An apparatus for water purification includes a membrane distillation (MD) cell; an air conditioner; a photovoltaic solar collector (PVSC) cell including a transparent photovoltaic cell configured to generate electricity, an absorber plate configured to absorb solar radiation, and a flow tube configured to receive the fluid; a first heat exchanger; a second heat exchanger; and a fluid source storing a fluid configured to circulate through the apparatus, wherein the fluid circulating in the apparatus carries heat generated by a condenser of the air conditioner to the PVSC cell where the fluid interacts with the PVSC cell to increase a temperature of the fluid to become a heated fluid; and the heated fluid circulates to the hot channel where the heated fluid drives the distillation of water in the MD cell.

The present invention relates to a low-temperature membrane separation device and method for capturing carbon dioxide at a high concentration, in which a gas mixture is passed through a membrane unit to thus separate carbon dioxide. The membrane unit includes a membrane for capturing carbon dioxide and is connected to a feed gas line, a retentate gas line and a permeate gas line. The method includes a first separation step of passing the gas mixture through a first membrane unit and a second separation step of passing the permeation gas, which is discharged to the permeate gas line connected to the first membrane unit, through a second membrane unit. The second separation step is performed at a temperature that is lower than a temperature at which the first separation step is performed.

A method for desalination of hot supersaturated water having a temperature of between 40 C. and 80, includes contacting the hot water with a reverse osmosis membrane which is resistant to temperatures of between 40 and 80 C. without a prior cooling step.

A method for desalination of hot supersaturated water having a temperature of between 40 C. and 80, includes contacting the hot water with a reverse osmosis membrane which is resistant to temperatures of between 40 and 80 C. without a prior cooling step.

The present invention provides a membrane distillation apparatus that comprises an evaporation part comprising a liquid phase part 1 in which water to be treated flows, a gas phase part 1, and a hydrophobic porous membrane that separates the liquid phase part 1 and the gas phase part 1, a condensation part comprising a liquid phase part 2 in which cooling water flows, a gas phase part 2, and a cooling member that separates the liquid phase part 2 and the gas phase part 2, and a gas phase part 3 connecting the gas phase part 1 with the gas phase part 2, wherein the pressure of the gas phase parts 1 to 3 is 1 kPa or higher and the saturated steam pressure of water at the temperature of water to be treated or lower.

A water treatment apparatus including: a forward osmosis device configured to allow a diluted draw solution to flow out and to discharge a water-containing solution; a heater configured to heat the diluted draw solution; a water separator configured to separate the diluted draw solution heated by the heater into a water-rich solution and the draw solution having water content lower than that of the water-rich solution; a cooler configured to cool a liquid and allow the liquid to flow out as a coolant; an inflow side heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between the coolant flowed out from the cooler and the draw solution flowed out from the water separator; and an outflow side heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between the diluted draw solution flowed out from the forward osmosis device and the water-rich solution flowed out from the water separator.

A membrane evaporative condenser (MEC) includes a repeating sequence of channels for evaporation and/or condensation are arranged, each sequence of channels includes a condensation channel for condensation of a vapor to a liquid, an evaporation channel, and zero to one hundred evaporation-condensation channels. The condensation channel has walls of a non-permeable material which exterior to the condensation channel share the wall with a liquid evaporative medium (LEM) conduit that contains a LEM. The LEM conduit includes a moisture transfer membrane (MTM), where the LEM can evaporate into an evaporation channel or an evaporation-condensation channel that can amplify the effect of the heat transfer for additional mass transfer.

An apparatus for water purification includes a membrane distillation (MD) cell; an air conditioner; a photovoltaic solar collector (PVSC) cell including a transparent photovoltaic cell configured to generate electricity, an absorber plate configured to absorb solar radiation, and a flow tube configured to receive the fluid; a first heat exchanger; a second heat exchanger; and a fluid source storing a fluid configured to circulate through the apparatus, wherein the fluid circulating in the apparatus carries heat generated by a condenser of the air conditioner to the PVSC cell where the fluid interacts with the PVSC cell to increase a temperature of the fluid to become a heated fluid; and the heated fluid circulates to the hot channel where the heated fluid drives the distillation of water in the MD cell.

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.

A method and apparatus for the treatment of wastewater streams to form purified water and a mineral-containing by-product. The wastewater stream may be a brine or produced water from an oil/gas extraction operation. The method includes passing the wastewater stream through a membrane assembly having a pervaporation membrane, whereby purified water vapor is collected from the permeate side of the membrane. A mineral-rich product may be recovered from the retentate, and/or a mineral-rich crystalline phase may deposit on the membrane and may be recovered as a solid from the membrane or may be washed off the membrane and collected.