An apparatus for reducing the alcohol content of an alcoholic beverage. According to one embodiment, the apparatus includes a primary circuit through which the alcoholic beverage circulates, a secondary circuit through which an alcohol extracting liquid circulates, and at least one filter with a gas-permeable hydrophobic membrane, the filter being configured so that one of the sides of the membrane is in contact with the alcoholic beverage circulating through the primary circuit and so that the other side of the membrane is in contact with the alcohol extracting liquid circulating through the secondary circuit. The apparatus also includes an extraction and filling circuit configured to guide the alcoholic beverage from a container to the primary circuit and for guiding the alcoholic beverage, once its alcohol content has been reduced, from the primary circuit to the container.

Membranes for membrane distillation (MD) and forward osmosis (FO) are provided with methods of manufacture and use thereof. The MD membrane comprises a microporous mat of electrospun nanofibers made of a nanocomposite comprising reduced graphene oxide dispersed in a hydrophobic polymer with their surface grafted with a silane coupling agent or with hydrophobic nanoparticles. The FO membrane comprises a microporous support layer and a rejection layer formed on one side of the support layer, wherein the support layer is a microporous mat of electrospun nanofibers made of a nanocomposite of hydrophilic nanoparticles dispersed in a hydrophilic polymer, and the rejection layer is made of nanocomposite of hydrophilic nanoparticles dispersed in a crosslinked meta-aramid of formula (I). There is also provided a process for treating a high-salinity and/or high-strength feed, such as fracking wastewater, comprising microfiltration or ultrafiltration, followed by forward osmosis, and then membrane distillation.

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A system for producing steam includes a source of superheated water with superheated water output; a membrane filtration system in fluid communication with the superheated water output and including a membrane filter with a permeate side and an opposing retentate side. The membrane filter includes a separation membrane constructed to reject organic molecules. The system may be used for removing organic compounds, such as anti-corrosion agents or contaminants, from superheated water to produce steam. A method for producing steam includes directing a cross-flow of heated pressurized water including a first concentration of an organic compound across a membrane filter. The membrane filter includes a separation membrane constructed to reject the organic compound; and one or more support layers adjacent the separation membrane. A steam permeate including a second concentration of the organic compound is collected, where the second concentration is lower than the first.

The present invention provides for the use of recirculation loops in single- or multi-stage electrical desalination processes such as Ion Concentration Polarization (ICP) desalination and concentration processes.

A water treatment system for brackish water is disclosed. The water treatment system includes a first electrochemical separation stage fluidly connected to a second, downstream electrochemical separation stage, with the concentrate outlet of the second electrochemical separation stage fluidly connectable to the concentration compartment of the first electrochemical separation stage and a control system configured to regulate feed directed to the concentration compartments of the first and the second electrochemical separation stages. Methods of treating brackish water to produce potable water and methods of treating brackish water using systems of the invention are disclosed. The Donnan potential difference and osmotic water losses are lessened by controlling a source and a flowrate of a make-up feed water directed to concentration compartments of first and the second electrochemical separation stages of the systems.

A reverse osmosis system for a seawater desalination system is provided. The reverse osmosis system includes: a high pressure pump configured to supply pretreated seawater at high pressure; a reverse osmosis apparatus configured to desalinate by reverse osmosis the seawater supplied from the high pressure pump; and a pressure exchanger connected to a high salinity water outlet of the reverse osmosis apparatus and configured to recover part of pressure of discharged high salinity water to the reverse osmosis apparatus, wherein the reverse osmosis apparatus includes: a vessel in which a plurality of reverse osmosis membrane units are arranged in a first stage and a second stage; an inflow and outflow portion coupled to a first end of the vessel and connected to a seawater inlet and a high salinity water outlet; a partition wall configured to partition an inner space of the inflow and outflow portion into two spaces; and a transport space portion coupled to a second end of the vessel and configured to guide the seawater moved from a plurality of reverse osmosis membrane units arranged in the first stage to move to a plurality of reverse osmosis membrane units arranged in the second stage.

A filtering device is for obtaining a chemical liquid by purifying a liquid to be purified and has an inlet portion, an outlet portion, a filter A, a filter B different from the filter A, and a flow path extending from the inlet portion to the outlet portion, in which the filter A and the filter B are arranged in series between the inlet portion and the outlet portion and have, and the filter A is selected from the group consisting of predetermined filters A1, A2, and A3.

A greywater treatment system includes a first modular greywater processing apparatus having a raw greywater inlet, a mechanical (MTF) filter connected to the raw greywater inlet, a first ultrafine (UF) filter connected in series downstream of the mechanical filter. The UF filter includes a UF filter inlet, a filtrate outlet, and a cross-flow outlet. The filtrate outlet is connected to a processed water outlet. A modular base supports the mechanical filter and the UF filter.

A filtering device is for obtaining a chemical liquid by purifying a liquid to be purified and has an inlet portion, an outlet portion, a filter A, a filter B different from the filter A, and a flow path extending from the inlet portion to the outlet portion, in which the filter A and the filter B are arranged in series between the inlet portion and the outlet portion and have, and the filter A is selected from the group consisting of predetermined filters A1, A2, and A3.

A cross flow filtration unit, which provides a planar, rigid filter plate for filtration of liquid media. The plate has a planar membrane, which is fluid tight bonded at its edges to the surface of a partly hollow supporting plate having exit openings, internal flow channels, and flow areas for a first liquid medium. The membrane is in fluid contact with said the liquid medium at its internal surface and being in fluid contact with a second liquid medium at its external surface.