The invention relates to a process for cleaning a polymer membrane comprising the steps of (A) filtering an aqueous liquid through the polymer membrane; (B) drying the polymer membrane; (C) washing the polymer membrane with water or a chemical washing solution; and (D) continuing the filtering of the aqueous liquid through the polymer membrane.

A water filtration device is provided including a pressurized gas chamber receiving a pressurized gas; an open flow chamber receiving a colloidal suspension including water and colloidal particles, the open flow chamber having an inlet and an outlet, the colloidal suspension flowing between the inlet and at least one outlet in a flow direction; and a gas permeable membrane separating the gas chamber and the flow chamber, the gas capable of permeating the membrane, the membrane being water impermeable, the gas permeating the membrane in a direction normal to the membrane so as to induce diffusiophoretic motion on at least some of the colloidal particles opposite to or in a direction normal to the membrane; the at least one outlet having a first outlet with water having a higher concentration of the colloidal particles than a second outlet. Other devices and methods are also provided.

A support frame for dust collection system including a drum filter and a filter cleaning system is disclosed where the frame includes a plurality of octagonal supports spaced apart from each other in an axial direction defining an octagon-shaped peripheral profile. A plurality of axial members extend between adjacent octagonal supports, and end covers are secured to the frame members with each cover including a first inlet opening and a second inlet opening. The support frame may be used in a modular dust collection with a plurality of modular segments of filter media segments secured to the frame and a filter cleaner segments corresponding to the filter media segments.

A process and system for cleaning semipermeable membranes is described that is particularly well suited for cleaning membranes contained in a water purification system, such as a reverse osmosis process. In order to clean the filter membranes, the membranes are placed in a cleaning chamber capable of allowing a reduction in pressure. In one embodiment, for instance, the membranes are contained in a filter housing and the filter housing is converted into a cleaning chamber by sealing off at least one end. The membranes are then submerged in a cleaning fluid and the pressure within the cleaning chamber is reduced causing the cleaning fluid to form bubbles. The process and system of the present disclosure is well suited to cleaning filter membranes, particularly ceramic membranes, in-line without having to remove the membranes from the water purification system.

A gas sparger produces an intermittent flow of bubbles even if provided with a continuous gas flow. The sparger has a housing to collect a pocket of gas and a conduit to release some of the gas from the pocket when the pocket reaches a sufficient size. Optionally, a cover over an outlet from the conduit may break up or distribute the released gas. A large sparger for use with a commercial membrane module can comprise a plurality of smaller units.

A gas sparger produces an intermittent flow of bubbles even if provided with a continuous gas flow. The sparger has a housing to collect a pocket of gas and a conduit to release some of the gas from the pocket when the pocket reaches a sufficient size. Optionally, a cover over an outlet from the conduit may break up or distribute the released gas. A large sparger for use with a commercial membrane module can comprise a plurality of smaller units.

The invention relates to a device for the microfiltration, ultrafiltration, or nanofiltration and/or the emulsification of liquids. The device has at least one rotatable membrane medium, which has a filtrate/permeate side or a side facing a dispersed phase and a concentrate/retentate side or a side facing a coherent phase and which can be rotated in a container in order to produce a vacuum on an unfiltered liquid side or the side facing the coherent phase on partial regions of the at least one rotatable membrane medium in the container in small time segments at a frequency of 1-100 Hz. Said container has at least one feed for an unfiltered liquid or the coherent phase, at least one overflow for an unfiltered liquid or an emulsion, and at least one rotatable channel for filtrate/permeate drainage or feed of the dispersed phase, and a suction device, in particular in the manner of a suction strip or nozzle plate. The suction device has at least one suction strip or nozzle plate arranged parallel to the rotatable membrane medium or is such a suction strip or nozzle plate, which is attached at a distance of less than 0.1 to 10 mm from the membrane medium, and thus cleans non-permeating materials collected on the unfiltered liquid side during a filtration process from a surface of the membrane medium, or promotes drop formation of the dispersed phase exiting from a membrane surface on the side facing the coherent phase during an emulsification process. The invention further relates to uses of the device.

A water filtration device is provided including a pressurized gas chamber receiving a pressurized gas; an open flow chamber receiving a colloidal suspension including water and colloidal particles, the open flow chamber having an inlet and an outlet, the colloidal suspension flowing between the inlet and at least one outlet in a flow direction; and a gas permeable membrane separating the gas chamber and the flow chamber, the gas capable of permeating the membrane, the membrane being water impermeable, the gas permeating the membrane in a direction normal to the membrane so as to induce diffusiophoretic motion on at least some of the colloidal particles opposite to or in a direction normal to the membrane; the at least one outlet having a first outlet with water having a higher concentration of the colloidal particles than a second outlet. Other devices and methods are also provided.

A filter CF1 for filtering dialysis fluid comprises the following: a housing 52 inside of which a filter material 51 is accommodated and which is vertically long; an introduction port 53 that is disposed in the lower part of the housing and that introduces dialysis fluid from an upstream-side flow path 23a; a filtered fluid lead-out port 54 through which filtered dialysis fluid, which has passed through the filter material, is lead out from the upper part of the housing to a downstream-side flow path 23b; and an unfiltered fluid lead-out port 55 through which unfiltered fluid is lead out from the upper part of the housing to a waste fluid flow path 57. When removing the filter from a dialysis fluid circuit 4, fluid is suctioned from the inside of the housing via the upstream-side flow path by using fluid suction means 64A, and a gas is caused to flow into the housing from at least either one of the waste fluid flow path and the downstream-side flow path by using gas inflow means 65. The fluid may be suctioned from the downstream-side flow path and the gas may be caused to flow in from the upstream-side flow path, or the fluid may be suctioned from the waste fluid flow path and the gas may be caused to flow in from the downstream-side flow path. Residual fluid in the filter can be reduced.

A process for the regeneration of a membrane wall in a distillation apparatus, wherein a distillation apparatus having one or more evaporation and condensation stages is provided, each evaporation and condensation stage having at least one flow channel conducting a liquid, said flow channel being at least partially confined by a vapor-permeable and liquid-impermeable membrane wall, wherein vapor emerging from the liquid passes through the membrane wall. The liquid is removed from the at least one flow channel, wherein, after the removal of the liquid, the membrane wall is surrounded on both sides by a gas atmosphere, but is still wetted with liquid, and this liquid is removed by adjusting the gas atmosphere surrounding the membrane wall such that the partial pressure of the liquid in the gas atmosphere is lower than the vapor pressure of the liquid wetting the membrane wall.