A humidifier comprises at least one humidifier module, which has a membrane permeable to water vapor and respectively on both sides of the membrane, a flow field frame with at least two walls defining a flow channel. A thermal bridge with an increased thermal conductivity compared to the membrane protrudes through the membrane. A fuel cell device comprises such a humidifier and a motor vehicle includes a fuel cell device comprising such a humidifier.

A membrane humidifier has multiple stacking units mounted one on top of the other, where an individual stacking unit includes a flow plate and diffusion unit, where a circumference of the diffusion unit is formed by two oppositely situated first edge sides and two oppositely situated second edge sides. The diffusion unit includes: a top layer on a top side of the diffusion unit, a bottom layer on a bottom side of the diffusion unit, a moisture-permeable membrane, two oppositely situated upper receiving elements at the two first edge sides, on the top side of the diffusion unit, and two oppositely situated lower receiving elements at the two second edge sides, on the bottom side of the diffusion unit, where the flow plate of the stacking unit is inserted into the two lower receiving elements, and where the next stacking unit is inserted into the two upper receiving elements.

In an immersed membrane system, the influent flows into an open membrane tank. The membrane tank can have multiple horizontally spaced immersed membrane units. The immersed membrane units may have flat sheet membrane elements within a membrane case. One or more ducts are provided in the tank for directing the flow of influent to the immersed membrane units. In some examples, the influent is divided into sub-streams that are fed through baffles to a corresponding immersed membrane unit, optionally in generally equal amounts, optionally in a single pass flow pattern. In a process of operating a membrane tank, the influent flow is directed across the bottom of the membrane tank and divided into multiple portions. Each of the multiple portions is fed directly to the bottom of a corresponding immersed membrane unit located in the tank. The influent may be mixed liquor in a membrane bioreactor (MBR).

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 membrane element includes a filtration membrane and a flowpath member joined thereto. The flowpath member is made of yarn arranged into a three-dimensional structure, and includes inner spaces through which a permeated liquid permeated through the filtration membrane flows, and an outer bonding surface joined to the filtration membrane. At least part of the yarn forming the outer bonding surface is a low-melting point yarn having a softening point lower than that of a material forming the filtration membrane, or the yarn forming the outer bonding surface is formed by twisting a plurality of constituent yarns, and at least one of the constituent yarns is a low-melting point yarn having a softening point lower than that of the material forming the filtration membrane.

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for blood and other biological fluid purification using a membrane with cell containing vascular channel systems and filtration channel systems. Also disclosed are methods of making the apparatus as well as methods of making membranes.

Spacers are attached to membranes of an array of flat plate ceramic membranes. The spacers limit bending of the membranes which can be caused by buildup of solids on the faces of adjacent membranes.

The present application relates to a method for manufacturing an inverse opal structure membrane filter, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a mixed solution by mixing a nanoparticle dispersion solution and a sacrificial particle dispersion solution; applying the mixed solution onto a substrate to dry it; and heat-treating the mixed solution, wherein the surface of the sacrificial particles is modified by positive charges or negative charges.

A membrane device is presented that can used for a wide range of applications from once-through filtration, crossflow filtration, molecular separation, gas/liquid absorption or reaction, gas dispersion into liquid, and degassing of liquid. The device comprises a thin flat sheet membrane that allows certain fluid or molecules go through while blocking others. The membrane sheet is fixed on a supporting structure with mini channel on two sides of the membrane for respective feed and sweep flows. The membrane sheet is sealed with gaskets with two cover plates that the membrane sheet can be replaced or cleaned. The cover plate provides connection ports to connect the feed fluid to the feed channels on one membrane surface and to connect the sweep fluid to the sweep channels on the other surface of the membrane.

A modular structure for a mitigating evaporative fuel emissions, such as for an automobile, is described. The structure may include a plurality of frames and membranes for flowing fuel vapor and reducing the emission of hydrocarbon therefrom. The structure may include flow guides that provide a meandering flow path for both the fuel vapor and a permeate. A flow guide providing parallel flow paths is also described.