A method using a membrane-concentration method and a freeze-concentration method includes: a membrane-concentration step in which a fluid to be treated is cooled and a membrane-concentrated fluid is prepared by membrane-concentrating the solid content concentration thereof by more than 1.5 times; an ice crystal generation step in which said membrane-concentrated fluid is cooled, ice crystals of said membrane-concentrated fluid are generated in said membrane-concentrated fluid, and a mixed fluid to be treated is formed wherein said mixed fluid to be treated is comprised of said ice crystals and a concentrated fluid to be treated produced from said membrane-concentrated fluid by generating said ice crystals in said membrane-concentrated fluid thereby said membrane-concentrated fluid is concentrated; and an ice crystal separation step in which said mixed fluid is separated into said concentrated fluid to be treated and said ice crystals, and said separated concentrated fluid to be treated is retrieved.

A method using a membrane-concentration method and a freeze-concentration method includes: a membrane-concentration step in which a fluid to be treated is cooled and a membrane-concentrated fluid is prepared by membrane-concentrating the solid content concentration thereof by more than 1.5 times; an ice crystal generation step in which said membrane-concentrated fluid is cooled, ice crystals of said membrane-concentrated fluid are generated in said membrane-concentrated fluid, and a mixed fluid to be treated is formed wherein said mixed fluid to be treated is comprised of said ice crystals and a concentrated fluid to be treated produced from said membrane-concentrated fluid by generating said ice crystals in said membrane-concentrated fluid thereby said membrane-concentrated fluid is concentrated; and an ice crystal separation step in which said mixed fluid is separated into said concentrated fluid to be treated and said ice crystals, and said separated concentrated fluid to be treated is retrieved.

A method for highly concentrating aqueous solutions containing thermally sensitive organic constituents and with or without mineral constituents, wherein firstly, a major portion of the water is extracted by membrane filtration from the solution for pre-concentration and is discharged from the process and the solution which is pre-concentrated is then subjected to a freeze concentration procedure, in which, in the form of separated ice crystallisate, further water is extracted from the solution. To promote results, that concentration may be effected in the freeze concentration procedure until a viscosity of the mother solution of at least 0.0002 m.sup.2/s is achieved, and in that the separated ice crystallisate from the freeze concentration with the mother solution adhering thereto as a suspension is returned to the membrane filtration upstream of the membrane filtration or after melting of the ice crystallisate.

A method for highly concentrating aqueous solutions containing thermally sensitive organic constituents and with or without mineral constituents, wherein firstly, a major portion of the water is extracted by membrane filtration from the solution for pre-concentration and is discharged from the process and the solution which is pre-concentrated is then subjected to a freeze concentration procedure, in which, in the form of separated ice crystallisate, further water is extracted from the solution. To promote results, that concentration may be effected in the freeze concentration procedure until a viscosity of the mother solution of at least 0.0002 m.sup.2/s is achieved, and in that the separated ice crystallisate from the freeze concentration with the mother solution adhering thereto as a suspension is returned to the membrane filtration upstream of the membrane filtration or after melting of the ice crystallisate.

A wastewater purifier has a chamber having an upper ingress end and a lower drain end, one or more wastewater nozzles connected to a wastewater source positioned near the ingress end, to produce wastewater droplets, a chilled air ingress positioned near the ingress end, connected to a chilled air source, positioned to permit the chilled air to mix with the wastewater droplets, a perforated accumulator near the drain end adapted to collect frozen droplets, a drain below the accumulator, and an egress for the chilled air near the drain end. A wastewater purifier has an elongated flow chamber having an upper portion and lower portion, one or more wastewater nozzles positioned near the upper portion, one or more egress vents positioned near the upper portion, a perforated accumulator at the bottom of the chamber, and a chilled air ingress connected between the upper and lower portions.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for desalinating and/or treating polluted water. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for desalinating and/or treating polluted water using gas hydrates. In particular, the system comprises a desalination tank configured to form gas hydrates using a suitable hydrate former taken from a storage tank that is operatively connected to the desalination tank. With all operations, including formation of gas hydrates, discharging of highly saline water, washing the gas hydrates and dissociation of gas hydrates being conducted in a single pressurized tank such as the desalination tank, the present apparatus provides a simple and efficient solution at a low manufacturing and operating cost.

Methods of analyzing analytes from a liquid medium are disclosed. A system and apparatus for the analysis of analytes from a liquid medium are further disclosed. In particular, methods and apparatus of analyzing analytes by freezing liquid medium and partitioning the analyte into a sorptive stirrer are disclosed. Further, the methods and apparatus of the present invention can be useful in concentrating and isolating target chemicals of high value.

The invention relates to a method for recovering an organic compound from a feed stream comprising the steps ofextracting the organic compound into an organic solvent, thereby obtaining a mixture of the solvent and the organic compound; andsimultaneously crystallizing the solvent and the organic compound by cooling the mixture; and - separating the solid organic solvent and solid organic compound.

The invention relates to a method for recovering an organic compound from a feed stream comprising the steps ofextracting the organic compound into an organic solvent, thereby obtaining a mixture of the solvent and the organic compound; andsimultaneously crystallizing the solvent and the organic compound by cooling the mixture; and - separating the solid organic solvent and solid organic compound.

A method is disclosed for treating an aqueous solution containing dissolved materials that are crystallisable by crystallization of clathrates hydrates of a host molecule which crystallize at atmospheric pressure at temperatures higher than the temperature of ice crystallization. This method allows purified water and solid materials or solutions which are highly concentrated in dissolved materials to be produced simultaneously. The disclosure also relates to the implementation of this method.