In one embodiment, a renewable energy generation and storage system and method is provided for storing both electrical and thermal energy that includes a forward osmosis system for drawing water across a membrane such that the water drawn across the membrane is used to dilute an osmotic ionic draw solution and the diluted osmotic ionic draw solution is used to drive a hydro-turbine; an FO-EED separation system for separating the drawn water from the ionic draw solution using renewable electrical energy and an osmotic polymer introduced in the FO-EED system during use, so that the ionic draw solution is re-concentrated by using electrical energy, such that the water from the ionic solution combines with the concentrated osmotic polymer; a coalescer configured to receive compressed CO.sub.2 to separate the water from the polymer by having the polymer absorb the compressed CO.sub.2 during use; and using thermal energy for separating the CO.sub.2 from the polymer, thereby regenerating a concentrated polymer solution.

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.

Provided is a reverse osmosis membrane cleaning apparatus (10) which includes a membrane module (1) including a reverse osmosis membrane, a cleaning water tank (11) which stores cleaning water, a heater (13) which heats cleaning water supplied from the cleaning water tank (11) to the reverse osmosis membrane, and a temperature control device (17) which controls the heater so that a temperature of the cleaning water heated by the heater (13) is higher than 45? C. and not higher than 60? C.

Green liquor clarification comprising filtering of a flowing suspension containing solids, wherein the suspension is brought into contact with a first filter unit (4), said 5 filter unit (4) comprising one or several filter elements (12) comprising one or several filter bodies (3) having filter channels (33) within the filter bodies (3) with a filtering layer (32), a part of the suspension is forced to pass through the filtering layer (32) from a first/inner surface (32A) to a second/outer surface (32B) of the filtering layer (32) forming a filtrate while the solids substantially remains in a residual part of the suspension forming a slurry and where the filtering layer (32) is made of a membrane material with pores, said pores having a pore size of 0.1-10 micrometer, more preferred 0.1-5 micrometer and most preferred 0.2-1.0 micrometer.

A reverse osmosis main plant which may receive non-potable water and discharge out permeate through a permeate out line and concentrate through a concentrate line is disclosed.

A method for highly concentrating aqueous solutions containing thermally sensitive organic constituents and with or without mineral constituents, wherein firstly, a major portion of the water is extracted by membrane filtration from the solution for pre-concentration and is discharged from the process and the solution which is pre-concentrated is then subjected to a freeze concentration procedure, in which, in the form of separated ice crystallisate, further water is extracted from the solution. To promote results, that concentration may be effected in the freeze concentration procedure until a viscosity of the mother solution of at least 0.0002 m.sup.2/s is achieved, and in that the separated ice crystallisate from the freeze concentration with the mother solution adhering thereto as a suspension is returned to the membrane filtration upstream of the membrane filtration or after melting of the ice crystallisate.

According to one embodiment, a treatment apparatus includes a dialysis unit, a treatment unit and a recovery unit. The dialysis unit is configured to dialyze a solution including a phosphoric acid, a silicon compound, and water. The treatment unit is configured to perform treatment of an object to be treated using a dialyzed solution. The recovery unit is configured to recover a solution used in the treatment of the object to be treated and supply to the dialysis unit. The dialysis unit includes a transmission part which allows anions to be transmitted. The recovery unit supplies the solution used in the treatment of the object to be treated, to a region in the dialysis unit. The region is divided by the transmission part.

The present invention relates generally to processes for converting fructose-containing feedstocks to a product comprising 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) and water in the presence of water, solvent and an acid catalyst. In some embodiments, the conversion of fructose to HMF is controlled at a partial conversion endpoint characterized by a yield of HMF from fructose that does not exceed about 80 mol %. In these and other embodiments, the processes provide separation techniques for separating and recovering the product, unconverted fructose, solvent and acid catalyst to enable the effective recovery and reutilization of reaction components.

Method for treating a fluid aqueous waste stream comprising a biodegradable organic substance, comprisingfeeding said stream into a bioreactor containing a fluid which contains biomass;reacting the biodegradable organic substance with the biomass in the bioreactor under essentially anaerobic conditions;taking a first flow from the bioreactor and using the first flow as a feed to a membrane filtration unit, in which said feed is subjected to filtration, thereby forming a permeate stream and a retentate stream;returning the retentate stream to the bioreactor;taking a second flow from the bioreactor as feed to a sludge treatment unit, in which sludge treatment unit the second flow is separated into a third flow, having an increased organic substance content compared to the second flow, and a fourth flow, having a decreased organic substance content compared to the second flow.

A System for brine treatment scaling control in a water treatment system is described. In the system, a concentrated brine stream influent may be treated in an electrodialysis-reversal process to produce a concentrated brine stream effluent and a lower salinity diluent water, which may be potable water effluent. The concentrated brine stream effluent may be processed in a brine treatment scaling control system that may have a mixing vessel and a membrane filter with the mixing vessel seeded with calcium sulfate. A lowered salinity brine stream effluent may be produced for return to the electrodialysis-reversal process to allow operation at greater overall recovery and an elevated concentrated brine stream may be produced.