Disclosed herein are membrane separator modules. The membrane separator module includes a plurality of hollow fibers arranged as an annular shaped bundle defining a bore, wherein each of the plurality of hollow fibers includes a lumen; a first manifold attached to a first end of the plurality of hollow fibers and a second manifold attached to a second end of the plurality of hollow fibers; a fluid inlet port disposed on the first manifold and in fluid communication with a first interior volume thereof, and a fluid outlet port disposed on the second manifold and in fluid communication with a second interior volume thereof, wherein a fluid path is defined through the inlet port, the first interior volume, the lumens of the plurality of hollow fibers, the second interior volume, and the outlet port; and an impeller operable to drive fluid flow over exterior surfaces of the plurality of hollow fibers.

A reverse osmosis apparatus including a reverse osmosis unit having a housing; a cylindrical drum rotatably disposed inside the housing wherein a lateral gap therebetween defines a intervening chamber, and including an outer cylindrical wall and an inner cylindrical wall to define an inner cylindrical feed chamber and an outer annular separation chamber therewithin; and at least one channeling structure defining a permeate channel extending radially from the inner cylindrical wall to the outer cylindrical wall, wherein a first channel end is closed and a second channel end opens into the intervening chamber. The at least one channeling structure including a membrane element extending lengthwise forming a semi-permeable interface between the permeate channel and a feed-flow-region in fluid communication with the inner cylindrical feed chamber. The apparatus including a pump to pressurize the inner cylindrical feed chamber, and a motor to rotate the cylindrical drum for generating centrifugal force.

The present invention relates to a fuel cell membrane humidifier which adjusts a clearance between hollow fiber membranes according to a temperature of a fluid flowing between the hollow fiber membranes to improve humidification efficiency. A fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a mid-case; a cap fastened to the mid-case; a plurality of hollow fiber membranes disposed in the mid-case and exchanging moisture with an air supplied from the outside and flue gas introduced from a fuel cell stack to humidify the air; and a clearance adjustment pipe disposed between the plurality of hollow fiber membranes and formed of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient different from that of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, so as to adjust the clearance between the plurality of hollow fiber membranes according to a temperature of flue gas.

Embodiments of the invention pertain to cartridges, systems and methods for performing hemodialysis and related extracorporeal blood treatment modalities and therapies, in which blood flows in the inter fiber space and dialysate flows in the lumens of hollow fibers. Appropriate connectors and fitting orientations may be provided. There may be provided orbital distributors, fanning of fibers, and features to promote uniformity of fiber spacing in the fiber bundle. Orbital distributors may contain contoured surfaces, flow redirectors, non-uniform-conductance flow elements, through-wall distributors, and other features. There may be subdivision of the fiber bundle into two groups of fibers with separate control fluid to each group. Appropriate systems may be provided for various therapies. Flow past the fibers may be parallel, transverse or other configuration. These various features may enable long-term application to all dialysis and ultrafiltration related therapies, and also to other therapies and to applications including implantables, portables and wearables.

Described herein is a polyamide hollow fiber membrane and methods of making and using the hollow fiber membrane. The polyamide hollow fiber membrane has an isopropanol permeability of from about 5 L/m2 h bar to about 150 L/m2 h bar and a particle rejection percentage of about 100% for particles having a nominal diameter of from about 1 nm to about 25 nm. The polyamide hollow fiber membranes described herein are particularly useful for photoresist filtration, for example.

Algae harvesting and cultivating systems and methods for producing high concentrations of algae product with minimal energy. In an embodiment, a dead-end filtration system and method includes at least one tank and a plurality hollow fiber membranes positioned in the at least one tank. An algae medium is pulled through the hollow fiber membranes such that a retentate and a permeate are produced.

The present invention relates to a composite porous hollow-fiber membrane including a first layer and a second layer which each include a fluororesin-based polymer, in which at least a part of molecular chains of the fluororesin-based polymer is oriented in a longitudinal direction of the composite porous hollow-fiber membrane, the molecular chains of the fluororesin-based polymer have a degree of orientation it in the longitudinal direction of the composite porous hollow-fiber membrane of 0.4 or higher but less than 1.0, the degree of orientation it being calculated with the specific formula.

A method for repairing a membrane filtration module in fluid communication with a plurality of additional membrane filtration modules includes fluidly connecting a fluid transfer assembly to the membrane filtration module, fluidly isolating the membrane filtration module from the plurality of additional membrane filtration modules, forcing liquid within the membrane filtration module into the fluid transfer assembly by introducing a pressurized gas into the membrane filtration module, releasing the pressurized gas from the membrane filtration module, fluidly disconnecting the fluid transfer assembly from the membrane filtration module, repairing one or more damaged membranes in the membrane filtration module, and fluidly reconnecting the membrane filtration module to the plurality of additional membrane filtration modules.

Embodiments of the invention pertain to cartridges, systems and methods for performing hemodialysis and related extracorporeal blood treatment modalities and therapies, in which blood flows in the inter fiber space and dialysate flows in the lumens of hollow fibers. Appropriate connectors and fitting orientations may be provided. There may be provided orbital distributors, fanning of fibers, and features to promote uniformity of fiber spacing in the fiber bundle. Orbital distributors may contain contoured surfaces, flow redirectors, non-uniform-conductance flow elements, through-wall distributors, and other features. There may be subdivision of the fiber bundle into two groups of fibers with separate control fluid to each group. Appropriate systems may be provided for various therapies. Flow past the fibers may be parallel, transverse or other configuration. These various features may enable long-term application to all dialysis and ultrafiltration related therapies, and also to other therapies and to applications including implantables, portables and wearables.

A portable liquid-filtration device includes an inlet port, a filtering portion including a filtering medium and fluidly coupled to the inlet port, a filtered-liquid output port fluidly coupled to the filtering portion, a flush port fluidly coupled to the filtering portion, and a manually activated pump assembly fluidly coupled to the inlet port, filtering portion, output port and flush port. The pump assembly is configured, when activated, to create a negative fluid pressure at the inlet port and a positive fluid pressure at the output port and the flush port. As a consequence of activation of the pump assembly, the filtering portion receives unfiltered liquid from the inlet port, the output port receives from the filtering portion only liquid traversing the filtering medium in a first direction, and the flush port receives from the filtering portion liquid traversing the filtering medium in a second direction different from the first direction.