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 a method of operating a pasteurization plant whereby containers filled with food products and closed are treated with a tempered aqueous process liquid in one or more treatment zone(s). At least a part of the process liquid is circulated around the treatment zone(s) for reuse in at least one recirculation loop. A partial quantity of the process liquid circulated in the at least one recirculation loop is removed and fed to a cleaning device comprising a membrane filtration device. A flow rate through the membrane filtration device is continuously monitored by means of a sensor device. A volumetric flow through the membrane filtration device is influenced by adjusting a flow regulating position of at least one adjustable flow regulating means. The at least one partial flow is then returned to a recirculation loop or a treatment zone again.

Extraction Apparatus (2) for extraction of a biomass comprises an extraction vessel (4) for containing a biomass. Electrical heating tape (6) is provided around the vessel (4) for maintaining the temperature of the wall of vessel (4). Upstream of vessel (4) is a solvent recycling vessel (8) which is fitted with a cooling coil (10) which communicates with an external refrigeration unit (12). Operation of unit (12) is arranged to cool (and thereby liquefy) solvent in the vessel (8). A solvent pump (22) is arranged to pump liquid between vessel (8) and vessel (4) via an electrically powered heat exchanger (24). The heat exchanger (24) is arranged to increase the temperature of solvent flowing through it very rapidly which allows the temperature of solvent introduced into extraction vessel (4) to be very rapidly changed in a step-wise manner.

A system for processing a feed includes a membrane system configured to receive the feed and produce a concentrate and a permeate, wherein the membrane system includes an active cooling system, a passive cooling system, or a combination thereof. Further, the system includes a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the membrane system and disposed upstream of the membrane system, such that the feed enters the heat exchanger prior to entering the membrane system, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to cool the feed and heat the concentrate by transferring heat from the feed to the concentrate.

A device controls temperature of soft water and/or permeate for dialysis applications based on the principle of reverse osmosis. The device, which can be used in a dialysis system, includes a buffer tank for heat which is coupled in terms of heat flow to a heat source and/or heat sink and receives or contains a fluid heat transfer medium. A soft water heat exchanger is connected on the primary side to the buffer tank by a pump circuit for the heat transfer medium, which is connected on the secondary side to the soft water supply line. A permeate heat exchanger is connected on the primary side to the buffer tank by a pump circuit for the heat transfer medium, which is connected on the secondary side to the permeate extraction line.

A method including increasing modifying a volume of seawater that holds an amount of dissolved inorganic carbon; acidifying the amount of seawater; and collecting an amount of carbon dioxide from the acidified seawater. A system including an electrodialysis unit including an acidified solution compartment, a basified solution compartment, a membrane and an acidified solution output compartment; a vessel coupled to an inlet of the acidified solution compartment and operable to contain a modified volume of seawater therein; and a desorption unit coupled to the acidified compartment output, the desorption unit operable to receive carbon dioxide gas from a solution from the acidified output compartment.

A method including increasing modifying a volume of seawater that holds an amount of dissolved inorganic carbon; acidifying the amount of seawater; and collecting an amount of carbon dioxide from the acidified seawater. A system including an electrodialysis unit including an acidified solution compartment, a basified solution compartment, a membrane and an acidified solution output compartment; a vessel coupled to an inlet of the acidified solution compartment and operable to contain a modified volume of seawater therein; and a desorption unit coupled to the acidified compartment output, the desorption unit operable to receive carbon dioxide gas from a solution from the acidified output compartment.

For powering a vehicle, a high energy density fuel is preferred. However, for example when the high energy fuel is highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide, this fuel may be dangerous to handle; especially when the person handling the fuel is a normal consumer filling a fuel reservoir of his vehicle at a gas station. The present invention therefore provides a vehicle arranged to receive a dilutedand thus saferfuel, and to density this fuel to a concentrated fuel in low quantities on board for direct use. To this end a fuel densifier is provided in the vehicle arranged for receiving liquid diluted fuel and arranged to provide a concentrated fuel based on the diluted fuel, the concentrated fuel having a higher energy density than the diluted fuel. A power conversion module of the vehicle is arranged to convert the concentrated fuel to kinetic energy for powering the vehicle.

The invention relates to a process for separating a composition of matter with the aid of a membrane cascade having at least two stages, in which a separation is effected in each stage at at least one membrane at a separation temperature set for the particular stage. The invention further relates to a corresponding membrane cascade, to the use of said membrane cascade for catalyst separation from homogeneously catalyzed mixtures, and to a process for hydroformylation, in which the catalyst is separated by means of a membrane cascade. The problem addressed thereby is that of specifying a membrane-based process for separating compositions of matter, which has a minimum membrane area requirement and nevertheless fulfills the separation task and separation performance required. This problem is solved by the use of a membrane cascade with falling separation temperature.

The present invention includes systems and methods for treatment of seawater RO system for recovering most of the water (i.e., 85-90%) from the concentrate of a brackish groundwater reverse osmosis treatment system that may use, e.g., a batch method. With proper pH control and antiscalant dosage, the batch-treatment SWRO system of the present invention can be used to recover water from silica-saturated RO concentrate without fouling the membranes. Silica concentrations of over 1,000 mg/L are attainable with relatively minimal pre-treatment of the silica-saturated feed solution.