A method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane for humidification, the method comprising dry-wet spinning a spinning dope comprising a water-soluble organic solvent solution composed of polyphenylsulfone resin and hydrophilic polyvinylpyrrolidone using water as a core liquid; then performing a crosslinking treatment at 120 to 220° C. for 1 to 20 hours; and then dipping the resultant in an acidic solution with a concentration of 5 to 500 ppm. The obtained porous hollow fiber membrane has improved hydrophilicity without impairing the wettability of the porous hollow fiber membrane. Since, humidification performance of the porous hollow fiber membrane alone can be improved, it is effective as a humidifying membrane for fuel cells.

A membrane apparatus including a housing, a forward osmosis membrane dividing an internal space of the housing into an inlet region and a mixing region, and a pervaporation membrane dividing the internal space of the housing into the mixing region and a discharge region. The forward osmosis membrane separates a preliminary filtration liquid from an inlet liquid and provides the separated preliminary filtration liquid to the mixing region, the preliminary filtration liquid is mixed with a forward osmosis draw solution to make a mixed solution, the pervaporation membrane separates a final filtration liquid from the mixed solution and provides the separated final filtration liquid to the discharge region, the final filtration liquid is vaporized in the discharge region to make vapor, and an amount of the vapor is adjusted by at least one of a temperature of the mixed solution and a degree of vacuum of the discharge region.

A desalination apparatus is disclosed which comprises: a first tank for storing seawater to be desalinated; a second tank comprising a hydrophobic membrane desalination module operable to absorb only fresh water vapors and reject salt components when the seawater is heated to a first predetermined temperature that changes the seawater into the fresh water vapors, and wherein the hydrophobic membrane desalination module is configured to continuously allow the distilled fresh water to make contact with the fresh water vapors within its interior hollow volume; and a third tank, in fluid communication with the second tank, configured to cause the fresh water vapors from the hydrophobic membrane desalination module to be condensed into liquid fresh water by continuously allowing the fresh water vapors to make contact with a coolant water at a second temperature.

A direct water purifier comprises: a first filter for filtering water flowing in through a first flow path; a second filter receiving, through a second flow path, and filtering the water filtered by the first filter; a first valve, provided on the second flow path; a pump, provided on the second flow path, for supplying, to the second filter, water at a water pressure equal to or greater than a preset water pressure; a third filter receiving, through a third flow path, and filtering the water filtered by the second filter; a second valve, provided on the third flow path, for decreasing a pressure in the flow path; a third valve, provided at a rear end of the second valve, for preventing a backflow of the water; and a heating unit receiving the water filtered by the third filter and heating the water to a preset temperature.

A direct water purifier comprises: a first filter for filtering water flowing in through a first flow path; a second filter receiving, through a second flow path, and filtering the water filtered by the first filter; a first valve, provided on the second flow path; a pump, provided on the second flow path, for supplying, to the second filter, water at a water pressure equal to or greater than a preset water pressure; a third filter receiving, through a third flow path, and filtering the water filtered by the second filter; a second valve, provided on the third flow path, for decreasing a pressure in the flow path; a third valve, provided at a rear end of the second valve, for preventing a backflow of the water; and a heating unit receiving the water filtered by the third filter and heating the water to a preset temperature.

A draw solute may have a low viscosity, and can be circulated during a forward-osmosis water treatment, and has a sedimentation under heating and a higher osmotic pressure than that of seawater, when used as a draw solution. A draw solute may include at least one of vinyl ether polymer containing an oxyethylene chain in a side chain and having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 13,000 or less.

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 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.

Pulse protein isolates, food compositions containing such isolates, and methods for preparing pulse protein isolates are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods include extracting pulse proteins from a milled composition and applying the extracted proteins to an ultrafiltration process to produce pulse protein isolates with desirable organoleptic characteristics.

A draw solute for forward osmosis comprising a semi-interpenetrating (semi-IPN) hydrogel which comprises a thermally responsive polymer and a hydrophilic polymer, such that the semi-IPN hydrogel is capable of switching between a hydrophilic and hydrophobic state in response to changes in temperature is provided. Also provided is a draw solute comprising a hydrogel of a polyionic thermally responsive polymer, wherein the hydrogel switches between a hydrophilic state to allow absorption of water osmosed from a feed solution and a hydrophobic state to allow release of the absorbed water in response to changes in temperature. There is also provided a forward osmosis method comprising: contacting a feed solution and the draw solute via a semi-permeable membrane, such that feed water in the feed solution passes through the membrane by osmotic pressure and moves into the draw solute; and separating the water from the draw solute to form a purified water product.