The invention relates to an apparatus having a pressure chamber and a micropump in fluid connection with the pressure chamber. The pressure chamber includes a gas-carrying region and a liquid-carrying region. The micropump is configured to generate a pneumatic pressure within the gas-carrying region that is lower than a fluid pressure of a liquid flowing through the liquid-carrying region. According to the invention, a gas-permeable and liquid-impermeable separating element separates, at least in sections, the gas-carrying region and the liquid-carrying region. According to the present invention, the micropump is disposed on the pressure chamber.

A device for separating components of a gas mixture includes a hollow housing having a body portion at a first end, a separable end cap at a second end, and at least one side wall. The housing has an inlet port for the gas mixture, a permeate outlet port for gas mixture enriched with a first component of the mixture, and a retentate outlet port for gas mixture enriched with a second component of the mixture. An insert within the housing comprises a plurality of hollow fibres of a material which are more permeable to the first component than the second. The housing defines passageways for gas to flow between the inlet port and the permeate and retentate outlet ports. The insert is fastened to the end cap at least temporarily so that the insert is withdrawn from within the housing when the end cap is removed.

Hydrogen purification devices and their components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include at least one foil-microscreen assembly disposed between and secured to first and second end frames. The at least one foil-microscreen assembly may include at least one hydrogen-selective membrane and at least one microscreen structure including a non-porous planar sheet having a plurality of apertures forming a plurality of fluid passages. The planar sheet may include generally opposed planar surfaces configured to provide support to the permeate side. The plurality of fluid passages may extend between the opposed surfaces. The at least one hydrogen-selective membrane may be metallurgically bonded to the at least one microscreen structure. In some embodiments, the devices may include a permeate frame having at least one membrane support structure that spans at least a substantial portion of an open region and that is configured to support at least one foil-microscreen assembly.

A facility and method for membrane permeation treatment of a feed gas flow containing at least methane and carbon dioxide that includes a compressor, a pressure measurement device, at least one valve, and first, second, third, and fourth membrane separation units for separation of CO.sub.2 from CH.sub.4 to permeates enriched in CO.sub.2 and retentates enriched in CH.sub.4, respectively. A temperature of the first retentate is adjusted at an inlet of the second membrane separation unit with at least one heat exchanger as a function of the measured CH.sub.4 concentration in such a way so as to reduce the determined difference.

A facility and method for membrane permeation treatment of a feed gas flow containing at least methane and carbon dioxide that includes a compressor, a pressure measurement device, at least one valve, and first, second, third, and fourth membrane separation units for separation of CO.sub.2 from CH.sub.4 to permeates enriched in CO.sub.2 and retentates enriched in CH.sub.4, respectively. The at least one valve adjusts the number of membranes combined and connected to the flow of gas entering into at least one of the membrane separation units as a function of the pressure recorded by the pressure measurement device.

A fuel tank inerting system includes an air separation module with an oxygen permeable membrane and a variable vacuum source in fluid communication with the air separation module. The variable vacuum source provides an adjustable vacuum to the permeate side of the oxygen permeable membrane in the air separation module, driving production of inert gas for fuel tank inerting or fire suppression.

A porous support-zeolite membrane composite comprising an inorganic porous support and a zeolite membrane provided on, wherein the zeolite membrane contains a zeolite having a microporous structure of 8-membered oxygen ring or less, and a molar ratio of SiO.sub.2/Al.sub.2O.sub.3 in the zeolite membrane surface is larger by at least 20 than a molar ratio of SiO.sub.2/Al.sub.2O.sub.3 in the zeolite membrane itself, or a water adsorption of the porous support-zeolite membrane composite at a relative pressure of 0.8, as determined from a water vapor adsorption isotherm of the porous support-zeolite membrane composite, is at least 82% of a water adsorption of the porous support-zeolite membrane composite under the same condition as above after one-week immersion of the porous support-zeolite membrane composite in an aqueous 90 mass % acetic acid solution at room temperature.

The present invention provides a refrigeration and freezing device, including a case body, a door body, an oxygen-enrichment membrane assembly, an air pump, and a refrigeration system. For the refrigeration and freezing device, temperature within an appropriate storage range and a nitrogen-rich and oxygen-deficient atmosphere cooperate, thereby effectively extending the shelf life of foods.

A method is disclosed for controlling the generation of gas occurring in a generator via a filtering membrane (M). The filtering membrane (M) is fed at the entry with a gas pushed by a compressor (C), and is capable of separating gaseous components of the gas at the exit.

The method has the steps of detecting the gas pressure at a detection point (SP1) at the membrane entry and/or at the exit (M); adjusting the regime of the compressor (C) so that the detected pressure is maintained at a reference pressure, here called Pref1.

Advantages: less wear out for the compressor and extended life cycle.

Helical separation membranes, helical separation assemblies including one or more helical separation membranes, and separation technologies that include one or more helical membrane assemblies are described. In embodiments the helical membrane assemblies include one or more one or more helical membrane leaves. Methods of making helical separation membranes, helical membrane assemblies, helical membrane modules that include one or more helical membrane assemblies are also described.