Embodiments described herein relate to methods and systems for dewatering solutions via forward osmosis.

This invention is an onboard pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) unit for charging or recharging the battery of an electric conveyance or for feeding the conveyance's motor directly. The PRO unit exploits the combined use of osmotic pressure, a water-submerged hollow fiber membrane system, a concentrated aqueous solution of superparamagnetic nanoparticles (a ferrofluid) as a draw solution, and a solenoid-type permanent magnetic field, to create a high pressure water flow that acts upon one or more hydroturbine generators to produce electricity. After the pressurized water acts upon the hydroturbine generators, it is returned to the feed side of the membrane system to once again become permeate, in effect making the entire system a closed loop, continuously re-circulating process. The membrane cells may be heated to increase power density.

Natural water evaporation is a buffered process with huge energy absorption from solar & its derivative wind energy. When large surface shallow pool filled with aqueous solution is exposed under sky, the most portion of natural energy will be spent for pulling water out of water molecules cluster, yet there is still some energy for splitting water from solutes, then the concentration increases, in turn, despite the main former energy is sacrificed, but the stronger solution can redeem most the latter energy during a process of Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO), via membranes separating solution & available water in situ, then the redeemed energy serves as utilizable power output, with the assistance of key units or components: the osmotic to hydraulic pressure transformer, the hydraulic oil current rectification fluidic circuit & a hydraulic motor. With minor adaptation, same mechanism can also be embodied as: mobile osmosis engine, osmosis vehicle battery, yard synergy-osmosis power system, Grid electricity and miscellaneous renewable energy to osmosis energy storage, even desert to oasis remediation with seawater intake solar-via-osmosis powerplant & parasitic freshwater factory.

A thin film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membrane includes a porous support with surfaces having thereon a hydrophilic self-assembled monolayer. An active layer on the support is sufficiently dense to remove an ionic species from a liquid.

There is provided a system for the removal of scaling precipitants obtained due to dewatering a solution including i. at least one membrane, such as FO membrane adapted to be at least partially surrounded by a feed solution and to receive a flow through of a draw solution; and ii. a device adapted to control the flow of said draw solution through said at least one membrane; wherein said system is configured to operate in at least three predetermined different modes of operation including; filtration mode, osmotic relaxation mode and pulsation mode, according to some demonstrative embodiments.

Separation processes using osmotically driven membrane systems are disclosed generally involving the extraction of solvent from a first solution to concentrate solute by using a second concentrated solution to draw the solvent from the first solution across a semi-permeable membrane.

Provided herein are a control arrangement, a solution generation apparatus, and a method for evaluating an integrity of a forward osmosis (FO) membrane of a FO-device in a dialysis solution generation apparatus. The FO-device is configured to be used in a FO session for diluting a dialysis concentrate in a process for producing a dialysis solution. The FO-membrane separates a first side from a second side of a FO-device. The method comprises passing electrolyte solution at the first side and passing low-electrolyte solution at the second side. The method further comprises measuring conductivity of a solution generated from the second side and evaluating the integrity of the FO-membrane based on whether the measured conductivity meets conductivity criteria. The conductivity criteria include a conductivity of a solution generated from the second side with an equivalent electrolyte solution and an equivalent low-electrolyte solution using a FO-membrane that is intact or has integrity.

Provided herein are a control arrangement and a method for determining a water permeability status of a forward osmosis (FO) membrane of a FO device in a dialysis fluid generation apparatus. The FO-membrane separates a feed side and a draw side of the FO device. The FO-device comprises a feed inlet port and a feed outlet port in fluid communication with the feed side, and a draw inlet port and a draw outlet port in fluid communication with the draw side. The method comprises providing a flow of pure water at the feed side and providing a flow of pure water at the draw side. The method further comprises monitoring one or more pressures indicative of a transmembrane pressure between the feed side and the draw side.

An osmotic process comprising for a first period, passing a draw stream and a feed stream through an osmotic unit having a semi-permeable membrane, permitting the passage of water but not salts. The feed stream is an aqueous stream with a lower salinity than the draw stream. The feed stream has a scalant with a concentration above saturation in a region on a feed side of the semi-permeable membrane. The draw stream passes over a draw side of the membrane and the feed stream passes over the feed side so water passes across the membrane from the feed stream to the draw stream. For a second time period, the flow rate of the draw stream is lower than the flow rate in the first time period, and the feed stream passes over the feed side such that the concentration of the scalant in said region is reduced.

Provided is a controller for an energy generation system, the controller exerting optimum control so that, while a waste of energy is eliminated, any operation trouble is not caused. The controller for the energy generation system of the present invention is a controller for an energy generation system that uses a forward osmosis membrane, the controller including: a first regulation unit for regulating the discharge of non-permeating water from the forward osmosis membrane; a second regulation unit for regulating the supply of fresh water to the forward osmosis membrane; a third regulation unit for regulating the supply of salt water to the forward osmosis membrane; a fourth regulation unit for regulating the discharge of mixed water from the forward osmosis membrane; and a control unit for controlling the first regulation unit, the second regulation unit, the third regulation unit, and the fourth regulation unit.