Nitrox-mixtures production machine comprising: a molecular separator, which is structured so as to receive at inlet a flow of air and to provide at outlet an intermediate Nitrox mixture with high oxygen percentage; a low-pressure compressor, which is adapted to feed an airflow at inlet of the molecular separator; a mixing manifold, which communicates with the molecular separator so as to receive said intermediate Nitrox mixture, and is structured so as to mix the intermediate Nitrox mixture with fresh air coming from the outside, in order to provide at outlet a final Nitrox mixture with predefined composition; at least one oxygen sensor, which is adapted to measure the oxygen percentage present in said final Nitrox mixture; at least one pressure sensor, which is adapted to measure the air pressure in the molecular separator; and an electronic control device, which is connected to said at least one oxygen sensor and is adapted to regulate the flowrate of the airflow that is sucked in by the low-pressure compressor based on the signals coming from said at least one oxygen sensor and said at least one pressure sensor.

Nitrox-mixtures production machine comprising: a molecular separator, which is structured so as to receive at inlet a flow of air and to provide at outlet an intermediate Nitrox mixture with high oxygen percentage; a low-pressure compressor, which is adapted to feed an airflow at inlet of the molecular separator; a mixing manifold, which communicates with the molecular separator so as to receive said intermediate Nitrox mixture, and is structured so as to mix the intermediate Nitrox mixture with fresh air coming from the outside, in order to provide at outlet a final Nitrox mixture with predefined composition; at least one oxygen sensor, which is adapted to measure the oxygen percentage present in said final Nitrox mixture; and an electronic control device, which is connected to said at least one oxygen sensor and is adapted to regulate the flowrate of the airflow that the low-pressure compressor feeds at inlet of the molecular separator based on the signals coming from said at least one oxygen sensor.

A process for concentrating a maple sap or sweet vegetal water solution is provided. The process comprises collecting the solution in a tank at temperature T1, wherein T1 is between 4? C. and 10? C.; concentrating the solution by means of a reverse osmosis concentrator to produce a high Brix solution of about 15 to about 40 Brix; heating the high Brix solution of about 15 to about 40 Brix to temperature T2, wherein T2 is between 40? C. and 85? C.; and evaporating the high Brix solution by means of a vacuum evaporator at temperature T3 to produce the concentrated product of about 60 to about 70 Brix, wherein T3 is between 55? C. and 80? C. A system for concentrating a maple sap or sweet vegetal water solution is provided, as well as a concentrated product produced by the process of the present invention.

A metal recovery system includes: a desalination apparatus obtaining freshwater with a reverse osmosis membrane from liquid to be processed pressurized by a pump; a metal recovery apparatus recovering metal ions from first drainage from the desalination apparatus, using a metal ion exchange membrane; and a control apparatus that includes: a pump control unit controlling energization of the pump so that an inflow flow rate of the liquid to be processed flowing into the desalination apparatus is a predetermined first flow rate when an exchange membrane temperature is within a temperature range determined in advance; and an exchange membrane control unit controlling energization of electrodes applying an electric field to a metal ion exchange membrane based on a first ion concentration that is a concentration of the metal ions in the first drainage when the exchange membrane temperature is within a temperature range determined in advance.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to methods of separating volatile compounds from a liquid feed mixture comprising an emulsion. In various embodiments, the method includes contacting a first side of a first membrane with a liquid feed mixture including an emulsion having a polymer, and at least one volatile compound. The method can also include contacting a second side of the first membrane with a sweep medium including at least one a sweep fluid to produce a permeate mixture on the second side of the first membrane and a retentate mixture on the first side of the first membrane, wherein the permeate mixture is enriched in the volatile compound, and the retentate mixture is depleted in the volatile compound.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to methods of separating volatile compounds from a liquid feed mixture comprising an emulsion. In various embodiments, the method includes contacting a first side of a first membrane with a liquid feed mixture including an emulsion having a polymer, and at least one volatile compound. The method can also include contacting a second side of the first membrane with a sweep medium including at least one a sweep fluid to produce a permeate mixture on the second side of the first membrane and a retentate mixture on the first side of the first membrane, wherein the permeate mixture is enriched in the volatile compound, and the retentate mixture is depleted in the volatile compound.

A method of treating a fluid comprises introducing a feed fluid stream comprising multiple materials to first side of a semi-permeable membrane. A draw fluid stream having a higher temperature than the feed fluid stream is introduced to second, opposing side of the semi-permeable membrane to form a thermal gradient across the semi-permeable membrane. One or more of the multiple materials of the feed fluid stream is drawn through the semi-permeable membrane and into the draw fluid stream via thermal gradient osmosis. A fluid treatment system and a thermal gradient osmosis apparatus are also described.

The invention relates to a process for treating animal skim milk and sweet whey and/or acid whey, having: (a) ultrafiltration (UF1) of a first liquid composition including animal skim milk with 70-90 wt % casein and 10-30 wt % whey proteins, based on total protein, over a first ultrafiltration membrane having a molecular weight cut-off of 2.5-25 kDa using a volume concentration factor of 1.5-6 to obtain a retentate (UFR1) and a permeate (UFP1); (b) ultrafiltration (UF2) of a second liquid composition including sweet whey and/or acid whey over a second ultrafiltration membrane having a molecular weight cut-off of 2.5-25 kDa using a volume concentration factor of 2-15 to obtain a retentate (UFR2) and a permeate (UFP2); and (c) mixing the UF retentate originating from step (a) with the UF retentate originating from step (b) to obtain a mixture of UF retentates.

The invention relates to a process for treating animal skim milk and sweet whey and/or acid whey, having: (a) ultrafiltration (UF1) of a first liquid composition including animal skim milk with 70-90 wt % casein and 10-30 wt % whey proteins, based on total protein, over a first ultrafiltration membrane having a molecular weight cut-off of 2.5-25 kDa using a volume concentration factor of 1.5-6 to obtain a retentate (UFR1) and a permeate (UFP1); (b) ultrafiltration (UF2) of a second liquid composition including sweet whey and/or acid whey over a second ultrafiltration membrane having a molecular weight cut-off of 2.5-25 kDa using a volume concentration factor of 2-15 to obtain a retentate (UFR2) and a permeate (UFP2); and (c) mixing the UF retentate originating from step (a) with the UF retentate originating from step (b) to obtain a mixture of UF retentates.

A water treatment system is provided that provides desalination of water for aquifer recharge, agricultural, mining or industrial use. The water treatment system comprises: an input, for receiving contaminated water to be treated; an output, for providing treated water, wherein a level contamination of a contaminant i s lower in the treated water than in the contaminated water; and a hydrophilic membrane between the input and the output. The hydrophilic membrane configured to allow water to pass from the input to the output, and to at least partly impede the passage of the contaminant from the input to the output. In use, a low pressure is applied to the output to cause the water to flow across the membrane.