inlet and at least one second outlet, and at least one selectively permeable membrane positioned between the at least one lithium containing solution chamber and the at least one brine chamber, and conveying a lithium containing solution through the at least one lithium containing solution chamber and a concentrated brine solution through the at least one brine chamber, said conveying causing water from the lithium containing solution to be drawn through the at least one selectively permeable membrane and into the concentrated brine solution, such that a concentrated lithium containing solution exits through the first outlet and a less concentrated brine solution exits through the second outlet.

To solve problems of frequent occurrence and great harm of membrane fouling during MBR wastewater treatment process, the invention proposes a membrane fouling intelligent early warning method to realize online and accurate early warning of membrane fouling. This early warning method achieves accurate prediction of water permeability by constructing soft-computing model based on recurrent fuzzy neural network. The intelligent early warning of membrane fouling is achieved by the comprehensive evaluation method, which solves the problem that membrane fouling is difficult to be early warning in the MBR wastewater treatment process, improves the pretreatment ability of membrane fouling, reduces the damage caused by membrane fouling, ensures the safe operation of MBR wastewater treatment process, and promotes efficient and stable operation of MBR wastewater treatment plant.

A filter unit for a mixing apparatus includes a hydrophilic filter and a hydrophobic vent filter. The hydrophilic filter is configured to receive a fluid including a liquid and gas. The hydrophilic filter is further configured to sterilize the liquid. The hydrophobic vent filter is configured to receive the gas from the hydrophilic filter. The hydrophobic vent filter further includes a vent and a membrane configured to separate an interior of the filter unit from an exterior of the filter unit, the gas being vented from the filter unit by flowing across the membrane and out of the vent. In some embodiments, the filter unit further includes a defoaming device configured to receive gas, foam comprised the liquid containing trapped gas, and some of the liquid from the hydrophilic filter and is further configured to release at least some of the gas from the foam.

An automated modular filtration system, particularly for low volume tangential flow filtration processes, comprises a plurality of filtration modules formed as separate assemblies and at least one control unit for jointly controlling filtration processes of individual filtration units. Each filtration module contains at least one individual filtration unit for executing a filtration process independent of the other filtration units, first input ports for receiving a first type of fluids, second input ports for receiving a second type of fluids, and exit ports for outputting unused system fluids. First type fluids are process fluids are specific to the filtration processes executed in individual filtration units. Second type fluids are system fluids not specific to filtration processes executed in the individual filtration units. The second input and exit ports establish inter-module connections so system fluids can be forwarded from one filtration module to an adjacent filtration module of the filtration system.

A system for reverse osmosis, RO, including a first RO stage (10) with a first feed inlet (11), a first brine outlet (12), and a first permeate outlet (13); a second RO stage (20) with a second feed inlet (21), a second brine outlet (22), and a second permeate outlet (23); and a pressure exchanger, PE, (40) connected between the second brine outlet (22) and the first feed inlet (11), wherein a first pressure difference ?p.sub.1 between the first brine outlet (12) and the second feed inlet (21) corresponds to a second pressure difference ?p.sub.2 between the second brine outlet (22) and the pressure exchanger (40). The invention further discloses a method for operating such a system for reverse osmosis (100).

A water purification apparatus and method for optimizing efficiency of the water purification apparatus comprising a fluid circuit including a Reverse Osmosis, RO, unit (3), providing a permeate flow, and an electrically controlled deionization unit (4) downstream the RO unit (3) receiving at least part of the permeate flow. The method comprises obtaining (S1) a value indicative of power consumption by the electrically controlled deionization unit and determining (S2) whether the obtained value indicative of the power consumption meets at least one criterion. The method further comprises controlling recirculation of reject water produced by the water purification apparatus, based on a result of the determining (S2), in order to optimize efficiency of the water purification apparatus.

A method of operating a membrane is provided. The membrane comprises: a porous layer; a first electrically conductive layer located on a first side of the porous layer; and a second electrically conductive layer located on a second side of the porous layer. When an electric voltage is applied between the first and second electrically conductive layer across the porous layer, the membrane prevents moisture intrusion from a first surface of the membrane towards a second surface of the membrane. The method comprises applying an electric voltage between the first and second electrically conductive layer across the porous layer to prevent moisture intrusion from the first surface of the membrane towards the second surface of the membrane when it is desired to prevent moisture intrusion from the first surface towards the second surface. A membrane system for performing the method is also provided.