The objective of the present invention is to provide a composite semi-permeable membrane having high processing efficiency even when processing of wastewater having a suspended matter content high enough to tend to result in clogging, said processing efficiency being unlikely to decline even under elevated-pressure operation accompanying continuous use at high pressure. The present invention pertains to a composite semi-permeable membrane having a polymer porous layer on one surface of a nonwoven cloth layer, and a polyamide separation function layer on the polymer porous layer, wherein the ratio of the thickness of the polymer porous layer to the thickness of the nonwoven cloth layer is 0.22 to 0.45.

A sea water desalination system and reverse osmosis element for use in a desalination system are provided. The reverse osmosis element includes a body of media material having opposed first and second ends. First and second end cap assemblies are adjacent the first and second ends of the body. A shell of wound composite material encapsulates and retains the body and first and second end cap assemblies together to define an integrated pressure vessel. Methods of assembling are also provided.

A sea water desalination system and reverse osmosis element for use in a desalination system are provided. The reverse osmosis element includes a body of media material having opposed first and second ends. First and second end cap assemblies are adjacent the first and second ends of the body. A shell of wound composite material encapsulates and retains the body and first and second end cap assemblies together to define an integrated pressure vessel. Methods of assembling are also provided.

The invention relates to methods of concentration of colloidal silica in geothermal fluids. More particularly, although not exclusively, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for concentrating silica by ultrafiltration to produce a substantially monodisperse colloidal silica concentrate.

The invention relates to methods of concentration of colloidal silica in geothermal fluids. More particularly, although not exclusively, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for concentrating silica by ultrafiltration to produce a substantially monodisperse colloidal silica concentrate.

Improved reverse osmosis (RO) systems include at least first and second stages wherein each stage has at least one RO membrane, each stage has a feed stream inlet, permeate stream outlet, and concentrate stream outlet, the feed stream inlet of the second stage is coupled to the concentrate stream outlet of the first stage, the feed stream entering the first stage is pressurized to a first pressure and the feed stream entering the second stage is pressurized to a second pressure, the second pressure being greater than the first pressure. The systems include M number of reverse osmosis membranes in the first stage and N number of reverse osmosis membranes in the second stage, wherein MN. The first pressure and second pressure are configured so that flux of the permeate streams of the first stage and the second stage has a spatial variance that is minimized.

A spiral wound module assembly including: a plurality of spiral wound modules aligned within a pressure vessel with a first module located adjacent the first end and a second module located adjacent the second end, a flow plate including opposing first and second sides positioned within the pressure vessel between the first spiral wound module and the first end of the pressure vessel with the first side facing the first spiral wound module and the second side facing the first end, and wherein the flow plate includes a plurality of holes passing from the first side to the second side which create a pressure drop in fluid passing from the first spiral wound module and the closer of the feed inlet port and concentrate outlet port; and a differential pressure sensor adapted to measure differences in pressure between fluid located on the opposing sides of the flow plate.

A spiral wound module assembly including: a plurality of spiral wound modules aligned within a pressure vessel with a first module located adjacent the first end and a second module located adjacent the second end, a flow plate including opposing first and second sides positioned within the pressure vessel between the first spiral wound module and the first end of the pressure vessel with the first side facing the first spiral wound module and the second side facing the first end, and wherein the flow plate includes a plurality of holes passing from the first side to the second side which create a pressure drop in fluid passing from the first spiral wound module and the closer of the feed inlet port and concentrate outlet port; and a differential pressure sensor adapted to measure differences in pressure between fluid located on the opposing sides of the flow plate.

A spiral-wound acid gas separation membrane element (1) includes a wound body including a separation membrane (2), a feed-side channel component (3), and a permeate-side channel component (4) wound in a laminated state around a core tube (5). The core tube (5) has a group of holes for allowing communication between a permeate-side spatial portion defined by the permeate-side channel component (4) and a spatial portion inside the core tube (5), the group of holes being present on an end side of the core tube (5).

A method and an apparatus (10) for filtering and separating flow medium (11) by means of membranes (13), in a substantially pressuretight housing (14), at least one inlet (15) for the flow medium (11) to be separated, and at least one outlet (16) for permeate (18) discharge and an outlet (17) for discharged retentate (19), is described. The membranes (13) being embodied as membrane cushions, which have an opening region (131) for emergence of permeate (18) collecting in the membrane interior (137). Various partial sets of the set of membranes (13), which form a membrane stack (12), utilize different separation techniques based on the flow medium (11) so that a respective partial set are each operated with a predetermined, different pressure of the medium (11) to be separated or with a different vacuum on the permeate side of the membranes (13).