The present invention relates to the process for molecular separation of hydrocarbons using nanopore membrane comprising passing the hydrocarbon feedstock with or without separation enhancing additive/additives to produce permeate streams having different refractive indices which resonate with that of naphtha, kerosene and heavier molecules.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for distilling a fluid by exposing the fluid to a porous membrane that includes a surface capable of generating heat. In some embodiments, the heat generated at the surface propagates the distilling of the fluid by converting the fluid to a vapor that flows through the porous membrane and condenses to a distillate. In some embodiments, the surface capable of generating heat is associated with a photo-thermal composition that generates the heat at the surface by converting light energy from a light source to thermal energy. In some embodiments, the photo-thermal composition includes, without limitation, noble metals, semiconducting materials, dielectric materials, carbon-based materials, composite materials, nanocomposite materials, nanoparticles, hydrophilic materials, polymers, fibers, meshes, fiber meshes, hydrogels, hydrogel meshes, nanomaterials, and combinations thereof. Further embodiments pertain to methods of making the porous membranes of the present disclosure.

Embodiments provide methods and structures for purification or volume reduction of a brine by an advanced vacuum distillation process (AVMD) to achieve higher flux by passage of vapors through an AVMD distillation unit. In one example, brine is circulated in a tank. The tank may include one or more membrane pouches that are submerged in the circulating brine or placed above the water level of the hot circulating brine. In other embodiments the membrane pouches are outside of the tank that includes the hot circulating brine but still in communication with it. The circulating brine is heated, allowing creation of water vapor. Using a vacuum, the water vapor is drawn through the membrane, where it may be condensed and subjected to further beneficial use. This process can concentrate to levels to generate crystals or solids, which can be separated and utilized.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to systems, apparatus, and methods for using graphene oxide-containing membranes for separation and concentration processes. In some embodiments, a fluid component having a first concentration in a fluid mixture can be concentrated using a first distillation process to a second concentration. In some embodiments, the fluid component can be concentrated from the second concentration to a third concentration using a graphene oxide-containing membrane. In some embodiments, the fluid component can be concentrated from the third concentration to a fourth concentration using a second distillation process. In some embodiments, the fluid component can have an azeotropic concentration between the second concentration and the third concentration.

A process for concentrating amine water is achieved by dehydrating the amine water by membrane distillation at a temperature ranging from 30° C. to 95° C. and at a pressure ranging from 1.0 bar to 1.5 absolute bar.

The invention relates to a modular flow system having a plurality of frame elements (101, 102) configured to be combined together to form a stack for forming a functional member. This functional member may be in particular a membrane distillation stage, a vapor generator, a condenser, a heat exchanger, a filter and/or a pervaporation stage. The frame elements (101, 102) each include: ⋅ an outer frame (39) and an inner frame (43), the inner frame (43) encasing a central inner region (40) and being surrounded by the outer frame (39), and ⋅ passage openings (13 to 16) and vapor and/or liquid channels (17, 18) arranged between the outer frame (39) and the inner frame (43). At least one of the two vapor and/or liquid channels (17, 18) is connected to the central inner region (40) by at least one vapor and/or liquid channel opening (22) constituting a through hole in the inner frame. In the frame elements (101, 102), when combined together to form the modular flow system, the vapor and/or liquid channels (17, 18) are arranged above the inner region (40).

A method for controlling a direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) system, the method including modeling the DCMD system with differential-algebraic equations (DAEs), wherein the DAEs include process states {tilde over (x)}(t.sub.k) and an input state u(t.sub.k); selecting a value for the input variable u(t.sub.k) for a time t.sub.k; estimating the process states {tilde over (x)}(t.sub.k) based on the DAEs and the input state u(t.sub.k); checking that a boundedness function G applied to the process states {tilde over (x)}(t.sub.k) is smaller than a desired steady-state point ρ.sub.e; and minimizing an objective function, which depends on the process states {tilde over (x)}(t.sub.k) and the input state u(t.sub.k), to determine an updated input state u(t.sub.k+1) for a next time t.sub.k+1. The process states {tilde over (x)}(t.sub.k) include temperatures and heat flow rates.

A device for continuous seawater desalination of and a method thereof. A hydrophobic carbon nanotube composite membrane is made of a hydrophobic polymer and carbon-based materials, and the carbon-based materials are, such as, carbon nanotubes or graphene. The hydrophobic carbon nanotube composite membrane is perforated to obtain the hydrophobic carbon nanotube composite membrane having micrometer-nanometer multi-level pore structure using laser light. Further, a surface is coated with a photothermal-electrothermal responsive polymer to increase electric joule heat and photothermal effects to increase energy utilization efficiencies, and the hydrophobic carbon nanotube composite membrane having multi-level pore structure and electrothermal effects and photothermal effects is finally obtained. A device is designed, a hydrophobic carbon nanotube composite porous membrane is applied to electro-induced and light-induced seawater desalination, and conditions are controlled to enable the hydrophobic carbon nanotube composite porous membrane to generate heat.

Devices and techniques may improve the permeate productivity in membrane distillation separation by modifying the feed and/or coolant sides of a membrane distillation module depending on the membrane distillation configuration. The bubbling of a carrier gas through the feed liquid in the feed liquid side of the module can increase the turbulent dissipation rate and/or enhance mass transfer across the membrane pores.

A membrane distillation apparatus includes a housing and an impeller. The housing includes a hot medium compartment, a cold medium compartment, a permeate gap compartment, a membrane, and a thermally conductive plate. The hot medium compartment includes a hot medium inlet configured to receive a hot medium stream including water. The cold medium compartment includes a cold medium inlet configured to receive a cold medium stream. The membrane defines pores that are sized to allow water vapor originating from the hot medium stream to pass from the hot medium compartment through the membrane to the permeate gap compartment. The thermally conductive plate and the cold medium stream are cooperatively configured to condense the water vapor from the hot medium stream. The permeate gap compartment includes a permeate outlet configured to discharge the condensed water vapor. The impeller is disposed within the permeate gap compartment.