Blood or other fluids can be caused to interact with a gas by providing a plurality of fluid flow channels that are surrounded by nanotubes, each of the channels having an inflow end and an outflow end, wherein each of the channels is wide enough for the blood to flow through, and wherein the nanotubes are spaced close enough to each other to retain the fluid within the channels when the blood is flowing through the channels. The fluid is then passed through the through the channels while a gas is passed through the spaces between the nanotubes outside the fluid flow channels. This permits the gas to interact with the fluid in the channels.

A method for removing silica from ultra pure water (UPW) comprises passing UPW through a filter comprising a microporous cationically charged membrane having an upstream surface and a downstream surface; and a porous asymmetric membrane having a first surface and an upstream portion and a downstream portion and a second surface, and a bulk between the first surface and the second surface including the upstream portion and the downstream portion, the porous asymmetric membrane having decreasing pore sizes in a direction from the first surface and the upstream portion to the downstream portion and the second surface, the second surface comprising a skin having a nanoporous average pore size, wherein the first surface of the porous asymmetric membrane contacts the downstream surface of the microporous cationically charged membrane; the method including passing the UPW through the microporous cationically charged membrane before passing the UPW through the porous asymmetric membrane.

A membrane humidifier assembly for a membrane humidifier for a fuel cell system and a method for making the same is disclosed, the method comprising the steps of providing a material for forming a diffusion medium; forming a plurality of channels in the material with one of a channel-forming roller, a means for etching the material, and a press for forming the diffusion medium; and providing a pair of membranes, wherein the diffusion medium is disposed between the pair of membranes.

A humidifier for transferring water vapour from a first gas stream to a second gas stream in a fuel cell system comprises a stack of thin plates having planar sealing surfaces at their edges, along which they are sealed together. A water permeable membranes is provided between each pair of plates in the stack. Each plate defines a gas flow passage along its top and bottom surfaces, with an inlet and outlet defined along edges of the plate, and a flow field extending between the inlet and outlet openings. Inlet and outlet passages connect the inlet and outlet openings to the flow field, and the planar sealing surfaces on both sides of the plate include bridging portions which extend across the inlet and outlet passages. Support structures such as ribs are provided throughout the flow field and the inlet and outlet passages to support the membrane and diffusion medium layer(s). The support structures may optionally be connected together by webs, and the webs are provided with holes to permit flow distribution between the top and bottom of each plate.

An acidic gas separation module 10, which improves gas separation efficiency and reduces pressure loss, includes: a permeating gas collecting tube 12 having tube walls in which through holes 12A are formed; a layered body 14 that has at least an acidic gas separation layer 32 and that is wound on the permeating gas collecting tube 12; and telescope prevention plates 18 (a gas supply side 18A and a gas discharge side 18B) provided at both end faces in an axial direction of the wound layered body 14, wherein the ratio (D2/D1) of the open area ratio D2 of the telescope prevention plate on the gas discharge side 18B relative to the open area ratio D1 of the telescope prevention plate on the gas supply side 18A is from 0.5 to 0.9. An acidic gas separation device includes the acidic gas separation module 10.

The present invention provides: an electrode-supporting type of gas-separation membrane module for selectively effecting the passage of a gas via an electron exchange reaction due to a coupling-material layer and gas exchange via an ion-conducting separation layer; a tubular structure of same; a production method for the tubular structure; and a hydrocarbon-reforming method using the gas-separation membrane module. The present invention is advantageous in that outstanding chemical and mechanical durability can be ensured by using a fluorite-based ion-conducting membrane which is chemically stable in CO2 and H2O atmospheres in particular, at high temperature, and in that a pure gas can be produced inexpensively since the passage of gas occurs due to an internal circuit even without applying a voltage from the outside.

The present invention relates to a water sampling immersion probe (50) for continuously filtering a water sample from wastewater (14). The water sampling immersion probe (50) includes a distal coarse filter (60) with a porosity of 0.1 to 1.0 mm, a proximal fine filter (70) arranged downstream of the coarse filter (60) and having a porosity of less than 5.0 μm, and a sample suction opening (74) arranged downstream of the fine filter (70). The coarse filter (60) is arranged to not contact the fine filter (70).

Embodiments provide a filter with a generally rectangular, non-cylindrical profile. The filter may have multiple pleat packs positioned between pleat covers that define regions and flow channels in a cavity of the filter body. The pleat covers have openings that allow a fluid to flow through the multiple pleat packs via parallel flows or series flows. End caps bonded to the body define flow passages for directing the fluid from an inlet to an outlet via the pleat packs for series or parallel filtration. The pleat packs may be made of the same or different materials and may be configured with the same or different heights based on flow requirements. A cage or a separator may be positioned between the pleat packs. The pleat packs may be made of a continuous pleated membrane with bridges defining a space between the pleat packs to accommodate the cage or separator.

A membrane capsule for biological and chemical separations comprising a cassette comprising an upper surface and a lower surface adjoined by a cassette sidewall, an inlet and an outlet located on the upper and lower surfaces of the cassette, tubes fluidly connected to the inlet and the outlet, holes or slots in the tubes to facilitate separation, and a membrane wrapped, pleated, and/or spiral wound around each of the tubes. Methods of separation comprising flowing fluid flow through the inlet of the membrane capsule, allowing the fluid to permeate through the holes or slots of the tubes, separating biological and/or non-biological substances, collecting the fluid within a reservoir, and draining fluid from the reservoir.

A reverse osmosis apparatus for a seawater desalination system is provided. The reverse osmosis apparatus includes a barrel in which a plurality of vessels receiving reverse osmosis membrane units are arranged, a feed tank provided in an intermediate portion of the barrel and connected to a seawater inlet, a first water tank provided inside a first end portion of the barrel and connected to a plurality of first vessels connected to a first side of the feed tank, and a second water tank provided inside a second end portion of the barrel and connected to a plurality of second vessels connected to a second side of the feed tank.